The many faces of Madonna

Madonna Luise Ciccone has presented many versions of herself over her over 40-year career. The hit "Like a Virgin" catapulted her to superstardom in 1984 (above). At the MTV Music Awards in that same year, she stepped out of a wedding cake to that song, dressed in a bridal gown, dancing lasciviously and then rolling on the floor in a suggestive pose.

Madonna has never cared for convention, especially when it comes to fashion. With her sexy and provocative reputation, it's no wonder that she was drawn to another "enfant terrible," like French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier. He designed some of her stage outfits, including the legendary cone-shaped bustier.

Madonna's acting career hasn't always been spectacular. She won several Golden Raspberry awards for particularly bad acting. In 1990, she starred alongside Warren Beatty in the film "Dick Tracy" and earned acclaim playing the role of Breathless Mahoney. Inspired by the movie, she recorded the album "Breathless" with its mega hit-single "Vogue."

In no time at all, Madonna had become a superstar, and she continued to focus hard on her career, including leaning into a tendency towards a sexy self-portrayal and exhibitionism. The 1991 documentary "Madonna: Truth or Dare" chronicled her tours and private life. A few years later, "Sex," a collection of erotic photos of Madonna, sold millions of copies.

Madonna reinvented herself over and over again. In 1998, "Frozen" from the Grammy-winning album "Ray of Light" was released. Madonna dropped the Gaultier outfits, lascivious dancing and erotic allusions. Having just given birth to her first child, she presented herself as more thoughful and spiritual than ever before.

Madonna never completely lost her erotic bent. At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, she kissed her colleague Christina Aguilera and fellow pop star Britney Spears (above) onstage. In 2015, a short video clip showed her publicly kissing Canadian rapper Drake. He didn't seem too excited.

Madonna called her first husband, actor Sean Penn, the "coolest man in the universe" and dedicated her album "True Blue" to him. The marriage lasted four years. In 1996, she had her daughter, Lourdes with her personal trainer and boyfriend, Carlos Leon. In 2000, she married British filmmaker Guy Ritchie (above); the couple had a son, Rocco. The marriage lasted eight years.

Madonna didn't stop at two biological children: In 2006, she visited the African country of Malawi, met 13-month-old David at an orphanage, and adopted the boy. Back in Malawi in 2009, she adopted Mercy, and the twins Estere and Stella followed in 2017, completing the family.

Madonna founded the Raising Malawi organization in 2006 to support people in one of the world's poorest countries. She's invested millions in education and health projects there. This image from 2013 shows her with her Malawi-born adoptive children, David and Mercy.

Madonna's career has always been accompanied by gossip, scandals and ups and downs. Written off by critics more than once, she has always returned to the stage to great success, like on the 2015 Rebel Heart Tour (above). She is scheduled to go on tour in Europe as of October 2023.