Madonna Unleashes Gruesome ‘American Life’ MV After It Got Banned 20 Years Ago

Madonna is back with the “American Life” music video. Although it got banned 20 years ago due to its graphic content, the pop icon released the visuals once again.

The five-minute clip began with models walking down a runway wearing army-themed outfits. The 64-year-old songstress, in the meantime, sings about life under the spotlight.

As the video transitions, the runway becomes chaotic as the models beat up each other. Many people get injured and burned, while some others have their limbs detached. In the meantime, real-looking war footage is shown across the screen.

The gruesome music video was released around the same time as the 2003 invasion of Iraq, leading Madonna to face “un-Americanism” accusations. She later withdrew the clip and explained, “Due to the volatile state of the world and out of sensitivity and respect to the armed forces, who I support and pray for, I do not want to risk offending anyone who might misinterpret the meaning of this video.”

However, the artist has defended the idea behind the Jonas Akerlund-directed MV. “I feel lucky to be an American citizen for many reasons – one of which is the right to express myself freely, especially in my work,” she told MTV. “I am not anti-Bush. I am not pro-Iraq. I am pro-peace.”

“I have written a song and created a video which expresses my feelings about our culture and values and the illusions of what many people believe is the American dream — the perfect life,” she added. “As an artist, I hope this provokes thought and dialogue… I don’t expect everyone to agree with my point of view. I am grateful to have the freedom to express these feelings, and that’s how I honor my country.”