Madonna Talks Haters, Sexuality and Ageism with ‘Cosmopolitan’

Cosmopolitan sat down with Madonna 25 years after the star appeared on the mag’s 25th anniversary cover to celebrate 50 years of power, provocation and living the Cosmo-girl life.

The outspoken, envelope-pushing star held nothing back in her interview, giving her opinions on everything from sexuality and ageism to working with equally-outspoken Kanye West and more.

Madonna has achieved what few musicians are fortunate enough to in their careers, but what all are aiming for: longevity. When it comes to the accomplishment and maintaining relevance, the star stated that “Popularity comes and goes. You need to know who you are, what you stand for, and why you’re here.”

It’s no secret that regardless of the industry, women often face a certain amount of discrimination in the workplace simply because their women, as well as societal pressure to maintain their youthfulness… issues that Madonna isn’t afraid to address head-on. “Don’t be fooled, not much has changed – certainly not for women. We still live in a very sexist society that wants to limit people. Since I started, I’ve had people giving me a hard time because they didn’t think you could be sexual or have sexuality or sensuality in your work and be intelligent at the same time. For me, the fight has never ended.”

As an artist who never shied away from controversy, it’s no surprise that Madonna wanted to get Kanye West, an artist notorious for his outbursts and extreme opinions, involved in her latest CD, Rebel Heart. “It’s a little bit of a bullfight, but we take turns. He knows that he’s walking into a room with a person with a strong point of view, and I do too. I listen to what he has to say, takes it in and he listens to what I say and takes it in. We didn’t agree on everything, but he has good ideas,” she revealed about the pair’s working relationship.

Finally, in our technology-obsessed, internet-driven society, the people with the most negative opinions oftentimes have the loudest voices online, but Madonna doesn’t let the internet haters get her down. “You can hide behind your computer or your phone and say whatever you want – you’re not known. Could you say it to my face? Would you say it to my face? I doubt it.”

Madonna for ‘Cosmopolitan’

The May issue of Cosmopolitan features four different covers of Madonna, and you can read the rest of what she had to say when it hits stands April 14.

Photo Credit: Ellen Von Unwerth
Vintage Cover Credit: Francesco Scavullo

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