Madonna had a defiant message for her ageist critics in her elaborate new ad campaign.
The Grammy winner is one of the famous faces featured in a new campaign for the Brazilian bank Itaú, alongside a host of Brazilian stars.
During her ad, Madonna reflected on her decades-spanning career, and her hopes to “keep going”.
“They call me the Queen of Pop,” she began. “I know it’s a compliment, but the monarchy is in the past. I am not.”
On the subject of her age, the Like A Prayer singer continued: “I have no age. I’m all ages.
“It’s not about who I am. It’s about how many I am. Count my achievements, not the number of years I have lived on this planet.”
She went on to reiterate a claim she previously made at the Billboard Awards in 2016, stating: “I think the most controversial thing I have ever done, is to stick around.”
“I have seen many stars appear and disappear, like shooting stars. But my light will never fade,” she added. “Not everyone is coming to the future. But I am. I’ll keep going, today, tomorrow and the next 100 years.”
Last year, Madonna spoke out on the subject of ageism and misogyny after comments were made about her appearance at the 2023 Grammys.
“Once again I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny that permeates the world we live in,” she wrote on Instagram. “A world that refuses to celebrate women [past] the age of 45 and feels the need to punish her if she continues to be strong-willed, hard-working, and adventurous.
“I have never apologised for any of the creative choices I have made nor the way that I look or dress and I’m not going to start.”
After a difficult period that saw her being hospitalised due to a bacterial infection, Madonna has had major cause for celebration in the past few months, thanks to her hugely successful greatest hits tour and landing her first UK top 10 single in over a decade.