David Bowie’s everlasting influence on Madonna: “A real genius”
While lots of unfair criticism tends to get thrown her way, it ought to be pointed out that if it wasn’t for Madonna, modern pop music probably wouldn’t be in the place it’s in right now.
Okay, so the argument can also be made that modern pop music is in a dreadful place, but that’s not entirely true. Only a snob with complete disregard for the evolution of pop and an extreme hangup on how ‘they don’t make them like they used to’ would harbour such feelings, and it’s hard to take a look at modern examples of pop superstars from Billie Eilish to Olivia Rodrigo and not be able to understand that the vision isn’t too far removed from those held by the stars of eras past.
Of course, this can also be applied to Madonna herself, and as one of a handful of artists responsible for having created the mould for the modern pop superstar, you have to give her a reasonable amount of credit for having pushed it in a direction that has helped it not just survive, but become a dominant cultural force.
Madonna has never been afraid to try new ideas either, and is certainly not afraid to be shocking in her presentation of them. From wearing provocative outfits to playing with controversial religious symbolism in her music videos, some of the artistic decisions she has made outside of her music have demonstrated just how committed she is to bending the rules.
Plenty of other trailblazers have done this over the years, but perhaps none so much as the one artist whom Madonna cites as being the main influence on her career.
Since the late 1960s, David Bowie has always been hailed as a singular talent who could shift into a variety of styles, jumping from glam to art rock and even dabbling with electronic music later in his career. While there are some releases that could be considered as misfires, a large portion of his endeavours seemed to fit him like a glove, and this was something that Madonna has embodied in her own artistry.
Even when not performing at their respective best, it has always been clear to see what they were trying, and both have been able to pick up the pieces and try again when things haven’t worked out to their advantage. When the news of Bowie’s passing in 2016 shocked the world, Madonna was one of the first to share a heartfelt tribute to her hero on social media.
“I found him so inspiring and innovative,” she wrote. “Unique and provocative. A real genius. His music was always inspiring, but seeing him live set me off on a journey that, for me, I hope will never end. His photographs are hanging all over my house today. He was so chic and beautiful and elegant. So ahead of his time. Thank you, David Bowie. I owe you a lot. The world will miss you.”
It’s undoubtedly a moving tribute to an artist of a kind that the world so rarely gets blessed with, but it’s clear that throughout her career, Madonna has known exactly how to approach her art in the same manner, and her influence is evidently rubbing off on the next generation in the same way that Bowie did at various points in his own career.
