3 Modern Pop Stars Who Were Shaped by Madonna

Madonna opened last night’s VMAs with high-profile guests, including Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX. Seeing her onstage with pop music’s current pillars shows Madonna’s enduring legacy as a trailblazing cultural icon. And it continues the singer’s long history of memorable appearances at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Today’s list highlights three modern pop stars shaped by Madonna, including two of her musical descendants from last night’s performance.

Sabrina Carpenter

Listening to Sabrina Carpenter and Madonna on “Bring Your Love” from Confessions II feels like a multi-generational pop arc—the connecting piece between “Material Girl” and “Espresso”. By 1984, Madonna was quickly becoming a dominant figure in pop music. When Carpenter’s addictive hit became the 2024 song of the summer, it became so ubiquitous that it landed in a Saturday Night Live skit featuring Ariana Grande.

Say you can’t sleep, baby, I know,
That’s that me espresso.

Charli XCX

From “Vogue” to “Danceteria”, Madonna helped introduce underground culture to mainstream audiences. Similarly, Charli XCX, emerging from London’s rave scene, changed the sound and attitude of modern music with maximalist hyperpop. Since 1990, Madge has had people voguing to house beats. And by the summer of 2024, Charli’s album Brat became such a culture-shifting meme that it even touched Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign.

I went my own way, and I made it,
I’m your favorite reference, baby,
Call me Gabbriette, you’re so inspired.

Lady Gaga

There is only one Lady Gaga, but each time she reinvents herself, it’s hard not to think of Madonna’s own Bowie-like transformations. Like Madonna, Lady Gaga has also starred in films, including a rework of A Star Is Born alongside Bradley Cooper. But it’s dance-pop bangers like “Bad Romance”, “Poker Face”, and the furious “Abracadabra” that most recall Madonna’s own dance floor classics.

Still, the Material Girl may have paved the way, but each artist listed here has equally carved a unique path.

Like a poem said by a lady in red,
You hear the last few words of your life.
With a haunting dance, now you’re both in a trance,
It’s time to cast your spell on the night.

Photo by Santiago Felipe/GC Images