Madonna left fans around the world gasping on Thursday evening when she swung one leg over a protective barrier during her surprise Pride concert in New York's Times Square, appearing to dangle precariously above the crowd several storeys below.
The 67-year-old pop icon performed on a stage elevated high above the audience, with only a clear railing separating her from a potentially catastrophic fall.
Viewers watching the livestream shared their alarm on social media, with one writing on X: "That made me so nervous."
"I was scared to death," another said, while a third expressed their panic more colourfully: "I WAS LIKE UMMM NOPE WERE NOT DOING THAT." (sic)
Madonna left onlookers stunned
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The daring moment came during a performance hosted by LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr to mark the start of Pride Month.
Dressed in pink and blue corsetry paired with thigh-high boots, Madonna delivered a six-song set drawing from both her forthcoming record and its 2005 predecessor.
English DJ and producer Stuart Price, who collaborated with the singer on the original Confessions on a Dance Floor, joined her onstage to handle mixing duties.
The performance opened with the Confessions II track I Feel So Free, followed by Bring Your Love - her collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter - and the newly released Love Sensation.
Madonna then transported the crowd back two decades with Get Together, I Love New York and the chart-topping Hung Up from the first Confessions album.
"Thanks for coming... creating a persona... I can be whoever I want to be," she declared to the thousands who had gathered with just 24 hours' notice.
The concert featured poignant tributes to LGBTQ+ pioneers, with archive photographs documenting the history of the gay rights movement displayed across Times Square's screens.
Images of figures including transgender activist Marsha P Johnson, artist Keith Haring and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe appeared as Madonna stood solemnly alongside her backup dancers.
Madonna performs
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Rainbow lights flashed throughout the venue as the singer addressed her audience with a simple greeting: "Hi, gays."
"Are you ready? It's Mother," she announced before launching into another number.
The performance concluded with Madonna shouting to the crowd: "Thank you, New York City, I love you! Happy Pride!"
The location held particular significance, as Times Square was reportedly where a taxi driver dropped off a young Madonna when she first arrived in the city to pursue a career as a dancer.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Confessions II is scheduled for release on July 3, marking the singer's 15th studio album and her first new material in six years following Madame X.
The record represents Madonna's return to Warner Records, the label she originally signed with in 1982 and remained with for the first 25 years of her career.
Mr Price, who produced the original Confessions on a Dance Floor, has reunited with Madonna for the sequel.
In a recent Instagram post, the singer described the project as "a love letter to dance music and to all the spaces and communities that create it or enjoy it."
Madonna is releasing a new album soon
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A 10-minute short film set to several tracks from the album will debut at New York's Tribeca Film Festival this weekend.
Madonna will also headline the first Fifa World Cup Final halftime show alongside Shakira and BTS on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
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