Madonna has made a pointed critique on gun violence in the US with the release of her music video for ‘God Control’.
The pop icon, who unveiled her fourteenth album ‘Madame X’ earlier this month, stars in the video that stages a graphic shooting at a nightclub.
In the video, various revellers are mown down by bullets fired by a lone attacker. Madonna, who at various points in the footage dances with other people at the club, is also seen holed up in an apartment typing out the lyrics to her song.
“Blood of innocence, spread everywhere / They say that we need love / But we need more than this,” and “Wake up”, go some of the lyrics in the ‘Madame X’ song.
A quote by civil rights activist Angela Davis follows close-ups of Madonna’s tear-stricken face, which reads: “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”
Madonna spoke of addressing political matters in ‘Madame X’ during her recent cover interview with NME.
Referring to her work with French producer Mirwais, she said: “A lot of the music I make with Mirwais ends up being political because we have very similar minds and we think about what’s going on in the world a lot.
“He’s very philosophical. We get into debates about what’s right and what’s wrong and somehow, it just sparks things inside of us.”