Madonna Rocks Times Square with Sexy Pop-Up Show, Honors LGBTQ Heroes

Matthew Rettenmund Madonna was zero feet away on Grindr Thursday, rocking Times Square with a racy, six-song pop-up concert that thrilled thousands of fans who had rushed over to watch the Queen of Pop in action. Partnering with gay hookup app Grindr to promote the July 3 release of her album "Confessions on a Dance Floor Part II" Madonna, 67, dramatically emerged on the TSX stage clad in blue, pink, and white — the colors of the trans flag — under a shiny silver crop jacket. From behind her chic blue glasses, she kicked things off with her new song "I Feel So Free" as her producer and co-writer, DJ Stuart Price, was spinning behind her. "C'mon, gays!" she teased, acknowledging Pride month and her loyal queer following by projecting images of trailblazers Marsha P. Johnson, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Keith Haring. Haring, who died of AIDS, was one of Madonna's closest friends. She has said his death and the deaths of many other close friends inspired her to become a lifelong activist. Removing her jacket to reveal her pink corset with a blue bra, she burned through her current duet with Sabrina Carpenter, "Bring Your Love," rendering it a solo number, and then debuted her new release "Love Sensation." The set was not without established hits — she thrilled by singing her multi-platinum "Hung Up" and the deep cut "Get Together" before winding things down with closer "I Love New York." "I wrote this song just for this city!" she said before her finale. The latter three songs were all from her 2005 album "Confessions on a Dance Floor," which she's revisiting with the highly anticipated sequel. One highlight of the show saw Madonna wrapping her legs around a throbbing speaker — imitating a promo photo from the new record. Another was when she daringly threw one leg over the transparent partition that was the only thing coming between Madonna and the street below. Matthew Rettenmund Looking on were her boyfriend Akeem Morris, her daughter Mercy, 20, and other VIPs, but the veteran showgirl played to her base, earning high marks from those lucky enough to have figured out where the show was taking place. Grindr livestreamed the entire event. Other artists who have made use of the innovative TSX stage include Shakira, BTS, and Post Malone.