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- The 65th Annual Grammy Awards took place this past Sunday.
- There were many iconic performances; one included Madonna when she introduced Sam Smith and Kim Petras.
- After the show, the pop music legend received criticism about her seemingly-altered appearance.
Madonna has been criticised and ridiculed for her seemingly-altered appearance at the Grammy Awards on Sunday. She has now hit back at the commentary and insisted she is being punished for her strong-willed ways.
The 'Like A Prayer' singer expressed her frustration that the sentiment behind her introduction of Sam Smith and Kim Petras' performance of 'Unholy' - for which they had won the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award - has been lost amid speculation about her face.
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Sharing a selection of pictures from the Grammys, she wrote on Instagram: "It was an honour for me to introduce Kim Petras and Sam Smith at the Grammys.
"I had wanted to give the last award, which was Album of the Year, but I thought it was more important that I present the first trans-woman performing at the Grammys— a history-making moment! And on top of that, she won a Grammy! Instead of focusing on what I said in my speech which was about giving thanks for the fearlessness of artists like Sam and Kim - many people chose to only talk about close-up photos of me taken with a long lens camera by a press photographer that would distort anyone's face! Once again, I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny that permeates the world we live in. 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."
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The 'Ray of Light' hitmaker ended on a note of defiance and vowed to keep pushing boundaries in the years to come.
She continued, "I have never apologized for any of the creative choices I have made nor the way that I look or 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 a test, and I am happy to do the trailblazing so that all the women behind me can have an easier time in the years to come. In the words of Beyoncé, 'You-won't break my soul'. I look forward to many more years of subversive behaviour - pushing boundaries, standing up to the patriarchy, and, most of all, enjoying my life. Bow down, b******!"
