Madonna surprised Met Gala guests with a performance of ‘Like a Prayer’ on Monday (07.05.18).
The 59-year-old star – who released the chart-topping hit in March 1989 – performed a couple of religious-themed songs at the star-studded annual fundraiser in New York City, which was this year titled Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.
‘Like a Prayer’ marked a turning point in Madonna’s pop career, as she transitioned towards a more mature sound, and it also proved to be one of her biggest hits.
But the track also attracted controversy, with critics arguing that the accompanying video featured blasphemous use of Christian imagery.
Despite this, Madonna still chose to perform ‘Like a Prayer’ and a cover of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ at the bash, which was staged at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The singer’s vocals were supported by a group of backing dancers who were dressed in brown robes, like monks.
Madonna – whose much-discussed music video featured interracial love and burning crucifixes – was raised as a Catholic.
And she previously admitted that her religious upbringing has left her carrying a feeling of guilt throughout the rest of her life.
The American star – who has been married to Sean Penn and later, Guy Ritchie – shared: "Once you’re a Catholic, you’re always a Catholic – in terms of your feelings of guilt and remorse and whether you’ve sinned or not.
"Sometimes I’m wracked with guilt when I needn’t be, and that, to me, is left over from my Catholic upbringing."
Madonna admitted she’s found it impossible to escape her religious upbringing.
She explained: "In Catholicism, you are born a sinner and you are a sinner all of your life. No matter how you try to get away from it, the sin is within you all the time."
Madonna sings Like a Prayer at the Met Gala
