Madonna has responded to the vile backlash she received online following her appearance at the 2023 Grammy Awards.
The Queen of Pop took to the stage to introduce a performance from Sam Smith and Kim Petras for their hit Unholy, wearing a black tuxedo and carrying a whip as she praised the “rebels out there”.
Subsequently, images of the star appeared on social media with users cruelly mocking her appearance, prompting the Ray of Light hitmaker to address the comments directly in a statement shared to Instagram.
“It was an honor for me to introduce Kim Petras and Sam Smith at the Grammys,” she penned. “I wanted to give the last award which was Album of the Year, but I thought it was more important that I present the first trans- woman performing at the Grammys— a History making moment!! And on top of that she won a Grammy!!
“Instead of focusing on what I said in my speech which was about giving thanks for the fearlessness of artists like Sam and Kim – many people chose to only talk about close-up photos of me taken with a long lens camera by a press photographer that would distort anyone’s face!!”
Finding herself “caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny that permeates the world we live in,” Madonna continued: “I have never apologized for any of the creative choices I have made nor the way that I look or dress and I’m not going to start.
“I have been degraded by the media since the beginning of my career but I understand that this is all a test and I am happy to do the trailblazing so that all the women behind me can have an easier time in the years to come.”
Quoting Beyoncé and insisting ‘you won’t break my soul’, she added: “I look forward to many more years of subversive behavior – pushing boundaries – standing up to the patriarchy – and most of all enjoying my life.
“Bow down bitches!”
Later this year, the Frozen star will return to the stage with her 40th anniversary ‘Celebration Tour’, launching in North America over the summer before hitting Europe in the autumn.
According to a press release, the ‘Celebration Tour’ will take us on Madonna’s artistic journey through four decades and pays respect to the city of New York where her career in music began.
“I am excited to explore as many songs as possible in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for,” says the hitmaker.
Bob the Drag Queen a.k.a. Caldwell Tidicue will guest across all dates on the global tour.
Tickets are on general sale now.
