Stunning news from the showbiz rumor mill: Madonna‘s next single will be a tribute to the LGBTQ community.
The move seems fitting since the queer community has played a large role in Madonna’s career, helping to launch her as a pop princess in the early 80s. On New Year’s Eve, Madonna also spoke at the Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the LGBTQ rights movement in 1969. “Fifty years of sacrifice, 50 years of standing up to discrimination, hatred, and worst of all, indifference,” she observed at the time. “And it all started here, at Stonewall. Let us never forget the Stonewall riots and those who bravely stood up and said ‘Enough!'”
Related: Madonna makes a surprise visit to Stonewall Inn to celebrate 50th anniversary of the riots
Now, following the release of “Medellin,” her first single off her new album, a number of drag queens–including Monet X Change–have confirmed they will appear in a video for “I Rise,” the next track off Madonna’s album “Madame X.” The track title and inclusion of drag performers would also seem to confirm the song’s ties to the LGBTQ community. The news also comes following the announcement that an actress will play a version of the Madonna in the much-anticipated second season of Pose.
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Pose season two will pick up in 1990 with the release of Madonna’s music video for “Vogue.”
“I Rise” releases May 3.
Brian
May 3? Man, they gave up on Medellin pretty quickly.
Also, this isn’t really shocking news, it came out about 2 months ago that a bunch of Drag Race Queens were doing a video with her. If I remember right, it was Monet who ended up quitting the tour she was on because they wouldn’t let her miss a show to do the video. I also heard that she was angry after filming because she ended up in the background the whole time.
jayceecook
I just said almost the same thing about Monet. LOL
Also, to be fair, most people have already given up on “Medellin” pretty quickly.
Markis78
It was announced a couple of weeks ago that a new promo single was going to be released each week through out the month of May up to the release of the album in June. So, I don’t think they are giving up on Medellin exactly, I mean, she is performing it at the Billboard Music awards on May 1…..
Brian
Hell, I have a Madonna tattoo and I’ve given up on Medellin. I am not feeling this Madame X concept at all.
LostMyClothesAgain
Brian has a Madonna tattoo? ROFLMAO.
truthseeker
“It was announced a couple of weeks ago that a new promo single was going to be released each week through out the month of May”
Sounds like there’s no solid plan. This sounds like, let’s keep throwing shit at the wall and see what sticks
I’m also not feeling the Medellin track. It’s too boring and when they start speaking Spanish, I have no clue what they’re saying. Feel like I’m watching Dora the Explorer
Brian
Releasing multiple preview tracks is a pretty common marketing strategy these days. But they’re usually throwaway songs that don’t get a publicity push beyond previewing the album. Having a high profile video like this isn’t the norm, which makes me believe that this song is considered a proper second single, not just a preview.
jayceecook
Word on the street is Monet may not even be in the video. Hopefully the tea turns out to be false because it would suck for her to do what she did with The Hater’s Roast (and the nastiness from the promoters that followed) and then end up getting cut. I know I’d be devastated.
jesse davis
I am not a fan of the eyepatch.
bonbon
Yas. Queen of profiting from the gays. Smart, she knows her career is basically dead outside the gay community.
batesmotel
Isn’t that most female pop stars though? I don’t think Madonna is suddenly profiting from the gays. She was the first massive entertainer to bring gays to light in a positive way when no one else dared to.
Brian
Madonna was one of the first celebrity advocates for AIDS, as well as one of the loudest voices, at a time where people were still terrified of catching AIDS from gay men through casual contact. She was sneaking into gay clubs with her dance teacher before she was Madonna. She is an OG fagg hag, not an opportunist.
magicmike
I like older Madonna music and a few songs here and there. I like the visibility she creates with gay culture but i also feel Madonna is a really mean and nasty person who does everything with an agenda. So of course she’d include drag race girls when drag race is hot. The same reason she had 1st singles with Britney, Justin, nicki,
batesmotel
Amen.
Brian
No one thing represents male homosexuality dear. They are just as valid a version of male homosexuality as you are.
chris2kd
I’m surprised about the boredom comments with the new song. I didn’t get it the first couple times, but it definitely has grown on me. That’s been true of many of her songs over the years actually. I must say the video is pretty epic and added a great deal of excitement to the song, I felt. As far as Madonna and her relationship with the Queer community. I find it appalling that anyone would believe that she uses the community in an opportunistic way. There is a great deal about her that one could question and perhaps even despise at times (this from an enormous fan of many years) but this I don’t think is one of them. She’s certainly got an ego, at times is rude, and also comes across ungrateful about things. That said, she has been a consistently provocative artist from the very beginning and I do believe that her attempt to shine light on ageism in the music world will at some point down the road be regarded as pioneering, alongside the already many pioneering things she’s done, including being an ally to the Queer community when it was very risky to do so.
lord.krath
Fantastic. I can’t wait. Medellin was an interesting collaboration hat reminded me of Ricky Martin and Britney collabs. It’s great to see modern artists and more tenured ones work together and have fun doing it. As for the criticisms of Medellin, I really don’t understand them. The sound is a muted but authentic sound from Maluma and also the funk and fun from Madonna. I am super excited for the concept and love the idea that we will see different themes and moods for the tracks. Can’t wait for track 2. This album is setting up to be a quintessentially Madonna experience post Evita.
eastoan
Leave it to some catty gays to bash one of the only true consistent allies they’ve ever had. No, I’m not talking about the music (I love Medellin, but that’s beside the point) , but the snark about drag queens etc.
The good news is that she will continue to stand up for you even with the pettiness thrown her way.
Invader7
You go Madonna Veronica Louise Ciccone Penn Ritchie !!! Yeah she’s an opportunist and can be nasty & bitchy and sullen. Who among you hasn’t been? NO one !! And so what if Medellin got booted. It’s show BIZ.. and it’s vicious behind the spotlights… !!!
dannyboi2
@truthseeker, you should learn some Spanish its’ actually very sexy and you’re missing out on a lot of good Music.
dangerwilrobinson
Turns out they shot a video for “God Control.” Which makes sense with it’s old school disco beat and strings. “I Rise” wouldn’t fit the motif even with a good remix. Also, I find it hard to believe she wrote the song for our community when it starts with a sound bite from a Parkland shooting survivor and she never outright mentions us. Regardless, I love the song and I love the album. A Madonna album hasn’t resonated this much with me since “Ray of Light.” I think she’s in top form and am happy I am seeing her twice and that I bought two different special editions of the album. If the album doesn’t resonate with you, that’s fine. Her last three albums didn’t resonate with me, but this one does. I like everything about it. I like every song, the song order, the packaging, the videos so far, everything. For me, it’s the album I’ve been waiting for from her for 20 years. Medellin is one of my favorite songs of the year so far.