Madonna’s struck a pose on the cover of countless magazines, but rarely has she ever looked so, well, #unapologetically casual as on the cover of the upcoming issue of British bi-annual Love.

As opposed to her more chic spreads, M poses thumb-in-mouth (#JusticeForAutotuneBaby) for her good friend, fashion photographer and constant collaborator Mert Alas, appearing in a hoodie without much glam or make-up...or barely any, anyway.

In Bed Again With Madonna, if you will.

The new "16.5" issue, which coincides with her Madgesty’s birthday (August 16), is a special #SecretProject edition by Mert, supported by Marc Jacobs, and will be released on September 19 during London Fashion Week.

LOVE editor-in-Chief Katie Grand says the issue was inspired by the Rebel Heart icon's highly publicized squabbling with her son, Rocco, while on tour.

"I was struck by how mean the press were about a woman simply going to work and wanting her son to be a part of it,” she says.

"I spoke to Mert about the possibility of doing a shoot with her, as he, Madonna and Rocco are all friends. I wasn’t sure it would ever happen, to be honest, but Mert said, ‘Let me ask M and Rocco.’ Much to my surprise, the morning after Madonna’s reconciliation with Rocco, nine stunning images of Madonna arrived via WhatsApp. They had been taken at 2am at Mert’s house in Hampstead where he and Madonna often hang out and have casual dinners.”

An impromptu 2 AM WhatsApp photo shoot: welcome to 2016.

Murray Healy interviews Madonna inside the issue — and naturally, the conversation gravitated toward social media.

"I was already famous before social media, so for me fame isn’t the burden. Fame is the manifestation or the by-product of my work, and that was two decades before social media. Now to me the burden is people are more focused on fame than actually doing the work or being an artist. Now it’s easy to become famous. What isn’t easy is to develop and grow as an artist without being distracted or consumed with fame,” she says.

As for her hashtag-filled Instagram? It's like her diary.

"It allows me to be mysterious, ironic, provocative or proud. I get to use it as a platform to bring attention to people or issues that I think are important. It allows me to be the curator of my life," she explains. It also allows her to abuse the "😂" emoji, but we love her all the same.

For more teasers from Madge’s interview, as well as the first modeling shot of son Rocco Ritchie (who just turned 16 on August 11 — happy birthday, Rocco!), check it all out at LOVE.

Yearbook Photos of Madonna + More Stars

More From Mix 93.1