Sorry TikTokers - Madonna did ballet-core first; the Queen of Pop referenced in latest social media trend

Balletcore is a trend that has emerged on TikTok recently, which Harper's Bazaar cites as the trend and style of clothing that draws inspiration from the graceful and elegant aesthetic of ballet, while also incorporating elements of athletic wear and streetwear. 

With ballet having had a large influence on textiles the clothes for active movement or the expectations in design for ballet performances require them - so expect to see a lot more satin, lace, and tulle are common, while on the practice side, soft knitwear, spandex and lycra, and chiffon worn by those who want to eschew both Barbiecore and the impending return of mermaidcore/seapunk. 

That sounds awfully familiar - and as we wax philosophically at Peopleworld about the idea that time is merely a flat circle, it made us double check a particular musician, known for being ahead of the curve in terms of trends and fashion, to confirm our suspicions.

Just as we thought - Madonna did it first. In fact, Madonna was so ahead of the curve that she embraced balletcore an entire 18 years ago, long before TikTok existed and equally long before a number of users on TikTok were potentially born. Watching the video and the marketing that went into Madonna’s 2005 album, Confessions on a Dancefloor, it ticks all the boxes that are the fundamentals of balletcore - spandex, lycra and fluro colours. 

The very video for Hung Up, the first single from said album, also happens to be set inside a ballet studio, with Madge incorporating the ballet discipline in her choreography throughout the video. But should we be surprised that she was ahead of the curve in terms of balletcore? 

This is after all the same musician who introduced the greater public to the concept of “voguing,” as detailed in the fantastic documentary Paris Is Burning - which also included Madonna’s future choreographer, the late Will Ninja, and drew an art-deco aesthetic in the heyday of Vogue in the early ‘90s. We’ve stated that Madonna is a chameleon before in terms of changing and evolving her style throughout her career, which is set to be celebrated during her world tour later this year. But on this occasion, it would seem that the world has started to evolve and change around Madonna, albeit nearly two decades too late.