Madonna releases “I Rise,” which “encourages all individuals to be who they are”

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Live Nation/Interscope Records/Maverick Madonna has released a new track from her upcoming album Madame X called “I Rise.”

The somg opens with part of the famous speech from Parkland shooting survivor and activist Emma Gonzalez, in which she says, “Us kids don’t know what we’re talking about/That we’re too young to understand how the government works/We call B.S.!”

The song itself is an anthem for anyone who’s struggling to “rise above” personal tragedy, violence, discrimination and the like. 

As Madonna sings, “Freedom’s what you choose to do with what’s been done to you/No one can hurt you now unless you want them to/I rise up above it, up above it/I rise up above it all.”

She says in a statement, “I wrote ‘I Rise’ as a way of giving a voice to all marginalized people who feel they don’t have the opportunity to speak their mind.”

Then, connecting the song to the LGBTQ community, Madonna adds, “This year is the 50th anniversary of Pride and I hope this song encourages all individuals to be who they are, to speak their minds and to love themselves.”

On Saturday, GLAAD will honor Madonna with the Advocate for Change Award at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City. She’s the second person and first woman to ever receive this recognition, which honors individuals who’ve “changed the game” for LGBTQ people around the world through their work.

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