Madonna reveals daughter Lourdes ‘Lola’ Leon doesn’t want to be seen as ‘taking advantage’ of her privilege

Madonna has revealed her daughter Lourdes "Lola" Leon was reluctant to work with her musically for years over fears she'd be seen as cashing in on her famous mum's name.

The "Material Girl" singer opened up about her relationship with her 29-year-old daughter during a Friday, June 26 interview with Graham Norton for BBC Radio 1, touching on everything from an upcoming Glastonbury performance to the pair's new musical collaboration.

Madonna explained that Leon had been hesitant to team up on a song together for her upcoming album, Confessions II.

"She approached me," Madonna said. "She's been very reticent to work with me, she doesn't want to be perceived as my daughter taking advantage of her privilege."

The singer didn't hold back on praising her daughter's talent either, insisting Leon's voice puts her own to shame.

"She has a much better voice than I do," Madonna said.

Madonna says her daughter Lourdes "Lola" Leon is mindful of her status as the Queen of Pop's daughter. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 Presented by Amazon Prime Video)

Why did Madonna and her daughter decide to write a song together?

According to Madonna, the track stemmed from years of unresolved tension between the pair, with Norton and the singer discussing the resentment Leon felt growing up under the spotlight as her daughter.

"She had been, through her adolescence, struggling with those feelings for a long time," Madonna explained. "She came to me, she said 'Let's write a song together, I think it will be a healing experience.' And you say what you want to say, and I'll say exactly what I want to say."

Madonna added she was "so happy" when her daughter first suggested the collaboration.

Leon, a successful model who has fronted campaigns for Rihanna's Savage x Fenty, Burberry, Marc Jacobs, Swarovski and Mugler, is also building her own music career, having released her latest single "T-Shirt" back in May.

Noting the "weird secondhand fame" that comes with being Madonna's daughter, Norton and the singer discussed the feelings of resentment that Lola felt as a teen, and how writing the song helped her resolve them. (Photo by Swan Gallet/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images)

What has Madonna said previously about writing music with her daughter?

This isn't the first time Madonna has spoken about the track. In a recent cover story for Interview magazine, she revealed the collaboration came directly from Leon herself.

"She approached me about writing a song together as a way to heal our relationship," Madonna said at the time. "It was a really important moment, and it solidified the idea that now is the time to make this record."

Madonna shares Leon with ex-boyfriend and fitness trainer Carlos Leon. Notably, the singer previously dedicated a track to her eldest child before, penning "Little Star" for Leon on her Grammy-winning 1998 album, Ray of Light.

Confessions II is set for release on July 3.