How Madonna Broke Stereotypes and Decided to Become a Mom Again at Almost 60

The whole history of world pop music can be split into 2 epochs: before Madonna and after. However, Ms. Ciccone became an iconic cult personality not only due to her musical success, but more thanks to her impact on millions of people around the world. She was breaking stereotypes, challenging society, and opening new horizons in music, fashion, cinema, and other spheres.

We at Bright Side believe that Madonna’s story can inspire many people to be braver in their lives and not be afraid of other people’s opinions.

The very beginning

If someone ever decides to film the story of Madonna, this movie will likely get an Oscar. A 20-year-old student quits college and goes to conquer New York, having taken very little money with her.

According to the singer, it was the bravest deed in her life. That’s because, before this, the girl had never been on a plane or even ridden in a taxi. She also didn’t have anyone in the new big city who could help her.

Madonna dreamt of becoming a famous dancer. Between her shifts working in a doughnut cafe, she was taking choreography classes and agreed to any work as a backup dancer until one of her acquaintances noticed she had a beautiful voice. Other people would probably not even pay attention to it, but Madonna remembered those words and decided to record a demo to give it to professionals for assessment. It was the single, “Everybody,” that was destined to become a hit.

A quick start

Madonna didn’t have to write dozens of songs and wait until the public accepted her music. From the very first performances, she made people fall in love with her.

Millions of teenagers were trying to recreate her bright look. Ripped jeans, bright rubber bracelets, kerchieves in hair, and all the other things the new star was donning became the trendy attributes of that generation. After having learned what popularity was, the singer once said, “I realized I want to rule the world.”

This quick rise to fame didn’t get to the star’s head. On the contrary, the more popular she was getting, the more new things she was learning. In 1985, she debuted as an actress in Desperately Seeking Susan.

At the same time, she married Sean Penn. The actor was extremely sensitive to the resounding success of his wife. He despised the ardent attention of the public, while his wife, on the contrary, wanted more. As a result, their marriage crumbled, and it was the first true shock of the singer’s life.

A time of scandalous experiments

Trying not to think about her broken heart, Madonna dove into her work. Her songs touched on more and more provocative topics that were not to be spoken about in society. She didn’t care much, despite the fact that multiple commercial contracts were getting canceled with her because the companies didn’t want to be associated with the scandalous singer.

Madonna needed to express her feelings and didn’t bother about what price she would pay for it. At some point, the degree of her songs and videos’ honesty reached a point where MTV refused to broadcast her. To spite everyone, the singer released a book filled with her candid photos. Of course, the book became a bestseller.

Motherhood

This woman’s work has always been a reflection of her inner state. In the late ’90s, we could see a more sedated Madonna, who left her scandalous past behind and entered a new, more complex, intelligent phase of her life.

At first, the singer was filmed in a biopic about the Argentinian singer, Eva Peron. This movie became a true revelation for Madonna’s fans — it was avidly praised by both critics and viewers. When studying the prototype of the main heroine, the singer was diving more and more into the laws about people’s rights, and it became important for her to do something more than movies and music.

During this period, she learned that she was expecting a baby. At the age of 38, the singer had her first kid, Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon. “I love watching her grow. I love watching her absorb life around her,” the young mother shared at the time.

The lyrics of her songs were becoming more mature, just like her outlook on life. The audience was changing their musical preferences, following Madonna’s new experiments. As a result, she was awarded 4 Grammies within 2 years, a mind-blowing feat.

Mrs. Ritchie

In 2000, Madonna got married again, her chosen love was the famous director, Guy Ritchie. The same year, the couple had a baby. The singer was enjoying her new status as a mother and a wife. At one event, she proudly demonstrated it by donning a blazer with the words “Mrs. Ritchie” on it.

Happiness at home gave Madonna more strength out in the world as well. At that time, she was often filmed in movies, she was releasing one album after another, and was going on tours all around the world. Her audience gradually got used to the new Madonna, and her creative projects were still topics of discussion in society and debated among critics. In 2002, her song, “Die Another Day” became the best and worst song of the year at the same time.

The singer was often talking about different social problems in the media, and in 2008, she moved from words to actions. Together with her gardener, who was born in Africa, she released a documentary about the difficulties of Malawian people’s lives. Several similar works by the singer followed soon after.

Additionally, she created an organization that would help the poor people of Malawi. Thanks to Madonna, more than 4,000 kids were able to get an education in this country by 2013.

Madonna today

Today, Madonna is the mother of many. While still married to Guy Ritchie, she decided to adopt a child, a Malawian boy named David. A bit later, the couple broke up, but Madonna didn’t drop the idea of adopting kids.

Madonna had to fight hard for her foster daughter, Mercy. She was told that a divorced woman couldn’t raise a kid properly. However, it didn’t stop the singer, and she kept standing up for her right to adopt the girl in Malawian courts. Eventually, in 2009, she officially became the mother of that child.

Madonna was almost 60 when she decided that she wanted to become a mother again. For that, she had to publicly admit that she wanted to continue being a parent. She was asked many uncomfortable questions in court as they thoroughly studied the motives of this adoption. Eventually, in 2017, when Madonna was 58, she became a mother for the fifth and sixth time. Her family welcomed twins Estere and Stella.

In 2022, Madonna is celebrating the fortieth anniversary of her music career. Fans will see the re-release of her old hits and a range of festive events. The singer is not asking for gifts on this occasion, but if someone is willing to do so, she suggests they make a donation to a charity fund to help those who really need it.

“I wouldn’t trade my life for anyone’s,” the singer once said. If we collect all her awards, achievements, and records (including a Guinness Record), Madonna can be easily called the best singer of all time because no one ever achieved such heights. But this isn’t the limit for her. The diva still isn’t afraid of change or experimenting with her style and music, and she encourages everyone to make the world around them kinder.

What is your favorite song by Madonna?