Singer-songwriter Madonna hit back at trolls on Wednesday for their criticism of her appearance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, blaming “ageism” and “misogyny” in society for the alleged hatred she received on close-up pictures of her clicked by a press photographer.

“Once again I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny that permeates the world we live in. A world that refuses to celebrate women past the age of 45 And feels the need to punish her if she continues to be strong willed, hard-working and adventurous,” the 64-year-old pop icon wrote on Instagram alongside a video of her partying with other stars at the Grammys.

On Sunday, Madonna made an appearance on stage at the Grammys, to introduce Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ performance on their award-winning song Unholy. However, trolls took to social media to criticise Madonna’s appearance. According to Madonna, her face looked distorted because it was a “close-up” taken from a “long lens camera”.

“I have never apologised for any of the creative choices I have made nor the way that I look or dress and I’m not going to start. I have been degraded by the media since the beginning of my career but I understand that this is all a test and I am happy to do the trailblazing so that all the women behind me can have an easier time in the years to come,” the musician added.

Madonna said that she looked forward to “many more years of subversive behaviour -pushing boundaries-Standing up to the patriarchy” apart from enjoying her life.

“You-won’t break my soul,” the singer added, quoting fellow artiste Beyonce.