In Australia and most European countries, "Deeper and Deeper" was released as the official second single from the
Erotica album on November 17, 1992; It was then included on Madonna's second
compilation album,
GHV2 (2001). Upon release, the song was met with generally positive reviews from
music critics.
J. Randy Taraborrelli, author of
Madonna: An Intimate Biography, noted it was a "change of pace from the
title track. A straight-ahead house groove in the tradition of the funkiest New York clubs". Similarly,
Billboards Joe Lynch expressed that, "if 'Erotica' was a bold sonic departure for Madonna, the second single, 'Deeper and Deeper', found her in more familiar disco and house territory". Also from
Billboard,
Larry Flick stated that, "the chorus embeds in your brain upon impact", and highlighted the "Vogue" sample as "one of the song's cooler moments". On his review of
Erotica, the magazine's Paul Verna referred to "Deeper and Deeper" as a "playful disco-throwback".
AllMusic's
Stephen Thomas Erlewine considered it among Madonna's "best and most accomplished music". For
Rolling Stone, Arion Berger highlighted the track as one of the album's "pure disco" moments that do not need "emotional resonance to make them race". Anthony Violanti from
The Buffalo News compared "Deeper and Deeper" to the work of
Donna Summer. In this vein,
Matthew Rettenmund, author of
Encyclopedia Madonnica, said it was the singer's take on "
Never Can Say Goodbye".
Slant Magazines Sal Cinquemani deemed the single "both a product of its time and a timeless Madge classic", as well as one of the singer's "gems" that "get lost to pop history". In another occasion, Cinquemani said that it is "one of the few tracks from
Erotica not weighed down or muddled by Pettibone's gritty production" that sounds equally good today to how "it did nearly a decade ago". Charlotte Robinson of
PopMatters hailed it a "great pop song about the importance of listening to Mom and Dad's advice". For
Qs Phil Sutcliffe, "Deeper and Deeper" was the biggest surprise on
Erotica that "could be mistaken for a bopalong tribute to
Kylie". At
Blender, Tony Powers considered it one of the album's standout tracks. Music writer
James Masterton praised Madonna for returning to the "basic pop/dance she does best", but felt the song did not have "chart topping potential". Barbara Walker, writing in the
Sun-Sentinel, opined that, "the set's showcase dance track, 'Deeper and Deeper', never quite takes off", and deemed the "Vogue" sample lazy. In a less favorable review,
Cashboxs Randy Clark dismissed its "soulless and formulaic disco/kiddie-pop sounds dating back to '
Into the Groove'" and "simpleton Madonna lyrics [and] overdone melodic phrases". Retrospective reviews have been largely positive. In 2011,
Slant Magazine placed the song at number 36 on their list of "The 100 Best Singles of the 1990s"; Ed Gonzalez wrote: "Among Madonna's finest achievements, the angsty pop anthem 'Deeper and Deeper' is both an acute distillation of
Eroticas smut-glam decadence and the singer's lifelong blond ambition". Matthew Jacobs from
HuffPost placed the song at number 35 of his ranking of Madonna's singles, calling it her "finest disco flourish". On
Gay Star News ranking, the single came in at number 11; Joe Morgan called it "infectious, entrancing and one of her best dance anthems". Jude Rogers, from
The Guardian, opined "Deeper and Deeper" is a "classy post-'Vogue' excursion into 90s
R&B", and placed it at number 27 of her ranking of Madonna singles. Nayer Missim from
PinkNews considered "Deeper and Deeper" Madonna's 19th greatest song, and
Entertainment Weeklys Chuck Arnold her 25th; the former said it is "house and pop that’s equal parts disco and bedroom", while the latter deemed it a sequel to "Vogue", due to the lyrical nod. Writing for
The A.V. Club, Stephen Thomas Erlewine placed the track in the 28th position of the publication's ranking of Madonna's singles: "['Deeper and Deeper'] is a ray of light within the darkly provocative
Erotica".
Louis Virtel, writing for
The Backlot, named "Deeper and Deeper" the seventh best song of Madonna's discography, referring to it as "jubilant and driving", and comparing it to her 1987 single "
Causing a Commotion".
Idolators Robbie Daw deemed it Madonna's best song that "radio forgot". Finally, Nick Levine from
NME also deemed it underrated and said it deserves to be "embraced as a classic". == Commercial performance ==