--- description: Madonna took attendees of the 2018 Met Gala to church with her very on-brand performances of 'Like a Prayer' and 'Hallelujah.' title: Madonna Shocks 2018 Met Gala With Surprise Performance image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf31b14e4a8cf631b/69892fd2096a9490396a258c/madonna-2018-met-gala-performance.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Let Madonna Take You to Church With Her Crazy Surprise Met Gala Performance  by [Cady Lang](/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 8, 2018 4:10 PM CUT  NEW YORK, NY - MAY 07: Madonna performs during the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/MG18/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue) NEW YORK, NY - MAY 07: Madonna performs during the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/MG18/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)Kevin Mazur/MG18—Getty Images for The Met Museum/  by [Cady Lang](/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 8, 2018 4:10 PM CUT If there’s anyone who could really embody the [2018 Met Gala theme, _Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination_](http://time.com/5256466/met-gala-2018-details-theme-date/ "undefined"), it’s [Madonna](http://time.com/5258401/madonna-2018-met-gala-dress/ "undefined"), whose [own obsession with her Catholic upbringing](http://time.com/5263190/catholicism-and-fashion-moments/ "undefined") has undeniably shaped both the pop culture and fashion landscape. However, Madge, who appeared on the 2018 Met Gala red carpet in a dramatic gothic ensemble by Jean Paul Gaultier and accessorized with a black veil, crown of crosses, and plenty of jeweled rosaries, took the theme to a whole another level when she treated Met Gala attendees to a surprise performance of “Like a Prayer,” the notorious song that’s most closely linked to her religious associations. The Material Girl appeared on the steps of the Met Museum’s Great Hall, incognito in a monk’s cloak and flanked by a choir of singing monks before taking off her hood and performing the song. Later, she gave a rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” to close the night, a fitting end to a night that celebrated saints and sinners. 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