Oh gosh, it’s Madonna!

You might call her an ageing attention seeker, or castigate her for her latest feeble attempt called Music. But, the one thing you can't p...

You might call her an ageing attention seeker, or castigate her for her latest feeble attempt called Music. But, the one thing you can’t possibly accuse Madonna of doing, is typecasting herself. Whether her shocking behaviour in the rebellious eighties, the Evita aplomb, or more recently the New Age-doting-mother avatar, Madonna is the undisputed diva of the world music scene. Countless relationships, a bad marriage and two kids (the first from her gym trainer, the second from Brit director Guy Ritchie), she never ceases to raise eyebrows and get the tabloids working overtime.

While her fans were still humming those ear-catching tunes, her then music company, Warner Bros released another album titled Like A Virgin the following year. Its title track became the singer’s first No 1 single, which only helped the album top the charts. The following year, Madonna sold more singles and albums than any other artist.

The year 1985 was a pivotal one for Madonna. She starred in two films, Vision Quest and Desperately Seeking Susan, and also made her theatrical debut in a David Rabe’s Goose and Tom-Tom production. And although it was a performance that she might want to easily forget, it went on to play a significant role in her real life. For there, she met co-star Sean Penn, from where, one of the most talked-about courtships ensued. One that soon resulted in a wedding which took place on her birthday in the posh lacale of Malibu, California. Of course, the relationship was doomed, and after four bitter years of matrimony, the couple decided to divorce.

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Controversy is another word that has become synonomous with the material girl. If it wasn’t for the title track to her 1989 album Like A Prayer, which obtained lots of publicity due to its controversial music video which resulted in Pepsi pulling out of its tour, then it was for her raunchy book Sex, which featured the lovely lady in various stages of undress.

For a while, Madonna lay low, away from all the glare and the media attention. But, then again, how long could she last without causing a ruffle? Only to surface again a few years later in true-blue Madonna fashion, this time with then-boyfriend Carlos Leon and daughter Lourdes. If that wasn’t enough, the once failed actess, who starred opposite ex-husband Penn in Shanghai Noon, re-appeared as Eva Peron, opposite Antonio Banderas in Evita, an Alan Parker film, which got her rave-reviews among snooty cinema-gooers, as well as a Golden Globe. Sadly, despite all the hype and praise, it failed to get her a coveted Academy Award nomination, something which took most people by surprise.

What however, didn’t catch them off-guard, was the performance of her latest album titled Music. The title track also called Music, the first from the record, has a new sound to it — a melange of rock, hip-hop, techno and pop, just to name a few. Things are also looking brighter on the relationship scene. Especially since she seems to have finally settled down with what her close friends call "the love of her life". Now, after giving birth to a healthy baby boy, a marriage does seem inevitable for the 42 year old actress and her boyfriend Ritchie. Perhaps, there is "A Ray of Light." But then again, it’s Madonna!

— Aditya Mehta