there will never be a second Madonna

[BornAsUnic0rn 2,204]

There will and there SHOULD never be a second Madonna, if there was the need for one, she wouldn’t have had the impact she ultimately had. Madonna‘s whole career was surrounded by controversy over controversy that had industry professionals, politicians, journalists, etc. screaming „This time she‘s really gone too far, she‘s over, she‘s poison, she ruined her career.“ I mean this as the most sincere compliment, she is this necessary pest that infected culture in the 80s, that forced culture and society as a whole to change, impacting every single generation that came after her in a way that is UNHEARD OF besides her. Her way taught a whole industry (especially women) their worth, their power and to each what to do and what not to do depending on their ambitions. 

The first time the industry told her she‘s gone too far and she can hang up her career was „Like A Virgin“, and it went to No.1. The last time she‘s gone too far was „American Life“ and she recovered afterwards with Confessions On The Dancefloor, with which she reached new hights and a completely new generation. (Me included, Hung Up & Sorry had me in a chokehold when I was 9.) That high arguably lasted through Hard Candy, Celebration & MDNA (that album benefited greatly from the success and trust these records built). And after 2 lackluster releases and personal hardships, especially with her health, she‘s decided „I‘m not gone, I have something left to say.“

She herself said it, „I think the most controversial thing I have ever done is to stick around.“

Many artists in several decades tore down walls, endured controversy, and sparked debates. And that‘s applaudable, impeccable & ground-breaking. And afterwards they took their lessons and changed. Madonna time and time again decided to put her heel right on the pulse of culture and slash it.

Madonna ran so far, tore down so many walls, was crucified so many times, nobody will ever have to go through that the same way again.

[Bling 31,638]

On 4/18/2026 at 3:34 AM, PartySick said:

Lemme rant 'cause I'm a legit hater and I'm looking for an unhealthy place to dump some negative energy 

Madonna's music is alright and she's a great entertainer but that rancid attitude devalues her contributions to the industry and I think her role as a champion of expression and liberation is dramatically overstated.

We praise Gaga all the time about how nobody who works with her has a bad story about her because character is a huge part of what makes an icon an icon. Legends aren't only influential, they're inspiring and role models.

Half the people that meet Madonna have some horror story to tell and I still can't believe we just let her get off the hook for saying she got MJ drunk to kiss and touch him and passing that story off as a joke  hiding in his bedroom only to get naked and flash him when he came in? Creep behavior and I've never even looked past that one story so I'm sure she's been wildly inappropriate with many others. Poor Drake   

Any man who did that stuff would be labeled a predator and/or pervert by people here tbh and it stings a bit to know SA against men is still laughed off  

Something that irks me less than that is she's heavily credited for the sexual liberation of women but truth be told women were already pushing against the misogynistic BS in meaningful ways decades before she was even born. Literally running for president in the 1800s on a platform of secular womanhood and free sexual expression, "suggestive" dancers and singers in the early 1900s, women taking lead roles in films and shows, and we can't forget the closest thing to a real singular pioneer of the modern female liberation movement: miss Marilyn Monroe. That's where the cultural dynamic truly broke.

Political wins for bodily autonomy and personal independence also predate Madonna entirely. Imho, Madonna didn't break down the walls. She took battles that were already won, turned the "provocative dial" up to 11, and monetized it.

Arguably still something you can celebrate, normalizing that level of sexual expression is a fine thing to be proud of, and there's no denying her title of "Queen of Pop", but I'm admittedly such a hater of this woman that I won't give her any wins other than that title with a few dozen footnotes and "um, actually"s

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk, leave your disagreements, complaints, and threats with my secretary @TheSine 

So you agree, you think she's really pretty.

[Bling 31,638]

For me, regardless of the hate or "horror stories" of people meeting Madonna, she will forever and always be special.

When I was 9 years old, I heard "Vogue" for the first time and became obsessed. The liberation and freedom I felt with that song is something I have never experienced before nor since. As a young gay and effeminate boy living in the US Bible belt, raised in a very religious southern Baptist household and surrounded by macho men and toxic masculinity, that song was the first time I really felt like I could belong and be free. For reference, the 90's were not kind to gay people - this was the same year Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten and tied to a fence and left for dead, just for being gay.

I went from feeling like an alien on this planet, where if someone found out my secret I would end up just like Matthew, to feeling like a rockstar. It gave me so much joy and unleashed a fearlessness that I never knew. I danced, pranced, and sashayed in the secrecy of my room with the blinds closed, but for those magical 5 minutes, I was free to be me for the first time. I used to pray every night to wake up straight and not walk and talk "like a girl" as the kids at school used to say. But after that song, I felt just a bit more comfortable in my skin. 

Now, 28 years later, it seems almost like fate that she has released "I Feel So Free." But please, go ahead and tell me more about how you hate this woman 

[Monstermilo 5,405]

theres no denying her impact but shes not really that talented.... 

she used sex and controversy to maintain relevance - and shes def paved the way for artists to do the same. for me i respect people like mariah and whitney more who are superhumanely talented and respected for their vocal abilities. madonnas mostly remembered for being "daring" and not giving a ****. shes not exactly remembered for being talented. again not discrediting her contributions to pop cuz you cant deny that, i just feel like she is deemed the queen cuz she got lucky and did it first, not because she is talented. 

[Petie Estie 5,624]

is anyone really still on this lol

[bowlsofbrett 573]

Of course there will never be another Madonna. 38 top ten hits over the span of 30 years?!  It was wild growing up in the 90s and seeing her impact on pop culture. 
 

whats fascinating about Madonna is her drive. You just can’t keep her down. She always comes back.

They tried to cancel her in 1984 for the MTV performance of Like A Virgin and it failed, they tried to cancel her for her sticking up for LGBTQ rights and failed, they tried to cancel her for the Like A Prayer video and failed, they banned Justify My Love (1991) from MTV and she put it on videotape and made even more money, they crucified her for the Erotica album and coffee table SEX book, they lost it over the  American Life music video, and now they are losing it over a woman nearly 70 feeling sexy (mind you, they started calling her old when she was 34).
 

Whether people hate her or love her, Madonna’s resiliency should be studied. 

[Ladle Ghoulash 40,552]

20 minutes ago, Monstermilo said:

theres no denying her impact but shes not really that talented.... 

she used sex and controversy to maintain relevance - and shes def paved the way for artists to do the same. for me i respect people like mariah and whitney more who are superhumanely talented and respected for their vocal abilities. madonnas mostly remembered for being "daring" and not giving a ****. shes not exactly remembered for being talented. again not discrediting her contributions to pop cuz you cant deny that, i just feel like she is deemed the queen cuz she got lucky and did it first, not because she is talented. 

I think boiling it down to sex and controversy is pretty reductive, tbh. She’s incredibly intelligent, always had heard ear to the ground in terms of underground or counter/cross-cultural elements she could integrate into pop and, as a performer, she’s undoubtedly incredibly talented.
 

She’s not a particularly great singer (though I maintain that her tone quality and the way she uses her voice as an emotive instrument is both impactful and effective for the type of music she makes), but she is a phenomenal dancer and performer (studied at the BFA dance program at UMich, trained under Martha Graham). She’s also a very good guitar player, a good songwriter, and has always had a clear, sharp, and provocative sense of what she wants to bring to the table. 
 

She’s may be cutthroat, opportunistic, self-centered etc. but I’ll be damned if she isn’t excellent at what she does.