The past year has brought about a number of Madonna reinventions, some of which have been the most striking of her storied career. Witness the challenging ‘Madame X’ album, a tapestry of music culled from around the world, most notably Portugal. Witness the accompanying theater tour for the album, which found Madonna in some of the most intimate venues since she first hit it big. And, most startling of all, witness her perhaps-unwanted turn as mere mortal, given her reported knee and hip injuries, which have caused her to cancel a number of tour dates.
After one such cancellation, she posted an Instagram video of her carefully ascending a set of stairs with a “vintage cane”, looking slightly hunched over and defiantly un-Madonna-like. My heart broke a little for her then, as I’ve seen some of the ticket-holders’ reactions to her canceled shows. (By the way, I’m not one of those lucky folks who got to see one of the shows that went on – I had tickets to a Boston date, all of which ended up being canceled, so I speak as one of the affected parties. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but I got over it, and at this point it’s clear that there are some serious medical issues at work.)
After almost four decades of thrashing her body in the name of entertainment and pop superstardom, and doing so in relentlessly top-of-her-game fashion, Madonna has spoiled us, and maybe herself, tricking everyone into assuming she would run forever. Up until now, she really showed no sign of slowing down. Even a brutal fall down a set of stairs didn’t stop her step for more than a few scary seconds. This time feels different, and I can’t imagine what Madonna herself might be feeling. I do know if anyone can make the best of a difficult situation and turn it to her advantage, it’s Madonna. I will keep my hopes in that and wish for the best in her recovery. She’s one of the last great pop stars still standing and creating, and now she deserves a break.
