1980s: post-punk rebel
It WAS 1987 when Madonna bounced onto the silver screen, rocking a leather jacket, platinum bob, bright red lips and a higherthan-normal East Coast twang.
She was starring in romcom Who’s That Girl? as Nikki Finn, half of an oddball couple who fell in love and drive off into the sunset.
In terms of its star, however, the answer to the movie title’s question is not so simple.
In fact, it’s just as much of a riddle now as it was 35 years ago.
For if superstar Madonna is the Queen of Pop, she must be the Empress of Reinvention. And this week Her Madgesty is at it again.
The 63-year-old was yesterday reported to have split up with her dancer toyboy of four years Ahlamalik Williams, 28, and been seen out in Beverly Hills with the same mystery date twice in 24 hours – though he is thought to be her photographer pal Richard Gomes.
The spring-cleaning of her love life came with the usual touch of shock value: a cryptic post showing her rear in Gucci fishnets holding a necklace with a rude message.
So, it’s with a certain irony that her latest reinvention seems to be all about looking in the rear view mirror – back to the early days as she celebrates 40 years in pop.
She is back with her original label Warner, re-recording new versions of classic hits, re-releasing deluxe versions of her old albums and is hoping to finally get acclaim as a film director, writer and producer, by making it a subject she should know best – her younger self.
“It’s kind of like psychotherapy in a way. I realise I’ve lived a crazy life,” said the star.
It’s not the first time Madge has reinvented herself – she was on Madonna 3.0 before the 90s.
BMadge split from Williams orn Madonna Louise Ciccone, in the midwest flyover state of Michigan, the Italian-American star was just five when she lost her mum, Madonna Snr, to breast cancer.
She was brought up as a balletdancing, cheerleading Catholic schoolgirl, who got high grades and was ambitious.
But in 1978, aged 19, she quit university, and moved to New York City, with $35 (£28), plenty of passion and no plan.
And five years later Madonna Ciccone from Bay City was gone for good.
Through grit and talent, she was now simply Madonna, the rebellious face of post-punk 80s pop. Her first UK
Top 10 hit Holiday was followed by others, Borderline, Material Girl, Papa Don’t Preach, Like a Virgin. Each was a catchy pop tune, but with lyrics that were rebellious, and darker than it first seemed.
Her fashion became the look for the 80s – fishnets, skirts over leggings, denim jackets, fingerless lace gloves, and the type of wild hair that was responsible for selling a million crimpers.
Throw in her prettybut-bad-boy movie star husband Sean Penn, and 80s Madonna became the perfect rebel It Girl for a whole generation. It wasn’t an act, but was, perhaps, an exaggerated version of herself.
In the late 80s and early 90s, Madge made another big transition.
It started with her S&M lyrics for the Dick Tracy soundtrack (“Hanky Panky, Nothing like a good spanky!”).
Then came the Like a Prayer video, with its black Jesus and burning cross enraging The Vatican.
Soon she was really going for it: she simulated a sex act in her Blonde Ambition tour (the one with the Jean-Paul Gaultier conical bras), went full dominatrix for The Girlie Show Tour, released documentary In Bed with Madonna, starred in bondage thriller Body of Evidence,
There was no pressure for me to look or sound a certain way MADONNA LOOKING BACK ON HER EARLY CAREER