Madonna The Mother Of Re-Invention

It was 1987 when Madonna bounced onto the silver screen, rocking a leather jacket, platinum bob, bright red lips, and a higher-than-normal East Coast twang.

- Jessica Boulton

She was starring in romcom Who's That Girl? as Nikki Finn, half of an oddball couple who fall in love and drive off into the sunset.

In terms of its star, however, the answer to the movie title's question is not so simple.

In fact it's just as much of a riddle now as it was 35 years ago.

For if superstar Madonna is the Queen of Pop, she must be the Empress of Reinvention. And this week Her Madgesty is at it again.

The 63-year-old was yesterday reported to have split up with her dancer toyboy of four years Ahlamalik Williams, 28, and been seen out in Beverly Hills with the same mystery date twice in 24 hours though he is thought to be her photographer pal Richard Gomes.

The spring-cleaning of her love life came with the usual touch of shock value: a cryptic post showing her rear in Gucci fishnets holding a necklace with a rude message.

So it's with a certain irony that her latest reinvention seems to be all about looking in the rearview mirror back to the early days as she celebrates 40 years in pop.

She is back with her original label Warner, re-recording new versions of classic hits, re-releasing deluxe versions of her old albums, and is hoping to finally get acclaim as a film director, writer, and producer, by making it a subject she should know best - her younger self.

It's kind of like psychotherapy in a way. I realize I've lived a crazy life, said the star.

It's not the first time Madge has reinvented herself. She was on Madonna 3.0 before the 1990s.

Born Madonna Louise Ciccone, in the midwest flyover state of Michigan, the Italian American star was just five when she lost her mum, Madonna Snr, to breast cancer.

She was brought up as a ballet-dancing, cheerleading Catholic schoolgirl, who got high grades and was ambitious.