The Blessed Madonna

Born Marea Stamper in 1977, American producer The Blessed Madonna is regarded as one of their generation's most innovative DJ acts, thanks to their masterful blend of techno, house, and new wave, and her vibrant, high-energy live shows. They are also known for their humanitarian work and defense of LGBT rights. Hailing from rural Kentucky, Stamper became infatuated with electronic music in their teenage years and supported themselves by selling mixtapes at underground raves. They started DJing at the college radio station of Louisville University, where they majored in English, and began working with Chicago-based label Dust Traxx shortly after graduating. Known back then as Lady Foursquare, Stamper changed their alias to The Black Madonna and debuted with Alright This Morning in 2012, whose modest success prompted a residency at Smartbar. They were eventually named creative director of the venue, a position they used to promote inclusiveness within the electronic music scene, namely through the program DAPHNE: A Women's Movement in Dance Music. Following the success of the EP Lady of Sorrows in 2013, Stamper launched their We Still Believe label with 2016’s “He Is the Voice I Hear” as its first single. A sold-out residency at London’s XOYO club ensued in 2017, after which they relocated to The Big Smoke and issued a series of remixes for pop divas Dua Lipa, Georgia, and Robyn. Amidst the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, Stamper decided to change their stage name to The Blessed Madonna. That same year, they remixed Dua Lipa’s Club Future Nostalgia album, which featured the single “Levitating” with Missy Elliott and Madonna. Over the following years, the American DJ and producer remained active through non-album singles such as "Marea (We've Lost Dancing)" with Fred Again (2021), "Serotonin Moonbeams" (2022), "Mercy" featuring Jacob Lusk (2023), and "Edge of Saturday Night" with Kylie Minogue (2024) before dropping their highly anticipated studio debut Godspeed in 2024.