MADONNA Performing at the Sandbox pride Nyc show

Madonna Brings BDSM Vibe To Grammys With Whip, Fans React

Home / Entertainment / Madonna Brings BDSM Vibe To Grammys With Whip, Fans React

By Fiyin Olowokandi on February 6, 2023 at 6:00 PM EST

The sensational Queen of Pop, Madonna, has done it yet again — introducing an unusual fashion statement to her appearance at the 65th Grammy Awards ceremony.

Madonna was seen at the annual event held in Crypto.com, L.A., on Sunday, February 5, giving off BDSM vibes by brandishing a whip which naturally caused an uproar on social media from fans and critics alike.

Article continues below advertisement

Fans Criticize Madonna For Wielding A Whip At The 2023 Grammys

The veteran entrepreneur has no qualms about being publicly sensual or raunchy, as fans have witnessed several scenarios both on and off social media. Most recently, she caused a ruckus while introducing fellow musicians Sam Smith and Kim Petras before their performance of the highly loved piece "Unholy" at this year's Grammys.

Article continues below advertisement
Article continues below advertisement

While called up to introduce the singers, Madonna rocked a uniform-inspired ensemble consisting of a fitted black blazer over a white button-down shirt and a skirt. Her ginger hair was styled into two pigtail braids with loose strands left to frame her face.

The "La Isla Bonita" songstress who started her speech yelling to the audience, "are you ready for a little controversy" held a sex whip in her left hand while giving her speech. As expected, Madonna's act led to a flood of comments, with several showing support and others expressing disapproval.

A commenter dropped a meme reaction clip showing a lady saying, "Let me remain positive; this is me being positive," and attached to a message that read:

Article continues below advertisement

"A Madonna introduction with a whip talking about controversy and then introducing Sam and Kim, umm"

Article continues below advertisement
//
Twitter

Another user pleaded with the superstar to "just put the whip down for five f**king seconds" before a third commenter pointed out, "Lawddd… it's Black history month, and Madonna on stage at the #GRAMMYs with a whip in her hand."

A fourth fan stated that while they were not attracted to the music star, they were drawn to anyone holding a whip. At the same time, another netizen commented, "Madonna holding a whip: 'Y'ALL READY FOR A LITTLE CONTROVERSYYYYYY' #GRAMMYs"

Article continues below advertisement

A picture was added to the tweet, showing the mother-of-six on stage holding a microphone and the whip while an attached text overlay read, "They call you shocking, scandalous." Another critic wondered why Madonna had the whip after noting that she would not be herself without something odd.

"Madonna holding a sex whip for why?" a seventh commenter asked, after which an eighth believed the whip addition was typical of the "Dick Tracy" actress. In support of the trailblazing icon, a fan expressed love for how she wielded the whip at the ceremony, while another fan gushed, "Madonna carrying a whip is 100% on brand."

Article continues below advertisement
//
Twitter

Such a brazen fashion statement would take fans back to when she imitated a dog in a sultry video in November 2022. At the time, the "Like a Virgin" singer took to Instagram to showcase herself in a green furry cropped blouse, shimmering black shorts, and fishnet tights paired with black gloves, white sunshades, and silver jewelry. 

The clip's soundtrack was "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by The Stooge and began with her sitting on a motorbike before leading to her taking on more controversial poses. As the video concludes, a blurry Madonna could be seen on all fours as she slurped from a bowl like a dog with the verse "I wanna be your dog" playing out.

Article continues below advertisement

She did not limit the racy content to her feed alone but went on to her Instagram story to share more snaps conveying her desire to "Be your dog." Fans were not so taken with the posts as they criticized her, including one who called her "embarrassing" and admitted that it was difficult to remain a fan.

A second commenter stressed that she had "lost touch" and "used to be ahead of the game," but now, she just looked "desperate to stay young or relevant."

Article continues below advertisement

The '4 Minutes' Songstress Includes New Dates For Upcoming 'Celebration' Tour

Away from the Grammys, plans for "Madonna: The Celebration Tour" are in full swing, with dates extending to the early parts of 2024, much to fans' delight.

//
Twitter
Article continues below advertisement

As The Blast reported, the tour will start on July 15 in Vancouver and will go on for months in different parts of the world.  The 64-year-old recently added an extra date for her London shows and two dates each for her New York and L.A. show — December 13 and 14 and January 8 and 9, 2024, respectively.

She will end her U.K. part of the tour at the O2 Arena, while her L.A. show will be held at the Kia Forum. The tour has sold over 36 shows and 600,000 tickets –and still counting, prompting her to include new dates for the North American and Europe parts and additional performances in Miami, Barcelona, and Milan, among others.

Article continues below advertisement