Madonna marked the evening of the 2023 Grammy Awards with her presence, but not in the way she would have liked.
At the ceremony held on Sunday, February 5, the singer presented the award for Best Pop Duo or Group Performance to Sam Smith and Kim Petras for their track
Unholy
.
A role that was particularly close to her heart, as she explains on her Instagram account: “It was an honor for me to introduce you to Kim Petras and Sam Smith at the Grammys.
I wanted to give the last award which was the album of the year, but I thought it was more important to present the first performance of a trans woman at the Grammys, a historic moment! this video posted on the social network on Wednesday, February 8.
To discover
Watch the Business Masterclass “Investing can be learned” in replay
The interpreter of
Like a Virgin
regrets that this important event for her and for the music industry has been overshadowed by comments on her physical appearance in the media: "Instead of focusing on what I said in my speech which was to thank the fearlessness of artists like Sam and Kim, a lot of people chose to talk only about close-up photos of me taken by a press photographer who would distort anyone's face!” she continues, referring to clichés disseminated by tabloids.
The latter use them to illustrate articles in particular about his physical transformation and his potential cosmetic surgery operations.
The queen of pop preferred to share her own images in this sulphurous video clip that accompanies her remarks,
Ageism and misogyny
Then, the sixty-year-old raises her tone: “Once again, I am caught in the scrutiny of “ageism” and misogyny that permeates the world in which we live.
A world that refuses to celebrate women over 45 and feels the need to punish her if she continues to be a strong, hardworking and adventurous woman.
Read alsoPhotos of unrecognizable Madonna in London amaze internet users
To conclude her tirade, Madonna reaffirms her position and assures that these criticisms have no impact on her: "I have never apologized for any of the creative choices I made, neither for my appearance, nor for the way I dress and I'm not going to start.
I have been degraded by the media since the beginning of my career, but I understand that this is all just a testing phase and I am happy to be the pioneer so that all the women behind me can live easier in the years to come.
To use the words of Beyoncé, “You will not break my soul”, she adds, referring to the lyrics of the song
Break my Soul
of her colleague, again awarded elsewhere that evening.
Madonna at the 2023 Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, February 5, 2023. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images/The Recording Academy
And to conclude: “I look forward to many more years of subversive behavior, pushing the limits, standing up to the patriarchy, and above all enjoying my life”.
In video: Madonna shows herself without makeup or filter on TikTok