Madonna Thanks Pepsi for 'Realizing Genius' 34 Years After 'Like a Prayer' Controversy Canceled Ad

Madonna took to social media to celebrate Pepsi's release of her cancelled commercial, more than three decades after controversy surrounding her 1989 hit, "Like a Prayer," forced Pepsi to pull it off the air.

"34 years ago I made a commercial with Pepsi to celebrate the release of my song 'Like a Prayer,'" Madonna wrote alongside a clip of the commercial, shared as part of the soft drink company's 125th anniversary celebration.

She continued, "The commercial was immediately canceled when I refused to change any scenes in the video where I was kissing a black saint or burning crosses."

"So began my illustrious career as an artist refusing to compromise my artistic integrity," Madonna added. "Thank you @pepsi for finally realizing the genius of our collaboration. 😄Artists are here to disturb the peace."

The day after the commercial aired in 1989, so did the full-length music video for the track, sparking major controversy -- particularly with the Catholic Church -- due in part to imagery of burning crosses and Madonna seducing a saint. The commercial was even condemned by the Vatican.

Despite being a hit amongst fans, with the commercial garnering over 250 million viewers in over 40 countries, Pepsi took down the two-minute clip and canceled its sponsorship contract with Madonna.

The new commercial aired during Tuesday night's MTV Video Music Awards, on the very network where the music video for "Like a Prayer" made its historic debut.

The commercial starts with Madonna sitting in a chair and telling the camera, "Go ahead, make a wish." The footage then switches to her singing and dancing in the street while singing "Like A Prayer," before returning to the "Vogue" singer in the chair watching herself perform on a projector screen with a can of Pepsi in her hand.

The 2023 version of the ad then ends with an empowering message praising Madonna's 40 years in the industry, which reads, "Celebrating 40 years of disrupting the status quo."

The ad was met with lots of love by fans and celebs alike, with Diplo writing, "This song changed my life," and Ru Paul Drag Race star Michelle Visage adding, "TRAIL. BLAZER. PERIOD." Andy Cohen also commented, writing, "AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!"

See the full commercial below: