Courtesy of MTV
“I wanted to be able to go back to that time in my life when I was just starting out in New York and I didn’t care what people thought.”
Madonna’s new album, Madame X, marks a return to her roots as a “naïve” teenager in New York who gave “zero you-know-whats” about what people thought of her, the singer said during an exclusive onstage interview at MTV’s London offices.
Appearing in front of an invited audience of around 150 fans and media on Wednesday evening (April 24), the 60-year-old pop star was in a characteristically playful, flirty and combative mood as she took part in a 30-minute globally televised MTV special that culminated in the world premiere of her video for “Medellín,” featuring Columbian singer Maluma.
Hosting the event was British DJ Trevor Nelson, while Madonna — drinking pink champagne, holding a whip and dressed as what can only be described as a dominatrix pirate in high heels, fishnet tights, leather skirt, punk-style black blazer, eye-popping bodice and bejeweled eye patch — also took a number of pre-approved questions from the floor and fans at simultaneous MTV listening events in Milan, New York City and São Paulo via satellite.
“This is a weird conversation,” said the singer after one of many painful, eventually comic silences caused by a five-second satellite delay that, at times, felt far longer. When Nelson subsequently complimented her on the “incredible” beginning of her career, Madonna exclaimed, “What about now?” and pretended to whip him.
A few minutes later, during an ad break, the now-Portugal-based singer made Nelson read out a press release biography of her Madame X alter ego as she stood behind him trying to put him off. It was just one of several surreal moments in an entertaining, slightly odd and over-far-too-quickly interview that provided some revealing insight into her new album.
Rewatch the conversation and see some of the most interesting things Madonna had to say HERE.
