“Then I discovered it couldn’t get worse. You were building my coffin, you were driving my hearse.” Lyrics from a song called “Gang Bang” from the Godmother of Pop, Madonna, could be her open letter to the music industry itself. Since the early 2000s, the general public has been a little tough on pop music and even tougher on its most dominant female, Madonna.

Despite her worst critics being her own fans, she keeps coming back with more and more floor-thumping dance music. Her new era for the album, “MDNA,” started off with a raucous, star-studded Super Bowl halftime show and some typical controversy, from Lady Gaga comparisons to her feud with Elton John. Though many feel that Madonna is simply too old to be performing or singing juvenile songs like “Give Me All Your Luvin,'” she’s still selling out concerts for her new tour, even with the steep ticket prices. For example, lower bowl seats for her performance in San Jose, Calif., are $358.

Her first single from “MDNA” seemed like a cheap way to get the general public, but for a living legend like Madonna, she probably couldn’t care less what the public thinks or wants. She tends to stay true to herself visually and sonically. Her main goal is to get us to dance and with this new record, she manages to do that. A few die-hard Madonna fans I’ve spoken with say they appreciate her efforts to be more than just a pop singer, but she shines best when she just “shuts up and dances.”

Despite her unfortunate propensity for working with bubble-gum artists like Nicki Minaj, she still shows her dominance over them without having to shout it from the rooftops or proclaiming that this new effort is the album of the decade. Madonna doesn’t need to prove herself anymore – she’ll leave that to the pop stars trying to make a name for themselves in the musical climate.

For a woman to stay relevant in an ever-changing music scene for 30 years, it’s a feat not many people have accomplished. She’s sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the world’s top-selling female recording artist of all time. She was recently placed at No. 1 on VH1’s list of the 100 Greatest Women in Music.

Madonna is the reason why we have such a female-dominated pop scene, ranging from sex symbols like Katy Perry and Rihanna to conceptual artists like Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. She remains a pillar in the music industry because so many artists aspire to be like her, whether they want to admit or not. She’s not going anywhere.

We’ll continue to see Madonna working until she sashays her way into an early grave, and even then, she’ll still be the most fit and toned corpse in the cemetery.