Madonna has never been known for playing it safe, and her latest music promo has once again got people talking for all the wrong, or right, reasons.
The Like a Virgin singer has spent decades challenging expectations around image, age and sexuality, and her newest project suggests she has no plans to tone things down.
With fans waiting for her next release on July 3, attention has turned to her upcoming album, titled ‘Confessions II’, which she has been teasing in typically provocative fashion.
To mark the new era, the 67-year-old has dropped a 10-minute music video featuring Kate Moss, though it is one particularly explicit restroom scene that has sparked the biggest reaction online.
The moment has left viewers stunned, although anyone familiar with Madonna’s career will know shock value has long been part of her signature style.
In the clip, Madonna is shown pulling a younger man away from the nightclub action and into a bathroom stall.
Once inside, she drops to her knees as another person appears to peer over the cubicle, looking visibly surprised by what they are seeing.
The sequence then cuts to the man placing his hands on the singer’s behind before lifting her up as she wraps herself around him.
The scene appears to be a deliberately suggestive piece of choreography, leaving viewers to question how much is performance and how much is meant to look like something more.
Unsurprisingly, the footage quickly became a major talking point among fans and critics alike.
“Haven’t been this stimulated in years,” said one on social media.
Another wrote: “C’mon, dawg… Somebody’s gotta be honest enough to tell this lady she’s gotta stop.”
A fan wrote: “Oh this is steeeeeeeeamy.”
The reaction has been split, with some praising the bold visuals and others insisting the star has gone too far.
However, the video’s raunchier moments were not the only reason it drew attention.
Its guest list also helped fuel discussion, with Moss joined by Benedict Cumberbatch, Odessa A’zion, Julia Garner and several other famous faces.
It is a line-up that makes it clear Madonna still has no trouble attracting major names to her creative world.
Some viewers also suggested the video taps into the chaotic, party-heavy aesthetic often associated with the 2000s, while others claimed her vocals sound noticeably youthful.
One person wrote: “OMFG SHE SOUNDS LIKE YOUNGER MADONNA WTF SHES EATING.”
As debate continues over the video, Madonna’s own past comments about criticism of her age and appearance have resurfaced.
Writing on Instagram, she said we live in a ‘world that refuses to celebrate women past the age of 45 and feels the need to punish her if she continues to be strong willed, hard-working and adventurous.’
She also made it clear she had no intention of backing down, saying she would not apologize for ‘any of the creative choices I have made nor the way that I look or dress and I’m not going to start.’