Madonna had become a legend not only because of her music, but also because of her provocative style. She was an icon, a symbol, a muse and an artist in every sense. Universal, unmissable and eternal, over a career spanning several decades she never stopped surprising her fans. She filled stadiums, and her performances sent passionate euphoria washing over the crowds. Her costumes were overtly risqué, with the most iconic example being the flesh-coloured corset with pointed bra cups designed by Jean-Paul Gautier. Madonna was not only considered the queen of pop, but the queen of reinvention. She was constantly rebranding herself, and her fans loved her for it. At every turn there was provocation, from Like a Virgin to What It Feels Like For A Girl. Madonna was a woman of her time, and a woman of several generations. She had no intention of being put out to pasture after one glorious run. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she went as far as to say: “Does somebody ask Steven Spielberg why he's still making movies? Hasn't he had enough success? Hasn't he made enough money? Hasn't he made a name for himself? Did somebody go to Pablo Picasso and say, "Okay, you're 80 years old. Haven't you painted enough paintings?" No. I'm so tired of that question. I just don't understand it. I'll stop doing everything that I do when I don't want to do it anymore. I'll stop when I run out of ideas.” So she continued to rehearse and train her voice, remaining a powerhouse on the stage, and her performances are still applauded – especially by her six children.
At the age of 5, Madonna lost her mother to breast cancer, and her life became hard. The singer would later pay homage to her mother in her music. She vowed that she would never again depend on anyone, and that she would do whatever it took to get ahead. Her journey was painful, but almost preordained. Madonna arrived in New York with thirty-five dollars in her pocket. She was immediately awed by the towering buildings and the whirling energy of the city. She was just a little girl from Michigan; where was she to go in New York? She found her way to the theatre district around Times Square in search of glory. It wasn’t easy, and at times felt impossible. She was mugged at gunpoint in her first year, raped by thugs on a rooftop, and her apartment was burgled three times. Madonna was caught up in the brutal throes of an unstable city at boiling point; of the New York underbelly that festered below the skyscrapers. But she did not lose heart, and threw herself into learning classical dance. Her waitressing and dancing gigs dried up, and she turned to posing nude for artists. It did not pay well, but thanks to a few chance encounters she soon learned to play guitar. She started appearing on stage, and quickly got noticed by producers. She was signed by Sire Records, a subsidiary of Warner.
Madonna would go on to embody the image of the American dream: success conjured from nothing, forged in pure determination.
Alan Alfredo Geday