They might try to imitate her, but they just can’t duplicate her. Madonna has proven over the span of her career that her music, fashion, and attitude are unrivaled by any other female performer and she's stood the test of time because of her ability to adapt. Well after years of listening to music, watching videos on YouTube, and fan-girling with my “Madge-obsessed” mother, here's what I can say I've learned from Madonna.
1. If You Don’t Like Your Image, Change It!
Now obviously the Queen of Pop has been known for many things in the span of her career. One of the most interesting facets of Madonna is her ability to constantly reinvent her image whether that takes the form of a typical '80s street girl, a spiritual Kabbalah practitioner, an All-American rebel, or a disco-dancing diva. Nonetheless, Madonna’s ability to constantly manipulate her persona both physically and internally is inspiring and it says to the world, “This is who I am and I embrace change.”
2. Your Location Can Shape Who You Are
Madonna’s been all over the world – literally. The Rock City-native decided early in her life that Detroit wasn’t the setting for her talents to manifest and hopped on a bus for New York City where her breakthrough took place. Since then she’s lived in Los Angeles, London, and Lisbon to name a few, and each city gave Madonna the artistic inspiration to create some of her greatest music. Long story short, if you’re unhappy with where you are in life you should consider where you are.
3. When in Doubt, Strike a Pose!
There’s really nothing to it. Sometimes your day-to-day troubles can really weigh you down. We don’t always feel our best in this world with work, school, boyfriend/girlfriend troubles, etc. But as one dancing queen once claimed, “Come on Vogue, let your body move to the music!” Now I know it sounds silly but sometimes the best medicine is to just play some fun music and dance like no one’s watching. These simple pleasures can really make a difference when you’re caught up in stressful situations.
4. It’s Okay to Think Differently
Now I’m sure a lot of people reading this have felt like they couldn’t speak freely at a given point. Maybe your opinions or beliefs weren’t commonly held or people might’ve thought you were weird for thinking that way. But sometimes our creativity grows the most from unique thoughts. Had Madonna been driven by the public’s beliefs, I doubt she would’ve produced songs to normalize sexuality or critique the Catholic Church. Despite what people thought of her work, Madonna never let societal norms shape her own beliefs and you don’t have to either.
5. Express Yourself
Talk about a song! Now while the track itself might’ve served as a battle-call to empower women in their relationships, the title itself is a more generic message in its own right. Madonna has always preached individuality and creativity as sources of strength because they are. There is weight in our artistry whether that’s how we dress, what stickers we put on our laptop, or how we sign our names on dinner checks. Moral of the story, never be afraid to be unapologetically you – Madonna wasn’t.
