The Met Gala is an annual fundraising event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, marking the grand opening of the Costume Institute’s fashion exhibit. Known as one of the most exclusive events on the calendar, the guest list usually throws up some surprises and this year was no exception, with the appearance of Madonna performing “Like a Prayer”.

With the theme for the 2018 Gala being “Fashion and the Catholic Imagination”, it was an appropriate choice of song, with the accompanying video depicting a church and the use of religious symbols including stigmata.

The 59-year-old superstar began her performance with a dramatic entrance into the Great Hall with her accompanying dancers dressed provocatively as monks.

The song was initially released in 1989, from her fourth album, and although it was a resounding commercial success, the music video was roundly condemned by the Vatican and religious groups.

The video centres around Madonna witnessing a murder, with a black man wrongly targeted as a suspect and arrested. Madonna flees the crime scene and escapes to a church where a statue of a saint comes to life, leading to the controversial views of singing and dancing in front of burning crosses.

Madonna’s costume designer, Marlene Stewart, has recently explained the choice of dress in the video: “If you follow the tenets of the religion, there is something about showing lingerie, wearing lingerie as outerwear, which is very sinful in some way. She was playing with and pushing that boundary.”

Madonna has long been associated with incorporating religious elements into her outfits, including using crucifixes as costume jewellery and wearing multiple rosary beads. As she approaches her 60th birthday, Madonna remains controversial and continues to hit the headlines around the world.