It's a premise she's been toying with since she released "Human Nature," the unapologetic anthem off her 1994 album, Bedtime Stories, a decade into her career. "Did I stay too long?" she asks of her critics before responding with the repeating refrain, "I'm not sorry."
Still, she managed to push on for another 30 years, and in 2024, Madonna continues to loom large over the pop landscape. It's felt in the very premise of the most popular tour of the present day, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. The concept of pop-star eras as we know them today was pioneered by Madonna, who radically changed her sound and appearance with each studio album, reinventing herself countless times over the past four decades. Her latest tour, the Celebration Tour, is a toast to those 40 years of leading the charge. Here is a look at some of the most memorable moments from Madge's many eras and how they influenced the pop stars who followed in her footsteps.
"Like a Virgin"
Like a Virgin, 1984Every pop girl who feels liberated enough to express her sexuality in her music or visuals owes a debt of gratitude to a 26-year-old Madonna for dry-humping the stage in a wedding dress during her performance of "Like a Virgin" at the 1984 MTV VMAs. Viewed through the desensitized eyes of 2024, the performance looks about as tame as Elvis's hip-shaking in hindsight. But the contrast of Madonna viscerally expressing a young woman's sexual desire while wearing a symbol of virginal innocence shocked audiences at the time, and it foreshadowed the masturbatory bed sequence she'd later feature on her Blonde Ambition Tour, a gimmick which Demi Lovato would replicate on her Tell Me You Love Me World Tour (2018) and Britney Spears on her Onyx Hotel Tour (2004). Of course, Spears also paid tribute to the 1984 performance at the 2003 VMAs, when she appeared in a wedding dress with Madonna and famously kissed her. (Madonna also kissed Christina Aguilera that night, but almost no one remembers that. Sorry, Xtina.)"Papa Don't Preach"
True Blue, 1986 Recently, Olivia Rodrigo has been lauded by reproductive rights groups for platforming and funding abortion rights organizations on her Guts World Tour. But that praise tempered when her team blocked those same organizations from handing out contraceptives at her shows after conservatives freaked out over the Missouri Abortion Fund handing out condoms and Plan B at the singer's St. Louis concert.The controversy came almost 40 years after Madonna addressed teenage sexuality and pregnancy in her 1986 track, "Papa Don't Preach," on which she famously sings about keeping her baby. At the time, the song drew the ire of conservatives for normalizing teenage pregnancy. But it also angered liberals and feminists, who were concerned that abortion was not offered as an option in the song. At the time, Madonna pointed out, "This song is really about a girl who is making a decision in her life."
"Like a Prayer"
Like a Prayer, 1989The reaction to Madonna's "Like a Virgin" performance seems overblown in hindsight, but her music video for "Like a Prayer" would likely still cause a stir if it were released today. In just over five minutes, the video features images of cross burnings, stigmata, and Madonna kissing a saint while singing about getting down on her knees and taking you there. It wasn't subtle, and despite the backlash that followed — including condemnation from the Vatican and a boycott of Pepsi, who'd used the song in a commercial — Madonna continued to draw upon her Catholic background for inspiration in the decades that followed.So when Lady Gaga, who was also raised Catholic, drew upon the same inspiration for her music videos for "Alejandro" and "Judas," conservatives were more annoyed than incensed. After decades of Madonna's work, it all seemed like old hat. It didn't help that the "Alejandro" clip featured black-and-white imagery that appeared as if it had been lifted straight out of Madonna's "Vogue" video. Although Gaga has outgrown the Madonna comparisons that plagued her early on in her career, it took years for her to step out of that shadow.
"Vogue"
I'm Breathless, 1990"Vogue" is not part of Madonna's 14 official studio album eras — it's on the 1990 soundtrack album I'm Breathless: Music From and Inspired by the Film Dick Tracy, in which Madonna stars — but the singular track's impact has been felt particularly strongly over the past couple of years.Most recently, it was interpolated on Ariana Grande's "Yes, And?" which nods to '90s house music. In 2022, Beyoncé heavily sampled "Vogue" on "Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)," which is credited to both her and Madonna. The entire Renaissance era pays homage to the same Black and brown queer ballroom figures Madonna drew inspiration from with "Vogue." At the time, she was criticized by some of those same figures and their contemporaries for not giving enough credit to the individuals who inspired her. Building on Madonna's work, Beyoncé meticulously credited those names on the "Queens Remix" and the Renaissance album and film at large.
Madame X, 2019
It would be hard to argue that the influence of Madonna's late-career albums holds a candle to those she released in her prime or even during her mid-2000s revival. But whether you like 2019's Madame X or not, the album showcases the same musicological curiosity that led Madonna to experiment with electronic music on Ray of Light and R&B on Bedtime Stories.Inspired by her recent years living in Lisbon, Portugal, the album explores the diverse cultural and musical influences in the city and its surrounding region, including Portuguese Fado. Madonna sings in English, Spanish, and Portuguese on the album.
One of Madonna's disciples, Christina Aguilera, replicated this approach when she put together her second, long-awaited Spanish album, Aguilera, in 2022. At a time when the mainstream Latin music industry pumped out mostly reggaeton tracks, Aguilera delved deeper into other genres, including guaracha, cumbia, and ranchera.
Madonna. 8:30 p.m. Saturday, April 6; Sunday, April 7; and Tuesday, April 9; at Kaseya Center, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 786-777-1000; kaseyacenter.com. Tickets cost $90 to $550 via ticketmaster.com.
