EXCLUSIVE: Madonna 'Set to Stun Fans With New Photographic Book Launch… By Keeping Her Clothes On'
Madonna allegedly plans to launch a new photography book featuring a different image.
July 16 2026, Published 5:33 p.m. ET
Madonna is preparing to surprise fans with a new photography book, insiders told RadarOnline.com will mark a dramatic departure from the explicit imagery which once defined one of pop culture's most controversial publications, with the singer reportedly embracing a more understated artistic vision instead of baring all.
The music icon, 67, has spent decades provoking debate through boundary-pushing fashion, performances and photography, most famously with her 1992 coffee table book S-x, released alongside her fifth studio album, Erotica.
Madonna prepared a new photography book for her fans.
But after revealing she no longer feels compelled to strip off simply because revealing outfits have become commonplace, sources said her next publishing project will reflect that change in outlook.
Madonna recently explained how her instinct has always been to move against prevailing trends.
She said: "Now everyone's naked. Now I don't want to be naked because everyone's naked. That's my nature. I want to do what people are not doing, which is thinking and wearing clothes."
Inside Madonna's Elegant New Publishing Project
The singer rejected nudity because of its current popularity.
A publishing source told us: "Madonna had discussed the possibility of creating another S-x-style book, but ultimately decided that wasn't where she wanted to go creatively. She believes everyone is chasing shock value now, so producing something stylish, elegant and fully clothed feels much more rebellious."
Another insider added: "She wants the photography to stand on its own merits rather than rely on nudity. Years ago, she challenged expectations by taking her clothes off. Now she's challenging them by keeping them on. It's a tasteful project that reflects where she is creatively today."
Picasso, Provocation, and the Double Standard for Female Artists
Madonna pointed to Pablo Picasso as a double-standard example.
Madonna acknowledged there was a time when criticism of her provocative image deeply affected her because she believed many people failed to understand the artistic intent behind her work.
She said: "It used to bother me a lot, because I was just like, 'I can't believe they're so stupid. They don't get it. They don't understand.' I do a lot of provocative things, but there's always a reason behind it and nobody bothers to investigate, which can make you want to give up on human beings. But you soon realise a lot of people don't think critically. They don't actually examine what they're looking at, what they're listening to."
She argued female artists have historically faced harsher judgment than their male counterparts, pointing to celebrated painter Pablo Picasso as an example of how artistic achievement can eclipse personal controversy.
Madonna said: "They're not tuned in to the subtleties and the layers of meanings that exist. And they certainly don't do it when it comes from a female. Picasso was a total s*** to women and behaved badly and was a spoiled brat and all those things, but he was a brilliant painter. People looked past all that because he made great paintings. I'm not comparing myself to Picasso, but when a woman does it, it's – now people are more open-minded about women doing provocative things."
The Legacy of 'S-x' and the Return of 'Confessions'
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Madonna admitted early public criticism deeply affected her.
Her original S-x book became an international publishing phenomenon after its release on October 21, 1992.
Featuring explicit, stylized photography alongside appearances from Naomi Campbell, Isabella Rossellini and Vanilla Ice, it sold more than 500,000 copies during its first week in the United States and eventually exceeded 1.5 million sales worldwide despite bans, censorship and fierce public criticism.
Original copies later became prized collectors' items, while cultural critics gradually re-evaluated the publication as an influential work exploring s-xuality, artistic freedom and female autonomy.
Madonna also revealed that the artwork for her forthcoming album, Confessions on a Dance Floor: Part II, deliberately echoes the visual style of its 2005 predecessor.
She said: "I'm looking for the cover. It references Confessions I, and I wear a lot of the same clothes, the YSL boots and the jackets Gucci made for me in every colour."
