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Madonna is the Queen of Pop, but that doesn’t mean that everyone is going to respect her as an artist. The writer behind “Like a Prayer” and other Madonna hits revealed what he thought of her as a person and why some singers are labeled “real artists.” He also discussed his issues with the modern music industry.

Madonna’s songwriter revealed his opinion on alleged ‘real artists’

Patrick Leonard is a songwriter who is primarily known for co-writing hits with the Queen of Pop. Leonard’s collaborations with Madonna include “La Isla Bonita,” “Like a Prayer,” “Live to Tell,” “Frozen,” and “Cherish.” You’ll be hard-pressed to find a 1980s nostalgia station that doesn’t play some of those songs. During a 2017 interview with Boys Culture, Leonard discussed his relationship with the Material Girl. “There’s always been mutual respect, and I think that it isn’t often where the artist and the unseen collaborator feel like they shared equally and fairly, and I do,” he said.

Leonard was asked about the perception that Madonna is not a real artist, whatever that means. “It pisses me off, to be honest,” he said. “The people that do get credited as being real artists oftentimes are just ‘cool’ and that gets interpreted as art.”

Patrick Leonard worked with many classic rock stars and Madonna still impressed him

Leonard seemed to take issue with stars who became famous through non-traditional means. “And these days, there are way too many talent show winners, and they get called artists because they have some crazy-good voice,” he said. “I have issues with these things, but I won’t go into it because I’ll probably have my house burned down by the people that make Auto-Tune.”

Leonard emphasized Madonna’s prowess. “I can assure the world listening and looking at Madonna that they don’t have any reason to ever defend her or feel insecure about it and all I can say is I’ve worked with a lot of people — I’ve worked with a lot of people — and … hard to be any better or more artistic than her,” he said. Other artists Leonard has worked with include Elton John, Pink Floyd, Leonard Cohen, Fleetwood Mac, and Bon Jovi. With that pedigree, his words about Madonna are incredibly meaningful.

Rolling Stone said the Queen of Pop is 1 of the best artists ever

While Madonna will never be respected by everyone, Rolling Stone has given her high praise. The magazine ranked her No. 36 on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time. That’s higher than John Lennon! Rolling Stone’s list includes an essay by Britney Spears about the Queen of Pop’s timeless music and widely imitated style. The “…Baby One More Time” star praised Madonna for taking control of her own career at a time when other female singers did not.

What can’t be argued is that Madonna has had a massive influence on subsequent musicians. Both female pop stars like Spears, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and the Spice Girls owe her a lot — as do many female rappers such as Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, and Ice Spice. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the true mark of a great artist is influencing other artists.

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