Queen of Pop
“Get ready to dance your asses off!” – Madonna celebrates herself with an opulent world tour
The Queen of Pop has continually reinvented herself on stage. Here she celebrated the release of “Confessions On A Dancefloor” in 2005 (archive photo)
© Dave Hogan/Getty Images
Madonna is the most commercially successful singer ever. The Queen of Pop looks back on a 40-year career. But instead of retiring, the singer is celebrating her success with the “Celebration Tour”.
What does a sex symbol do in retirement? The pop icon’s answer Madonna says: Go on a world tour. The 65-year-old “Queen of Pop” is kicking off her “Celebration Tour” this Saturday in London, with which she wants to celebrate her four-decade career.
She was once considered blessed with eternal youth. But recently there have been increasing rumors about health problems. When Madonna postponed the start of her tour due to a bacterial infection and even had to be treated in intensive care for several days, her fans were very worried.
Madonna – the Queen of Pop
Her appearance also caused speculation. When she performed at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles earlier this year, her cheeks, forehead and lips were severely swollen. Some commentators wanted to recognize the consequences of beauty treatments and suggested that she “age with dignity”.
But Madonna didn’t want to know anything about it. She complained on Instagram that she had once again become the victim of misogyny and age discrimination. “I’ve never apologized for the creative choices I’ve made, nor for how I look or dress, and I’m not starting now.”
Breakthrough with “Holiday”
With around 330 million records sold, she is considered the most commercially successful singer ever. She made her breakthrough in 1983 with the hit “Holiday”. Just a year later, “Like A Virgin” catapulted her to the top of the charts. Many more hits, around a dozen albums and numerous awards followed.
It always seemed as if her career was coming to an end, but then she reinvented herself again. Over the decades she continued to embrace new styles of music. To do this, she relied on collaborations with younger artists from various genres. From the dance-pop of her earlier years, she turned more towards electro and borrowed elements from hip-hop and Latin pop.
Madonna celebrates herself with a spectacular show
Now she’s back with an opulent show, which the promoter advertises with the phrase: “Get ready to dance your ass off!” It wouldn’t be the first time that Madonna made a brilliant return to her career after a swan song.
Madonna’s live performances sometimes went wrong. For example, when she tumbled off the stage at the Brit Awards in 2015 or failed to hit the notes at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019. Her supposedly weak singing voice was repeatedly criticized.
But the Madonna phenomenon was always more than singing. She has always been a songwriter, stage star, choreographer and style icon.
Successes, scandals, music history
Madonna turns 65: The life of the “Queen of Pop” in pictures
Staging par excellence
She often triggered scandals with her lavishly produced shows and music videos, some of which contained explicit gestures and erotic elements. The video for “Like A Prayer” from 1989, in which she brings the life-size statue of a black Jesus to life with a tender touch on the cheek, caused a stir.
Madonna recently proved that she still loves to provoke with the video announcing the tour. In a large group she plays the party game “Dare or Truth” with frivolous tasks that are given to the participants. Celebrities such as US comedian Amy Schumer, actor Jack Black, rapper Lil Wayne and director Judd Apatow are sitting at the table.
The clip is a reference to the 1991 documentary “Truth or Dare” about her tours – which was also considered offensive. In the last round it’s Madonna herself. She chooses “duty” and is given the task of going on a world tour with the biggest hits from her 40-year career. “Do you think people will come to these shows?” she asks the group with mock seriousness.
The fact that there can be no doubt about this is shown by the great demand for tickets for the “Celebration Tour”. The six concerts in London and many others in Europe have long been sold out. Appearances in Canada, the USA and Mexico are also planned.