See Madonna’s New ‘Dark Ballet’ Video Featuring Mykki Blanco as Joan of Arc

Madonna has unveiled her new video for “Dark Ballet.” It’s the fifth and final preview that will be released from her forthcoming Madame X, due June 14th. The cinematic clip stars Mykki Blanco, who portrays Joan of Arc.

In the visually arresting Emmanuel Adjei-directed video, Mykki Blanco is seen bravely facing adversity from various religious figures and onlookers and dancing despite the impending, inescapable doom to come.

The star mouths along to Madonna’s lyrics, “‘Cause your world is such a shame/’Cause your world’s obsessed with fame,” Madonna sings on the chorus. “‘Cause your world’s in so much pain/’Cause your world is/’Cause your world is up in flames.”

“She fought the English and she won, still the French were not happy,” Madonna says of the inspiration behind the video and song, Joan of Arc. “Still they judged her. They said she was a man, they said she was a lesbian, they said she was a witch, and, in the end, they burned her at the stake, and she feared nothing. I admire that.”

The clip closes with inspiring words from Mykki Blanco: “I have walked this earth, Black, Queer and HIV positive, but no transgression against me has been as powerful as the hope I hold within.”

“Dark Ballet” follows the previously released Madame X songs, “Future” featuring Quavo, “Crave” with Rae Sremmurd’s Swae Lee, “I Rise” and the Maluma featuring “Medellín.”