Authors: Aleksandra Tylec & Tomasz Młyńczak
Madonna doesn’t have to be introduced to anyone. The Queen of Pop and the 80s is continuously on top despite all of the scandals she caused during her career. We all remember her iconic MTV opening in 2003, when she kissed Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera on stage or a controversy around “Like a Prayer” music video. In 2019 she dragged the media’s attention by a shocking performance during the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Eurovision Song Contest
Madonna’s journey with Eurovision began when her single “Hung Up” was produced with using the Abba hit sample. Then she cooperated with the Swedish DJ and music producer Tim Bergling, known as Avicii, who created the Eurovision opening anthem. No one was surprised when Madonna was invited to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel, in 2019. She presented two of her songs: “Like a Prayer” and “Future” (feat. Quavo). (You can watch an extract below).
As we know the Eurovision Song Contest is supposed to be apolitical. However, Madonna during her performance broke the rule by adding on the dancers’ clothes Israel’s and Palestine’s national flags. Moreover, the gig turned out to be a total failure, the fans complained about poor singing and playback. The whole performance met with dissatisfaction of the audience.
What do we know about Madonna?
Madonna Louise Ciccone was born on 16th August 1958. Her mother died very early, when Madonna was only five years old. She was raised by her father and a really strict stepmother. As a teenager Madonna generated many problems and wasn’t liked by the teachers. After she graduated from high school, she studied dance at the University of Michigan. In her college she met an extravagant dance instructor who encouraged her to take steps in music.
Madonna dropped out of school, moved to New York and started to develop her career. She began with working as a waitress. Fortunately, later she was noticed by the local DJ Mark Kamins and he arranged her meeting with Sire Records. Her first album “Madonna” was released in 1983 and became gold. In one of the artist’s first interviews she confessed that one day she would “rule this world”. And, yes, she did. Madonna’s third album “True Blue” is said to have made her the Queen of the 80s pop music. She started to play mini roles in Hollywood movies, had two big tours and lot of reputation dramas. Many of her performances were discussed publicly as obscene and inappropriate. She performed vulgar dances and profaned the Catholic symbols.
What’s new in Madonna’s life?
Is this the end of Madonna’s era? Not really! During her career Madonna has got through many scandals and she always came back stronger. In 2019 she released her next album called “Madame X”, which is her fourteenth studio album. The record was creatively influenced by her expatriate life in Lisbon, after relocating there in summer 2017 when seeking for a top football academy for her son David Banda. However, Portugal hasn’t held the artist back for long. In London, on 14th October 2023, Madonna opened “The Celebration Tour”, which is the biggest tour in her history. It will take 78 performances and will finish on 24th April 2024 in Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico. It seems as if Madonna never gets tired!
What do you think of Madonna’s Eurovision performance? What do you think of Madonna’s career? Let us know in the comments section below!
Source: Strefa Lifestyle, eurowizja.org, wikipedia.org. Video: YouTube. Photos: Vogue, YouTube, India Today, WordPress.
