Madonna Decides to Keep Lisbon on Her Playlist
Madonna just dropped her 14th studio album on Friday, June 14, and while the rumors of her quitting Portugal are already whispering, the pop legend says she’s staying put.
Her Lisbon Love‑Story
- “I’m not moving away from Lisbon,” she told a local magazine, affirming the city is her new home as of last summer.
- After arriving in Portugal, she took a short break to settle in, but soon found herself rubbing shoulders with local musicians— the inspiration for her recent album Madame X, blending a hodgepodge of sounds from around the globe.
- Adding family to the mix: David Banda, one of the four Malawian kids she’s adopted, is currently playing for Benfica’s football academy. That keeps her feet on the ground—boll-ingly, that is—every single week.
- “My son’s still scoring goals at Benfica. I own a house there and keep hopping between it and my sheet of air routes,” she chuckled, noting she sometimes sleep in TAP Air Portugal’s planes.
Controversial Moments in the Cat‑Whisker Capital
- Horse‑video hiccup: In March, a local mayor in Sintra (just outside Lisbon) blocked Madonna’s use of a horse in a music video for “Indian Summer.” The council argued that the animal’s feet could chatter the wooden floor of the historic manor and ruin it. (And, according to the mayor, Madonna was less than thrilled.)
- Mayor Basilio Horta explained: “We ran a study and found the horse could damage the floor. No compromise possible, so the request was denied. Madonna didn’t take it very kindly.”
- Parking Oval: The Lisbon city council has been accused of handing Madonna a 15‑spot parking spot in the congested capital—a move that raised eyebrows among music fans and the city’s administration alike.
Despite these bumps, the queen of pop is clinging to her Lisbon groove—she says each day in this European city feels like a cool summer breeze
