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Forty years of ruffling feathers and the Queen of Pop still reigns supreme

Evening Standard

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October 16, 2023

OVER the course of her 40 years in pop, it’s certainly true that Madonna has ruffled a few feathers.

Forty years of ruffling feathers and the Queen of Pop still reigns supreme

From being condemned by the Vatican, to being threatened with arrest by the Canadian police for simulating masturbation on a velvet bed during the Blond Ambition tour, few other pop stars are as provocative, and one of the best things about Madonna is how much she clearly enjoys prompting a bit of pearl clutching.

Little has changed in this regard; the opening night of The Celebration Tour incorporated writhing masses of bodies, rings of fire, oily-torsoed dancers crucified on a spinning carousel and a variation on the famous bed sequence (this time, she’s joined by a companion wearing a flesh-coloured mask) for a snippet of Papa Don’t Preach.

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