It is every artist's dream to work with pop icon Madonna but, unlike most, rising singer Mary Lambert can already tick that one off of her bucket list. The 26-year-old stole the spotlight at the 2014 Grammys but it was no ordinary performance with the Queen of Pop joining her on stage.

The US singer shot to fame singing the memorable hook on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis's hit single Same Love. During the iconic performance at the awards ceremony, 33 same-sex couples were married on stage with the nuptials officiated by actress and rapper Queen Latifah.

Making the moment even more special was Madonna, 56, joining the group on stage, which came as a surprise to the audience. Recalling what it was like to work with the Material Girl hitmaker, Lambert told IBTimes UK at London's Langham Hotel: "We had a ton of rehearsals so we got to know each other pretty well and she brought me up on her red carpet walk, which we really nice. She's a really kind person and she was really great to work with."

When asked if Madge gave her any tips on how to maintain longevity in the music industry, Lambert replied: "Any advice that she gave was really by example and I think just watching how she runs her business – she's, if not the most successful pop artist so just being able to look at how she runs things and her operation and thinking, 'I like that and I could learn to do that'."

Lambert's debut album Heart On My Sleeve was released in the US in October 2014 but is now available to purchase in the UK. The LP is certainly a open and honest body of work with the She Keeps Me Warm singer recalling the dark times throughout her childhood.

Watch Mary Lambert, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Madonna perform Same Love at the Grammys:

The songwriter explained: "This album, I had a completely different intention than my last two EPs... A lot of it was processing a lot of the darkness I was coming out of and with this album, I feel like there's so much to celebrate, it would be disingenuous to keep creating music that was sad or sombre. I wanted to make a pop album but I wanted to make one with intention, awareness and authenticity."

In addition to being an activist in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, Lambert often voices her opinion on a number of issues close to her heart including weight and body concerns among women.

Explaining her new position as a role model to thousands, Lambert said: "When I was in high school, I wanted to be a politician and that was my plan, I was going to go into politics because I want to change the world. I see these problems and I want to fix them. I didn't know that being a pop star was going to have far more impact than me as a politician."

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