Madonna: The unyielding force that forever transformed pop culture

The butterfly effect highlights the impact of small, often unplanned decisions on life. The Madonna effect is its complete opposite. When Madonna Louise Ciccone arrived in New York City in 1978, the city was predatory, brutal, and in decay. She loved that rotten odium. She decided to transform the Big Apple with her sheer will and determination, winning at any cost, deceiving opponents with countless masks.

Madonna exemplifies pop-cultural mimicry. Her new incarnations make her resemble an artistic vision of global influence. Although a world accelerated to the extremes of trend cycles, where fame is accessible with a mere thumb scroll, the past four decades have confirmed that there has never been nor will ever be another Madonna.

With only a few dozen pounds in her pocket, her first airplane flight, and dreams of dancing, nineteen-year-old Madonna's mind was filled with aspirations at the end of the '70s. The ostentatious disco era slowly faded, making way for the louder, underground scene. DJs discovered the power of sound systems playing 14-hour sets for thousands of people. The creative energy across various fields wove an uncompromising tale. In the iconic "Danceteria," Sade served drinks, LL Cool J operated the elevator, and Madonna spent long hours on the dance floor, right next to Grace Jones and Vivienne Westwood.

The hunger for expression and musical curiosity soon led to her first record contract. In 1985, Madonna starred in the movie "Desperately Seeking Susan" - but she primarily found herself in the now-nonexistent New York underworld, which Mayor Rudy Giuliani sanitized. From the beginning, Madonna appeared in Andy Warhol's circles, befriended Keith Haring, and was linked to Basquiat. She was immediately told she couldn't sing, but the ferment of the underground scene ensured she didn't have to. She was not just a singer—she felt like an artist with absolute power over her creation. This included her image and persona, where every album and she herself was the new project.

Madonna's style in the '80s defined the decade and is considered the best preview of her subsequent incarnations. Though her pop was catchily infectious, her initial image was a homage to DIY culture, countering the sugary style of her rival, Cyndi Lauper. The birth of Madonna was marked by bold, careless makeup, dozens of bracelets and necklaces (including rosaries), fishnet stockings, a tulle bow in the hair, lace gloves, and sassy layers. Madonna fused club aesthetics with New Romanticism - punk diluted with pop became a palatable rebellion for teenagers.

Shortly after, she decided to mock the idea of virginity by wearing the famous wedding dress deconstructed with a belt that read "Boy Toy." She provocatively engaged the audience, perfectly captured by Steven Meisel in the sepia session for "Like a Virgin," a milestone in pop history. Her performance at the MTV VMA in 1984, where she sensually writhed on stage after shedding her veil, went down in history. Scholars of Madonna consider this moment key to initiating the cultural war in conservative American media, using considerations of female sexuality and traditionally perceived roles as effective ammunition. All this was massively conveyed through music videos for the first time, growing into film-like, million-pound enterprises.

Observing how pop culture slowly submitted to her during Reaganomics, in the era of "True Blue," Madonna opted for short blonde hair and simple styling, playing with the sweet Americana of the '50s. Rejecting tons of accessories was meant to signal a transformation and—contrary to appearances—reveal her sensitive interior. "Papa Don't Preach," addressing teen pregnancy, led to a clash with the Vatican—one of many.

Following the reference to Marilyn Monroe in the video for "Material Girl" in the '90s, Madonna boldly modelled her image after the American pantheon of icons—the Golden Age of Hollywood. "Express Yourself," directed by David Fincher, playfully referenced the expressionist masterpiece "Metropolis" from 1927. Madonna appeared in a men's suit, held a monocle to her eye, and smoothly transitioned between elements of masculinity and femininity, akin to Łempicka's paintings.

She continued this theme in "Vogue," paying homage to the club scene from which she emerged. Here, she recited the names of Dietrich, Monroe, and Garbo, touching on ballroom culture, an underground LGBTQ+ subculture of the time, where the spectacular, theatrical dance known as "voguing" developed. The minimalist music video, with shots reminiscent of Horst P. Horst's famous Mainbocher corset photo, wrote the introduction to elements as integral to Madonna's identity as her diastema.

In 1990, the Blonde Ambition Tour commenced worldwide, with costumes designed by fashion's enfant terrible, Jean Paul Gaultier. The iconic corset with the cone bra played with the stereotypical bullet bra femininity of the '50s, emerging from a pinstriped men's suit. On Madonna's body, it transitioned from a symbol of oppression to a tool of aggressive, feminine domination.

With the album "Erotica," Madonna unleashed her alter ego, the gold-toothed Mistress Dita. Elements of fetish and BDSM—leather, latex, studs—resonated in the book "Sex." This new dominatrix incarnation demolished constraints, delighting in bacchanalia. She adopted yet another incarnation to shield herself from the storm of anger and criticism. Redemption came with her role in "Evita" and the soothing, lullaby-like mega-hit "Take a Bow."

The end of the '90s was a time for Madonna to discover motherhood and her fascination with Kabbalah. Her image leaned toward restraint, embracing Eastern minimalism. Madonna dared to show herself without an elaborate mask for the first time. This time, she didn't fight but pondered, indulging in introspection. This was a genuine shock and awe for an audience accustomed to her transformations. "Ray of Light" was Madonna’s most significant album success.

More gently than in the '90s, Madonna continued to play with conventions in her subsequent incarnations—country & western, disco, hip-hop. She is "her own experiment, her own art." Madonnology views Ciccone's provocative transformations as significant tools initiating pop-cultural changes in the 20th century. Madonna is about creation and eternal seeking. Recently, attention has focused on the altered face of Madame X—for which, as always, she did not intend to apologize. Although Madonna's album sales have declined and her ideas don't seem as revolutionary, she has sparked another discussion.

The place of mature women in show business and the right to one's appearance. Why won't she retire? But is it possible if you are an artist? Criticism of Madonna stems from a desire to confine her. Over sixty, preferably in nostalgic recitals. However, for someone who has redefined the concept of a performer, the only constant is change. Madonna's untamed creative energy remains a significant force, and her loud lack of noble humility is an act of pop rebellion.