When you think Madonna, you probably think of her as a blonde. Though the pop icon is a natural brunette and has gone back to her roots many times throughout her decades-long career—as well as dabbling in other shades—she is practically synonymous with blonde hair. That's why it was so shocking to see the queen of pop on my phone screen with dark hair, though the reason behind the switch-up is really sweet and sentimental.

Madonna shared pics of her color transformation on her Instagram Stories, saying she decided to go brunette because she was thinking of her mother, Madonna Louise Ciccone, who died of breast cancer when Madonna was just five years old. “I missed my Mother [sic] so I channeled her,” Madonna wrote. Gone was the golden blonde hair with dark roots that we saw at the Met Gala, and in its place, a deep brunette shade scattered with subtle highlights and what looks to be a touch of gray. Madonna's hair was styled in short, retro-inspired curls reminiscent of how her mother wore her hair when she was a child. Wearing her hair in a similar fashion to her mother probably felt comforting, and there's no denying the color looks great on her.