Madonna released a series of photos from a risqué new photoshoot over the weekend, but not everyone was a fan. Now, rapper and hip-hop artist Nelly is facing backlash over his comment.
In the provocative photos, the 63-year-old Queen of Pop is seen posing with a car while wearing a black leather cap and bustier with fishnet tights and gloves, lace panties, and chunky high-heeled black boots. She paired the look with her blonde hair fixed in two long braids.
In the majority (but not all) of the photos, Madge is draped in a long black jacket over the barely-there outfit, adorned with sparkly brooches, gold epaulets, and the message of “God Save the Queen” emblazoned across the back.
Suffice to say, there’s not much left to the imagination, but it is Madonna after all — and that’s just how she rolls, no pun intended. “Car trouble,” she captioned the photos.
The reception to the photos was admittedly mixed. Many commenters responded with some form of fire and/or heart emojis — though, there was certainly no shortage of haters and trolls to come out of the woodwork to shame Madonna for dressing so suggestively at her age.
However, what threw many people for a loop was Nelly adding his two cents. “Some things should just be left covered up,” wrote the 47-year-old, born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr.
“Because she’s female?” wrote one commenter. “Would you comment on a male artist? It’s OK though, her legacy far outstands yours.” Even Rapper Ja Rule added: “How can you not love Madonna?”
Point to the lie, though! Whereas Nelly quietly released his 8th studio album, Heartland, on Aug. 27, 2021, which peaked at number 45 on the U.S. Billboard 200, Madonna’s career was still on fire when she was about the same place in her career.
When Madonna was in her mid-40s, she released Confessions on a Dance Floor, her 10th album that produced several chart-topping singles including “Hung Up,” which was named by Billboard as the most successful dance song of the decade. To support the album, Madonna embarked on the 2006 Confessions Tour, which became the highest-grossing tour for a female artist at the time.
In other words, Nelly can go ahead and take himself a seat. Madonna can dress and act however she wants because, quite frankly, she’s earned it.