The Queen doesn’t live here anymore

“If I wasn’t Madonna… Maybe I’ll become a teacher. I would have a popular class, I would be controversial and provocative. I might end up in jail.” This was the answer that the “Queen of Pop” gave to a related question from American broadcaster Jimmy Fallon, about a year ago.

Turns out he was right. Unorthodox methods in her attempt to remain “young” and active have “imprisoned” her in a degraded image of vanity, an image that has unpleasantly surprised even her most loyal fans in recent years.

But this insistence on the time of the beating took a serious toll on her body. On June 24, just days before the start of the almost sold-out world tour, which was essentially a tribute to her career spanning more than four decades, Madonna was rushed to a New York hospital where she was treated in the intensive care unit with a severe bacterial infection that nearly cost her life. The managers hastened to postpone the tour, hoping for a speedy recovery of the star. Soon after, it was reported that she fell ill because she was trying to compete with the younger dancers who accompanied her to parties by following a difficult and age-inappropriate daily schedule, which included constant and intense rehearsals. Still others, mostly members of her inner circle, refute this account arguing that the disease can strike people of any age.

In the end, it all went well, so 11 days after her hospitalization, the award-winning American mother-of-six singer, songwriter, actress and director was spotted enjoying a walk on a New York street. Her health is visibly better, but she needs attention. However, the operations she has performed on her face and its makeover, the filters she uses on Instagram and the outrageous poses testify that the 64-year-old Madonna is not happy with herself today.

The first clouds

This is undoubtedly a bad moment in the life and career of the legendary artist and pop icon, but this isn’t the first. In 2008, at the age of 50, she topped the charts again for her collaboration with Justin Timberlake on the song “4 Minutes”. The dynamism and demanding dance personalities ensured time and time again that the star of “The Queen” would never fade. She was a shining example that age does not define or stop success.

By the age of 50, she was a dance/pop pioneer with her colorful outfits, edgy lyrics and stunning visual effects in her music videos and concerts, making the whole world bow down to her talent. From the 1983 release of her debut single, ‘Everybody’, which accompanied her self-titled debut album, and subsequent domination throughout the ’80s, to her 2008 induction into the ‘Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’, the superstar has had a significant impact on pop culture, politics, and art in general. Her songs were heard all over the world, her eccentric style not only went unnoticed, but revolutionized the fashion industry, and her public appearances were provocative, usually provoking social and political reactions.

And where no one could surpass the Madonna phenomenon, artists such as Lady Gaga began to appear on the music scene, who brought something new and innovative especially in terms of stage presence. And while the comparisons that sometimes arose were unfortunate, Madonna stubbornly continued her way in the entertainment industry, reminding us that she never goes away.

The press comments on her appearance and the failures that she has known for fifteen years, but she tries not to follow these comments.

In 2012, she performed at the NFL’s Super Bowl Final in a show that marked her return to music. Her commanding stage presence and nonstop dancing while singing her biggest hits brought her generally positive reviews and high ratings.

Dropp off

However, her next steps were more embarrassing than successful, and she is now in a permanent slump. That year she presented her new record “MDNA”, which, according to Billboard, was “the most disappointing of her career”. After 13 weeks, “MDNA” dropped out of Billboard’s Top 200 Albums Chart.

In 2015, she released “Rebel Heart” in hopes of better recognition, as it featured more personal aspects of her life. Failing again, the songs on the record have been described as unremarkable, save for a few minor touches.

Four years later, she introduced us to her alter ego, Madame X. Describing her fourteenth album, Madonna states that “Madame X is a secret agent who travels the world and changes her identity.” Here one can discern the singer’s desperation to keep her audience interested. This was followed by her attendance at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019, in Israel, an institution where the pop singer had to stand out. This performance was discussed a lot, causing a storm of reactions, as the dancers wore the Palestinian flag on their backs. There were comments from ministers and the organization, which does not know Madonna’s secret – the rehearsals took place behind closed doors.

negative comments

With over 14 studio albums, 343 awards, dozens of schools built with her help, countless controversies, one-of-a-kind moments, and millions of dollars donated to charity, the one thing that’s certain, even in times of change, is that the pop icon’s legacy will live on forever.

As for the press’s comment on her appearance and the failure she has known over the past fifteen years, Madonna is trying not to follow up on those comments.

“I like to think of myself as a soldier who will make it happen, and after so many years in the industry I’ve learned to not listen to all that noise, and focus on my work and what’s important in life. Sometimes I get hurt,” she said in an interview in 2015.