Madonna Spotlights Gun Violence In Graphic New Video For ‘God Control’

WARNING: Madonna’s video for “God Control” depicts graphic scenes of gun violence that could be disturbing to some viewers.

Madonna has never been one to shy away from controversy, and in the shocking new video for her latest Madame X single, “God Control”, the 60-year-old pop icon is tackling America’s ongoing debate about gun control.

In the video, Madonna is seen joyously dancing in a nightclub with a number of other revellers, until a heavily armed man enters and opens fire.

“I made this video because I want to draw attention to a crisis that needs to be addressed,” Madonna tells People of the video. “To me, this is the biggest problem in America right now. I cannot take it anymore.”

Backed by a pulsating beat, Madonna sings “This is your wake-up call / We need to wake up,” amidst horrific scenes of gun violence reminiscent of the mass shooting that took place in Florida’s Pulse nightclub, when an armed man killed 49 people and wounded 53 others.

“Seeing the reality, and the brutality of things makes you wake up,” she continues. “This is really happening. This is what it looks like. Does it make you feel bad? Good, cause then maybe you will do something about it.”

One of the key reasons she decided to make the video is because she fears for the safety of her children.

“I send my children to school with the same fear every mother in this era has,” says the mother of six.

“As a mother, you feel protective and responsible for all of the children in the world,” she adds. “It’s really scary to me that the once-safe spaces where we gather, worship and learn are targets. Nobody’s safe. So of course, as a mother, I acutely feel the worry.”

She also defends the video’s highly graphic depiction of a mass shooting.

“I would say this is what happens when people shoot,” she says. “Understand that this is what happens. Guns kill. A bullet rips through your body, knocks you to the floor and takes your life, and you bleed to death. I mean, this is reality. People can watch it in action films, and they are okay with it, but when it is about the truth, the reality of what’s happening in our country, why is it too graphic?”

Her hope for the “God Control” video is that it spurs people to call for stricter U.S. gun control legislation. “It’s a call to action,” she says. “Whatever you can offer, whatever you can contribute can be helpful. It’s twofold: It’s raising awareness and raising money to galvanize, organize and get s**t done.”