Madonna has offered a candid look at her early days in New York City, where she squatted in abandoned buildings and once set her bedroom on fire while pursuing a music career. The 67-year-old singer, known for hits like 'Hung Up,' moved to the city at 19 with little more than a dream.
Hustling in the Big Apple
In a conversation with Bilt founder Ankur Jain, Madonna detailed her tenuous living situations. She lived in an abandoned synagogue in Queens and squatted in a Manhattan building in the Garment District, which she had to flee after accidentally starting an electrical fire. 'I was grinding, hustling everybody, nothing was beneath me,' she said, though she added with a laugh, 'Well, some things were beneath me.'
From Fire to Music Building
The fire incident occurred while she was sleeping on the floor surrounded by space heaters. 'I woke up surrounded by flames,' she recalled. With nowhere else to go, she moved to the iconic Music Building at 584 Eighth Avenue, where she slept on a pillow where a bass drum would go. 'There were probably two to three bands per room, and you time-shared the rooms,' she explained.
Madonna left the Music Building after securing her first record deal in 1982, discovered by DJ Mark Kamins at Danceteria.
New Album Inspiration
Her forthcoming album, Confessions II, a sequel to her 2005 Grammy-winning album, features a track titled 'Lower East Side Girl' that chronicles her New York experiences. The album is set for release on July 3, with a limited-edition vinyl available exclusively to Bilt members.
Madonna also reflected on the city's impact, saying, 'The creativity, diversity and community of artists all supporting each other while having the freedom to experiment is something I would have never experienced in another place.'
Past Hardships
In a 2013 essay for Harper's Bazaar, Madonna wrote about being held up at gunpoint and robbed during her first year in Manhattan. 'New York wasn’t everything I thought it would be. It did not welcome me with open arms,' she wrote.
Today, Madonna calls New York home, residing in a $40 million mansion on the Upper East Side, known as one of the widest houses in the area.
