MADONNA IN “MDNA TOUR” : IS SHE STILL IN VOGUE ?

PHILADELPHIA — Madonna shed one layer of clothing after another in a seductive striptease — the white shirt, the corset, the dark dress pants — until she stood in the middle of the sold-out Wells Fargo Center in her black bra and panties to reveal the words “NO FEAR” in bold letters on her back.

Clearly, it’s her motto — for herself and for her “MDNA” tour, which she rehearsed throughout May at Nassau Coliseum. “Sometimes,” she says, as an introduction to her classic “Like a Virgin,” which was reworked into a piano-driven waltz, “it’s easier to show your ass than it is to show your feelings.”

She reveals both in the ambitious tour, which she calls “the journey of a soul from darkness to light.” She adds, “It is part cinematic musical theater, part spectacle and sometimes intimate performance art.” And she does it at all while under fire.

“Her career is over, I can tell you that,” Elton John said of her in a recent Australian interview. “Her tour has been a disaster. . . . If Madonna had any common sense, she would have made a record like ‘Ray of Light,’ stayed away from the dance stuff and just been a great pop singer and made great pop records, which she does brilliantly. But no . . . she looks like a —- fairground stripper.”

John’s comments, which he has since claimed were off the record, could be seen as sour grapes — Madonna’s “Masterpiece” beat out John’s “Hello Hello” to win the Golden Globe for best original song this year and in the Madonna vs. Lady Gaga “Express Yourself” / “Born This Way” skirmish, he is firmly on the side of his son’s godmother, Ga. However, he is far from Madonna’s lone critic for this tour, as everyone from Russian political activists to French politicians are having a go at the Material Girl, wondering aloud about her intentions and her future.

Of course, Madonna is no stranger to controversy. That might be part of the problem.

“Madonna has a persona where she has traded on her physicality and sexuality, sometimes with the music taking a backseat to the buttons she’s pushing,” says Meredith Rutledge-Borger, assistant curator at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland. “It’s not like with Aretha Franklin, where her matchless voice, her musicianship has always been the story. Sometimes, with Madonna, the controversy was the story. Now, she’s wanting to change course, and the public and the media won’t let her.”

Madonna is certainly more musical these days. She’s more artistic overall, directing the movie “W.E.,” as well as working on her “MDNA” album. She compares the tour to a film about struggling to change the world. “When you watch a film, there are usually good guys and bad guys to help illustrate this point,” she says. “Sometimes I play both. I enjoy acting out this journey.” The tour is set to rank among the top 10 biggest-grossing tours of all time, filling stadiums around the world, including, for the first time, Yankee Stadium Sept. 6 and 8. Her album “MDNA,” which finds her embracing electronic dance music beats, while revealing more in her lyrics about her personal life than ever before, debuted at No. 1, and her Super Bowl halftime show became the most-watched ever, drawing 114 million viewers.

Not bad for the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer marking her 30th anniversary in the business. However, naysayers point out how “MDNA’s” sales fell a record-setting 87 percent in its second week and how pop radio has essentially ignored her singles. Of course, pop radio has never really had an interest in new music from artists older than 50, not the Rolling Stones, not Franklin, not Paul McCartney and not 54-year-old Madonna. The fact that “MDNA’s” first single, “Give Me All Your Luvin’,” drew any mainstream pop attention at all signaled her power, not her failing.

Rutledge-Borger says other Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have faced similar scrutiny later in their careers. “There were certainly stories about 50-year-old Mick Jagger like, ‘Is he really as sexy as he thinks he is?’ “ she says. “The questions about Madonna are just amplified by our 24-hour news cycle. What is different about Madonna, though, is her persona that has always been about shape-shifting and reinvention. Because she’s had this reputation as a cat with nine lives, maybe people are more hypercritical. It does seem that maybe this is a reinvention that people have not been so quick to affirm yet. If she comes out on this tour and blows everyone away, though, she’s gonna get the last laugh.”

At this point in her career, Madonna isn’t really reinventing much. Her stands on free speech and inclusion, and gay and lesbian rights that have been drawing headlines around the world are essentially the same issues she has been outspoken about for years.

It’s not a matter of Madonna seeking out new causes to get people talking about her. It’s just an outgrowth of her “life in a fishbowl.”

“I don’t think it’s me being controversial,” she told Harry Smith on “Rock Center With Brian Williams.” “I think people, other people like to get attention, and they know they can get attention for themselves by mentioning my name. And I think some people are kind of stuck on my name like a needle on a record, and they just have to keep calling attention to something I’ve done. And it works.”

She acknowledges that the show’s opening is violent and fake guns are used, even though she does “not condone violence or the use of guns.” “They are symbols of wanting to appear strong and wanting to find a way to stop feelings that I find hurtful or damaging,” she says. “In my case, it’s wanting to stop the lies and hypocrisy of the church, the intolerance of many narrow-minded cultures and societies I have experienced throughout my life and in some cases the pain I have felt from having my heart broken.”

She says it’s “very important to me as an artist that my show not be taken out of context.”

“It must be watched with an open heart from beginning to end,” she says in her tour “manifesto.” “I am sure if it is viewed this way, the viewer will walk away feeling inspired, invigorated and will want to make the world a better place. And this, of course, was always my intention.”

Madonna Today, Still The Queen: Fearless, Fabulous, Not An Oldies Act!

Liz Smith

"ABLE TO face fear or danger without flinching...resolute...invulnerable...valiant... venturesome." That is a portion of the dictionary definition of the word "fearless."
I DON'T know Madonna well enough (believe it or not) to assess that she is actually without fear as a woman, or a human being. In fact she has admitted to being just as, if not more, insecure, than the average person. Fame and constant scrutiny does that to a person. She is far softer and more vulnerable than her public persona suggests. I know that, for sure.
But whatever she is with her children, her man, her issues, she remains without a doubt one the most fearless and true-to-herself artists in the world. Madonna kicked off the American leg of her "MDNA" tour in Philadelphia on Monday night. She was full of patriotism, praised America's freedom of speech, demanded the release of the imprisoned Russian performance artists Pussy Riot and denounced homophobia, as she has been doing for the last quarter century. (Long before Lady Gaga was telling her "little monsters" that they were "Born That Way," Madonna was exhorting her fans to "express themselves" and was in the forefront of the AIDS crisis.)
"MDNA" is what has become the standard mix for a Madonna show--mind-blowing brilliance, dazzling sets, incredible dancing. And then there's the stuff she does because she wants to! She is intent on taking her audience on a journey. Sometimes they are not ready for this journey. They want to groove on the old 1980s/90s jams, presented just as Madonna did in her famous videos. (Tough luck.) Madonna would wither and die if she had to repeat herself over and over. She is not messing with her fans, she's making sure they've grown up. Yeah, and that is despite the campy majorette outfit she wears at one point. She's not pretending time hasn't passed. She's a woman still young, still full of fun. (And wait until you see her marching band, in mid-air, elevated above the crowd!)
In "MDNA" Madonna gives her fans classics such as "Open Your Heart," "Vogue" "Express Yourself" "Human Nature" and "Like a Virgin." But, as in the case of "Like a Virgin," she has totally transformed the chirpy ode to being "shiny and new," into something almost unbearably dark. Is it pain? Is it pleasure? Is she suffering? Is she in ecstasy? Don't ask me, and don't ask Madonna. She hates to explain herself. She is far happier when the audience either makes up its own mind, or never does. Madonna considers herself a work in progress and she gives her audience the same respect. If you don't get it, don't worry. It's life. Who can explain life?
THIS NEW concert relies heavily on her latest album relies heavily on material from her latest album, "MDNA." And though the CD hasn't sold as spectacularly as her past hits, the hot (as in almost passing out from the heat), hysterical audience went mad for newer songs like her opening "Girl Gone Wild," "Revolver" and "Gang Bang." This is the much criticized "violent" section of the show, but many people thought it was less scary and more a pastiche on the cult of violence, not to mention getting some tumultuous feelings off her chest about her ex, Guy Ritchie. She performs a set piece in a tawdry hotel room, swigging whiskey and being attacked by ninja-type assassins dressed in black.It's witty. It's nasty. It's Madonna. The stage is full of movement, the sets gasp-inducing, the onscreen videos and visuals mesmerizing. (Including a gorgeous new black-and-white version of "Erotica" and the controversial "Nobody Knows," with its images of violence, political revolution around the world, and a tear-inducing tribute to gay teenagers who have killed themselves.) Madonna's voice, when she sings totally live, is effective and moving, especially on "Masterpiece."
She ain't ever gonna sing "Aida, but but she has some chops. Her moves remain a miracle of athleticism, for any age. She looks better than she has on any recent tour, keeping her weight up and appearing utterly joyful. Her enthusiasm was infectious. At one point she declared, "Sometimes it's easier to show your ass than your feelings." Naturally, at that moment, she was showing both! Madonna capped off the night by whipping her audience into a frenzy with "I'm a Sinner," "Like a Prayer" (which was so solid, beautiful sung and reverently raw that it was literally a religious experience) and the bouncy "Celebration," in which her handsome young
son, Rocco, gave mom some competition in the dancing department.
If you want Madonna singing the oldies, in the same key, the same outfits, the same mindset, "MDNA" might disappoint. If you want to see a woman still fighting the good fight, trying to entertain, educate and rile up her audience, you're in for a roller-coaster ride, with Madonna

herself at the controls. There is only one queen, and that's Madonna, still.

Madonna "I'm Addicted" Live MDNA Tour! Great Footage!

Loving the Hair, Costume, Everything!

Madonna's transformative 'MDNA' tour at Wells Fargo Center!!

By Glenn Gamboa

Photo credit: Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA – Madonna's latest reinvention may be her most revealing yet.
No, it's not because of her mid-show striptease during “Human Nature,” where she stands for a bit in her bra and panties to show off the words “NO FEAR” on her back. It's because her wild, nearly two-hour “MDNA” tour, which she rehearsed at Nassau Coliseum for most of May, may come closest to reflecting her current state of mind, while building yet another artistic, well-choreographed slacklining spectacle. (The tour arrives at Yankees Stadium on Sept. 6 and 8.)
Not surprisingly, considering her recent divorce from director Guy Ritchie, it starts with a murderous rage. There's so much (fake) blood spilled during “Gang Bang,” which pits Madonna against a full gun-wielding assault team, that it's like a season of “Dexter” condensed into five minutes, complete with blood splatters on the massive video screens.
However, Madonna describes the show as “the journey of a soul from darkness to light” and the brutal imagery of the first section quickly gives way to determination and joy, starting with “Express Yourself,” which she mashes into Lady Gaga's “Born This Way,” seemingly lovingly enough before punctuating it with “She's Not Me.” While the joyous section, which includes the aggressively peppy “Give Me All Your Luvin'” and “Turn Up the Radio” done as cheerleaders and includes drummers hanging two stories above the stage, could have been longer, it includes one of the night's most memorable moments. The reworking of “Open Your Heart” with the Basque trio Kalakan as a sort of traditional European folk song, built only on drums and vocal harmonies, was pure joy, topped with Madonna dancing across the stage with 11-year-old son, Rocco, who looked extraordinarily comfortable in the spotlight.
Another standout moment is also a quiet one, where Madonna transforms her bubbly synth-pop classic “Like a Virgin” into a waltz worthy of Marlene Dietrich, delivered haltingly and dramatically. At one point, Madonna even lies on the stage face down, the mic on the ground next to her mouth, she's so exhausted from the desperation for feeling a “heartbeat next to mine.”
However, the biggest surprise in a night of twists and turns was actually an unscripted one. After keeping the crowd waiting more than an hour after her expected start time and enduring some boos before she took the stage, Madonna apologized. “Forgive me,” she said. “I wanted the show to be perfect for you because my fans deserve it and quite frankly I deserve it.”
She went on to declare her love of America, fueled, in part, by her recent European tour, where she stood up against censorship and homophobia. “In my country,” she shouted, “we have freedom of speech, freedom of expression... Never forget how lucky you are to live where you live.”
For a woman known for being a demanding perfectionist, the end of her show was actually about being grateful and accepting of yourself – including “I'm Addicted” and “I'm a Sinner” – so that you can, once again, enjoy (and express) yourself.

Martin Solveig on working with Madonna!

French DJ Martin Solveig says that being Madonna’s latest musical boy toy has given him some welcome education and seasoning.

“It’s given me a bit more maturity and experience in the process of collaboration with an artist of that level,” Solveig, who produced six tracks on Madonna’s 2012 release “MDNA” — including “Beautiful Killer” and “Give Me All Your Luvin’ ” with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. — tells Billboard. He opened for the European leg of Madonna’s MDNA Tour and will be on 20 shows in North America.

“Before this I was very, very inexperienced in collaborating with that kind of artist. I realized I was in some ways a little naive. So on a personal level I learned how to make music, not just for myself but really how to work on a collaboration level.”

And he’s certainly not complaining about the raised profile that’s come from the Madonna association.

“It’s difficult to really say, but there’s a lot happening for me at the moment,” Solveig acknowledges. “Of course the fact I collaborated with Madonna is a big deal, but I don’t know how much of that is the main thing or the platinum record I had around the world with (2010′s) ‘Hello’ or just the sound I make. It’s probably a mix of different things, and I’m trying to stay balanced about everything.”

Solveig says the greatest surprise he had in working on “MDNA” was how hands-on Madonna was with the music.

“I had a lot of things in my head, but then I realized it was not going to happen the way I thought — meaning we were really going to be working together, which is quite unique,” he recalls. “A lot of times a singer will just say, ‘I like this instrumental’ or ‘I like this idea’ or take a top line and then go work with it. But with Madonna, we worked more old school, really sharing the experience of making music together in a room at the same time. So basically all the plans I had in the first place were gone and she took the lead — and it was an even better experience.”

Billboard

Audiences Open Up Their Hearts Wallets For Madonna's MDNA World Tour!

Go ahead, girl! Take a bow!
Even at 54, Madonna is a RIDICULOUSLY successful international sensation.
Turn Up the Radio is crushing competition on the charts and her halfway completed MDNA Tour already grossed almost $120 mil worldwide.
That's incredible!! It tracks as one of the top selling tours for a solo artist of ALL TIME!
By now, though, we imagine Her Madgesty has grown accustomed to this degree of success!
Her Sticky & Sweet tour from 2009 ranks 3rd all time generating over $400 million!!
For all the hoopla surrounding her current performances, there is no denying that the Queen of Pop sells tickets better than almost anyone!!
We're THRILLED Madge remains popular vogue after all these years!

Thanks Perezhilton

Madonna's MDNA Tour has grossed $115 Million so far!

Madonna’s MDNA tour hits North American shores tonight with a show at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, having wrapped the European leg of the tour last week in Nice, France.

The tour, which began May 31 in Tel Aviv, has grossed $115,701,909, with attendance of 985,340 to 33 shows, according to Billboard Boxscore. For North America, Madonna has sold $111 million in tickets for 44 shows in the U.S. and Canada, according to Arthur Fogel, chairman of Live Nation Global Touring and producer of Madonna’s tours.

Bllboard

The MDNA Tour – In Madonna’s Own Words!

My show
Is a journey.
The journey of a soul from darkness to light
It is part cinematic musical theatre.
Part spectacle and sometimes intimate Performance art.

But above all its a journey
From darkness to light
From anger to love
from chaos to order.

It’s true there is a lot of violence in the beginning of the show and sometimes the use of fake guns – but they are used as metaphors.
I do not condone violence or the use of guns.
Rather they are symbols of wanting to appear strong and wanting to find a way to stop feelings that I find hurtful or damaging. In my case its wanting to stop the lies and hypocrisy of the church, the intolerance of many narrow minded cultures and societies I have experienced throughout my life and in some cases the pain I have felt from having my heart broken.

Ultimately as we follow through the journey of my story, the audience can see quite clearly what I see -
That the enemy is within and the only way to survive Disappointment Disapproval Judgment Heartbreak Jealousy Envy And Hatred Is with Love – not with revenge – not with guns and not with violence.

In spite of all the chaos and darkness and intolerance we seem to be encountering more and more in the world,
We cannot allow our anger or bitterness to swallow us up.
We come to understand that
There is an innate and pure love inside us all and we have to find a way to tap into it.

And we can’t do it by being victims or placing the blame or pointing the finger at others.
But by recognizing that the enemy is within
And when we come to terms with it
And accept it
And struggle to change ourselves,
Then we can change the world without hurting anyone and we can inspire others to do the same.
When you watch a film there are usually good guys and bad guys to help illustrate this point, Sometimes I play both.
I enjoy acting out this journey.
For none of us are perfect and we all have our own journey of growth to go on.
I know people can relate to it.
It’s very important to me as an artist that my show not be taken out of context.

It must be watched with an open heart from beginning to end. I am sure if it is viewed this way, the viewer will walk away feeling inspired, Invigorated and will want to make the world a better place.

And this of course was always my intention.

Madonna.com

Madonna Notches 43rd No. 1 on Dance/Club Play Songs!

BY GARY TRUST

Madonna** earns her record-extending 43rd No. 1 on Billboard's Dance/Club Play Songs chart, as "Turn Up the Radio" lifts 2-1. (The ranking will refresh on Billboard.com Thursday, Aug. 30.)

"Radio" is Madonna's third Dance/Club Play Songs No. 1 from "MDNA," which bowed atop the Billboard 200 the week of April 14. "Give Me All Your Luvin'," featuring Nicki Minaj** and M.I.A., led the week of March 31, while "Girl Gone Wild" reached No. 1 just three weeks later.

"Radio" is headed for radio, too: Interscope Records begins seeking airplay for the song at mainstream top 40 stations on Sept. 25.

Click here to play the video on YouTube.

With her 43rd leading title on Dance/Club Play Songs, Madonna pulls further away from runner-up Janet Jackson**, who has 19. Beyonce** and Rihanna** follow with 18 No. 1s each, trailed by Kristine W (16) and Mariah Carey** (15).

Looking forward, with one more No. 1 on Dance/Club Play Songs, the Material Girl would claim even more historic honors.

Upon her latest coronation, Madonna is now one No. 1 away from tying George Strait**'s record for the most toppers on any single Billboard chart. The King of Country has sat at the Country Songs chart's throne with 44 titles between 1981 and 2009. With one more No. 1 on Dance/Club Play Songs, the Queen of Pop would tie Strait for unmatched Billboard chart royalty.

Given her multi-format appeal, as opposed to Strait's status as a country-exclusive act (and an unparalleled one, at that), Madonna leads not only Strait but also all artists for the most No. 1s on all Billboard charts combined. With "Radio" ruling Dance/Club Play Songs, Madonna logs her record-extending 156th leader on an active, current-based domestic Billboard survey.

Here's a breakdown of Madonna's No. 1 sums on active, current-based U.S. charts: 43, Dance/Club Play Songs; 33, Hot Dance Singles Sales; 15, Hot Singles Sales; 12, Billboard Hot 100; 9, Radio Songs; 9, Music Video Sales; 8, Billboard 200; 7, Dance/Mix Show Airplay; 5, Adult Contemporary; 4, Internet Albums; 3, Digital Albums; 2, Dance/Electronic Albums; 2, Digital Songs; 2, Hot Digital Tracks; 1, Pop Songs; 1, Tastemaker Albums.

Here is an updated look at Madonna's 43 Dance/Club Play Songs No. 1s, beginning with the double-sided single "Holiday"/"Lucky Star," which reached the top the week of Sept. 24, 1983. (For titles that spent multiple weeks at No. 1, total frames in the lead are noted in parentheses).

1983, "Holiday"/"Lucky Star" (five weeks at No. 1)
1984, "Like a Virgin" (three)
1985, "Material Girl"
1985, "Angel"/"Into the Groove"
1987, "Open Your Heart"
1987, "Causing a Commotion (Remix)"
1988, "You Can Dance (LP Cuts)"
1989, "Like a Prayer" (two)
1989, "Express Yourself" (three)

1990, "Keep It Together"
1990, "Vogue" (two)
1991, "Justify My Love" (two)
1992, "Erotica"
1993, "Deeper and Deeper"
1993, "Fever"
1994, "Secret" (two)
1995, "Bedtime Story"
1997, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"
1998, "Frozen" (two)
1998, "Ray of Light" (four)
1999, "Nothing Really Matters" (two)
1999, "Beautiful Stranger" (two)

2000, "American Pie"
2000, "Music" (five)
2001, "Don't Tell Me"
2001, "What It Feels Like for a Girl"
2001, "Impressive Instant" (two)
2002, "Die Another Day" (two)
2003, "American Life"
2003, "Hollywood"
2003, "Me Against the Music," Britney Spears** featuring Madonna (two)
2004, "Nothing Fails"
2004, "Love Profusion"
2005, "Hung Up" (four)
2006, "Sorry" (two)
2006, "Get Together"
2006, "Jump" (two)
2008, "4 Minutes," Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake** & Timbaland** (two)
2008, "Give It 2 Me"
2009, "Celebration"

2012, "Give Me All Your Luvin'," Madonna featuring Nicki Minaj & M.I.A.
2012, "Girl Gone Wild"
2012, "Turn Up the Radio"

Madonna's Message To Her Australian Fans!

Madonna on Slant’s Best Singles of the 80s list!

43. Madonna, “Open Your Heart.”
David Byrne once sang, “Watch out, with that attitude you might get what you want,” and it feels as if Madonna has made a career of realizing that ambition by any means possible. It’s funny to think that “Open Your Heart” could have ended up with someone other than the Material Girl. Yes, Cyndi Lauper might have spun something altogether more poignant from this unabashedly sincere and playfully metaphoric love song, but the conviction Madonna reveals throughout, as exhaustible as Patrick Leonard’s fluttering rock-dance bassline, finds her in a strikingly confessional light. As in the song’s polar opposite, 1993′s “Bye Bye Baby,” an anti-love song in which she coyly makes the man do the chasing, Madonna was and always will be credible only at her most naked. EG

28. Madonna, “Live to Tell.”
Madonna’s first and, arguably, most dramatic reinvention was scored by the spare and haunting ballad “Live to Tell,” which wasn’t just a daringly demure introduction to her third album, but also posed a challenge to pop-radio programmers keen on instant gratification: The song begins with almost a full minute of music before the singer starts to tell her tale, and includes abrupt key changes and a half-minute midsection in which nearly all of the music drops out. Of course, it worked like a charm, and “Live to Tell” launched a fruitful professional relationship between Madge and producer Patrick Leonard that would last for more than two decades, and set the stage for the fearlessly autobiographical material to come. The song features one of Madonna’s richest vocal performances, full of soul, yearning, and hurt, with lyrics that can surely resonate with anyone who’s ever endured a detention of silence—self-imposed or otherwise. SC

26. Madonna, “Into the Groove.”
Leave it to Madonna to make the campy, throwaway, opening lines of a B-side into a career-defining mission statement. She’s at her most coy as she speaks, “You can dance, for inspiration,” over the first few bars of “Into the Groove,” the theme from Desperately Seeking Susan and, somewhat inexplicably, the B-side of the considerably less brilliant “Angel.” But who cares that one of Billboard’s technicalities kept the song from charting on the Hot 100: Madonna’s never come up with a more apt assessment of how her music works best. Whenever she’s lost her way artistically, she’s headed back to the dance floor to get her head right. JK

16. Madonna, “Express Yourself.”
It was David Fincher’s music video for this smash from Like a Prayer that introduced us to Shep Pettibone’s remix, which, aside from the lethargic come-and-git-it cowbell that intermittently takes Madonna from the church steeple and straight onto the prairie, matches in its uptempo the soulful fervor of the singer’s call to arms. But MTV doesn’t play music videos anymore, and when I’m listening to this song on my iTunes, it’s the original album version I prefer, as it evokes something altogether more subversive: Fritz Lang’s robot Maria hanging out inside a Detroit dance hall, forcing men to their knees as the big-band sound rocks the house. He has it coming in both versions, but in Stephen Bray’s original Madonna comes fearlessly out of nowhere. EG

7. Madonna, “Like a Prayer.”
With an atypical structure in which the drums drop out completely during each verse and the chorus is all but abandoned halfway through the song in favor of ad libs, what’s now considered a perfect pop song seemed more fit for a church than Top 40 radio at the time. Though she’d evoked religion before, most notably with heaps of rosary beads dangling between her décolleté, it was, perhaps, inevitable that with a name like Madonna, the so-called Material Girl would more seriously explore the faith with which she was so strictly raised. But while there have been about as many interpretations of the song’s lyrics as there are remixes (she’s singing about God, she’s singing about giving a blowjob, she’s singing about giving God a blowjob), “Like a Prayer” begs for a more refined reading than a brainy conflation of spiritual and sexual ecstasy: It’s a song about love. SC

Full list at SlantMagazine.com

Rihanna admires Madonna’s style!

Rihanna admires how Madonna constantly “switches up” her look.
“I loved Marilyn Monroe’s timeless look. And I’m a big fan of Madonna – she switches it up, and that’s what I like to do,” she told British magazine Closer.

Yahoo

PHOTO: MDNA TOUR NICE – MADONNA AT BILLIONAIRE CLUB IN MONACO!

Madonna Wears Yellow Balaclava During Like A Virgin!!

LAV NICE in Yellow Balaclava.

Madonna At "Hard Candy" Fitness In Moscow Pics!

Madonna shares workout favourites on DVDs!

FITNESS fanatic Madonna is set to share her best workout routines on a new exercise DVD.

The Material Girl is known for her toned physique, and she has so far opened branches of her Hard Candy gym chain in Chile, Russia and Mexico.

Now Madonna has teamed up with her trainer Nicole Winhoffer for the new project - a series of releases which will feature dance moves and a variety of fitness routines to promote flexibility and strength.

The first Addicted to Sweat DVD will hit US retailers on September 5.

Madonna and Crew on the Beach In The French Rivera Pics!

Author Anne Rice Posts About Madonna And Pussy Riot!

anne rice, author of ‘the vampire chronicles,’ posted about pussy riot and madonna on her facebook page yesterday. the following are comments she added on her post about madonna:

-I love Madonna. I love her bravery, her individuality, her originality and her courage. She is a great soul. Go Madonna! I hope rock singers boycott Russia until the people complain. I hope the entire International arts community stands up for Pussy Riot and for Madonna.

-Madonna has always stood up for human rights. And she has always been persecuted and condemned for her stand on freedom, and freedom of expression. She is a great performer, and she has made history in her own way. I applaud her now as much as I ever did. I love her.

-This scandal, of Madonna being sued by Russians for standing up for gays will do good for gays all over the world. The more people who stand up for gays the better it is, and the more hope and courage they give to young gays who are struggling against bullying and bigotry. Go Madonna. I am so glad to see she has such courage.

-Madonna’s greatest film performance, in my opinion was in Evita. She did a monumental job in that film. She was very simply beautiful. I recommend the film to anyone who hasn’t seen it.

-Madonna has always spoken up for freedom of expression. I support her completely for her beautiful comments in the area of human freedom.

-I have a great love for Russian literature and for Russian art. I love to read Russian history; it is full of courage and tragedy. And it is tragic today to see these young protestors, Pussy Riot, jailed for two years for a protest in a Russian Orthodox Church. So sad that this church is now supporting Putin.

-Madonna is a great inspiration, not only to gays, yes, but to straight people everywhere. She’s a versatile artist of tremendous imagination and power, and her achievements leave me breathless. I love her and support her. And I thank her for her tireless support of gays.

-I don’t think the law suit can possibly affect Madonna. But this is a great thing for gay rights, an inspiring thing. And this will get international attention. I’m so proud of Madonna and her courage.

-Thanks for so many wonderful posts here. I so appreciate the vigor and scope of this discussion.

rice has been a long-time supporter of madonna. she was a commentator on madonna’s 1998 ‘behind the music’ episode, and she spoke very lovingly about her then as well. she is my favorite author, so, as you can imagine, i was thrilled see all of her favorable comments about m.

anne rice has been a longtime fan and supporter of madonna. in fact, she was a commentator on madonna’s 1998 episode of ‘behind the music’ - and she spoke very lovingly about her then as well. anne is my favorite author, so, as you can imagine, i was thrilled to see all her favorable comments on madonna today. it warms my heart. -r.

Madonna Tattoo's Pussy Riot Across Her Arms At Zurich MDNA Show! Bravo!

Madonna Responds To Pussy Riots Sentence!!

“I protest the conviction and sentencing of Pussy Riot to a penal colony for two years for a 40 second performance extolling their political opinions. Even if one disagrees with the location or how they chose to express themselves, the sentence is too harsh and in fact is inhumane. I call on all those who love freedom to condemn this unjust punishment. I urge artists around the world to speak up in protest against this travesty. They’ve spent enough time in jail. I call on ALL of Russia to let Pussy Riot go free.”
—
Madonna

Madonna Girl Gone Wild Remix Video!!

Happy Birthday Madonna! 6 Things We've Learned From The Queen Of Pop!

It seems almost impossible that Madonna, the top selling female recording artist of all time, turned 54 today -- both because we remember so vividly when she was like a virgin and because she did cartwheels at the Super Bowl this year.
It's hard to overestimate the impact Madge has had on music, fashion and culture in general over the course of her 30 year career. Sure, she's done some less-than-endearing things -- the recent flashing and swastika incidents, for instance -- but mostly the queen of pop has wowed us with her creativity, her irreverence for authority and of course her dance moves. In honor of her birthday, here are six pieces of wisdom we've learned from the ‘greatest woman in music.'
1. Never Say Never
The ultimate comeback queen, Madonna has released 12 albums and completed nine international tours. She has reinvented her music and aesthetic too many times to count, and shows no sign of slowing down.




2. Nothing Is Off-Limits In Music...
Teen pregnancy? Burning crosses? Race relations? She’s covered it all, and weathered the death threats and near excommunication that followed. In her words, it's 'Me Against The Music' anyway.

'Like A Prayer,' 1989
3. ...Especially Not Sex
Madonna was one of the first women to sing openly about female sexuality and desire in mainstream pop music. Where would we be without 'Like A Virgin?'

'Like A Virgin,' 1984
4. When In Doubt, Vogue
“Strike the pose.” Enough said.

'Vogue,' 1990
5. Sometimes It's Fine To Be A Material Girl
While it's not true that 'the boy with the cold hard cash / is always Mister Right,' we are definitely living in a Material World. Better to just admit it.




6. Age Is Just A Number
There's no time like the present to date a younger guy or rock fashion choices others wouldn't dare. Don't hang up the leotard just yet.

'Hung Up,' 2005

Madonna Talks Fashion To Marie Claire!!

Madonna has been a style muse for almost 30 years now AND she even has the successful clothing line Truth or Dare, which has been flying off the shelves.
And now, the international pop icon opens up in British Marie Claire's September issue about fashion influences, her beauty secrets, and what it's like to work with Madge Jr., otherwise known as her daughter Lola.
Some HIGHlights include:
On her daily beauty regimen:
"In the morning, I have a tendency to get up with my kids before they go to school and then go back to sleep and sneak in a few more hours, because I don’t usually go to bed until late.
So I wake up twice, or I wake up once and I’m very grumpy for the rest of the day. I splash cold water on my face and use Japanese eye drops that really burn my eyes, and that makes me wake up. I use this new line of products by Eminence. They contain all-natural ingredients. Everything they make smells like food, so facial cleansers smell like blueberries [Blueberry Soy Exfoliating Cleanser], the toning serum smells like strawberry [Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Serum], and the body scrub smells like coconut [Coconut Sugar Scrub]. At night I brush and floss my teeth and I don’t think I’ve ever gone to sleep with make-up on. I hang up my clothes and wash my face.
I am a Leo, so looking good and smelling good are very important. For everyday, though, I just show up to rehearsal with my hair wet and wearing a tracksuit. Sometimes I just don’t have time to make an entrance."
On creating her own fragrance:
"I have expensive taste. Also, rose is hard to recreate. I used to live in the English countryside and there were wild roses that grew there – they were narcotic, but we could never recreate that smell of an authentic rose, so I decided to go back to the smell of gardenias and tuberose in Truth or Dare. Gardenias have always been a big part of my life – I smell them every day as they surround my homes in Los Angeles and Miami. And I love the smell of whisky. Whenever I smell whisky, I think, 'Oh, this would make a great men's cologne.'"
On her fashion partner, Lourdes:
My daughter has a very strong opinion and she knows what she likes. She has a good sense of style and I like the way she dresses. Sometimes we disagree on things. I don’t like that she shaves her head, but she likes it. Often it’s fun to collaborate with her and I can always go to her and say, 'Does this look OK? Is this good? No? Shoes? No? High-waisted? Low-waisted?' She's a pretty good judge and very critical.
On her beauty icon:
"I look up to Frida Kahlo, because she wasn’t a conventional beauty but she had a strong face. She always painted self-portraits and she didn’t try to get rid of her moustache or her eyebrows, whereas other people would try to make themselves look better or be what was accepted by society at that time. I think what makes a woman most beautiful is if she’s proud of who she is and the way she looks, if she owns herself and doesn’t try to hide things or change things, or make something up that doesn’t exist or apologize for who she is or what she looks like."
So many wise words from our queen!
In the meantime, you can read the rest of the interview in September's Marie Claire UK issue!

Happy Birthday Madonna!!!

Wishing you all the best!! Sending you love and hugs!! You are the best!!

Madonna's First Makeup Artist, Debi Mazar, Spills. Plus: The Lipstick You'll See Madge Wearing Soon!

BY SOPHIA PANYCH, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, AUGUST 14, 2012, 11:57:36 AM

Make Up For Ever has just launched a new shade of its Aqua Rouge lip color—a vivid red, the color (#8) was created by Madonna's makeup artist, Gina Brooke, specifically for the singer's MDNA tour, which comes stateside August 28.
Madge has come a long way from her humble roots, and her very first makeup artist, Debi Mazar, can confirm it. These days, Mazar is famous in her own right as a successful actress (Goodfellas, Batman Forever, Entourage, Ugly Betty) and cooking-show host (Extra Virgin), but her early work included back-up dancing for Madonna, a close childhood friend—and she also did Madge's hair and makeup.

I had a chance to chat with Mazar recently, and she admitted, "I couldn't afford to buy department store brands, and even though Madonna could, she liked what I did. I was using Maybelline pencils and liquid liner—things that cost two bucks but performed great." Madonna wore Maybelline? And now she has her own lipstick created for her! Here are a few more highlights:
What was Madonna's hair and makeup like for The Virgin Tour back in 1985?
Her hair was long and wild, and she had just had her bangs cut. She had this thick, curly, gorgeous hair—thicker than anyone else I knew—and it didn't really need much. I just tried to make sure her bangs nicely framed her face and make sure it moved well, rather than creating a polished look. Really, it was more about the music and the show. We just wanted her to look good, get on stage, and do the damn tour. Plus, she was in her twenties: Her skin was good, and as long as you had bright lipstick and good hair, the crowd didn't care—they just wanted to dance.
You also did her hair and makeup for the Who's That Girl Tour two years later. How did you guys come up with that look?
She already had a short blonde haircut, and my challenge was to figure out how to style it. I spent an hour curling it and it all melted in a matter of five minutes on stage after she started dancing. I used this little electric wand, nothing fancy—it was a retractable black plastic electric curling iron with teeth. I would curl her hair in every direction, and sprayed it with Aqua Net. I was playing around with a lot of waxes and pomades because she had so much hair, and then I would add an oil for luminosity—which was bad news because the minute the grease would warm up, her hair would fall flat. We didn't really think about that. So it went from this Kim Novak-like style into a completely Helmut Newton look that was a bit androgynous, sleek and powerful. It was completely unintentional, though—it just evolved that way because we couldn't keep it curled under the stage lights.
The makeup was theatrical, too. My only issue was trying to keep the makeup on her, so I tended to use a lot of creams because of the sweat factor. All those new ingredients like luminizers and silicones slip off—they look great when you're just sitting around, but on stage the makeup actually needs to hold on. So I used products that wouldn't fall off the face. I used pan stick on her skin, liquid liner to define her eyes, and I would rub lipstick on her cheeks to give them color. And back then they hadn't taken out the ingredients that really makes the color stick to your lips!
What about Madonna's infamous brows?
I was forever trying to get her to pluck those eyebrows. She would never go for it—it was her Latin heritage and she wanted to keep them. It wasn't until François Nars came in and convinced her to pluck them at a Stephen Meisel shoot that she agreed to do it.

Madonna's upcoming men's cologne might drive you to drink!

Reuters, FeaturePics stock
Madonna, shown at the launch of her new fragrance Truth or Dare by Madonna in New York April on 12, thinks men should smell more like a liquor cabinet.

By Rina Raphael
Madonna’s never one to shy away from raising a few eyebrows, and that extends even into her new fragrance projects.
The 53 year-old-singer only just launched her first perfume, aptly titled Truth or Dare, and while it was uncannily sophisticated (“with notes of gardenia, creamy tuberose and neroli”) it came along with a semi-controversial commercial. In the ad, Madonna is seen shaking her thang in a tight corset and fishnet stockings, which was deemed too inappropriate for the ABC Network. (“I don’t understand. It was perfectly innocent,” Madonna told WWD with an arch look. “I just touch my cleavage once or something.”)
Now the icon has her sights set on men’s scents, telling WWD she’d turn to alcohol for help in creating her men’s cologne.
“I love the smell of whiskey — we should make a men’s cologne that smells like whiskey," she said. "I can’t drink it, it’s too strong, but it smells amazing — a really good old whiskey.”
And who might just be her clientele? Her own 15-year-old daughter, Lourdes. “She wants to wear it,” Madonna said of the potential cologne, which she hopes would also feature notes of musk and amber. “[Lourdes] likes to wear men’s cologne — don’t ask me why.”
Rina Raphael is a TODAY.com editor who is still waiting for gin-infused nail polish.

My Roots Are Showing: Jennifer Gannon on Madonna!

By Jennifer Gannon

Over the past few weeks, State has been gathering the votes of our team as to their favourite albums of the year so far. Ahead of the full rundown, we’ll be running a selection of features on some of the artists who have made the list – starting with the queen of pop.

Apparently we’re all bored. Apparently we’re ‘over it’. When Madonna flopped out her freeze-dried strawberry nipple to wave ‘hello’ to the crowds in Istanbul recently, the world supposedly shrugged its shoulders or recoiled in horror. Twitter feeds turned into a giant bellowing Daily Mail sidebar of shame either scolding, tutting and admonishing a woman in her FIFTIES for having a nice set of tits or trilling on about how it was nothing new from the creator of the Vanilla Ice romping Sex book and then they collectively went back to reading 50 Shades of Grey on their Kindles. Sorry secret crap-porno loving saddos but Madonna doesn’t need your pity, embarrassment or shame… and that seems to be the problem.

There’s been an awful lot of Madonna hate recently. In this warm n’ fuzzy generation she stands alone as a cold, unknowable entity and that is something that people are finding more difficult to comprehend, in a world where Rihanna tweets as much as she sings, Katy Perry lives in a candyfloss castle with unicorns and Gaga is the Cronenberg Claire Rayner.

Unlike the new breed of mewling, needy popstars of today who thrive on affection, who beg to be adored, showering their grimly obsessive fans with kisses and Barneyesque advice, who then in turn clog every social media source with their inane, drooling, blubbering affections in one hollow, depressing marketing campaign, Madonna is a star in old fashioned terms. Madonna is the ice-cold Marie Antoinette of music, shutting her ears to the pleading crowds, not a crumb of faux-affection to pass her lips. She rolls her eyes and sneers when faced with the prospect of another bloody bunch of hydrangeas. She admonishes the crowds who shout their love when she’s trying to speak. Madonna refuses to conform to who we think she should be and the music we think she should create. She makes it hard for you, which is the duty for all truly great artists, to keep questioning, to keep caring.

No-one would ever expect Neil Young to bow down to his devotes or John Lydon to smile coyly for the camera, so why are the rules different for popstars? From the beginning of her career, unlike Katy Perry, Madonna did not cynically market herself to children. She danced her way through the gay scene of NYC and onto the world stage and we fell in love with her because she was uncompromising, because she was a bit rude to Terry Wogan, because she sang songs with words in them we didn’t understand but we knew our Mam’s hated, because she ridiculed Kevin Costner, because she fiddled with herself on a bed onstage. Madonna entered our lives as a vivacious gapped toothed tornado of fierceness that made every other pop female (and male) seem like drippy old goons.

When she cackled manically on ‘Angel’ it was a clarion call to sulky madams everywhere to be just that, to cause trouble, to kick up a fuss, to be noticed. She breathed life into the pop world and made the prospect of being not just a girl but a fully blown WOMAN (a ‘girl’ could not sing ‘Express Yourself’) seem something triumphant, a force to be reckoned with. The more mature she became, the more considered her approach to music, forcing pop into angular shapes, directing the mainstream into territories unknown, making pop music grow up along with us.

Alas it’s been a tough slog being the singular Pop Beatles. In a bizarre streak of misogyny people now seem angry with her for excelling, for getting there first and creating some of the most earth shuddering game-changing pop-moments from the sexy Jesus kissing, crucifix burning ‘Like A Prayer’ to the wonky K-hole passion of ‘Ray of Light’, it now appears tedious to have to acknowledge how Madonna did it before (and better). She has become a victim of her own shape-shifting success, as seen this year with the lacklustre reviews of her latest album.



In a post-Gaga world if Madonna repeats a trick it’s now deemed stale, if she attempts to inject young blood into projects it’s ‘pathetic’ and a sinister attempt to appear ‘relevant’. What seems to be wanted from our older popstars today is to disappear into a haze of nostalgia that is comfortable for everyone or to cease to exist, to grow old gracefully, hidden from view. Her body has now become the final stick to beat her with, as media commenters cluck at her youthful appearance and revile her hard-earned muscles just wishing she’d throw in the towel (as all women of a certain age obviously should) to save their embarrassment and let them gorge themselves on nubile young flesh.

BORING.

The woman who introduced the world to the cone bra does not slope off into irrelevance. The woman who slapped a Chihuahua dressed as a gimp on the bum does not dissolve into a humourless, banal heap. She is Madonna and will continue to do Madonna-like things until she dances merrily off this mortal coil. If that’s too much for you avert your eyes and plug your ears because the Queen of Pop has nothing to apologise for, not her body, not her musical choices, not even her continuous misguided foray into the film world. In the words of the woman herself: absolutely no regrets.

Madonna’s Masterpiece nominated for World Soundtrack Award!

Best Original Song written directly for a Film

Lay Your Head Down from: “Albert Nobbs” – music by Brian Byrne, lyrics by Glenn Close, performed by Sinead O’Connor
Breath Of Life from ” Snow White And The Huntsman” – music & lyrics by Florence Welch & Isabella Summers, performed by Florence + the Machine
The Living Proof from “The Help” – music & lyrics by Thomas Newman, Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason Jr. & Damon Thomas, performed by Mary J. Blige
Man Or Muppet from “The Muppets” – music & Lyrics by Bret McKenzie, performed by Jason Segel and Walter
Masterpiece from “W.E.” – music & lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost & Jimmy Harry, performed by Madonna

source: billboard

STOP GIVING HER A BUM DEAL!

So she bares her bottom on stage. What a shame her critics don’t get her message

When Madonna got her bum out on stage in Rome in June, I was delighted. I don’t know why anyone complained. Have you seen the footage? It’s pure, old-fashioned, summer entertainment. It proves that however powerful the forces of cultural change, however hi-tech and diversified our “infotainment streams”, and however tastes may wax and wane, there is still nothing funnier than seeing someone’s trousers fall down in public.

In the clip, Madonna (singing Human Nature) turns her back on the crowd. Suddenly, artfully, the pinstripe trousers slip down to knee height, revealing fishnet underwear. It’s a marvellous 21st-century take on Kenneth Connor. If they ever remake Carry On Girls, Madonna absolutely must play Mayor Bumble.

The thing is, I’m sure she meant it to be funny. In the original video for this song, back in 1995, there was a bondage scene where she licked a chihuahua. (That isn’t a euphemism.) It was definitely a joke.

That original video is quite amusing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s no Weekend At Bernie’s, but it has a decent stab at being both fetishistic and silly. Its title, Human Nature, suggests quite strongly that she is trying to make a point.

A couple of weeks before Bumgate, performing the same song in Istanbul, Madonna pulled her bra down and popped out a nipple. I found that less funny. But Madonna is a gutsy, fifty-something, Italian-American Catholic doing a particular kind of comedy: a European-style, circus-style, commedia dell’arte sort of performance, clowning and dancing and flashing to satirise repression. I’m English; I laugh at trousers falling down, but tut at nipple.

Elton John looks dafter than either of us, however, when he says (as he did on an Australian chat show) that Madonna “looks like a f****** fairground stripper”.

Now, bitchy middle-aged women (among whom I include Elton John) have been moaning about Madonna’s “raunchy tour” for months, claiming she is “too old” for this “sexy” behaviour – as though they weren’t making the same shocked noises when she did it at 25. Men (who really weren’t) just say it’s time she “put it away”.

But you’d hope that Sir Elton, a fellow artist, a hugely talented musician, a sensitive and nuanced performer – and not even a heterosexual – would know better than to drag this down to whether or not Madonna looks attractive. How basic and boring; how primitive and predictable.

Of course she doesn’t look attractive. Have you seen those sinews? She looks like John Hurt having a bath. Whoever keeps letting her into that gym should be shot.

This is comforting for fuller-figured women everywhere. (Remember, the average British woman is now size 406.) We may sob over the unattainable beauty of a Jessica Ennis, but trusty Madonna is there to reassure us that being fit can also look terrible. By 53, you really need to be scarfing a few doughnuts if you don’t want to go all stringy. Give her another five years and she’ll look like PG Wodehouse.

But Madonna isn’t asking to be found attractive. She isn’t asking for anything. She never has. Her exposed nipples were only ever two fingers up to bourgeois sensibility. That seems like old hat now – except she’s doing it in her 50s. Meanwhile, society is still stuck in a debate about whether she looks pretty enough to justify it. The point is so very much not got.

There’s a spate of younger pop stars who strip with wearying winsomeness, as though Madonna never existed: Katy Perry in bunny ears, chest smeared with candy floss; Rihanna (her skin increasingly, suspiciously pale) sucking her thumb or dribbling ice cream. Their expressions and costumes scream: “Don’t be scared! I’m not a woman, I’m just a ‘ickle girl! Still scary? Then I’m not a girl, I’m a lollipop! Just a harmless ice-creamy lollipop!”

Somehow, it reminds me of exam boards allowing children to take “media studies” or “the history of texting” for GCSE. I want to say: if you make it too damn easy, they’ll despise you. Grow up and show them the algebra.

Madonna never pretended to be an ice cream sundae and she’s not pretending now. She’s grown up, she’s difficult, she’s algebra. It’s not about flirting. There she is, flexing her sinews and flashing her fishnet arse as she sings old lyrics that dare you to judge her.

To actually then judge her… to fall into the trap of pronouncing on whether she should or shouldn’t take her clothes off… it’s just embarrassing to be so many steps behind. It’s like complaining that Picasso wasn’t good at doing faces.

Meanwhile, I haven’t heard Elton criticising Mick Jagger, still humping the mike stand and growling Start Me Up. Or Tom Jones, winking and grinding, swivelling his leather pelvis (and that’s before the trousers go on). Or Rod Stewart. Or Elton himself, in Vegas, collaborating with David LaChapelle on a film so camp it could host an ITV game show by itself.

I’m not criticising, either; I wouldn’t want to see any of those men slipping into nylon slacks and gardening. I’m just pointing out: you can’t go back to the 1980s and find one of those guys who’s still visible and sexual 30 years later. It’s all of them. And the women… it’s one. Just one.

When did you last hear anything of Cyndi Lauper? Toyah Willcox bothered you much lately? Kim Wilde is gardening.

But Madonna… she just won’t give it all up for Bovril and Time Team. There’s something exhilarating about that. Her stripping shtick was never about stripping; it’s about not being restrained. About not being told you can’t or shouldn’t. It’s a metaphor.

I bet a 10-year-old Madonna fan is a lot more likely to become an astronaut than a 10-year old Rihanna fan.

I bet “Babyface” Adams likes Madonna

Victoria Coren

Madonna In Paintball Club in St Petersburg For Rocco's Birthday Photo!

Promoter sues lawmaker that accused Madonna of spreading homosexuality!

PMI, the company that organized Madonna’s concert in St. Petersburg, plans to sue Vitaly Milonov, the drafter of the city’s law aiming to restrict the promotion of homosexuality.

The company says Milonov’s supporters illegally recorded Madonna’s August 9 concert.

The concert in St. Petersburg was held as part of the singer’s MDNA world tour. During the show Madonna asked the audience to be more friendly to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

In response, several St. Petersburg based NGO’s filed a complaint with the police charging that the singer had violated the law prohibiting the promotion of homosexuality among children. The complaint included photos and videos of the show. Prior to Madonna’s concert, Milonov said that members of various organizations would be at the show to monitor compliance with the morality regulation.

The St. Petersburg law banning the promotion of pedophilia and homosexuality among minors came into effect on March 30. Now any citizen who violates the law can be fined in St. Petersburg for administrative violations.

Pursuant to the law, any public statement aimed at promoting sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism or transgender behavior among minors, is subject to an administrative fine of 5,000 rubles ($158) for individuals, 50,000 rubles ($1,578) for officials, and 250,000-500,000 rubles ($7,890-$15,778) for legal entities.

rapsinews

“TURN UP THE RADIO” IS MADONNA’S 57th TOP 10 BILLBOARD DANCE CLUB HIT!

Madonna extends her lead as the act with the most top 10s on the Dance Club/Play Songs chart as “Turn Up the Radio” zooms 19-8 in its third chart week — marking the Queen of Pop’s 57th top 10.

It’s her 28th top 10 in a row — a streak that began with 1999′s “Beautiful Stranger” (No. 1 for two weeks).

“Turn Up the Radio” bowed at No. 39, and then moved to No. 19 before sailing to No. 8, this week.

Further, “Turn Up the Radio’s” swift rise to the top 10 is especially notable. Since 2010, only six songs have jumped into the region in three weeks or less — and three of them are by Madonna.

Aside from “Turn Up the Radio,” she also sped into the top 10 earlier this year in three weeks time with “Girl Gone Wild” (46-20-7 on April 7) and “Give Me All Your Luvin” (in only two weeks: 24-9 on March 10).

Source : Billboard

Madonna on the cover of Time Out St. Peterburg!

Fantastic!

Madonna Transforms St. Petersburg Concert into Unofficial Gay Pride Rally! Advocate Magazine Article!!

St. Petersburg had banned any pro-LGBT speech as "propaganda" — but that didn't stop Madonna from turning her concert there into a rally for rights.
BY BRETT EDWARD STOUT AUGUST 10 2012 1:50 PM ET


In a concert last night, Madonna blatantly defied a new gag law banning pro-LGBT speech in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Much buzz has circulated about Madonna’s concert in the city but not because of the sold-out show, the smash hit album, or even an exposed nipple. All the hype has been about the Material Girl’s intention to boldly and loudly defy the new anti-gay law prohibiting gay “propaganda.”

The Russian gay rights organization Coming Out’s director Polina Savchenko sent a public statement that read, “As promised, Madonna delivered a moving speech between ‘Open Your Heart’ and ‘Masterpiece’ in which she praised democracy, love, and freedom and compared the LGBT fights to Martin Luther King’s fights for equality. She added that gay people should be treated with love and dignity and that it was not right to use religion to promote hate to a certain group.”

Pink wristbands were also distributed to the audience.

Shortly after the law was passed, Madonna promised to speak out against the law during her St. Petersburg show. No one was sure if she would follow through, until the moment arrived and she stood her ground. “Show your love and appreciation to the gay community. We want to fight for the right to be free. All people should be treated with dignity, respect, and love.” She stated with large black words, “No Fear” scrawled on the skin of her back. She then repeatedly asked the crowd, “Are you with me?” at which the crowd cheered holding their pink wristband clad arms and pride flags in the air.

But while the wristbands got the majority of the attention, other displays of support were also seeded throughout the event. Coming Out distributed hundreds of rainbow posters emblazoned with “No Fear” and during a video show for Madonna’s song “Nobody Knows Me,” scenes of same-sex kissing were played. At another point, her dancers held pride flags in the air, and later Madge did the same.

The U.S. Embassy had warned concertgoers and performers of credible threats of violence at the event. “The U.S. Consulate General in St. Petersburg has received information regarding a threat of physical violence against spectators and performers at the St. Petersburg concert on August 9. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow and the US Consulate General in St. Petersburg have shared the information with appropriate Russian law enforcement authorities…While we expect that enhanced security measures will be put in place at both concerts, US citizens are reminded to remain vigilant regarding their personal security, and to be aware of their surroundings at all times, especially in crowded areas.” No violence has yet been reported.

The legislator who authored the gay ban, St. Petersburg Assembly member Vitaly Milonov, vowed to take action himself if Madonna defied the ban. In a statement to the press he said, “If Madonna or one of the organizers of the concert breaks the city law, they will be punished.” So far, no one wearing the wristbands, Madonna, or any of the show organizers have been formally charged. However, Milonov says the concert was videotaped and since minors as young as 12 were present, the law prohibiting “homosexual propaganda” among minors has clearly been broken.

“Madonna or the organizers need to be brought to justice,” Milonov told Interfax. The news agency identified the organizers of the concert as the company Petersburg Music Industry, or PMI. The fine for violating the law is up to $17,000.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin took to Twitter to express his feelings on the matter, tweeting, “What a has-been... in their old age every former whore tries to lecture everyone on morality. Especially on overseas tours.”

But not all gay Russians were excited about the pop star’s efforts. LGBT protestors outside the venue also took a stance against Madonna in a single person picket where they took turns holding a sign that read “I do not care about Madonna and her support.”

But Coming Out’s Polina Savchenko added at the end of her Coming Out public statement the following positive message, “Madonna's support was extremely moving. Most of the mostly heterosexual crowd reacted positively to her message by raising pink wristbands that were distributed to everyone to support the LGBT community. The LGBT in the audience received Madonna’s support with both smiles and tears, and gratified her with the universal message ‘We love you’ at the end of the show.”

Madonna's 2012 Birthday Icon Birthday Project!

NEWS: MDNA TOUR ST. PETERSBURG – ST. PETE LAWMAKER SAYS MADONNA BROKE ANTI-GAY LAW! YOU GO MADONNA!

A St. Petersburg municipal legislator said he believes pop singer Madonna violated a controversial city law banning the promotion of homosexuality among minors at a concert and called for her or the company that organized the concert to be punished.

At a concert Thursday evening in the northern capital, Madonna called on the audience to raise pink wristbands many were wearing “to show your love and appreciation for the gay community,” according to a video posted on the singer’s YouTube account.

“We want to fight for the right to be free, to be who we are,” she said on stage, according to Interfax. “I’ve traveled the world a lot and seen that people are becoming more and more intolerant, but we can change that.”

During her performance, Madonna also bared her back to the crowd, revealing the words “No fear,” and exposed her buttocks.

Local deputy Vladimir Milonov said the concert was videotaped and that there were minors present, including 12-year-old children, and that therefore the law prohibiting so-called “homosexual propaganda” among minors had been broken.

“Madonna or the organizers need to be brought to justice,” Milonov told Interfax. The news agency identified the organizers of the concert as the company Petersburg Music Industry, or PMI.

Milonov authored the anti-gay bill, which drew outrage from human rights organizations in Russia and the West after its passage earlier this year. The law stipulates fines of up to 500,000 rubles ($15,700) for violators.

Close attention has been paid to Madonna’s performances in Russia this week, since it was anticipated that she may express support for jailed members of punk band Pussy Riot — which she did at a concert in Moscow on Tuesday — and make statements backing gay rights in St. Petersburg.

On Thursday, a tweet by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin apparently calling Madonna a “whore” set off fervid discussion among bloggers, some of whom denounced the statement while others expressed agreement with it.

Madonna's Speech In St. Petersburg Russia!

Madonna NO FEAR! St. Petersburg!

“You can not use religion to treat other people badly. You can not use God’s name to treat other people badly. We all deserve love.”
— Madonna, 2012

THIS FUCKING FLAWLESS FEARLESS LEGEND MOTHERFUCKING YES. MADONNA!!!!

Oh, just fighting the Russian government in front of 30 000 Russians in Moscow.

Madonna Tickets Fetch $100,000 to Help Dogs in Puppy Mills!

MLAR Advisory Board Member Susan Rosen donated four tickets to Madonna’s 2012 World Tour to Main Line Animal Rescue’s annual fundraiser. The tickets were part of a special auction held on August 4th to benefit the Pennsylvania animal shelter.
Nick Adams and Dee Silvers bid $100,000 for four tickets to Madonna’s August 28th concert in Philadelphia (the first U.S. city in Madonna’s world tour). The money is believed to be the highest paid for concert tickets and the money raised will help support Main Line Animal Rescue’s programs rehabilitating breeding dogs rescued from Pennsylvania’s puppy mills, as well as MLAR’s anti-puppy mill campaigns.
PRNewsWire

SUPPORT THE LGBT COMMUNITY AT MADONNA’S ST. PETERSBURG SHOW!

At Thursday’s Madonna concert, a pink wristband will be available to anyone that wants to support the LGBT community in St. Petersburg. The wristband will be part of the show – be prepared to raise your arm in support!

- MADONNA.COM

IN RUSSIA, MADONNA DEFENDS A BAND’S ANTI-PUTIN STUNT

MOSCOW — Madonna, the pop megastar known for her own less-than-pious adaptation of religious symbols and settings, used a sold-out concert here on Tuesday night to voice support for the three women from a feminist punk band who are being tried on hooliganism charges for staging an anti-Putin stunt on the altar of Moscow’s main Russian Orthodox cathedral.

During the show, which started more than two hours late, Madonna paused and gave a brief speech, reflecting on the privileges of American freedom and democracy. “As an artist, as a human being, as a woman, I have freedom to express my point of view, even if other people don’t agree with me,” she said. “Even if my government doesn’t agree with me.”

“So I just want to say a few words about Pussy Riot,” she continued. “I know there are many sides to every story, and I mean no disrespect to the church or the government. But I think that these three girls — Masha, Katya, Nadya — I think that they have done something courageous. I think they have paid the price for this act. And I pray for their freedom.”

Later, she appeared on stage in a black bra with the name of the band written in bold letters on her back. She also donned a balaclava, the band’s trademark headgear.

Earlier Tuesday, the trial of the women — Maria Alyokhina, 24, Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 23 — moved swiftly toward a verdict, which could come this week. And once again, there was no shortage of courtroom theatrics, including from a lawyer for those identified as victims in the case. She re-emphasized the gravity of the stunt while declaring feminism to be a “mortal sin.”

The women have been in prison since March, not long after their February stunt — a profane “punk prayer” in which they beseeched the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Vladimir V. Putin, who was then running for a third term as president.

They were charged with hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, which carries a potential punishment of seven years in prison. But Mr. Putin said last week in London that he hoped they were “not judged too severely,” though he added that the decision was the court’s.

After giving no immediate sign of being moved by those comments, the main prosecutor, Alexander Nikiforov, on Tuesday urged guilty verdicts and jail terms of three years. Mr. Nikiforov insisted that the women intended to insult the church and said the reference to Mr. Putin was added to a video of the action only later to create the appearance of a political protest.

Ms. Tolokonnikova, speaking from inside the glass enclosure in the courtroom where the defendants sit through the proceedings each day, said her “head explodes” every time she hears the accusations of religious hatred. “We are jokers, clowns, perhaps holy fools, but we don’t intend to harm anyone,” she said.

The episode in the cathedral was part of a cacophony of antigovernment protests, including large street rallies that followed disputed parliamentary elections in December.

But while critics largely cast the trial as an example of heavy-handedness, it has also proved politically useful for supporters of the Putin government by highlighting the close alliance between the Orthodox Church and the state, suggesting a divide between the urban liberals in the opposition and residents of the Russian heartland.

Even before her concert, Madonna was one of many celebrities from around the world calling for the young women’s release in the name of artistic and political freedom.

In interviews, she did not hide her disapproval of the Russian authorities, and she acknowledged that she herself had been sharply criticized by the Catholic Church.

“Yes, I have also upset the church many times,” she said in an interview with the newspaper Kommersant. “Several times they wanted to excommunicate me from the Catholic Church. Yes, I didn’t end up in prison for this, but that is because I live in a free country, and not in Russia.”

The authorities had been bracing for potential conflict. The American Embassy issued a warning about threats of violence at Tuesday’s concert and at another later this week in St. Petersburg, and there was a heavy police presence. But rumors of protests by supporters of the Orthodox Church did not materialize.

nytimes.com

Madonna urges Russia to free Pussy Riot at Moscow concert!

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Pop singer Madonna donned the trademark balaclava worn by punk band Pussy Riot during a concert in Moscow to demand Russia free three group members on trial for bursting into a Russian Orthodox church and singing a protest against Vladimir Putin.

The U.S. singer also stripped to a black bra to show the band's name written on her back in support of Pussy Riot's protest in Moscow's main cathedral against close links between the president and the clergy.

"I know there are many side to every story, and I mean no disrespect to the church or the government, but I think that these three girls - Masha, Katya, Nadya - I think that they have done something courageous," Madonna said to loud cheers from the crowd at Moscow's Olympiysky Stadium on Tuesday night.

"I pray for their freedom," she said.

Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, could face up to three years in jail for storming the altar of Christ the Saviour Cathedral on February 21 and belting out a "punk prayer" calling on the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Putin, who has been in power since 2000.

The group members hide their identity by wearing colored balaclavas during protests. Madonna put on a black balaclava at one point during the concert as a show of support.

Echoing comments she made in an interview with Reuters before the concert, she made clear she believed the women had already "paid the price" after spending five months in custody since their arrest.

"I know that everyone in this auditorium, if you are here as my fan, feels they have the right to be free," she said.

The singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and actor, who has often courted controversy during her career and sang songs including Like a Prayer and Like a Virgin, joined other international performers such as Sting, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More and Franz Ferdinand by commenting on the trial.

The case is seen by the opposition as part of a wider crackdown on dissent by Putin following the biggest protests since he rose to power in 2000, including toughening rules governing the Internet and increasing fines for protesters.

Pussy Riot's stunt took aim at both Putin and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, who backed him in this year's presidential campaign.

But the case has also angered many Russians, including some believers, who see the reaction of the state and church as disproportionate. The three women could be sentenced this week.

(Writing by Alissa de Carbonnel; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Roger Atwood)

Reuters

A Fearless Madonna Takes A Stand Against Repression Amidst Warnings!

Video Of Madonna's Speech In Russia And Support For Pussy Riot!

News Madonna Shows Support For Pussy Riot Live On Stage Photos!