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= Madonna =
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Introduction
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Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American
singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Queen of
Pop", she is known for her continual reinvention and versatility in
music production, songwriting, and visual presentation. Her works,
which concern social, political, sexual, and religious themes, have
generated both controversy and critical acclaim. Regarded as one of
the most influential musicians in history, Madonna broke gender
barriers in popular music and has had a significant socio-cultural
impact across her career.
Born and raised in Michigan, Madonna moved to New York City in 1978 to
pursue a career in dance. After performing as a drummer, guitarist,
and vocalist in the rock bands Breakfast Club and Emmy, she rose to
stardom with her debut album, 'Madonna' (1983). She has scored
eighteen multi-platinum albums globally, including 'Like a Virgin'
(1984), 'True Blue' (1986), and 'The Immaculate Collection'
(1990)--among the best-selling albums of all time--and 'Confessions on
a Dance Floor' (2005), her 21st-century bestseller. 'Like a Prayer'
(1989), 'Ray of Light' (1998), and 'Music' (2000) were ranked among
'Rolling Stone's' greatest albums of all time. Madonna's top-charting
singles include "Like a Virgin", "Papa Don't Preach", "La Isla
Bonita", "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", "Take a Bow", "Frozen", "Music",
"Hung Up", and "4 Minutes".
Madonna has starred in films such as 'Desperately Seeking Susan'
(1985), 'Dick Tracy' (1990), 'A League of Their Own' (1992), and
'Evita' (1996). Although many of her films were not well-received, she
won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for portraying Eva Perón
in 'Evita'. Her business endeavors encompass the entertainment company
Maverick (1992-2009), which included Maverick Records--one of the most
successful artist-run labels. Madonna has also pursued fashion brands,
written works, health clubs, and filmmaking. She contributes to
various charities, having founded the Ray of Light Foundation in 1998
and Raising Malawi in 2006, and advocates for gender equality and
LGBTQ rights.
Madonna is the best-selling female music artist of all time, and the
first female performer to accumulate US$1 billion from her concerts.
She is the only solo act to have at least ten US and UK number-one
albums and singles, and holds the record for the most chart-toppers on
a singular 'Billboard' chart. Her accolades include seven Grammy
Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, twenty MTV Video Music Awards, and an
induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in her first year of
eligibility. Madonna was the world's highest-paid female musician for
a record eleven years across four decades (1980s-2010s). She has
become the subject of various scholarly, literary, and artistic works,
giving rise to an academic subfield known as Madonna studies.
1958–1978: Early life
=======================
Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan, on August 16,
1958. Her father, Silvio "Tony" Ciccone, worked as an optical and
military engineer, as well as a physicist, for Chrysler Defense and
later General Dynamics Land Systems; her mother, Madonna Louise (née
Fortin), was an X-ray technician. Tony's parents were Italian
emigrants from Pacentro, while her mother was of French-Canadian
descent. Since Madonna shared her name with her mother, family members
referred to her as "Little Nonnie". Madonna was raised in the Detroit
suburbs of Pontiac and Avon Township (now Rochester Hills), alongside
her two older brothers, Anthony and Martin, and her three younger
siblings, Paula, Christopher, and Melanie.
When Madonna was five years old, her mother died of breast cancer on
December 1, 1963. In 1966, she adopted Veronica as a confirmation name
upon receiving the sacrament in the Catholic Church. That same year,
Tony married the family's housekeeper, Joan Gustafson. They had three
children: Joey (who died shortly after his birth in 1967 from a heart
defect), Jennifer, and Mario. Madonna attended St. Frederick's and St.
Andrew's Catholic elementary schools, as well as West Middle School.
She earned high grades--her father gave her a quarter for every A--and
was notorious for her unconventional behavior. Madonna performed
cartwheels and handstands in the hallways between classes, hung upside
down from the monkey bars during recess, and lifted her skirt in class
to amuse the boys.
In retrospect, Madonna described herself as a "lonely girl who was
searching for something", explaining: "I wasn't rebellious in a
certain way. I cared about being good at something. I didn't shave
under my arms and I didn't wear makeup like normal girls do. But I
studied and I got good grades[...] I wanted to be somebody." Her
father initially enrolled her in classical piano lessons, but she
eventually persuaded him to let her study ballet instead. Her ballet
teacher, Christopher Flynn, inspired her to pursue a career in dance,
remarking that she was the best student in the class. While attending
Rochester Adams High School, Madonna was a straight-A student and a
member of the cheerleading squad. After graduating in January 1976,
she received a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan and
spent the summer studying at the American Dance Festival in Durham,
North Carolina.
In 1978, Madonna left college and moved to New York City. She called
the decision "the bravest thing [she'd] ever done"; it was the first
time she had ever flown or taken a taxi, and she arrived with "$35 in
[her] pocket". She settled in the Alphabet City area of the East
Village and supported herself with limited means by working various
jobs--including as a hatcheck girl at the Russian Tea Room, an
elevator operator at Terrace on the Park, and a member of dance
troupes. Madonna took classes at the Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theater, performed with the Pearl Lang Dance Theater, and studied
under dancer and choreographer Martha Graham. One night, while
returning from a rehearsal, two men held her at knifepoint and forced
her to perform fellatio. She later found the incident to be "a taste
of my weakness, it showed me that I still could not save myself in
spite of all the strong-girl show. I could never forget it." She was
also raped at knifepoint after accepting an offer to use someone's
phone in their apartment in New York.
1979–1983: Career beginnings, rock bands, and ''Madonna''
===========================================================
In 1979, Madonna entered a romantic relationship with musician Dan
Gilroy. During this period, she searched for job opportunities in
publications such as 'Variety', 'Backstage', and 'Show Business',
leading to a successful audition as a backup singer and dancer in
Paris for French disco artist Patrick Hernandez. With Hernandez's
troupe, she traveled to Tunisia and several disco-oriented European
countries before returning to New York that same year. Madonna
relocated to an abandoned synagogue in Corona, Queens, where Gilroy
and his brother Ed resided and practiced. The group slept in the
basement and used its meeting space both to rehearse and record music
for their band, Breakfast Club, for which Madonna sang and played
drums and guitar.
Madonna made her acting debut in the low-budget indie film 'A Certain
Sacrifice', which was shot in two parts between 1979 and 1981. She
unsuccessfully attempted to block its 1985 release through legal
action against director Stephen Jon Lewicki. The film was primarily
criticized for its explicit sexual and violent content. In 1980, after
leaving the Breakfast Club and ending her relationship with Gilroy,
Madonna reunited with drummer Stephen Bray, whom she had previously
dated in Michigan, and together they formed the band Emmy. She and
Bray lived and rehearsed at the Music Building in Manhattan, where
they wrote songs and recorded a four-track demo tape. After Madonna
left Emmy, Camille Barbone, who ran Gotham Records in the Music
Building, signed her to a contract with the label in March 1981,
working as her manager until February 1982. Her creative partnership
with Bray continued for many years.
In 1982, Madonna visited nightclubs to persuade disc jockeys (DJs) to
play her demo, leading Mark Kamins at Danceteria to take an interest
in her music and begin a romance with her. He arranged a meeting with
Seymour Stein, president of Sire Records--a subsidiary of Warner Bros.
Records--after which she signed a two-single deal. Kamins produced her
debut single, "Everybody", which was released in October 1982 and
promoted with television and nightclub performances. Her second
single, the double A-side "Burning Up" / "Physical Attraction", was
released in March 1983. Both "Everybody" and "Burning Up" / "Physical
Attraction" reached number three on the 'Billboard' Hot Dance Club
Songs chart. During this period, Madonna was in a relationship with
artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and living in his SoHo loft. Basquiat
introduced her to art curator Diego Cortez, who had managed several
punk bands. Cortez declined to manage Madonna when she requested that
he do so.
Warner hired Reggie Lucas to produce her debut studio album,
'Madonna'. Madonna was dissatisfied with many of the tracks, prompting
her to seek additional support. She enlisted DJ John "Jellybean"
Benitez to help complete the album, and the two began a brief romantic
relationship. Benitez remixed most of the songs and produced
"Holiday", her breakthrough song. 'Madonna' was released on July 27,
1983, to generally favorable reviews, and peaked at number eight on
the US 'Billboard' 200. The album generated two US 'Billboard' Hot 100
top-ten singles: "Borderline" and "Lucky Star". In late 1983,
Madonna's new manager, Freddy DeMann, arranged a meeting with film
producer Jon Peters, who offered her the role of a club singer in the
romantic drama 'Vision Quest' (1985).
1984–1987: ''Like a Virgin'', first marriage, ''True Blue'', and ''Who's That Girl''
======================================================================================
In January 1984, Madonna gained further exposure with performances on
'American Bandstand' and 'Top of the Pops'. Wanting the material on
her second studio album, 'Like a Virgin', to be "stronger" than that
of her debut, she selected all of the songs herself, five of which she
wrote or co-wrote. 'Like a Virgin' was released on November 12, 1984,
and became her first number-one album in Germany, Italy, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, the UK and the US. In the lattermost
nation, the album remained atop the 'Billboard' 200 for three weeks
and is the first album by a woman to sell over five million copies.
'Like a Virgin' has sold over 21 million copies worldwide, making it
one of the best-selling albums.
The album's title track, "Like a Virgin", was selected as its lead
single. It was her first number-one on the 'Billboard' Hot 100,
topping the chart for six consecutive weeks. "Like a Virgin" attracted
the attention of conservative organizations, who complained that the
song and its accompanying video promoted premarital sex and undermined
family values; moralists sought to have the song and video banned.
Madonna attracted significant media attention for her performance of
the song at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. Dressed in a
wedding gown and white gloves, she appeared atop a large wedding cake
before moving across the stage in a provocative manner. MTV News later
described the performance as one of the most iconic in pop music
history.
"Material Girl" was 'Like a Virgin's' second single and peaked at
number two in the US. While filming its music video, Madonna began a
relationship with actor Sean Penn and they married on her
twenty-seventh birthday in 1985. In 'Vision Quest' (1985), Madonna
appears as a nightclub singer and performs "Crazy for You"--her second
'Billboard' Hot 100 number-one single. That same year, she starred as
the titular character in the comedy 'Desperately Seeking Susan',
depicting a free-spirited bohemian drifter whose path intersects with
a bored housewife through personal ads. The film included the song
"Into the Groove", her first number-one single on the UK singles
chart. 'Desperately Seeking Susan' was named one of the ten best films
of 1985 by Vincent Canby, a 'The New York Times' film critic.
In April 1985, Madonna began her first North American concert series,
the Virgin Tour. It coincided with the height of the Madonna wannabe
phenomenon, as many of her young female fans adopted her fashion
style. Styled by Maripol, her look--which included lace tops, skirts
over capri pants, fishnet stockings, crucifix jewelry, stacked
bracelets, and bleached hair--became widely associated with 1980s
female fashion trends. Around this time, Madonna released two
additional singles for 'Like a Virgin', "Angel" and "Dress You Up",
both of which reached the top five of the 'Billboard' Hot 100. In July
1985, 'Penthouse' and 'Playboy' published nude photographs of Madonna
taken in 1978, when she worked as an art model. She had posed for the
images for modest pay, reportedly $25 per session; the photographs
were later sold for up to $100,000. The publication caused significant
media attention, though Madonna remained unapologetic.
Madonna co-wrote and co-produced every track on her third studio
album, 'True Blue'. Inspired by and dedicated to her husband Penn, the
album was released on June 30, 1986, to critical acclaim. It topped
the charts in an unprecedented 28 countries worldwide, including the
US, where it remained at number one on the 'Billboard' 200 for five
weeks. All five singles released from the album reached the top five
on the 'Billboard' Hot 100; "Live to Tell", "Papa Don't Preach", and
"Open Your Heart" made Madonna the second female artist to have three
songs from a single album top the chart. "True Blue" and "La Isla
Bonita" also topped the European singles chart; the latter became the
continent's biggest single of 1987. 'True Blue' was the best-selling
album of 1986, the best-selling album of the 1980s by a female artist,
and one of the best-selling albums in history, with 25million copies
sold globally.
Madonna appeared in the film 'Shanghai Surprise' (1986) alongside
Penn, which was critically unsuccessful and earned her the Golden
Raspberry Award for Worst Actress. She made her stage debut the same
year in David Rabe's 'Goose and Tom-Tom', which also starred Penn. In
1987, she starred in the film 'Who's That Girl' and contributed four
songs to its soundtrack, including "Who's That Girl" and "Causing a
Commotion", which peaked at numbers one and two on the 'Billboard' Hot
100, respectively. In June, she embarked on the Who's That Girl World
Tour, which broke several attendance records, including a performance
near Paris attended by over 130,000 people--the highest for a female
artist at the time. In 1987, she released 'You Can Dance', a remix
album with reworked versions of songs from her earlier releases. After
a turbulent two-year marriage, Madonna filed for divorce from Penn on
December 4, 1987, though she later withdrew the petition.
1988–1991: ''Like a Prayer'', ''Dick Tracy'', and ''The Immaculate Collection''
=================================================================================
Madonna made her Broadway theatre debut in the play 'Speed-the-Plow'
at the Royale Theatre, running from May to August 1988. According to
the Associated Press, she filed an assault report against Penn
following an alleged incident at their Malibu residence over New
Year's weekend. Madonna filed for divorce on January 5, 1989, and
reportedly requested the following week that no criminal charges be
pursued. That month, Madonna signed an endorsement agreement with
soft-drink company Pepsi. In a commercial for the company, she
premiered the song "Like a Prayer", whose accompanying music video
featured Catholic imagery such as stigmata and cross burning, as well
as a dream sequence depicting intimacy with a saint, prompting
condemnation from the Vatican. Religious organizations called for a
boycott of Pepsi products, leading the company to withdraw the
commercial and terminate her sponsorship deal.
"Like a Prayer" was released as the lead single from her fourth studio
album, also titled 'Like a Prayer'. The song became her seventh
number-one single on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 and spent three weeks
atop the chart. Madonna co-wrote and co-produced it alongside Patrick
Leonard, Stephen Bray, and Prince. In the US, 'Like a Prayer' was
released on March 21, 1989, to universal acclaim from critics.
'Rolling Stone's' J. D. Considine described it as "proof not only that
Madonna should be taken seriously as an artist but that hers is one of
the most compelling voices of the Eighties". 'Like a Prayer' spent six
weeks atop the 'Billboard' 200--the longest of any of her albums--and
eventually sold 15 million copies worldwide. The singles "Express
Yourself" and "Cherish" both reached number two in the US, while "Keep
It Together" peaked within the top ten. 'Billboard' and MTV named
Madonna "Artist of the Decade" (1980s).
In April 1990, she launched the Blond Ambition World Tour. 'Rolling
Stone' described it as an "elaborately choreographed, sexually
provocative extravaganza" and named it the best tour of 1990. It drew
criticism from religious organizations, particularly for her
performance of "Like a Virgin", in which she simulated masturbation
while being caressed by two male dancers. Madonna defended the show,
stating that it was intended for "open minds" and encouraged audiences
to view sexuality differently. The live recording of the tour earned
Madonna the Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video. Her first
documentary film, 'Truth or Dare' (titled 'In Bed with Madonna'
outside North America), was released in May 1991. Chronicling her
Blond Ambition World Tour, it became the highest-grossing documentary
ever at the time, a record it held until it was surpassed eleven years
later.
Madonna portrayed Breathless Mahoney in the film 'Dick Tracy' (1990),
directed by and starring Warren Beatty in the title role. The film
topped the US box office for two consecutive weeks, and Owen
Gleiberman of 'Entertainment Weekly' praised Madonna's performance,
saying that he wished she had been given more screen time. To
accompany the film, she released the soundtrack album 'I'm
Breathless', with songs largely inspired by 1930s music. It spawned
the single "Vogue", which topped the charts in more than 30 countries,
including the US, where it peaked at number one on the Hot 100 for
three weeks. During production, Madonna and Beatty began a
relationship that ended shortly after the film's premiere. In October
1990, she recorded a public service announcement supporting Rock the
Vote's voter registration campaign.
Madonna's first greatest-hits compilation album, 'The Immaculate
Collection', was released in November 1990. The album has sold
30million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling compilation
album by a solo artist and one of the best-selling albums in history.
The set included two new songs, "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me".
Model Tony Ward, Madonna's then-boyfriend, co-starred in the music
video for "Justify My Love", which included imagery of sadomasochism,
bondage, same-sex intimacy, and brief nudity. Considered too sexually
explicit, the video was banned by MTV. The resulting controversy
contributed to the song reaching number one on the 'Billboard' Hot
100, becoming her ninth chart-topping single.
1992–1997: Maverick, ''Erotica'', ''Sex'', ''Bedtime Stories'', ''Evita'', and motherhood
===========================================================================================
In 1992, Madonna appeared in the film 'A League of Their Own' as a
member of an all-women's baseball team. The film reached number one at
the US box office in its second weekend of release. Madonna also
recorded its theme song, "This Used to Be My Playground", which became
her tenth 'Billboard' Hot 100 number-one single, the most for a woman
at the time. In April 1992, Madonna established the entertainment
company Maverick, which included a record label, film production unit,
and divisions for music publishing, television, book publishing, and
merchandising. The venture was a partnership with Time Warner and
provided her with a $60 million advance and a 20 percent royalty
rate--the highest in the industry at the time. Maverick went on to
become one of the most successful artist-run labels in history,
signing successful acts such as Alanis Morissette and Michelle Branch.
Later in 1992, Madonna co-sponsored the first museum retrospective of
her former partner, artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, at the Whitney Museum
of American Art in New York. She released her fifth studio album,
'Erotica', on October 20, 1992, in the US, and published her coffee
table book 'Sex' a day later. 'Sex' featured sexually provocative and
explicit images photographed by Steven Meisel and drew strong negative
reactions from critics, the general public, and conservative, feminist
and anti-porn groups; initial interest propelled the book to the top
of 'The New York Times' Best Seller list. A writer from 'The
Washington Post' described it as an "oversized, overpriced, [and
boring] coffee table book of hardcore sexual fantasies".
The widespread backlash overshadowed 'Erotica', which became her
lowest-selling album at the time. It reached number two on the US
'Billboard' 200, and received favorable reviews from critics. The
singles "Erotica" and "Deeper and Deeper" reached the top ten of the
'Billboard' Hot 100 and number one in Italy. During this period,
Madonna was in a relationship with rapper Vanilla Ice, to whom she
proposed. The pair separated following the release of 'Sex', with
Vanilla Ice claiming he had been included in the book without his
consent. Her performances in the 1993 films 'Body of Evidence' and
'Dangerous Game' were poorly received. The former featured scenes of
sadomasochism and bondage, while she played the abused wife of a
filmmaker in the latter.
Madonna launched her fourth concert tour, the Girlie Show, in
September 1993, during which she appeared as a whip-cracking
dominatrix and performed alongside topless dancers. She made a highly
publicized appearance on the 'Late Show with David Letterman' in March
1994, using profanity that required broadcast censorship and handing
Letterman a pair of her underwear while urging him to smell it. The
sexually explicit releases of 'Sex' and 'Erotica', along with her film
roles and controversial Letterman appearance, prompted commentators to
question her dependence on provocative imagery. Madonna briefly dated
rapper Tupac Shakur and basketball player Dennis Rodman around this
time. Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli viewed Madonna's ballad "I'll
Remember"--recorded for the film 'With Honors' (1994)--as an effort to
soften her provocative image. It peaked at number two on the
'Billboard' Hot 100.
With her sixth studio album, 'Bedtime Stories', Madonna embraced a
gentler sound and image to regain public favor. Released in the US on
October 25, 1994, the album debuted at number three on the 'Billboard'
200 and produced the singles "Secret" and "Take a Bow", which peaked
at numbers three and one on the 'Billboard' Hot 100, respectively.
"Take a Bow" spent seven weeks atop the chart, making it her
longest-running number-one. Madonna sponsored the first major
retrospective of Tina Modotti's work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
in 1995, and later supported exhibitions of Basquiat's paintings at
London's Serpentine Gallery and Cindy Sherman at New York's Museum of
Modern Art. In November 1995, Madonna released 'Something to
Remember', a compilation album that comprises Madonna's ballads across
the past decade. The record debuted at number six on the 'Billboard'
200 and has sold tenmillion copies worldwide.
In February 1996, Madonna began filming the musical 'Evita' in
Argentina. Having long aspired to portray Argentine political leader
Eva Perón, she wrote to director Alan Parker to express her interest
in the role. After being cast, she undertook vocal training and
studied Argentina's history and Perón's life. During production,
Madonna experienced several bouts of illness related to pregnancy and
the emotional demands of the film. Upon its release in December 1996,
her performance was met with positive reviews from critics. Richard
Corliss, writing for 'Time', described the film as well cast and
visually impressive, lauding Madonna's ability to exceed expectations.
Her portrayal earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a
Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy.
The 'Evita' soundtrack, which peaked at number two on the 'Billboard'
200, contained songs primarily performed by Madonna. These included
"You Must Love Me" and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", the latter of
which topped the European singles chart. On October 14, 1996, she gave
birth to her daughter, Lourdes "Lola" Maria Ciccone Leon, with fitness
trainer Carlos Leon. According to biographer Mary Cross, Madonna--who
had expressed concern that her pregnancy might jeopardize
'Evita'--fulfilled significant personal goals: "Madonna had at last
triumphed on screen and achieved her dream of having a child, both in
the same year[...] reinventing herself and her image with the public".
Her relationship with Carlos ended in May 1997, and she stated that
they were "better off as best friends".
1998–2002: ''Ray of Light'', ''Music'', second marriage, and touring comeback
===============================================================================
After the birth of Lourdes, Madonna developed an interest in Eastern
mysticism and Kabbalah, introduced to her by actress Sandra Bernhard.
This change in perception influenced her seventh studio album, 'Ray of
Light'. She collaborated with electronic music producer William Orbit
to create a fusion of dance, pop, and British rock. Music critic Ann
Powers said Madonna sought "a kind of lushness" for the album rather
than the party-oriented sounds of 1990s techno and rave genres, opting
instead for a more singer-songwriter approach that Orbit helped her
achieve. 'Ray of Light' was released on February 22, 1998. It debuted
at number two on the 'Billboard' 200 with the highest first-week sales
for a woman at the time, topped the charts of 17 countries, and
eventually sold over 16million copies globally. Critically acclaimed,
'Ray of Light' is widely regarded as Madonna's 'magnum opus'.
The album's two highest-charting singles, "Frozen" and "Ray of Light",
peaked at numbers two and five on the US 'Billboard' Hot 100, with the
former becoming her first song to debut at number one in the UK. At
the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, Madonna won four awards, including Best
Pop Album for 'Ray of Light', and Best Dance Recording and Best Short
Form Music Video for the title track. In 1998, Madonna established the
Ray of Light Foundation, a non-profit for women, education, global
development, and humanitarian aid. She recorded the single "Beautiful
Stranger" for the film 'Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me' (1999),
which earned her a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion
Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. She starred as a yoga
teacher in the comedy-drama 'The Next Best Thing' (2000), which
received negative reviews and opened at number two at the US box
office. For the soundtrack, she recorded a cover of Don McLean's
"American Pie", her ninth UK number-one single.
On September 18, 2000, Madonna released her eighth studio album,
'Music', to critical acclaim. She collaborated with French producer
Mirwais Ahmadzaï, and expressed a preference for working with
unconventional, lesser-known artists who "are making music unlike
anyone else out there". The album reached number one in over twenty
countries and sold four million copies within the first ten days of
release. In the US, 'Music' debuted atop the 'Billboard' 200, becoming
her first number-one album in eleven years since 'Like a Prayer'. The
singles "Music" and "Don't Tell Me" peaked at numbers one and four on
the 'Billboard' Hot 100, respectively; the former became her twelfth
song to peak atop the chart. Since its release, 'Music' has sold over
11million units worldwide.
Madonna met director Guy Ritchie in mid-1998 at a dinner party hosted
by mutual friends Sting and Trudie Styler. She gave birth to their
son, Rocco John Ritchie, in Los Angeles on August 11, 2000. She and
Rocco experienced complications during the birth due to her placenta
praevia. He was christened at Dornoch Cathedral in Scotland on
December 21, 2000, and Madonna married Ritchie the following day at
nearby Skibo Castle. In June 2001, she launched the Drowned World
Tour, her first tour in eight years. It visited cities across the US
and Europe, becoming the highest-grossing tour of the year by a solo
artist with $75 million in revenue. That same year, she released her
second greatest-hits album, 'GHV2', featuring a selection of her
successful songs from the 1990s onward. It debuted at number seven in
the US and sold seven million copies worldwide.
In 2002, Madonna starred in Ritchie's 'Swept Away', a remake of Lina
Wertmüller's 1974 film. The film was commercially unsuccessful and
universally panned, with A. O. Scott, writing for 'The New York
Times', stating that "a role like this one requires the surrender of
emotional control, something Madonna seems constitutionally unable to
achieve". In May 2002, she appeared in the West End play 'Up for
Grabs' at the Wyndhams Theatre, which was poorly received by critics.
Later that year, Madonna released "Die Another Day", the theme song
for the James Bond film of the same name, in which she also had a
cameo role that Peter Bradshaw of 'The Guardian' described as
"incredibly wooden". The song reached number eight on the 'Billboard'
Hot 100, and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best
Original Song and two Grammy Awards.
2003–2006: ''American Life'' and ''Confessions on a Dance Floor''
===================================================================
In 2003, Madonna worked with fashion photographer Steven Klein on an
exhibition installation titled 'X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS'. The project was
presented from March to May at New York's Deitch Projects gallery and
was later shown internationally in a revised version.
Madonna reunited with Ahmadzaï to produce her ninth studio album,
'American Life'--a reflection of her views on American society. The
record, released on April 21, 2003, was met with mixed reception and
debuted atop the US 'Billboard' 200. 'American Life' became her
lowest-selling release, with worldwide sales of four million copies by
2005. Four singles were released from the album: "American Life",
"Hollywood", "Nothing Fails", and "Love Profusion". "American Life"
was its only track to enter the 'Billboard' Hot 100, peaking at number
37. The tracks fared better internationally; "American Life" topped
the charts in Canada and Italy, while "Nothing Fails" and "Love
Profusion" reached number one in Spain. "American Life" and
"Hollywood" both reached number two in the UK.
The original music video of "American Life" caused controversy due to
its violence and anti-war movement imagery, and was withdrawn after
the 2003 invasion of Iraq began. Madonna voluntarily censored herself
due to the political climate of the country. Her performance at the
2003 MTV Video Music Awards--in which she kissed singers Britney
Spears and Christina Aguilera while performing "Hollywood"--was highly
publicized. She then released 'Remixed & Revisited', an extended
play featuring new remixes of songs from 'American Life' and the
unreleased "Your Honesty". Madonna signed a contract with Callaway
Arts & Entertainment to write five children's books. The first,
titled 'The English Roses', was published in September 2003 and tells
the story of four English schoolgirls struggling with envy and
jealousy. The book became the fastest-selling children's picture book
at the time, with all proceeds donated to a children's charity.
In March 2004, Madonna and Maverick filed a lawsuit against Warner
Music Group and its former parent company, Time Warner, alleging
financial mismanagement and poor accounting practices that resulted in
significant losses. Warner countersued, claiming Maverick had incurred
substantial losses independently. The dispute was settled when Warner
acquired the Maverick shares held by Madonna and Ronnie Dashev, making
the company a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music. Madonna
remained signed to Warner under a separate recording contract. She
launched the Re-Invention World Tour in May, performing across North
America and Europe. The tour became 2004's highest-grossing, earning
over $120 million, and was later chronicled in her documentary 'I'm
Going to Tell You a Secret' (2005). In November 2004, she was inducted
into the UK Music Hall of Fame as one of its five founding members.
In January 2005, Madonna performed John Lennon's "Imagine" at Tsunami
Aid and appeared at the Live 8 benefit concert in London six months
later. She initially worked with Ahmadzaï to produce her tenth studio
album, 'Confessions on a Dance Floor', but later turned to Stuart
Price to attain the sound she was seeking. Structured like a
continuous DJ mixed club set, the album was released in the US on
November 15, 2005, to critical acclaim. Keith Caulfield, writing in
'Billboard', heralded the album as a "welcome return to form for the
Queen of Pop". 'Confessions on a Dance Floor' topped the charts in a
record-breaking 40 countries, won Madonna the Grammy Award for Best
Electronic/Dance Album at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, and sold over
10million copies worldwide.
The lead single, "Hung Up", reached number one in a record-breaking
forty-one countries. It sampled ABBA's "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man
After Midnight)", marking the second time the band permitted such use.
ABBA songwriter Björn Ulvaeus called it "a wonderful track--100 per
cent solid pop music". The album's second single, "Sorry", became
Madonna's twelfth number-one single in the UK. Madonna launched the
Confessions Tour in May 2006, which grossed more than $193.7 million,
making it the highest-grossing tour by a woman at the time. During the
performance of "Live to Tell", she used religious imagery, including a
crucifix and a crown of thorns, prompting the Russian Orthodox Church
and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia to call for a
boycott.
While touring, Madonna founded the charitable organization Raising
Malawi and helped fund an orphanage in the country. There, she decided
to adopt a boy named David Banda in 2006. The adoption provoked public
debate, as Malawian law required prospective parents to reside in the
country for one year before adopting, a condition Madonna did not
meet. Malawi's Minister of Women and Child Development, Kate Kainja,
had also blocked officials from traveling to meet Madonna and Ritchie
as potential adopters. Speaking on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show', Madonna
explained that Malawi had no formal adoption laws for foreigners and
described how Banda had been suffering from pneumonia after surviving
malaria and tuberculosis. Banda's father, Yohane, defended the
adoption, saying he understood and supported the arrangement. The
adoption was finalized in May 2008.
2007–2011: Filmmaking, ''Hard Candy'', and business ventures
==============================================================
In July 2007, Madonna released and performed "Hey You" at the London
Live Earth concert. She subsequently announced her departure from
Warner Bros. Records and signed a ten-year, $120 million 360 deal with
Live Nation. She produced, wrote, and narrated 'I Am Because We Are'
(2008), a documentary directed by Nathan Rissman that addressed social
issues in Malawi. That same year, she directed her first feature film,
'Filth and Wisdom', which follows three friends pursuing their
ambitions. Reviews were largely negative, with 'The Times' describing
it as a commendable debut and 'The Daily Telegraph' calling it a
promising but imperfect first effort. On March 10, 2008, Madonna was
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, becoming the second
female solo artist to achieve it in her first year of eligibility,
after Janis Joplin in 1995.
Madonna worked with Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Pharrell
Williams to produce her eleventh studio album, 'Hard Candy'. Released
on April 29, 2008, 'Hard Candy' debuted atop the charts of 37
countries, including the US 'Billboard' 200. The lead single, "4
Minutes", peaked at number three on the 'Billboard' Hot 100, becoming
her thirty-seventh top-ten entry in the US and surpassing Elvis
Presley's record for the most top-ten songs. In the UK, "4 Minutes"
extended her record as the female artist with the most number-one
singles. 'Rolling Stone's' Caryn Ganz described 'Hard Candy' as "an
impressive preview of her upcoming tour", while BBC correspondent Mark
Savage criticized it as "an attempt to capture the urban market". She
launched the Sticky & Sweet Tour in August 2008, her first major
venture with Live Nation. Grossing over $408 million, it became the
second highest-grossing tour in history and the highest-grossing tour
by a solo artist.
In July 2008, Madonna's brother Christopher published the book 'Life
with My Sister Madonna', which created a rift between the two due to
its unauthorized release. In October, Madonna filed for divorce from
Ritchie, citing irreconcilable differences. Two months later, her
spokesperson confirmed that a settlement had been reached, granting
Ritchie between £50-60 million ($- million), including the couple's
London pub, residence, and Wiltshire estate. The marriage was
formally dissolved through a 'decree nisi' at the Principal Registry
of the Family Division in High Holborn, London. Custody of their sons,
Rocco and David, then aged eight and three, was shared between
Ritchie's London home and Madonna's residence in New York, where they
lived alongside Lourdes. In May 2009, Madonna applied to adopt
Chifundo "Mercy" James from Malawi, but the country's High Court
denied the request on the grounds that she was not a resident. She
appealed the decision, and in June, the Supreme Court overturned the
ruling and granted her permission to adopt her.
Madonna concluded her contract with Warner Records with the release of
her third greatest-hits album, 'Celebration', in September 2009. The
compilation included two new tracks, along with thirty-four songs
spanning her career with the label. The album reached number one in
multiple countries, including Canada, Germany, Italy, and the UK. She
appeared at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards to deliver a tribute to
the deceased singer Michael Jackson. By the end of the decade, Madonna
was recognized as the most successful singles artist of the 2000s in
the US and the most-played artist of the decade in the UK. 'Billboard'
ranked her as the third highest-grossing touring artist of the 2000s,
with earnings exceeding $801 million, over 6.3 million attendees, and
244 sold-out performances out of 248 shows. In January 2010, Madonna
performed at Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake
Relief concert.
Madonna's third live album, 'Sticky & Sweet Tour', was released in
April 2010, debuting at number ten in the US. That year, she
authorized the television series 'Glee' to feature her entire music
catalog, leading to an episode composed exclusively of her songs. She
also collaborated with her daughter Lourdes to launch the Material
Girl clothing line, inspired by her 1980s fashion. In October 2010,
she founded the global fitness chain Hard Candy Fitness, and in
November 2011 introduced a second lifestyle brand, Truth or Dare,
offering footwear, fragrances, lingerie, and accessories. Her second
directorial feature was 'W.E.' (2011), a biographical drama about the
relationship between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson. The film
received an unfavorable critical and commercial response. Its
soundtrack included the ballad "Masterpiece", which earned Madonna a
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.
2012–2016: Super Bowl XLVI halftime show, ''MDNA'', and ''Rebel Heart''
=========================================================================
In February 2012, Madonna headlined the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show
at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Produced in
collaboration with Cirque du Soleil and choreographer Jamie King, the
performance featured guest appearances by LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A.
and CeeLo Green. The broadcast drew 114 million viewers, making it the
most-watched Super Bowl halftime show at the time, surpassing the
viewership of the game itself. Madonna primarily produced her twelfth
studio album, 'MDNA', with Orbit and Martin Solveig. It was released
on March 26, 2012, to generally favorable critical reception. 'MDNA'
was Madonna's first release under a three-album agreement with
Interscope Records, signed as part of her 360 deal with Live Nation,
which could not distribute recorded music.
'MDNA' became her fifth consecutive studio album to debut at number
one on the 'Billboard' 200. The lead single, "Give Me All Your
Luvin'", became her record-extending thirty-eighth top-ten single on
the 'Billboard' Hot 100. She promoted the album with the MDNA Tour,
which began in May 2012 and addressed themes such as violence, human
rights, and politics. Grossing over $305 million from 88 sold-out
shows, it was the tenth highest-grossing tour and made Madonna the
first woman to pass $1 billion in touring revenue. Madonna
collaborated with Steven Klein and directed a seventeen-minute film,
'secretprojectrevolution', which was released on BitTorrent in
September 2013. With the film, she launched the Art for Freedom
initiative, which promotes art and free speech to combat global
persecution and injustice. The project's website garnered over 3,000
submissions by January 2014.
By 2013, Madonna's Raising Malawi had built ten schools educating
4,000 children in Malawi worth of $400,000. In May 2014, she donated
to her bankrupt hometown of Detroit, and that year launched her MDNA
Skin care line in Tokyo. Madonna released her thirteenth studio album,
'Rebel Heart', on March 10, 2015, three months after thirteen demos
leaked online. She collaborated with a large range of producers,
including Avicii, Diplo, and Kanye West. The central theme of the
album was introspection along with "genuine statements of personal and
careerist reflection". Music critics responded positively towards
'Rebel Heart', calling it Madonna's best effort in a decade.
Madonna began her Rebel Heart Tour in September 2015, which visited
North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, and grossed $169.8 million
from 82 shows. While touring, Madonna became involved in a legal
dispute with Ritchie regarding custody of their son Rocco. The
conflict arose when Rocco chose to remain in England with Ritchie
rather than continue traveling with Madonna. Court proceedings were
held in both New York and London, but after several hearings, Madonna
withdrew her custody application and opted to settle the matter
privately. In October 2016, 'Billboard' named her its Woman of the
Year. Her candid and outspoken speech addressing ageism and sexism
garnered extensive media attention.
In November 2016, she performed an impromptu acoustic concert at
Washington Square Park in support of Hillary Clinton's 2016
presidential campaign. After Donald Trump's election victory, Madonna
delivered a speech at the 2017 Women's March on Washington, where a
remark about "blowing up the White House" drew controversy. She later
clarified that her comments had been taken out of context and
emphasized that she was not advocating violence.
2017–2021: Move to Lisbon and ''Madame X''
============================================
In February 2017, Madonna adopted four-year-old twin sisters, Estere
and Stella, from Malawi, and relocated to Lisbon, Portugal, later that
year with her children. That July, she inaugurated the Mercy James
Institute for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care in Malawi, a
hospital established by her Raising Malawi foundation. Her live album
'Rebel Heart Tour' was released in September 2017 and won Best Music
Video for Western Artists at the 32nd Japan Gold Disc Awards. That
same month, she launched her skincare brand MDNA Skin in selected US
stores. Earlier in the year, the auction house Gotta Have Rock and
Roll attempted to sell Madonna's personal items, including letters
from Tupac Shakur. Although she sought legal action to halt the sale,
the court ruled in favor of art dealer Darlene Lutz due to a 2004
agreement authorizing the sale of the items.
While residing in Lisbon, Madonna met Portuguese musician Dino
D'Santiago, who introduced her to local artists performing fado,
morna, and samba music. She frequently attended their informal "living
room sessions", which inspired her fourteenth studio album, 'Madame
X'. The album was released on June 14, 2019, and Madonna produced it
with various musicians, primarily her longtime collaborator Mirwais
and Mike Dean. 'Madame X' debuted at number one on the 'Billboard'
200, her ninth to do so. Its four singles--"Medellín", "Crave", "I
Rise" and "I Don't Search I Find"--each reached number one on the
'Billboard' Dance Club Songs chart, further extending her record for
the most chart-topping entries.
Madonna appeared as the interval act at the Eurovision Song Contest
2019 and performed "Like a Prayer", and then "Future" with rapper
Quavo. Her Madame X Tour, an all-theater concert series held in select
cities across North America and Europe, began in September 2019 and
grossed over $51.4million in revenue. That December, Madonna began a
relationship with dancer Ahlamalik Williams, who had previously joined
her Rebel Heart Tour in 2015. The tour later faced multiple
cancellations due to Madonna's recurring knee injury and concluded
prematurely on March 8, 2020, after the French government prohibited
large gatherings because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Later that month,
she drew criticism for posting a now-deleted video on Instagram and
Twitter; in it, she sat naked amid rose petals and candles, calling
COVID-19 "the great equalizer" that makes everyone equal regardless of
status.
In April 2020, Madonna announced financial contributions to the
COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, led by the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, and Mastercard, and donated an
additional $1 million to vaccine research. A month later, Madonna
revealed she had tested positive for coronavirus antibodies. She and
Missy Elliott contributed guest vocals to Dua Lipa's single
"Levitating", featured on Lipa's 2020 remix album 'Club Future
Nostalgia'. Madonna then began developing a biographical film about
her life, which she planned to direct. Screenwriters Erin Cressida
Wilson and Diablo Cody worked on the script at different stages, and
actress Julia Garner was cast in the lead role before the project was
postponed, and ultimately scrapped over budgeting and casting
disagreements with Universal Pictures. In October 2021, Madonna
released 'Madame X', a documentary film about her concert tour of the
same name, through Paramount+.
2022–present: Remix albums and ''Confessions II''
===================================================
In August 2021, coinciding with her 63rd birthday, Madonna announced
her return to Warner Records--the rebranded successor to Warner Bros.
Records--in a global partnership. The deal granted the label rights to
her entire recorded music catalog, including her three most recent
albums originally released under Interscope. As part of the agreement,
she began a series of catalog reissues in 2022 to mark the fortieth
anniversary of her recording career. The remix album 'Finally Enough
Love: 50 Number Ones' was released in August, following a 16-track
abridged edition made available for streaming two months prior.
Featuring her 50 number-one songs on 'Billboard's' Dance Club Songs
chart, the album celebrated Madonna's long-standing connection to
dance music and became her 23rd top-ten entry on the 'Billboard' 200.
Between 2022 and 2023, Madonna issued several standalone singles,
including "Back That Up to the Beat", a previously unreleased demo
from the 'Rebel Heart' sessions that went viral on social media. She
also contributed to three tracks on Christine and the Queens' album
'Paranoïa, Angels, True Love' (2023), and collaborated with the Weeknd
and Playboi Carti on the single "Popular", featured on the soundtrack
to the television drama 'The Idol'. In January 2023, Madonna announced
the Celebration Tour, her first greatest hits concert tour. The tour
was to begin in July, but a month prior, she was hospitalized after
being found unresponsive at her New York City residence. She spent
five days in intensive care and was placed in a medically induced coma
for 48 hours due to a serious bacterial infection following a
low-grade fever.
Following her recovery, the Celebration Tour commenced in October 2023
in London, receiving widespread critical acclaim. It concluded the
following May with a free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de
Janeiro, which drew an audience of 1.6 million--setting records for
both the largest standalone concert in history and the highest
attendance ever for a female artist at the time. The tour grossed over
$225million across eighty shows, making Madonna the first woman to
surpass $100million in earnings from six separate concert tours.
Around this time, Madonna experienced the deaths of several family
members, beginning with that of her eldest brother, Anthony, in
February 2023. Her younger brother, Christopher, died in October 2024,
two weeks after that of their stepmother, Joan.
In 2025, Madonna released the remix album 'Veronica Electronica' and
the extended play 'Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter', both of which
contain previously unreleased demos. In January 2026, she became the
face of The One, a Dolce & Gabbana fragrance. Madonna covered
Patty Pravo's 1968 single "La bambola" as part of the campaign, which
included a short film and photographs. Madonna reunited with Stuart
Price for her fifteenth studio album, 'Confessions II', which was
released on July 3, 2026. A follow-up to 'Confessions on a Dance
Floor' (2005), the album was critically acclaimed and debuted atop the
'Billboard' 200. By then, Madonna had joined the Beatles as the only
acts to score ten number-one hits on the 'Billboard' 200, the
'Billboard' Hot 100, the UK Albums Chart, and the UK singles chart. In
April, she joined Sabrina Carpenter at the Coachella festival to
perform "Vogue", "Like a Prayer", and a new duet, "Bring Your Love".
"Bring Your Love" was released as the album's first single that same
month, debuting at number 74 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100.
A short musical film titled 'Confessions II' accompanied the album and
premiered in June. After a surprise concert in Times Square in New
York City that month, she released the album's second single, "Love
Sensation", and a FIFA version of 'Confessions II' track "Read My
Lips" with Colombian singer Feid, included on the bonus edition of the
'Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album'. In July, she released
"Danceteria" as the third single of 'Confessions II'. On July 19,
Madonna performed "Music" and elements of "Danceteria" during the 2026
FIFA World Cup final halftime show, which took place at the New York
New Jersey Stadium. In August, she performed at the AFAS Live in
Amsterdam as a part of WorldPride during the Pride Amsterdam and was
joined onstage by Kylie Minogue to sing a new version of "Love
Sensation". The remix featuring Minogue was released as a single that
month, and became Madonna's 65th UK top-ten single. Madonna is the
artist with most nominations for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, with
eleven.
Influences
============
When initially starting her career, Madonna's primary musical
inspirations were Debbie Harry of Blondie and David Bowie, whose
Diamond Dogs Tour concert was the first performance she ever attended.
Madonna has cited Nancy Sinatra as one of her idols and said that her
song "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (1965) left a strong
impression on her. As a young woman, she sought to expand her artistry
through literature, art, and music, developing a particular interest
in classical compositions. She identified Baroque as her preferred
style and admired Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Frédéric Chopin,
praising the "feminine quality" in their work. Among Madonna's other
principal influences are Chrissie Hynde, Aretha Franklin, Patti Smith,
Karen Carpenter, the Supremes, Joni Mitchell, and Led Zeppelin, as
well as dancers Rudolf Nureyev and Martha Graham, the latter of which
she considers one of her biggest mentors.
Madonna has also been inspired by the works of American writer James
Baldwin. As a child, Madonna drew inspiration from Hollywood actresses
such as Carole Lombard, Judy Holliday, and Marilyn Monroe, admiring
their blend of femininity, strength, and sex appeal, and remarking
that she "saw [her]self in them". Her music video for "Material Girl"
recreated Monroe's performance of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"
from the film 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' (1953). In preparation for
her role in 'Who's That Girl', Madonna studied the 1930s screwball
comedies of Lombard, whose style she sought to emulate. The visual
concept for her "Express Yourself" (1989) video drew influence from
Fritz Lang's silent film 'Metropolis' (1927), while "Vogue" paid
homage to the golden age of Hollywood glamor, referencing the
photography of Horst P. Horst and channeling the screen presence of
Marlene Dietrich, Lombard, and Rita Hayworth.
Madonna also drew inspiration from the visual arts, particularly
Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. The music video for "Bedtime Story"
(1995) incorporated imagery influenced by the works of Kahlo and
Remedios Varo. A collector of Tamara de Lempicka's Art Deco paintings,
Madonna has featured them throughout her music videos and stage
productions. Her video for "Hollywood" (2003) paid tribute to the
photography of Guy Bourdin, though it later prompted a lawsuit filed
by Bourdin's son over the unauthorized use of his father's images. The
sadomasochistic motifs in pop artist Andy Warhol's underground films
were echoed in the videos for "Erotica" and "Deeper and Deeper".
Madonna's Catholic upbringing has remained a consistent influence
throughout her career, from her use of the rosary as a fashion piece
to her musical inputs, including albums such as 'Like a Prayer'
(1989). In 2011, she attended meetings and services at an Opus Dei
center, a Catholic institution that promotes sanctity through daily
life. In a 2015 interview with 'Rolling Stone', Madonna remarked that
she has always felt an "inexplicable connection" to Catholicism and
stated that it consistently manifests throughout her work.
Musical style and composition
===============================
Madonna's work has been the subject of critical analysis and debate.
Robert M. Grant, author of 'Contemporary Strategy Analysis' (2005),
observed that her musical career is a continual process of
experimentation with new sounds and images. In 'Pop Goes the Decade:
The Eighties', Thomas Harrison described her as "an artist who pushed
the boundaries" of what a female performer could achieve, both
visually and lyrically. Professor Santiago Fouz-Hernández observed
that, while not possessing a particularly powerful or wide-ranging
voice, Madonna expanded her artistic range through diverse musical,
lyrical, and visual styles, "all with the intention of presenting
herself as a mature musician".
'Rolling Stone' included Madonna at number 36 on its list of the "100
Greatest Artists of All Time" (2004). She has managed all aspects of
her career; she writes and produces most of her recordings. Her desire
for control in creative decisions was evident as early as her debut
album, during which she reportedly disagreed with producer Reggie
Lucas over the final mixes. Warner Bros. Records later allowed her to
produce her third studio album independently. According to Stan
Hawkins, author of 'Settling the Pop Score', Madonna is among the few
female artists to have entered the male-dominated space of music
production, saying that she is aware of the historical exclusion of
women and actively "has set out to change this". Producer Stuart Price
similarly remarked that "you don't produce Madonna, you collaborate
with her[...] she has her vision and knows how to get it". Although
referred to by the media and workers as a "control freak", Madonna has
stated that she values creative input from those she works with. She
further explained:
Madonna developed her early songwriting skills while performing with
the Breakfast Club in 1979, and was the sole writer of five tracks on
her debut studio album. As a songwriter, Madonna has registered more
than 300 works with the American Society of Composers, Authors and
Publishers, including 18 written entirely by herself. 'Rolling Stone'
deemed her "an exemplary songwriter with a gift for hooks and
indelible lyrics", and said that her compositions, though shaped by
collaborations with producers across various genres, are consistently
shaped by "her own sensibility and inflected with autobiographical
detail". Patrick Leonard, who co-wrote many of her songs, lauded her
grasp of melodic structure and said that "many times she's singing
notes that no one would've thought of but her". 'Spin''s Barry Walters
similarly credited her songwriting for the consistency of her music.
Madonna was nominated for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
in 2014, 2016, and 2017, and was ranked number 56 on 'Rolling Stone's'
list of the "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time" (2015).
Madonna's discography is often categorized as pop, electronica, and
dance. Her earliest work began with rock-oriented projects through the
bands Breakfast Club and Emmy. With the latter, she recorded tracks
that reflected the punk rock style of the early 1980s. She abandoned
rock before signing with Gotham Records, which dropped her because of
their dissatisfaction with her shift to funk. In his book 'American
Pop', Arie Kaplan referred to Madonna as "a pioneer" of dance-pop.
Fouz-Hernández further observed that Madonna's consistent use of dance
idioms and her connection with gay and sexually liberated audiences
have often been undervalued in contrast to the perceived authenticity
of rock and roll, noting that her music "refuses to be defined by
narrow boundaries of gender, sexuality, or genre".
The "cold and emotional" ballad "Live to Tell" and its parent album
'True Blue' (1986) are regarded as Madonna's first significant musical
reinvention. 'PopMatters' critic Peter Piatkowski described the song
as a "deliberate effort to present Madonna as a mature and serious
artist". Although she continued to record ballads alongside her more
upbeat material, some of her albums, such as 'Madonna' (1983) and
'Confessions on a Dance Floor' (2005), are composed entirely of dance
tracks. With 'Ray of Light' (1998), critics credited her with
popularizing electronica and integrating it into mainstream pop music.
Her other stylistic departures include 1930s big-band jazz on 'I'm
Breathless' (1990); smooth R&B arrangements on 'Bedtime Stories'
(1994); operatic show tunes on 'Evita' (1996); guitar-based folk music
on 'American Life' (2003); and multilingual influences on 'Madame X'
(2019).
Voice and instruments
=======================
Madonna possesses a mezzo-soprano vocal range and is self-conscious
about her singing voice. Mark Bego, author of 'Madonna: Blonde
Ambition', described her as "the perfect vocalist for lighter-than-air
songs" despite not being a "heavyweight talent". According to Tony
Sclafani of MSNBC, her vocal delivery reflects her "rock roots",
explaining that, unlike most pop singers who perform songs "straight",
Madonna incorporates subtext, irony, aggression, and other vocal
idiosyncrasies similar to that of John Lennon and Bob Dylan. In her
early recordings, Madonna employed a bright, girlish timbre that she
later tried to abandon after critics compared her voice to "Minnie
Mouse on helium". While filming 'Evita' (1996), she took voice
training, which expanded her vocal versatility. Of the experience, she
said, "I studied with a vocal coach for 'Evita' and realized there was
a whole piece of my voice I wasn't using. Before, I just believed I
had a really limited range and was going to make the most of it."
Madonna plays several musical instruments. She first learned to play
the piano as a child. During the late 1970s, she was taught drums and
guitar by her then-boyfriend Dan Gilroy, later joining his band, the
Breakfast Club, as a drummer. Madonna then played guitar with the
group Emmy. After her commercial breakthrough, she rarely performed
instruments publicly until 2000, though she was credited with playing
the cowbell on 'Madonna' (1983) and the synthesizer on 'Like a Prayer'
(1989). In 1999, she undertook three months of violin training to
prepare for a role as a violin teacher in the film 'Music of the
Heart' (1999), but withdrew from the project before filming. She
returned to performing with the guitar during promotion for 'Music'
(2000) with guidance from guitarist Monte Pittman to improve her
technique. Since then, Madonna has featured guitar performances in her
studio recordings and concert tours. She was nominated for the Les
Paul Horizon Award at the 2002 Orville H. Gibson Guitar Awards.
Music videos and performances
===============================
In 'The Madonna Companion', biographers Allen Metz and Carol Benson
observed that Madonna used MTV and the music video to leverage her
popularity and enhance her recordings more effectively than any other
contemporary pop artist. They noticed that many of her songs are
closely tied to the imagery of their accompanying videos. Cultural
critic Mark C. Taylor described the postmodern art form par excellence
as the music video, declaring Madonna its "reigning queen" in his book
'Nots' (1993). He argued that "the most remarkable creation of MTV is
Madonna", and that public reactions to her provocative videos were
"predictably contradictory". Metz and Benson said that critical and
public discussions surrounding some of her most controversial songs
have often focused more on their videos and cultural impact than on
the songs themselves. According to Morton, "artistically, Madonna's
songwriting is often overshadowed by her striking pop videos". Madonna
was ranked as the greatest music video artist by MTV in 2003 and
'Billboard' in 2020.
Madonna's early music videos fused American and Hispanic street style
with flamboyant glamor. Through the visuals, she introduced her
avant-garde Downtown Manhattan fashion sensibility to an American
audience. The recurring use of Hispanic cultural motifs and Catholic
symbolism continued into the 'True Blue' era. According to author
Douglas Kellner, Madonna's embrace of "multiculturalism" and her
"culturally transgressive moves" proved to be effective in appealing
to a wide range of young audiences. Scholars have noted that through
her visual narratives, Madonna often subverted traditional gender
norms by symbolically reversing male dominance. Her use of religious
and racial imagery was prominent in the music video for "Like a
Prayer", which depicted scenes of an African-American church choir,
Madonna's attraction to a black saint statue, and her performance
before burning crosses.
Madonna's acting has often been met with negative reviews from film
critics. Biographer Andrew Morton noted that Madonna publicly
dismissed the criticism. Following the critical and commercial failure
of 'Swept Away' (2002), she vowed never to act in another film. In a
retrospective of her screen career titled 'Body of Work' (2016) at New
York's Metrograph, 'The Guardian's' Nigel M. Smith argued that
Madonna's struggles in film were largely due to the lack of quality
roles available to her, stating that she could "steal a scene for all
the right reasons". Her concert tours often re-create her music
videos; author Elin Diamond said that the ability to reproduce scenes
from Madonna's videos in a live setting enhances the realism of the
videos, arguing that "her live performances have become the means by
which mediatized representations are naturalized".
According to Taraborrelli, Madonna's concerts, which feature
multimedia elements, advanced technology, and elaborate sound design,
function as "extravagant show piece[s]" and "walking art show[s]".
Chris Nelson of 'The New York Times' observed that artists like
Madonna redefined standards of live performance with concerts "that
included not only elaborate costumes and precision-timed pyrotechnics
but also highly athletic dancing"--often at the expense of live
vocals. A writer for the 'Orlando Sentinel' said that she later
restructured her stage shows to balance choreography and live singing
by remaining stationary during vocally demanding sections while
delegating more complex dance sequences to her backup performers. To
support simultaneous singing and movement, Madonna began using a
hands-free radio-frequency headset microphone, secured over the head
or ears with a boom extending to the mouth.
Legacy
======================================================================
Madonna's profound influence on popular music has led critics and
scholars to refer to her as the "Queen of Pop". Her legacy transcends
music and has been examined by sociologists, historians, media
scholars, and cultural critics, contributing to the development of
Madonna studies, a subfield of American cultural studies.
'Rolling Stone' noted that Madonna's omnipresence across television,
radio, magazines, and bookstores was an unparalleled pop dynamic not
seen since the Beatles. 'The Daily Telegraph' remarked that Madonna
"changed the world's social history", with scholar Diane Pecknold
noticing that "nearly every poll of the greatest or most influential
figures in popular culture includes Madonna". Madonna has frequently
appeared in rankings of the greatest and most influential musicians.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wrote that Madonna helped dissolve
gender boundaries. 'Spin' wrote that the title "Queen of Pop" scarcely
captures her impact, stating that "she is Pop" and that she
established the blueprint for what a modern pop star should be.
Sclafani argued that before Madonna, most major music stars were male
rock artists, and that her influence helped usher in an era where
female solo performers became far more prominent in mainstream popular
music. Many female artists in the 21st century--including
Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga--have
cited Madonna as an influence on their careers. Madonna has also
influenced male artists, inspiring rock frontmen Liam Gallagher of
Oasis and Chester Bennington of Linkin Park to become musicians.
Madonna's use of sexual imagery has ignited widespread discussions
regarding sexuality and feminism. Media scholar John Fiske remarked
that the empowerment Madonna conveys is closely tied to the
gratification of asserting control over self-definition, sexuality,
and social dynamics. As discussed in 'Doing Gender in Media, Art and
Culture' (2009), Madonna's status as a female celebrity, performer,
and pop icon continues to challenge and reinterpret established
feminist discourses. According to lesbian feminist Sheila Jeffreys,
Madonna embodies what Monique Wittig terms "the category of sex" as a
site of power, while deliberately embracing the performance of women's
assigned sexual labor. Similarly, communication scholar Sut Jhally has
described her as "an almost sacred feminist icon".
Writers and scholars have also highlighted Madonna's engagement with
LGBTQ, Latino, and Black culture. Matt Cain argued that her work
helped bring marginalized groups and cultures into mainstream popular
culture. One author remarked that "by making culture generally
available, Madonna becomes the culture of all social classes".
Canadian scholar Karlene Faith similarly said that Madonna's
peculiarity lies in her ability to "move freely across diverse
cultural terrains", describing her as a "cult figure" within multiple
self-sustaining subcultures even as she achieved mainstream success.
She is often regarded as a gay icon, with GLAAD president Sarah Kate
Ellis affirming that Madonna "always has and always will be the LGBTQ
community's greatest ally", and 'The Advocate' characterizing her as
"the greatest gay icon".
Madonna has also been studied as a business figure and entrepreneur;
she amassed over $1.2billion in sales during the first decade of her
career. According to Gini Gorlinski in 'The 100 Most Influential
Musicians of All Time' (2010), Madonna's authority and autonomy within
the entertainment industry were unprecedented for a woman at the time.
Scholars at the London Business School described her as a "dynamic
entrepreneur" whose success model is worth emulating, identifying her
vision of success, understanding of the music industry, ability to
recognize her own performance limits, work ethic, and adaptability as
the basis for her commercial achievements. Morton called the singer
"opportunistic, manipulative, and ruthless--someone who will not stop
until she achieves her goals".
Madonna has been criticized from social, moral and political
perspectives. Scholars have challenged her use of racialized and
minority cultures and argued that her privileged position does little
to aid the communities whose imagery she adopts. Madonna has been
linked to terms like "Madonna-economy" and "Madonnization", shorthand
for homogenizing American mass culture similar to that of
McDonaldization and Cocacolonization. Internationally, political and
religious commentators have sometimes cast her as a symbol of Western
cultural hegemony or "cultural terrorism", associating her with
Americanization and the erosion of local traditions. Conservative
groups, parental organizations and some philosophers have further
criticized her as emblematic of mass culture's corrupting influence on
youth, fueling moral panics over sexuality, religion and the
commercialization of popular music.
Achievements
======================================================================
'Forbes' estimated Madonna's net worth at $850 million as of 2025,
making her one of the wealthiest musicians in the world. She became
'Forbes's' annual highest-paid female musician 11 times across the
1980s,Annual earning list:
* 1987:
* 1988:
* 1989: 1990s,Annual earning list:
* 1990:
* 1991:
* 1992:
* 1993: 2000s,Annual earning list:
* 2005:
* 2007:
* 2009: and 2010s. Madonna is the best-selling female music artist of
all time, and has eighteen albums certified multi-platinum in multiple
countries. According to the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA), she is the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century
and the fourth highest-certified female artist in the US, with 65.5
million certified album-equivalent units.
Madonna has generated over US$1.6 billion from ticket sales of her
concert tours throughout her career. According to 'Billboard'
Boxscore, she had become the highest-grossing female touring artist
for 19 years (2004-2023), until being overtaken by Taylor Swift.
Madonna has won seven Grammy Awards and twenty MTV Video Music Awards,
including the 1986 Video Vanguard Award for which she became the first
female recipient. In Japan, the world's second largest market, Madonna
has received seventeen Gold Disc Awards from the Recording Industry
Association of Japan, including the most Artist of the Year wins by a
solo artist (five). Madonna became the first artist to be named the
"Greatest Pop Star" of the year twice by 'Billboard' (1985 and 1989).
'Like a Prayer' (1989), 'The Immaculate Collection' (1990), 'Ray of
Light' (1998), and 'Music' (2000) have each been included among
'Rolling Stone's' list titled "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".
Throughout her career, Madonna has had twelve songs top the charts in
the United States, thirteen in the United Kingdom, twenty-four in
Canada, and eleven in Australia. At the 40th anniversary of the GfK
Media Control Charts, Madonna was ranked as the most successful
singles artist in German chart history. According to 'Billboard', she
was the most successful solo artist on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 by
2021--second overall behind the Beatles--and remains the most
successful dance club artist in history. She has achieved 38 top-ten
singles on the 'Billboard' Hot 100, the most by any artist in
pre-streaming era. A dominant physical singles seller, she has the
most chart-topping hits on the Hot 100 Singles Sales (16) and the
Dance Singles Sales (33) of any artist. With 50 Dance Club Songs
chart-toppers, Madonna became the artist with the most number ones on
any single 'Billboard' chart.
Discography
======================================================================
* 'Madonna' (1983)
* 'Like a Virgin' (1984)
* 'True Blue' (1986)
* 'Like a Prayer' (1989)
* 'Erotica' (1992)
* 'Bedtime Stories' (1994)
* 'Ray of Light' (1998)
* 'Music' (2000)
* 'American Life' (2003)
* 'Confessions on a Dance Floor' (2005)
* 'Hard Candy' (2008)
* 'MDNA' (2012)
* 'Rebel Heart' (2015)
* 'Madame X' (2019)
* 'Confessions II' (2026)
Filmography
======================================================================
Films starred
* 'Desperately Seeking Susan' (1985)
* 'A Certain Sacrifice' (1985)
* 'Shanghai Surprise' (1986)
* 'Who's That Girl' (1987)
* 'Bloodhounds of Broadway' (1989)
* 'Dick Tracy' (1990)
* 'Madonna: Truth or Dare' (1991)
* 'A League of Their Own' (1992)
* 'Body of Evidence' (1993)
* 'Dangerous Game' (1993)
* 'Four Rooms' (1995)
* 'Evita' (1996)
* 'The Next Best Thing' (2000)
* 'Swept Away' (2002)
* 'Die Another Day' (2002)
* 'I'm Going to Tell You a Secret' (2005)
* 'Arthur and the Invisibles' (2006)
* 'Madame X' (2021)
* 'Confessions II' (2026)
Films directed
* 'Filth and Wisdom' (2008)
* 'W.E.' (2011)
* 'secretprojectrevolution' (2013)
Tours
======================================================================
* The Virgin Tour (1985)
* Who's That Girl World Tour (1987)
* Blond Ambition World Tour (1990)
* The Girlie Show (1993)
* Drowned World Tour (2001)
* Re-Invention World Tour (2004)
* Confessions Tour (2006)
* Sticky & Sweet Tour (2008-2009)
* The MDNA Tour (2012)
* Rebel Heart Tour (2015-2016)
* Madame X Tour (2019-2020)
* The Celebration Tour (2023-2024)
Enterprises
======================================================================
* Maverick (1992-2004)
* Ray of Light Foundation (1998)
* Raising Malawi (2006)
* Hard Candy Fitness (2010-2019)
* Truth or Dare by Madonna (2011-2018)
See also
======================================================================
* List of largest music deals
* List of organisms named after famous people (born 1950-1974)
* List of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees
* List of highest-grossing live music artists
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