In a multi-decades long period, many individuals, mostly female singers received a nickname associated with the name of the American singer-songwriter Madonna (born 1958). Simultaneously, several artists have been identified with the same nickname, and many others have received more than one.
Moniker's visibility is found in devoted articles from publications like Billboard discussing what it means to be a Madonna while others discussed why there exists many artists with the label. Music critic Steven Hyden explains she was often regarded as an archetype in female popular music. Reviewers often addressed comparisons from different measurements and generally all sorts of positive things attributed to the original Madonna.
The label became visible in the profile of various performers, to which some of them have responded with mixed comments towards the moniker and comparisons with Madonna. Others declared themselves as such or wanted to be a Madonna and media followed suit. More than one performer in the late 20th century, were planned or slightly promoted as a Madonna in their debut by their record labels, according to some of them or media outlets. In the early 21st century, music journalism and authors set a race to find "Madonna's successor", calling in the journey to various as the "next" or "new Madonna". Madonna herself labeled Kanye West either as the "new" or "Black Madonna". References of the label are found in some musical pieces, including songs' titles, or a mention in Eminem's "Fubba U cubba cubba".
You've probably noticed that around the year 2000 the music press began the hunt for the Next Madonna. The original has had a solid thirty-year run as arguably the most successful female pop star in the world, but now the world seems ready for a newer model...
What does it mean to call someone the Next Madonna? How will we recognize the Next Madonna when we see her? And what is the old Madonna to do when we force her to retire?
—Courtney E. Smith in Record Collecting For Girls (2011) discussing the press coverage on this [4]
The nicknames appeared as soon Madonna gained international recognition, commonly dated in 1985. Perhaps one of the first artists who received a Madonna-related moniker was Marie Osmond whom Los Angeles Times named her the "Mormon Madonna" in 1985. [5] Many of the Madonna-associated nicknames in the career of several individuals derived from comparison. Taking Britney Spears as example, Canadian philosopher Paul Thagard explained that "when people say that [Spears] is the new Madonna, they do not literally mean that [she] is Madonna. Rather, they are pointing out some systematic similarities between the two". [6] In 2006, Dorian Lynskey from The Guardian felt and commented that "most female pop stars try to emulate Madonna at some point". [7] French academic Georges-Claude Guilbert wrote in Madonna as Postmodern Myth (2002), "the press never stops comparing female singers to Madonna". [8] The Sydney Morning Herald 's Christine Sams similarly commented in 2013: "In the music industry, there have long been comparisons to Madonna thrown around - a pop single here, a fashion look there". [9] In 2011, while commenting the comparison Lady Gaga has faced with Madonna, Rolling Stone staffers said Madonna "it's a hard shadow to escape". [10]
In early 2010s, Dutch academics from University of Amsterdam commented female artists "are very often measured against the yardstick that Madonna has become". [11] In 2021, biographers Isa Muguruza and Los Prieto Flores commented that every so often "there is a Mexican, a Latina Madonna and even a Black Madonna" because "she transcended her own figure" and she became in "almost a powerful adjective that translates into a way of doing things". [12] American music critic Steven Hyden opined that "Madonna is regarded as an archetype for pop singers, an example to follow to immortality. If you can change it up like Madonna, maybe you can be Madonna". [13] In 2014, Orlando Sentinel music critic Jim Abbott describe New Madonna as "a necessary pop-culture occupation if ever there was one... [whose] job descriptions are constantly changing." [14] Meanwhile, Reyhan Harmanci from San Francisco Chronicle described this trend:
For decades now, the media have been on a quest to anoint "the next Madonna." A quick Google search unearths more than 79,000 hits for that phrase -- everyone from Rosie Perez to Rihanna has been mentioned. Madonna herself has participated in the search from time to time, while still making albums, releasing videos, bedding young models, scaring the world with the tightest quads in the music business -- in general, still being Madonna... Who knew that mental stability was in the job description to replace Madonna? [15]
Beyond comparisons, some media outlets described the reason of calling a performer a Madonna. In 2017, while reviewing Rihanna as the "Black Madonna", Billboard devoted its article explaining what it means be a Madonna. They explained a Madonna has "to assume the role of a commander standing at the frontlines for womanhood", as well "the controversial complexities of human sexuality, despite the inevitable backlash to ensue" to further add a Madonna has "to be a trend-setter" and a muse for producers, songwriters, fashion designers or directors alike and match both her record sales or achievements. [1] Sams, while compared also Rihanna's multi-metric achievements with that of Madonna in her article "Rihanna the new Madonna? In her own way" for The Sydney Morning Herald in 2013, referred, "encompass the scope and success, and global fame of Madonna? That's another league entirely". [9]
In his explanation while mentioned Gaga, Reyhan Harmanci from San Francisco Chronicle saw her as the closer example "than any past wannabes, to further adds aspects such as "iconic style" and "staying power". [15] About her, according to author Tim Delaney (2015), "most popular culture analysts view Lady Gaga as the new Madonna" [15] Others similar claims included "popularity". Is the case of Aidin Vaziri of the same publication regarding the Iranian singer Googoosh, [18] or authors of Encyclopedia of African Peoples and Billboard with Oumou Sangaré ("Madonna of Mali"). [19] Madonna-like impact was also a source for other outlets to call a Madonna other non-pop musicians. This was the case of Cecilia Bartoli and her impact in the classical music stage. [20] Bartoli herself, called Malibran as the "Madonna of her age". [20] While there exists many other reasons, other group called Madonna to artists like Anita Mui with descriptions such as reinvention of image, behavior and boldness. Thus Richard Corliss from Time attributed to Mui, the nickname because "her boldness was not just a sensation but an affront" in the world of Hong Kong popular music. [21]
The label was used by mass media, outside of music-related publications. A performer like Mylène Farmer have even their Madonna-associated nickname in their biography profile by their record label (Universal Music France). [23] Media often described it as a "nickname", "moniker" or "title" using descriptions such as "dubbed", "named", "widely", "sometimes", "frequently", "known", "hailed" or "branded" by "many" or "by some". Such illustrative examples of previous claims include film director Deeyah Khan to singers Anitta, Brenda Fassie, Mylène Farmer, Pandora and Anita Mui from an array sources such as The Independent , The Guardian , BBC News, News24 , Billboard and O Globo among many others. [24] [25] [26] [27] [23] [28] [29] [30] Korean Broadcasting System commented with Uhm Jung-hwa, that she is "often praised" as "the Korean Madonna". [31]
Some nicknames, however, were applied in a determined region, or from an international perspective instead of their own country or vice versa. In Russia Beyond , Vasily Shumov wrote the examples of Russian female pop singers, explaining they don't have an "equivalent" Russian female musician with famous West music figures such as Madonna. [32] Conversely, many Russian female singers were called a Madonna by overseas press, from Alla Pugacheva to Anna Netrebko and Irene Nelson among many others. [33] [34] [35] In 2004, two articles from Czech newspaper Mladá fronta DNES similarly discussed they still missing to have a national-equivalent Madonna (Česká Madonna). Names proposed ranged from Anna K, Dara Rolins to Helena Vondráčková, Petra Janů and Bára Basiková among others. With Vondráčková it was said that "would not be out of the question in the future"; [36] [37] in Basiková's case, Czech website Musicserver discussed her possibility. [38] In Latvia, journalist and founder of Mikrofona ieraksti, Elita Mīlgrāve told Baltic News Network, that they don't have a "Latvian Madonna" but they might have one day. [39]
Cases like Natalia Oreiro were associated with a Madonna-moniker but applied to the region where she was popular despite her cultural roots. She was called such as "Eastern European Madonna", "Argentine Madonna" or a "Russian Madonna" due her success in the latter country. [40] Similarly, American-born singers like Selena and Lisa Lisa, were called "Mexican Madonna" or "Hispanic Madonna". [41] [42] In Selena's case, according to authors of Afterlife as Afterimage: Understanding Posthumous Fame (2005) it was "presumably to provide a vivid referent to non-Latinos". [41]
Many individuals declared themselves as to be a Madonna or wanted to be one, while media outlets followed suit in many of them. Courtney E. Smith includes Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, and Avril Lavigne as examples. [4] Others such as Pixie Lott, Christina Aguilera and Wendy Sulca have also declared wanted to be a Madonna at some stage of their career. [43] [44] [45] Sulca reminded that many artists want to be a Madonna. [45] Another example is Jamaican singer Tifa, who declared wanted to be the "Jamaican Madonna". [46] [47] In 2007, Soraya Arnelas declared not be ready to be a Madonna but almost a decade later, in 2016, she described herself as the "Spanish Madonna". [48] [49] American rapper Lil' Kim also called herself the "Black Madonna". [50] In 2018, Azealia Banks explained in Twitter why she feels like "the Black Madonna": "I'm really the Black Madonna [...] Y'all thought Gaga was the new supreme after Madonna but it's really me. You will learn very soon". [51]
Others were called by an individual as a Madonna but perhaps were not followed by other media reports. In 2019 for instance, designer Marko Monroe deemed Lizzo as the "Madonna of her generation", [52] while Farina also considered Tokischa as the Madonna-equivalent to the urban music of her generation. [53] [54] Robert Christgau called Sinéad O'Connor a "folkie Madonna", [55] while Whitney Houston was called the "Black Madonna" in 1988 by El País 's Santiago Alcanda. [56] Mónica Naranjo was a similar example, as her hairdresser wanted to present her as the "Spanish Madonna". [57] Before fame, others called themselves as such. Toni Braxton, recalls: "In high school, I was trying to be the Black Madonna". [58]
Terri Rupar from Washington Post asked: Does every country have a Madonna?. [18]
According to media reports or some artists themselves, a bunch of artists were planned by their managers or record labels to be marketed as a Madonna or an associated style. This has been the case with Martika by CBS Records, Byanka from Mexico, and La India by Reprise; La India commented that this inspired her to choose her stage name because she avoided that label. [60] [59] Ana Curra also said that her label Hispavox planned to promote her as the "Spanish Madonna". [61] Other artists slightly "promoted" as Madonnas, were Natasha Alexandrovna called the "Russian Madonna", [62] and according to Ioannis Polychronakis from Linköping University, Anna Vissi was "loudly promoted as the 'Greek Madonna'". [63] In other reports, some artists like Lisa Lisa were "billed" as a Madonna. [42] British opera singer Lesley Garrett was promoted by her record company with a "Madonna of the opera stage image"; various media outlets like Time magazine compared her with Madonna, and others dubbed her the "Madonna of the opera world". On the report of Opera magazine in 2001, she once confessed that she planned to "emulate Madonna Ciccone". [64]
In Music and Capitalism: A History of the Present (2016), author referred that various non-Western musicians decades ago attempted to fashion themselves into the next Madonna or Michael Jackson. [65] In a 1993 interview with Los Angeles Times , Gloria Trevi said: "Many artists in Mexico fight to be the Latina Madonna". [29] Back in 1986, Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times discussed how a number of artists in Asia were compared to Madonna, receiving a Madonna-moniker, but also explored how it helped boost their popularity. They described:
THE Madonna fever has spread to the East and we see young female singers emerging in the likes of the superstar. Whether they do it intentionally or not, the Madonna image has certainly helped them attract attention from fans and the media.... The other "Madonna" [...] Anna Ueyama [...] does not mind being named after a superstar as it helps boost her popularity, too. [66]
According to Time magazine, one local paper even reprinted (verbatim) an interview with Madonna, replacing her name with South African artist Brenda Fassie. [26] On the other hand, scholars Gregory Booth and Bradley Shope, noticed that Alisha Chinai "gained notoriety as the 'Indian Madonna'", while ethnomusicologist Bruno Nettl opined that she earned a reputation by catering to the South Asian interest in Madonna, "recasting both the image and the music of the global star in South Asian cultural terms and in the Hindi language". [67] According to Mirna Abdulaal of Egyptian Streets, in the case of Egyptian singer Simone Philip Kamel "countless producers wanted to put their hands" in Kamel, noted her as a "Madonna" lookalike, and for which "Madonna Masr" later came to be one of her nicknames in the country. [68]
In 2015, Madonna was quoted as saying Kanye West was either the "new" or "Black Madonna". [69] As a visible label to many, various of these performers have commented the comparison and nickname with mixed responses. In her case, Lady Gaga recalls: "I always used to say to people, when they would say, 'Oh, she's the next Madonna.' No, I'm the next Iron Maiden". [15] Insooni also denied her Madonna-nickname saying: "I'm Korea's Insooni, and always will be". [70] Others similarly refuted the tag, or comparison, including Argentine singer Patricia Sosa, [71] English soprano singer Sarah Brightman, [72] American singer Hilary Duff, [73] [74] and Australian musician Kylie Minogue. [75]
In positive reactions, Jolin Tsai whose has been called a Madonna, responded to El País the comparison saying that "Madonna is a goal", and is a reflection of a woman who does what she sets out to do. [76] In a conversation with German magazine Focus, Serbian singer Jelena Karleuša accepted the nickname associated with Madonna. [77] American rapper Lil' Kim also did it. [78] Brazilian artist Anitta deemed it as an "honor", [25] and similar feelings was shared by Mexican singer Paulina Rubio saying she was "proud" since are her fans "who decide it". [79] BBC News let Ayi Jihu known of her nickname "China's Madonna" calling it as an "accolade" and with Jihu responding "I'm very honoured". [80]
Other artists declared to be "tired" of being compared and receiving a moniker related to her, such as Latina singers Gloria Estefan or Gloria Trevi. [29] Estefan confessed in 1989: "I'm getting bored being compared to Madonna". [81] In a similar situation, Spanish singer Marta Sánchez reported that even when she lived in New York, people called her "Madonna" all the time. While she found "flattering" being compared to her, also commented it was exhausted saying "I don't want to be a Madonna". [82]
Other artists felt flattered by the comparison, admiring Madonna but not liking the moniker. Albanian singer Bleona which publicly discussed this association is part of this group. [83] Italian singer, Ivana Spagna said: "I never wanted to be another Madonna, even though some people compared me to her. Madonna is Madonna, and nobody else could be like that". [84] German singer Nena was neutral towards the comparison. [85] South African singer, Brenda Fassie, according to Time magazine liked Madonna but doesn't understand the comparison. "Maybe it's because of the way we dress", she said. [26]
Sergio del Amo, editor of El País , observed the year 2017 as the political correctness era in the pop stardom, with several female singers releasing records and presenting a softer image such as Miley Cyrus ( Younger Now ), Lady Gaga ( Joanne ) and Kesha ( Rainbow )—as Madonna did with Something to Remember and Bedtime Stories . This led the author to conclude that "nobody wants to be Madonna anymore" as the price to pay of a sexual image is "much higher" than it think. [86] Writing for the Washington Post, Richard Harrington called it a "dreadful nickname" when referring PJ Harvey's moniker of "the indie Madonna". [87] After being called a Madonna, Christina Rosenvinge criticized "female music has become a slutty contest". [88]
Some journalists seemed a "meaningless analogy" comparison with Madonna. Is the case of British journalist Nigel Williamson with Oumou Sangare. [19] As "Madonna" was a common nickname in the case of American singer Selena, music executive José Behar questioned that she would not be "comfortable" with that; and the only thing she had in common with Madonna was the bustiers. [89] According to Guilbert, Celine Dion was often hailed as the "anti–Madonna". [8] [90]
Paulina Susana Rubio Dosamantes is a Mexican singer, songwriter and television personality. Referred to as "The Golden Girl" and "Queen of Latin Pop", she first achieved recognition as a member of the successful pop group Timbiriche from 1982 through 1991. After leaving Timbiriche, she embarked on a solo career. Rubio has sold over 15 million records, making her one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time.
The Blond Ambition World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer Madonna. It supported her fourth studio album Like a Prayer (1989), and the soundtrack album to the 1990 film Dick Tracy, I'm Breathless. The 57-show tour began on April 13, 1990, at the Chiba Marine Stadium in Chiba, Japan, and concluded on August 5 at the Stade Charles-Ehrmann in Nice, France. Additionally, it marked Madonna's first concerts in Sweden and Spain. Originally planned as the Like a Prayer World Tour, it was supposed to be sponsored by soft drink manufacturer Pepsi. However, the company cancelled the contract following the controversy surrounding the music video of "Like a Prayer".
Who's That Girl is the first soundtrack album by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on July 21, 1987, by Sire Records to promote the film of the same name. It also contains songs by her label mates Scritti Politti, Duncan Faure, Club Nouveau, Coati Mundi and Michael Davidson. The soundtrack is credited as a Madonna album, despite her only performing four of the nine tracks on the album. After the commercial success of the film Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), in which she co-starred, Madonna wanted to act in another comedy film titled Slammer, about a woman named Nikki Finn who was falsely accused of homicide. However, due to the critical and commercial failure of her adventure film Shanghai Surprise (1986), Warner Bros. was initially reluctant to greenlight the project but later agreed.
True Blue is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on June 30, 1986, by Sire Records. In early 1985, Madonna became romantically involved with actor Sean Penn, and married him six months later on her 27th birthday. Additionally, she met producer Patrick Leonard while on the Virgin Tour, and formed a professional relationship with him. The first songs they created together were "Love Makes the World Go Round", and the ballad "Live to Tell", which was featured on At Close Range, a film in which Penn starred. In late 1985, Madonna and Leonard began working on her third studio album; she also enlisted the help of former boyfriend Stephen Bray, with whom she had worked on her previous record Like a Virgin (1984). Titled True Blue, the record saw Madonna co-writing and co-producing for the first time in her career. Inspired by Madonna's love for Penn, to whom she dedicated it, True Blue is a dance-pop album that features influences of Motown sound, girl groups, and Latin pop.
"Frozen" is a song by American singer and songwriter Madonna from her seventh studio album, Ray of Light (1998). Maverick and Warner Bros. Records released it as the album's lead single on January 23, 1998. "Frozen" was written by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, who both produced it in collaboration with William Orbit. The downtempo electronica ballad, which has a layered sound enhanced by synthesizers and strings, lyrically addresses a cold and emotionless man.
The Drowned World Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna in support of her seventh and eighth studio albums Ray of Light (1998) and Music (2000), respectively. The tour began on June 9, 2001, at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Spain, and ended on September 15 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, United States. It was her first tour in eight years, following the Girlie Show in 1993. Set to start in 1999, it was delayed until 2001 as Madonna filmed and starred in the movie The Next Best Thing (2000), began working on Music, gave birth to her son Rocco and married Guy Ritchie.
"La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album True Blue (1986). Patrick Leonard and Bruce Gaitsch created it as an instrumental demo and offered it to singer Michael Jackson, who turned it down. When Leonard met Madonna to start working on True Blue, he played the demo for her. Madonna came up with the title, wrote the lyrics and produced the song with Leonard. It is her first song with Latin influences. Its instrumentation features flamenco guitar, Latin percussion, maracas, and includes four lines sung in Spanish. The lyrics talk of an island named San Pedro, whose location has been debated. Madonna said the song was her tribute to Latin Americans.
"Like a Prayer" is a song by American singer Madonna from her 1989 fourth studio album of the same name. It was released as the album's lead single on March 3, 1989, by Sire Records. Written and produced by both Madonna and Patrick Leonard, the song heralded an artistic and personal approach to songwriting for Madonna, who believed that she needed to cater more to her adult audience. Thematically, the song speaks about a passionate young girl in love with God, who becomes the only male figure in her life.
"Take a Bow" is a song by American singer Madonna from her sixth studio album, Bedtime Stories (1994). It was released as the album's second single on December 6, 1994, by Maverick Records. It is a midtempo pop ballad written and produced by Madonna and Babyface. Following the sexually explicit persona portrayed by Madonna on her previous album, Erotica, she wanted to tone down her image for Bedtime Stories. Experimenting with a new musical direction and a more radio-friendly sound, Madonna decided to collaborate with Babyface, whose work with other musicians had impressed her. "Take a Bow" was developed after she listened to the basic beat and chords of a piece of music composed by him.
American singer Madonna has released 94 singles and 23 promotional singles and charted with 23 other songs. Among those releases, a total of 44 singles have topped the official chart in at least one of the world's top 10 music markets, from "Like a Virgin" (1984) to "Give Me All Your Luvin'" (2012). She has sold more than 100 million singles, predominantly in physical formats, with single certifications spanning 40 years from "Holiday" (1983) to "Popular" (2023). According to Billboard, Madonna is the most successful solo artist in the United States singles chart history, second overall behind the Beatles. In the United Kingdom, Madonna is the most successful female artist, with a total of 64 top-ten songs and 13 chart-toppers. At the 40th anniversary of the GfK Media Control Charts, Madonna was ranked as the most successful singles artist in German chart history. Editors of The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) wrote that Madonna is a "deserving candidate for the title of greatest singles artist since the 1960s heyday of the single"; the staff of Slant stated in 2020 that "by every objective measure, she's the most successful singles artist of all time".
When describing popular music artists, honorific nicknames are used, most often in the media or by fans, to indicate the significance of an artist, and are often religious, familial, or most frequently royal and aristocratic titles, used metaphorically. Honorific nicknames were used in classical music in Europe even in the early 19th century, with figures such as Mozart being called "The father of modern music" and Bach "The father of modern piano music". They were also particularly prominent in African-American culture in the post-Civil War era, perhaps as a means of conferring status that had been negated by slavery, and as a result entered early jazz and blues music, including figures such as Duke Ellington and Count Basie.
Juan Luis Londoño Arias, known professionally as Maluma, is a Colombian singer. Born and raised in Medellín, he developed an interest in music at a young age, recording songs since age sixteen. He released his debut album, Magia, a year later in 2012. But, his breakthrough album was 2015's Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy, which led to successful collaborations with many artists. He released F.A.M.E. in 2018, another commercial success. He followed it with 11:11 in 2019, and Papi Juancho, surprise-released in 2020. His single "Hawái" reached number three on the Billboard Global 200, and became the first number one single on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart. Selling more than 18 million records, Maluma is one of the best-selling Latin music artists. Musically, Maluma's songs have been described as reggaeton, Latin trap, and pop.
This is a list containing the different written works about Madonna, including biographies and other literary forms. Many authors have written more than one book about Madonna and these have been published in multiple languages other than English, including German, French, Dutch, Spanish and Italian. The releases have sometimes become bestsellers and have faced varied reception from critics and academics. The staff of Xtra Magazine commented that "she has inspired a mini publishing industry all her own". Maura Johnston said that "the appetite for books on Madonna is large, and the variety of approaches writers, editors, and photographers have taken to craft their portraits is a testament to how her career has both inspired and provoked". On the report of Eric Weisbard "only Madonna books proliferated" compared to her other contemporary fellows from the 1980s. Evelyn Briceno from La Tercera described her as a character worthy of biographies, photo books and various analyses.
Madonna is an American singer whose socio-cultural impact has been noted by popular press and scholars from different fields, throughout the late-twentieth and early twenty-one centuries, and attested outside of the music sphere to an international scale.
Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira has had a considerable impact on the musical landscape of Latin America and further afield. Further to this, her career has seen longevity and cultural reach that has enabled Shakira to be a socially, culturally, and politically influential figure across the world. This has culminated in her receiving the honorific nickname of the Queen of Latin Music. She is considered the most recognisable face of Latin music around the world. With 100 millions of records sold, she is the best-selling Latin female artist of all time. In 2024 Billboard placed her at number 17 on its list of "The Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century," being the only Latina to appear on the list.
Madonna fandom refers to the fan community of American singer-songwriter Madonna. She attained cult status amongst different audiences according to professor Sheila Jeffreys. Unlike other fandoms, her fan base does not have an official moniker, although "Madonna wannabe" became a popular media label to talk about her fans over years. The fanaticism surrounding the singer, and also called Madonnamania initiated no later than 1985. She produced consecutive successful singles in various major music markets, established numerous international records and impacted the fashion industry. Thousands of her female fans were dressing like Madonna around the world and the term "Madonna wannabe" was born. Author and scholar Lisa Lewis believes she is "one of the first women to attract the kind of devotion of young female fans normally associated with male rock stars".
A Madonna impersonator is an entertainer who impersonates American singer-songwriter Madonna. Professional or dedicated Madonna impersonators have existed since at least the mid-1980s, and were sometimes sorted as "tribute acts". As an established artist, Madonna impersonators have seen a notable demand, many of them performing in front of thousands people and visiting several countries in their professional Madonna career as some media outlets have reported. Notable Madonna impersonators include Chris America, Denise Bella Vlasis and Venus D-Lite. Others impressionists have included Madonna in their repertoire, such as Tracey Bell, Charlie Hides and Véronic DiCaire, while Nadya Ginsburg and Alejandra Bogue dedicated Madonna-inspired monologues.
American singer-songwriter Madonna has been considered a fashion and style icon by fashion journalism and other sectors. Fashion critics, designers, and scholars have examined her influence in fashion from different stages, defining views on her public image and cultural significance. Her connection with the community was once labeled a symbiotic relationship, while her industry ventures include owning fashion brands and appearing at events such as the Met Gala.
The contributions and influence of American artist Madonna in the landscape of underground and contemporary arts have been documented by a variety of sources such as art publications, scholars and art critics. As her footprints in the arts are lesser-known compared to her other roles, this led a contributor from W to conclude that both her impact and influence in the art world have been "made almost entirely behind the scenes". She is noted for taking inspiration from various painters in her career. Once called a "continuous multi-media art project" by Jon Pareles in 1990, art critics and academics have noted she condenses fashion, dance, photography, sculpture, cinema, music, video and painting in her own artwork.
Artists such as Venus D-Lite, Sarit Hadad or Hi Fashion have released songs with the title "I'm Not Madonna". Indian rapper Baba Sehgal titled an album Main Bhi Madonna (I Am Also Madonna), while Eminem included a verse in "Fubba U cubba cubba". Alisha Chinai named her 1992 album as Madonna of India. [3] Collins COBUILD Advanced Dictionary (2016), included a sentence referring to a singer as "billed as the next Madonna". [91]
In 2024, Bryce Vine and electronic duo Cash Cash promoted and released their song "New Madonna". [92] However, its reception at streaming services such as Spotify, was compared by Jenesaispop's Francisco Gámiz, with other tracks inspired by Madonna, such as Drake's "Madonna" (2015), Bausa's "Madonna" (2017) and Natanael Cano and Óscar Maydon's "Madonna", a song released also on 2024, and which was called by the editor as the most famous "Madonna song" not sung by Madonna. [92]
This label transcended both the music and entertainment industries. Politicians such as Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were discussed as to be a Madonna with the same analogy of doing things or a Madonna-like impact in their areas. [93] [94] Eva Perón was called the political Madonna of Argentina in a 1997 article of The Baltimore Sun . [95] U.S. News & World Report called Dennis Rodman, "a black and male version of Madonna". [96] Argentines plastic artists Sergio De Loof or Marta Minujín were nicknamed or declared themselves to be a Madonna. [97] [98] Len Blavatnik, was called "Madonna of billionaires". [99] In a 1999 article, Slate magazine, listed as the "Madonnas" of the age of stock market, and celebration of the entrepreneur to individuals from Bill Gates to Steve Ballmer. [100] Shiva Rea, nicknamed "the Madonna of yoga", dismissed the tag. [101] How to Fail as a Popstar is an adaptation about character's lifelong dreams of becoming "a brown Madonna". [102]
Various artists received more than one nickname related-to-Madonna; those with more than one nickname are highlighted in bold. Male are distinguished with the gender symbol (♂).
Title [a] | Individual(s) | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|
"Asian Madonna" "Madonna of Asia" | [103] [21] [104] [105] [76] [106] [107] | |
"Central Asian Madonna" "Madonna of Central Asia" |
| [108] [109] |
"African Madonna" "Madonna of Africa" | [26] [19] | |
"the Madonna of West Africa" | [110] | |
"the Madonna of Middle East" "Madonna of East" |
| [21] [27] [111] [112] [113] |
"European Madonna" "Madonna of Europe" | [114] | |
"Balkan Madonna" "Madonna of Balkans" | [115] [116] [77] [117] | |
"Soviet Madonna" |
| [33] [118] [119] |
"Yugoslavian Madonna" "Madonna of Yugoslavia" | [109] | |
"Comecon Madonna" "Madonna of the Comecon" | [120] | |
"South American Madonna" (la Madonna de América del Sur) | [121] | |
Title [a] | Individual(s) | Country | Language original-title | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Albanian Madonna" "Madonna of Albania" | Albania | Unknown | [83] | |
"Australian Madonna" "Madonna of Australia" | Australia | — | [75] | |
"Armenian Madonna" "Madonna of Armenia" |
| Armenia | Unknown | [22] |
Local version of Madonna (Benin) |
| Benin | Unknown | [110] |
"Belgian Madonna" | Belgium | Belgische Madonna | [122] | |
"Brazilian Madonna" "Madonna of Brazil" | Brazil | Madonna brasileira | [25] [123] [124] [125] [126] [127] [121] | |
Local version of Madonna (Bulgaria) |
| Bulgaria | Unknown | [115] |
"Canadian Madonna" "Madonna of Canada" "Quebec's Madonna" | Canada | — | [128] | |
"Chilean Madonna" "Madonna of Chile" | Chile | Madonna de Chile la Madonna chilena | [129] | |
"Colombian Madonna" "Madonna of Colombia" | Colombia | Madonna de Colombia la Madonna colombiana | [130] | |
"Cuban Madonna" "Madonna of Cuba" | Cuba | Madonna cubana la Madonna de Cuba | [131] | |
"Madonna of Croatia" "Croatian Madonna" |
| Croatia | Unknown | [132] [133] |
"Chinese Madonna" "Madonna of China" | China | 中国麦当娜 | [103] [21] [80] [76] [107] [134] | |
"Madonna Mars" Madonna of Egypt | Egypt | Unknown | [68] | |
"French Madonna" "Madonna of France" | France | Madonna française | [23] [135] | |
"German Madonna" "Madonna of Germany" |
| Germany | Deutsche Madonna | [136] [114] |
"Greek Madonna" "Madonna of Greece" | Greece | Unknown | [63] [137] | |
"Madonna's Hong Kong" "Madonna of Hong Kong" |
| Hong Kong | 香港麥當娜 | [138] [21] |
"Indian Madonna" "Madonna of India" | India | Unknown | [67] [139] | |
"Iranian Madonna" "Madonna of Iran" |
| Iran | Unknown | [18] |
"Israeli Madonna" "Madonna of Israel" |
| Israel | Unknown | [27] [28] [140] |
"Jamaican Madonna" "Madonna of Jamaica" |
| Jamaica | — | [141] |
"Japanese Madonna" "Madonna of Japan" |
| Japan | Unknown | [142] [143] [144] [106] [145] |
"Lebanese Madonna" "Madonna of Lebanon" | Lebanon | مادونا اللبنانية | [146] | |
"Mexican Madonna" "Madonna of Mexico" | Mexico United States | Madonna de Mexico la Madonna mexicana | [147] [29] [148] [79] [41] [149] [150] | |
"Mali's Madonna" "Madonna of Mali" |
| Mali | Unknown | [19] |
"Madonna of Norway" | Norway | Norges Madonna | [151] | |
"Pakistani Madonna" "Madonna of Pakistan" | Pakistan | Unknown | [152] | |
"Romanian Madonna" "Madonna of Romania" | Romania | Madonna României Madonna de România | [153] | |
"Russian Madonna" "Madonna of Russia" |
| Russia | Pусская Мадонна | [33] [34] [35] [154] [62] [155] [156] [157] |
"Madonna of Serbia" | Serbia | Unknown | [158] | |
"Korean Madonna" "Madonna of Korea" | South Korea | Unknown | [70] [159] [160] [31] | |
"Spanish Madonna" "Madonna of Spain" | Spain | Madonna de España la Madonna española | [161] [88] [162] [163] [82] | |
"South African Madonna" "Madonna of South Africa" |
| South Africa | Unknown | [26] |
"Sudan's Madonna" "Madonna of Sudan" |
| Sudan | Unknown | [164] |
"Madonna of Sweden" "Swedish Madonna" | Sweden | Sveriges Madonna | [30] [165] | |
"Madonna of Taiwan" |
| Taiwan | 臺灣瑪丹娜 | [103] |
"Madonna of Thailand" "Thai's Madonna" |
| Thailand | Unknown | [105] [166] |
"Turkish Madonna" "Madonna of Turkey" | Turkey | Türkiye'nin Madonna Türk Madonnası Türkiye’nin Madonnası | [167] [168] [169] [170] [171] [172] | |
"Ukrainian Madonna" "Madonna of Ukraine" | Ukraine | Unknown | [173] | |
"Madonna of Uzbekistan" | Uzbekistan | Unknown | [109] | |
"Venezuelan Madonna" "Madonna of Venezuela" | Venezuela | Madonna de Venezuela la Madonna venezolana | [174] | |
"Madonna of Vietnam" "Vietnamese Madonna" | Vietnam | Madonna của Việt | [175] | |
"Madonna of Zimbabwe" | Zimbabwe | Unknown | [176] |
Title | Individual(s) | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|
"Arab's Madonna" | [177] | |
"Black Madonna" (or "African-American Madonna") | [178] [26] [78] [179] | |
"Latin Madonna" (Madonna latina) |
| [81] [29] [148] [79] [41] [130] [149] [121] [150] |
"Hispanic Madonna" (Madonna hispana) |
| [81] [42] [41] [150] |
Artist(s) | Title(s) | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|
Amy Grant | "Madonna of gospel music" "Madonna of contemporary gospel" | [180] |
Ayumi Hamasaki | "Madonna of J-Pop" | [142] |
Brenda Fassie | "Madonna of South African music" | [26] |
Cecilia Bartoli | "Madonna of the classical music" | [20] |
Hanan Bulu-Bulu | "Madonna of the Sudanese pop" | [164] |
Ivy Queen | "Madonna of the Reggaeton" | [181] |
Lesley Garrett | "Madonna of opera" | [64] |
Lil' Kim | "Madonna of Hip hop music" | [78] |
Marilyn Manson ♂ | "Madonna of metal music" | [182] |
Martirio | "Flamenco Madonna" | [183] |
PJ Harvey | "the indie Madonna" | [87] |
Salt-N-Pepa | "Madonnas of rap music" | [184] |
Selena | "Tejano Madonna" "Tex-Mex Madonna" | [41] |
Tarja Turunen | "Madonna of metal music" | [185] |
Tairrie B | "Madonna of rap music" | [186] |
Vanessa-Mae | "Madonna of classical music" | [187] |
Titles | Artists | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|
"New/Next Madonna" the "future Madonna" "Modern Madonna" "Madonna of the Millennium" | [188] [189] [44] [190] [84] [15] [191] [192] [60] | |
"Madonna of our generation" "Madonna of Generation Z" this "generation's Madonna" "Madonna of streaming era" |
| [25] [193] [194] [195] [196] |
"Madonna of children" "Madonna of teenagers" "Teenager Madonna" "Grandma Madonna of India" | [197] [198] [199] | |
"Madonna before Madonna" | [200] |
Individual | Title(s) | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|
Camille Paglia | "Madonna of academe" | [201] |
Deeyah Khan (a.k.a. Deepika Thathaal) | "Muslim Madonna" | [24] |
Hillary Clinton | "Madonna of American politics" | [94] |
Len Blavatnik ♂ | "Madonna of billionaires" | [99] |
Madhuri Dixit | "Madonna of Bollywood dance" | [202] |
Marie Osmond | "Mormon Madonna" | [5] |
Marta Minujín | "the Madonna of arts" | [98] |
Shiva Rea | "the Madonna of yoga" | [101] |
{{cite book}}
: |work=
ignored (help)In the last few years Anna Vissi has recast herself as the Greek answer to American superstar / media attraction Madonna
People think I'm the new Madonna
{{cite web}}
: |last=
has generic name (help)cantante alemana a quien llaman la "Madonna europea"
Xuxa, una especie de Madonna latinoamericana
Daniela Mercury (la Madonna brasileña)
Daniela Mercury, brazilska Madonna
Entertainment Tonight" called her the Madonna of Canada
Yeah, it's Ayumi Hamasaki, the Madonna of J-Pop