An artist with obvious genuine and innate talent who is actually worthy and intriguing enough of keeping up with…the Queen of Pop Madonna!
“Madonna is back. Just a few weeks ago, the Queen of Pop officially announced her fourteenth studio album, Madame X, after months of teasing.
The 15-track album, dropping on June 14, is inspired by her time living in Lisbon, Portugal, and will feature her singing in Portuguese, English and Spanish. On Wednesday (April 17) she unveiled the first single, a smoldering collaboration with Maluma titled “Medellín.” The release is the first since her 2015 album, Rebel Heart.
As expected, the “Like a Virgin” singer has been anything but silent since her last drop. From awards, controversy and a massive world tour, Billboard has compiled a timeline to catch you up on everything Madonna has been up so since her last record. See it below.
April 2015 – Madonna joins Drake onstage at Coachella
During his headlining set, the rapper performed his mixtape cut “Madonna,” before bringing out the songstress herself. Most notably, she planted a smooch on Drake before walking off stage.
June 2015 – “Bitch I’m Madonna” music video is released
Her star-studded clip featured Beyonce, Katy Perry, Kanye West, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Chris Rock, Diplo, Rita Ora, Alexander Wang and her sons Rocco and David.
September 2015 – Madonna kicks off her Rebel Heart tour
In support of her album, Madonna took off on an 82-show tour across North America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The tour was expected to launch in August, but she rescheduled the first five shows while trying to perfect the tour experience for her fans. The gig welcomed surprise guests like Anderson Cooper and Ariana Grande throughout its run. The tour grossed $169.8 million, as the icon kept her record as the highest-grossing solo touring artist with total gross of $1.131 billion, beginning with the 1990 Blond Ambition Tour. Overall, she ranked third on all-time top-grossing Billboard Boxscore list, with just The Rolling Stones ($1.84 billion) and U2 ($1.67 billion) ahead of her.
January 2016 – The songstress performs at ex-husband Sean Penn’s Haiti fundraiser
Madonna made an appearance at her ex-husband’s Help Haiti Home charity gala and performed a French song on the ukelele, which was auctioned off for $300,000. “I want to say Sean, I love you, from the moment that I laid eyes on you,” Madonna said in a speech, according to Variety. “I just wish you’d stop smoking cigarettes.
February 2016 – Madonna Makes Surprise Visits To Manila Children’s Shelters
While in the Philippine capital for two nights of shows, she made surprise visits to two Manila shelters for orphans and street children, taking selfies with the kids and asking about the centers’ programs.
May 2016 – Madonna Honors Prince at the Billboard Music Awards
Just one month after the music royal passed away, she performed “Nothing Compares 2 U” and “Purple Rain,” which included a surprise appearance from Stevie Wonder. “Anyone who wants to do a tribute to Prince is welcome to,” she responded to the BET’s criticism that she was not good enough to honor the legend. “Whatever your age Gender or skin Color. If you loved him and he inspired you then show it!!!! I love Prince 4 ever.”
June 2016 – She wins “Vogue” sample case in appeals court
The lawsuit originally filed in 2013 claiming that Madonna and producer Robert “Shep” Pettibone illegally sampled a tune was resolved. The ruling was affirmed by a California federal court, holding on summary judgment that a 0.23 second sampling on “Vogue” of a horn hit from the 1976 song called “Love Break” was de minimis, meaning small enough to be trivial.
October 2016 – Idris Elba denies dating rumors
Madonna sparked rumors of romance with the actor when she posted a video of Elba’s first professional kickboxing match that was held in London. “Am I sleeping with Madonna? No motherfuckers… ‘Don’t believe the Hype’,” he wrote on Twitter.
December 2016 – Madonna raises $7.5 million for Malawi during Art Basel Miami Beach performance
At the event, she auctioned off pieces from her art collection, a costume from her tour modeled by Ariana Grande (who she kissed), and black and white photos from her 1985 wedding to ex-husband Sean Penn. She also performed a cover of Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” and criticized President Donald Trump, who was elected just a month before.
December 2016 – She was honored as Woman of the Year at Billboard’s Women In Music event
After being introduced by Anderson Cooper, Madonna delivered a tearful speech on feminism and sexism. “I stand before you as a doormat. Oh, I mean, as a female entertainer,” she said. “Thank you for acknowledging my ability to continue my career for 34 years in the face of blatant sexism and misogyny and constant bullying and relentless abuse.”
January 2017 – Madonna attends the Women’s March on Washington
“Welcome to the revolution of love, to the rebellion, to our refusal as women to accept this new age of tyranny, where not just women are in danger but all marginalized people, where being uniquely different right now might truly be considered a crime. It took this horrific moment of darkness to wake us the f— up,” she told the crowd of 500,000. She also performed “Express Yourself” and “Human Nature.”
February 2017 – Madonna adopts twins from Malawi
After denying rumors that she was in the southern African country to complete an adoption process, claiming she was there for charity work, the icon revealed she is welcoming twin girls, Estere and Stella, into her family.
July 2017 – Her charity, Raising Malawi, opens pediatric unit in Malawi
The Mercy James Institute for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care, located at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in the city of Blantyre, was built in collaboration with Malawi’s health ministry. “You started by adopting four Malawian children, now we are adopting you as the daughter of this nation,” President Peter Mutharika declared at the official opening ceremony.
September 2017 – She moves to Portugal
The songstress reportedly fell in love with the country after ending a tour there in 2004. Until her move, she had been living in New York. “This is not America’s finest hour,” she explained of her move, “I felt like we needed a change, and I wanted to get out of America for a minute.”
September 2017 – Madonna launches her skincare line in the United States
“I’m tired of hearing people complain here that they can’t get it in America,” the pop star told WWD. MDNA Skin, available online and at Barney’s retail stores, consists of a face wash, rose spray, a face serum, clay mask, eye mask and serum, and rejuvenator set.
April 2018 – She loses lawsuit over signed Tupac letter
Madonna lost the right to a number of sentimental items, including a love letter from the late hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur, due to a release she signed back in 2004, and as a result, forfeited her right by waiting too long to contest ownership. “For you to be seen with a black man wouldn’t in any way jeopardize your career, if anything it would make you seem that much more open and exciting,” the letter reads, dumping the pop songstress. “But for me, at least in my previous perception I felt due to my ‘image,’ I would be letting down half of the people who made me what I thought I was.”
May 2018 – Madonna debuts new song, “Beautiful Game,” at Met Gala
“People tell me to shut my mouth/ That I might get burned,” she sang during the religious-themed set to coincide with the event’s “Heavenly Bodies” theme. “Keep your beautiful lies/ ‘Cause I’m not concerned.” She later uploaded her full performance, including the new song, “Like a Prayer” and “Hallelujah” in August in honor of her 60th birthday. “Beautiful Game” was the beginning of speculation for a new album.
August 2018 – Madonna pays tribute to Aretha Franklin at the VMAs
Before presenting Camila Cabello with video of the year, Madonna paid tribute to Aretha Franklin, who died just days before. However, her speech garnered some backlash, as she spoke mostly about her own career and start in the business before thanking Franklin for “empowering all of us. R.E.S.P.E.C.T.”
October 2018 – She reveals her new album is coming in 2019
“I’m finishing my record, which I’m going to release next year,” Madonna told WWD while promoting the beauty roller added to her skincare line. “Yep, in between rose mist spray and serums, I’m actually making music. Can’t quit my day job.”
October 2018 – Madonna collaborates with Quavo and Cardi B for “Champagne Rose”
The pop icon dipped her toes into the hip-hop world with her contribution to Quavo’s Quavo Huncho album. “Champagne Rose,” which also features Cardi B, is a nod to what Madonna said is her “favorite drink.” “Drink me up Champagne Rosé/It’s my game/Please fill my cup Champagne Rosé/It’s my name,” she sings in the hook.
April 2019 – She reveals Madame X album title
Madonna took to Instagram to post a mysterious teaser in which she goes through several alter-ego costume changes and says that Madame X “is a secret agent traveling around the world changing identities, fighting for freedom” and “bringing light to dark places.”
April 2019 – Madonna and Maluma collaborate for “Medellin”
The first single off Madame X features the Colombian superstar for a sultry Spanglish tune in which the pair flirts with each other in the lyrics. “Excuse me, I know you are Madonna/ But I’m going to show you how this perro (dog) will make you fall in love,” Maluma muses to the pop icon.” – Billboard.com
