Madonna's "Rebel Heart" Tour Plays for Two Nights in Miami

Madonna has always been a rebel. Ever since she became famous over 30 years ago, her musical talents have always been tied to pushing the envelope -- her hits have married emotion and sensuality, whether you're talking "Like a Virgin" or "Ghosttown." Even at the age of 57, the Queen of Pop can still pack the crowds into arenas all across the world, and she's doing that right now on her Rebel Heart Tour -- her tenth world tour.

Originally the tour was supposed to begin in Miami, but a last-minute change resulted in the first five tour dates being rescheduled. At long last, Madonna will be coming to Miami and the AmericanAirlines Arena for two concert dates: Saturday, January 23 and Sunday, January 24. The concerts begin at 8 p.m. both nights.

ABOUT MADONNA

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan on August 16, 1958, the third of six children. She grew up in Pontiac, Michigan, and later Rochester Hills, Michigan. When Madonna was five, her mother died of breast cancer, and when her father remarried when Madonna was eight, she began to rebel, the first time in her life that she did so. Even with her rebellious streak, she received good grades in school, and earned a full dance scholarship to the University of Michigan. At the age of 21, she dropped out of college at the urging of her ballet teacher, who said she had too much talent to languish in Michigan, and she moved to New York City.

She performed as a backup singer for a couple of years, and eventually formed her own group, The Breakfast Club. By 1981 she decided she wanted to market herself as a solo act. She released her first single, "Everybody," in the fall of 1982, and it became a hit in the clubs across the country. While working on her debut album, she asked her then-boyfriend, John "Jellybean" Benitez, to help her mix a single she liked. His remixed version was released and the single "Holiday," became her first worldwide hit.

Madonna released her eponymous debut album in July 1983 and it peaked in the Billboard 200 top ten. In addition to "Holiday," the album had hits in the singles "Borderline" and "Lucky Star." Madonna also became a fashion icon due to the look cultivated for her by stylist Maripol. By the time her second album, "Like a Virgin," was released in November 1984, the world had come down with a severe case of Madonna-mania. The album skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard 200 and the title single became her first #1 hit. Her next single was "Material Girl," which reached #2, followed by "Angel" and "Dress You Up."

Madonna would begin her acting career at this time, with roles in "Vision Quest" and "Desperately Seeking Susan." She would contribute songs to both soundtracks, such as "Crazy For You" and "Into the Groove," which were both hits. Around this time, she would fall in love with and marry actor Sean Penn. The relationship was fraught with tension and lasted just four years.

In the summer of 1986, she released her third album, "True Blue," which featured three #1 singles: "Live to Tell," "Papa Don't Preach," and "Open Your Heart." The album reached the top of the charts in 28 countries (then a record) and sold over 25 million copies worldwide. In 1987, she appeared in the film "Who's That Girl," contributing two singles to its soundtrack (most notably the title track). In 1989, she debuted her newest single, "Like a Prayer," in a commercial for Pepsi. After a condemnation from the Vatican over its sexually explicit and sacrilegious imagery, Pepsi quickly dropped her from her endorsement contract. The publicity surrounding the song ensured that it would top the charts, as would the ensuing album, also titled "Like a Prayer." The singles "Express Yourself" and "Cherish" were also popular songs from that album, both peaking at #2.

Madonna continued acting with a well-received turn in the film "Dick Tracy." She released the soundtrack album, which yielded the worldwide mega-hit "Vogue." In the fall of 1990, Madonna released "The Immaculate Collection," a greatest hits album which included two new tracks. One of those tracks, "Justify My Love," became a #1 hit. "The Immaculate Collection" sold 30 million copies and became the highest-selling greatest hits album of all time.

Madonna's iconoclastic reputation as a sexual libertine continued with the release of her album "Erotica" in 1992, and her coffee-table book "Sex," which featured many explicit photographs of the singer. By 1994, critics were afraid that Madonna's brash image was finally hurting her brand. As a result, she released the single "I'll Remember," a lower-tempo pop track, which was well-received and charted at #2. Later that year, she would release "Bedtime Stories," which brought us the chart-topper "Take a Bow." In 1996, Madonna starred as Eva Peron in the film "Evita," a role that was perhaps the best-received of her acting career. She won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical. Also in 1996, Madonna gave birth to her first child, Lourdes.

Her 1998 album "Ray of Light" combined genres such as electronica, techno and rave, with which Madonna had never previously experimented. It was an overwhelming success, and it earned Madonna four Grammy Awards. The title track went to #1 on the pop charts. Her 2000 album "Music" was produced in the same vein, and became her first #1 album since "Like a Prayer." Also in 2000, Madonna would give birth to her second child, Rocco, and marry the baby's father, Guy Ritchie (they would be married until 2008).

While her 2003 album "American Life" was not well-received, her 2005 follow-up "Confessions on a Dance Floor" was, and became a nightclub staple. "Hung Up," a single from the album, reached the #1 spot in 41 countries (still a record). Her 2008 album "Hard Candy" yielded the #3 hit "4 Minutes," a collaboration with Justin Timberlake. "MDNA," her next album, was released in 2012, and also went to #1 on the album charts. "Give Me All Your Luvin'" became her next top ten hit.

Her most recent album, "Rebel Heart," was released in March 2015. It has produced three #1 Hot Dance Club hits: "Living for Love," "Ghosttown," "B-tch I'm Madonna."

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE 'REBEL HEART' TOUR

You'll be really impressed with the stage setup: it features a long runway, with a criss-crossing runway in the middle and ending in the crowd on a heart-shaped platform. Madonna worked with nearly a dozen high-profile designers and design houses for her costumes, including Moschino, Gucci and Prada. If you're looking for a true "greatest hits" concert, the Rebel Heart Tour isn't it, but you will get to hear quite a few of your favorite past hits with a mix of Rebel Heart singles. Enjoy!

TICKETS

Tickets are still available via Ticketmaster.com for both tour dates. Ticket prices begin at $40 per person, but if you want to sit on the main floor near Madonna, the stage and her runway, you will have to pay $355. VIP packages are available and you can access those by visiting Madonna's tour website at madonna.com/tour and finding the AmericanAirlines Arena tour dates.

For more information on Madonna, visit madonna.com. Follow her on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Tumblr) @Madonna