Totally Agree!!
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Fantastic Madonna Rehearsal Pics In Colombia!! Beautiful!
The first pic totally reminds me of Gambler from Virgin Tour!!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
REPORTAGE : MADONNA ARRIVES IN MEDELLIN AND MORE RUMOURS ABOUT HER VISIT IN COLOMBIA!
Pop diva Madonna has arrived in Colombia and already is in Medellin where she will be giving two concerts on Wednesday and Thursday, reported Caracol Radio Tuesday.
According to the radio station, the queen of pop arived late Monday at Rionegro airport after which she was taken to the Intercontinental hotel in the Las Palmas in the west of the city.
Madonna arrived with an entourage of friends and security personnel and, according to Caracol, her children Lourdes and David.
While the Medellin soccer stadium is preparing for the biggest concerts in the city’s history, Madonna will tour Medellin and visit an unidentified shopping mall.
To secure the concerts proceed without inconveniences, Medellin authorities have closed off the area around the stadium and have deployed 1,400 policemen to take charge of security in the city.
Madonna is most intrigued to meet Governor of Antioquia Sergio Fajardo when she comes toColombia’s second largest city of Medellin for her concert next week, reported local media.
“Well, of course, she is a star, a very powerful symbol, a leader of our generation” the ex-governor of Medellin and current Governor of Antioquia said in an interview with Caracol in reference to Madonna’s revelation.
Allegedly, the mega-star wanted to meet the governor after watching a documentary by Jorge Lanata that listed Fajardo along with Juanes as one of the “26 people to save the world.”
Governor Fajardo said he also hopes that Madonna “falls in love with Medellin”
INTERVIEW : JAMES D’ARCY ABOUT MADONNA – “SHE CAST ME WHEN NOBODY WANTED TO”
“It’s really all because of Madonna,” says James D’Arcy. “She cast me when nobody else really wanted to.” The movie the shaggy haired British actor is talking about is W.E., in which he played Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor. And he seems to be right. Since then he’s appeared in Cloud Atlas and, most recently, playing Anthony Perkins in Hitchcock, which opens in select cities this Friday.
And as for Madge, the two are good friends which seems to shock a lot of people.
“I’m good friends with most of the directors I work with,” he explained to Celebuzz. “People are only amazed because it’s Madonna, like because she’s Madonna she doesn’t have friends which is ridiculous if you start to think about it.”
D’Arcy caught Madonna’s latest show in London and is actually featured quite prominently in the concert.
“On the screens she plays four minutes of outtakes from the movie of me and Andrea rolling around on the beach while she sings ‘Masterpiece,’ her song from the film,” he says. “After the show I went to a party at her house.”
Source: celebBuzz
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Saturday, November 24, 2012
New Madonna Interview: "Basta"! New Album and Movie Coming!
Madonna will be on Saturday, November 24th at Foro Sol in Mexico City and says She is very excited to return in our country, which has shown their love and enthusiasm for the two times that made shows in the country.
With MDNA tour, the biggest of her career, the singer promises to bring surprises to the Mexican public.
In an exclusive interview with BASTA!, she talks about what people will see in this tour.
“It’s my biggest tour in the history of my career, the show with which we are traveling the world is an impressive show of art and design” says the singer.
“In general I always feel very comfortable in your country
I am a mother, and a loving mother and very careful, I think having good players and a team of professionals, and knowing coordinate your times, is difficult, but not impossible”
Madonna stated also that she’s focused on the MDNA album and world tour, but she also revealed that she has a new movie project and some new material for the next upcoming album!
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Madonna ‘Gay Propaganda’ Suit Thrown Out by Russian Court!!
ST. PETERSBURG, November 22 (RIA Novosti) – US pop star Madonna did not break city laws on the promotion of a homosexual lifestyle among minors during a concert in St. Petersburg earlier this year, a court ruled on Thursday.
“Madonna’s actions were planned and aimed at the formation of a distorted view of personal relations,” read the lawsuit, which was dismissed after a six-hour-long hearing by the St. Petersburg court.
The nine plaintiffs were claiming over $10 million in compensation for “moral damages” suffered during Madonna’s concert in August, during which the star handed out pink bracelets to the crowd in a show of unity with the city’s gay and lesbian community.
The organizers of the concert had stated that entry to the concert would be barred to anyone under 18 years of age.
The authorities had earlier refused to open a criminal investigation into the allegations.
“St. Petersburg’s laws were brutally violated and in the coming years this type of violation could become the norm,” plaintiff Marina Yakovlyeva told the court. “But we have created a precedent – any artist coming to our city will know now what laws exist in our city.”
The plaintiffs also said Madonna’s “gay propaganda” would lead to a deterioration of Russia’s demographic crisis and its subsequent inability to man its army. They also said her promotion of homosexuality would lead to an increase in divorce rates.
But the judge at the trial was unimpressed.
“How many families split up because one of the couple is gay?” asked Judge Vitaly Barkovsky. “And how many because of alcoholism? How many lawsuits have you filed against alcohol companies?”
The plaintiffs were backed by St. Petersburg lawmaker Vitaly Milonov, who authored the city’s “gay propaganda” law. The law, which was passed in March, criminalizes "public action aimed at propagandizing sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism, and transgenderism among minors." Those charged with breaking the law face fines from 5,000 to 500,000 rubles.
Despite a court summons, Madonna did not attend the hearing, which attracted intense media attention in Russia. A spokesperson for Madonna was not available for comment on Thursday.
The court’s ruling deflected further potential criticism of Russia’s judicial system, which was the subject of widespread international condemnation in the wake of the jailing of anti-Putin punks Pussy Riot for two years apiece in August.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
MADONNA RESERVES AN ENTIRE HOTEL IN RIO!
Singer Madonna, who will appear in Rio de Janeiro on her MDNA world tour, has reserved an entire hotel for herself and her team, the online edition of the daily O Globo said Tuesday.
“The team includes, among many others, physical trainers, personal assistants, hairdressers, wardrobe attendants” as well as her four children and their tutors, the Web site said.
It added that due to the large number of people surrounding her on the tour, Madonna decided to reserve an entire hotel by the sea at Ipanema, a stretch of coastline that together with Copacabana and Leblon make up Rio’s most famous string of beaches.
The MDNA tour, which kicked off in Israel last May, will reach Latin America next weekend, when the Queen of Pop appears in Mexico before moving on to Colombia.
On Dec. 2 the singer will perform in Rio de Janeiro, after which she will be off to Sao Paulo and Porto Alegre followed by Buenos Aires and Santiago, finally winding up her tour in the Argentine city of Cordoba. EFE
Source : LatinoFoxNews
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
REVIEW : MADONNA’S MDNA TOUR SHOW IN MIAMI
By Jordan Levin | jlevin@miamiherald.com11/20/2012
Is it a sign of her outsized stardom and pop imagination or her ego that the overflowing spectacle of Madonna’s MDNA tour also shows a very personal odyssey? It’s both, as well as a sign of maturity and a sense of perspective.
Madonna’s sold-out concert at the AmericanAirlines Arena Monday night was a jaw-dropping sequence of stunningly designed set pieces; including an aerial drum corps, a battalion of dazzling dancers, an explosively bloody gangster fantasy and a surreal spiritual voyage. But the tireless woman at its center, taut and confident as ever at 54, was just as riveting stripped down to lingerie and singing alone with a pianist. “Sometimes it’s easier to show your ass than your feelings,” she said. “Tonight I’m gonna try and do both.”
She needed both, and all of her magnetism, after keeping the audience waiting for more than three hours after an 8 p.m. start time. (The opening act, star DJ Paul Oakenfold, finished at 10 p.m.). The impatient crowd was chanting expletives by the time Madonna emerged at almost 11:30 p.m. Officials said technical problems with a live video shoot delayed Monday’s show, and that Madonna’s second concert at the AA Arena Tuesday night would start on time.
All was forgiven once Madonna was onstage. “Did I keep you up?” she mocked. “This is Miami!” The audience included women decked in her flouncy, 80’s style gear and men in wedding dresses and nuns’ habits. “They can call us whatever they want – we don’t care, do we?” Madonna said. “We know what’s important is on the inside.”
Madonna pioneered that extravagant, express-yourself ethos, which has become as much a pop culture standard as huge tour productions. She asserts her dominance in both areas, digging at Lady Gaga by dropping a line from Born This Way into Express Yourself. “There’s only one queen, and that’s Madonna,” Nicki Minaj says on video for another song.
Madonna also upholds her position by setting a new standard, not just for scale and extravagance, but concept and design. The concert starts with her floating out in a veiled pavilion over dancers in Buddhist and Christian monks’ robes, which they strip to reveal bare chests and towering heels for Girl Gone Wild. She leads a parade of baton twirling, drum beating dancers, some suspended overhead, in Express Yourself. Vogue is a black and white extravaganza of surreal 50’s fashion imagery. Illuminated platforms ripple in their own dance of formations and patterns onstage.
The songs and set pieces trace a narrative that starts in violent, self-destructive rage, with Madonna stroking fake guns and murdering masked attackers in Revolver and Gang Bang. She emerges from darkness with Express Yourself, and dons a guitar for a gutsy rendition of Turn Up The Radio, an anthem for herself and pop music.
Is it a sign of her outsized stardom and pop imagination or her ego that the overflowing spectacle of Madonna’s MDNA tour also shows a very personal odyssey? It’s both, as well as a sign of maturity and a sense of perspective.
Madonna’s sold-out concert at the AmericanAirlines Arena Monday night was a jaw-dropping sequence of stunningly designed set pieces; including an aerial drum corps, a battalion of dazzling dancers, an explosively bloody gangster fantasy and a surreal spiritual voyage. But the tireless woman at its center, taut and confident as ever at 54, was just as riveting stripped down to lingerie and singing alone with a pianist. “Sometimes it’s easier to show your ass than your feelings,” she said. “Tonight I’m gonna try and do both.”
She needed both, and all of her magnetism, after keeping the audience waiting for more than three hours after an 8 p.m. start time. (The opening act, star DJ Paul Oakenfold, finished at 10 p.m.). The impatient crowd was chanting expletives by the time Madonna emerged at almost 11:30 p.m. Officials said technical problems with a live video shoot delayed Monday’s show, and that Madonna’s second concert at the AA Arena Tuesday night would start on time.
All was forgiven once Madonna was onstage. “Did I keep you up?” she mocked. “This is Miami!” The audience included women decked in her flouncy, 80’s style gear and men in wedding dresses and nuns’ habits. “They can call us whatever they want – we don’t care, do we?” Madonna said. “We know what’s important is on the inside.”
Madonna pioneered that extravagant, express-yourself ethos, which has become as much a pop culture standard as huge tour productions. She asserts her dominance in both areas, digging at Lady Gaga by dropping a line from Born This Way into Express Yourself. “There’s only one queen, and that’s Madonna,” Nicki Minaj says on video for another song.
Madonna also upholds her position by setting a new standard, not just for scale and extravagance, but concept and design. The concert starts with her floating out in a veiled pavilion over dancers in Buddhist and Christian monks’ robes, which they strip to reveal bare chests and towering heels for Girl Gone Wild. She leads a parade of baton twirling, drum beating dancers, some suspended overhead, in Express Yourself. Vogue is a black and white extravaganza of surreal 50’s fashion imagery. Illuminated platforms ripple in their own dance of formations and patterns onstage.
The songs and set pieces trace a narrative that starts in violent, self-destructive rage, with Madonna stroking fake guns and murdering masked attackers in Revolver and Gang Bang. She emerges from darkness with Express Yourself, and dons a guitar for a gutsy rendition of Turn Up The Radio, an anthem for herself and pop music.
It’s one of several times where she finds creative new uses for what has never been a strong singing voice. She gives a starkly vulnerable twist to Like a Virgin by exposing her voice and body, even opening her legs to the camera-flashing crowd. From there she makes a spiritual journey with I’m a Sinner, then finds redemption in an stirring performance of Like a Prayer that had the audience clapping and singing along. She finished with a raving dance party in Celebration. It seemed a commemoration of her own power, and that of pop music.
Source : Miami.com
Monday, November 19, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
OFFICIAL : MDNA TOUR DVD TO BE FILMED IN MIAMI!
We are happy to announce that Madonna’s MDNA Tour DVD will be filmed in Miami on November 19th & 20th!
If you are to attend one of Miami shows, get ready “to dance & sing, to get up and do your thing” as you could make it in the final cut…
Fan club members: We are to launch the devoted Golden Triangle contest very soon. This time, we will pick winners out of the most amazing/fun looks, so go ahead and surprise us!
Source : Madonna.com
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Madonna shows her bum, raises $60 000 for Sandy victims!
Pop star Madonna has raised $60 000 to benefit the victims of hurricane Sandy by showing her bottom to a crowd in New York.
The singer bared her butt and encouraged those watching her to donate to victims of the recent hurricane Sandy by throwing their cash onstage.
She told the crowd at the city's Madison Square Garden venue: "I'm showing [my] naked ass for Hurricane Sandy victims."
The storm recently hit the Caribbean and US, causing billions of dollars of damage and leaving many homeless.
A concert attendee added to the New York Post newspaper: "One guy threw a $20 bill, and Madonna threw it back and said she wanted hundreds.
"She yelled, 'Is that all my ass is worth?'"
Some front row VIPs also got to see even more of the 54-year-old singer than they had bargained for.
One said: "I was sitting in the first row and when Madonna did a split in a thong it was a Sharon Stone Basic Instinct moment!"
Another added: "Yep, I saw the fern."
The film Basic Instinct famously features a scene in which Sharon Stone uncrosses her legs while being interrogated by police, revealing she is not wearing any knickers.
Fans who had bought $2 500 'Ultimate VIP Package' tickets for Madonna's MDNA Tour concert also had to sign waivers with some particular clauses, including agreeing not to "wander off in any way" during a pre-party or "seek out Madonna or her crew." They also had to agree "not to engage in any illegal or inappropriate activities" or "acts that are considered disturbing".
Fans at the show were also treated to Madonna performing a mash up of her hit Give It To Me and South Korean pop sensation PSY's cult smash Gangnam Style, with the star joining her on stage.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Fantastic Madonna "Love Spent" Live In NYC Photos!!
Pop Perfection in every way! Flawless!! Go Girl!!
Madonna Takes Saucy Routines To New Level...
MADONNA writhes around on stage in skimpy lace underwear, skyscraping platform heels and fishnets in a sexually charged display.
The singer put on her raunchiest show yet at the Madison Square Gardens date of her MDNA tour in New York City on Monday.
She was pelted with money from the eager audience as she urged them to throw dollar bills while she performed the stripper-style routine.
She shouts “If you are going to see my crack, you go to show some cash.” -Madonna
NEW WAX FIGURE OF MADONNA AT MADAME TUSSAUDS IN LONDON
A brand new wax figure of the Queen of Pop, Madonna, is making its way to Madame Tussauds in London, ready for Christmas.
Famous for her ever changing style, the unique superstar’s newest wax incarnation is inspired by her latest MDNA Tour and will début at the attraction in December. The figure, sculpted by Dave Burks, will show her in a dramatic performance pose, wearing a costume inspired by one of the key looks from the series of concerts.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
Madonna is still the s**t, says Rihanna!!
Rihanna has revealed that she still regards Madonna as "the queen" of music.
The Bajan star admitted that she looked up to the iconic performer when she was growing up and that she would love to collaborate with her in the future.
"You know, Madonna is one of those artists who was very self-expressive, she was bold, she was fearless, and all of those were things I looked up to as a young woman," Rihanna said during an interview on Facebook Live.
"I really just wanted to be myself and feel free to express it and not really be afraid of what people think about it. Madonna's still the s**t, and she'll always be Madonna. She's the queen."
Asked by Bravo's Andy Cohen if she would like to work with Madonna, Rihanna replied: "That would be so sick. I would love to. Who knows? Let's put it in the air."
Rihanna's seventh studio album Unapologetic will be released worldwide on November 19.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Hail, Hail Madonna: Our all-time top 10 Madonna tracks
We celebrate Madge on the 30th anniversary of her first Billboard chart appearance
It’s election day, but today is special for another reason. As Madonna fans/obsessives know, today marks the 30th anniversary of the Material Girl’s first appearance on a Billboard chart
Billboard chart editor, No. 1 Madonna fan and all-around good egg Keith Caulfield put together a great primer on Madge’s chart history starting with her Nov. 6, 1982 debut on Billboard’s Dance/Club Play Songs chart at No. 40 with “Everybody.”
Since then, she amassed some amazing stats, including 156 No. 1s culled from her appearances on all of Billboard’s charts. Madonna has logged 56 Hot 100 hits, 38 of which have gone Top 10.
For fun, I compiled my own Top 10 list of Madonna songs culled from her 38 Top 10 hits. See if you agree and post your top 10 in the comments section below.
[More after the jump...]
10. “Hung Up” (2005) The perfect blend of Madonna and Abba (the song samples “Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight).” Two of the biggest artists in the pop pantheon coming together for this twirling dance hit. What could be better?
9. “Cherish” (1989): A return to the light-hearted dance pop of Madonna’s very early years. It’s a skip-down-the-street kind of song. This is what pure joy sounds like.
8. “Material Girl” (1985) Madonna poked fun at her image perfectly with this peppy ode to all things materialistic. The video turned a catchy song into an iconic one. Plus, her delivery is delightful.
7. “Ray Of Light” (1998) Simply groundbreaking at the time as it helped usher electronic music into the mainstream. If you weren’t into the dance scene, you’d never heard anything like this before coming out of your speakers. It’s also worn very well.
6. “Open Your Heart” (1986) Again, not a great vocal performance from Madonna, but she strikes a convincing vulnerability as she pleads for a little consideration. Yes, it sounds dated, but in the best possible way in that you remember where you were when you first heard it.
5. “Don’t Tell Me” (2000): A great change of pace for Madonna, this country-tinged track, written by Joe Henry, combines a classic country feel with a dance production by Mirwais. Throw in the lack of effects on Madonna’s voice and the occasional silence pauses and it shouldn't work, but it does. Brilliantly.
4. “Secret” (1994): She’s not really comfortable in that low range, but there’s a wonderful aura around this mysterious, hypnotic long song. This one’s all about the slinky, sultry production more than Madonna’s vocal performance.
3. “Express Yourself” (1989)” One of the greatest female empowerment pop anthems, despite the fact that she’s chained up in the video. But as she explained at the time, she’s the one doing the restraining, so it’s still empowering.
2. “Like a Prayer” (1989): Everything about this single is perfect: Madonna’s delivery, the production, the shifts in tempos and instrumentation throughout. One of the best records ever made. The choir: perfection.
1. “Borderline” (1984): It’s an oldie, but a goodie. Madonna still had a sweet innocence that was soon left in the dust, but here it’s present and delightful. Besides, who hasn’t had a love who deliciously makes them feel like they’re going to lose their mind?
Which song is in your top 10?
MADONNA CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY ON BILLBOARD CHARTS!
Who’s that girl celebrating her 30th anniversary on the Billboard charts today? Madonna. On Nov. 6, 1982, Madonna made her Billboard chart debut, entering the Dance/Club Play Songs tally at No. 40 with “Everybody.” Since then, our charts and pop music have never been the same.
“Everybody” was Madonna’s first single for Sire/Warner Bros. and the first of an amazing 60 hits on the Dance/Club Play Songs chart (so far) for the diva.
Here is a look at a few of the entertainer’s amazing Billboard chart feats through the years:
A record 156 No. 1s: Given her multi-format appeal, winning support in pop, dance and adult contemporary formats, Madonna leads all artists for the most No. 1s on all Billboard charts combined. When her latest single, “Turn On the Radio,” ruled the Sept. 8 Dance/Club Play Songs chart, Madonna logged her record-extending 156th leader on an active, current-based domestic Billboard survey.
A record 43 No. 1s on the Dance/Club Play Songs chart: Essentially, if Madonna releases a single and it charts on Dance/Club Play Songs, it’s a safe bet to assume it’ll go to No. 1. Since 2000, she’s placed 26 hits on the survey. Of those, all but five have gone on to lead the list. Madonna is clearly the queen of the club. (Janet Jackson is next, having 19 No. 1s.) Madonna is on the verge of tying George Strait’s record for the most toppers on any single Billboard chart; the country legend has earned 44 No. 1s on Country Songs.
A record 38 top 10 Billboard Hot 100 singles: In the 54-year history of Billboard’s signature songs chart, Madonna has earned a record 38 top 10 hits. With 34, the Beatles rank second. Madonna first reached the Hot 100′s top 10 with 1984′s No. 10 hit “Borderline,” which began her streak of 17 consecutive top 10s through 1989′s No. 2-peaking “Cherish.” She most recently reached the region with 2012′s No. 10 hit “Give Me All Your Luvin’,” featuring Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.
56 Hot 100 hits: Madonna first dented the Hot 100 almost a year to the day after she made her Dance/Club Play Songs arrival. “Holiday” was her first Hot 100 hit, partying its way onto the chart on Oct. 29, 1983, at No. 88. It eventually rose to No. 16, the first of 32 straight top 40 hits for Madonna. Among women, only Aretha Franklin (73) has made more Hot 100 visits than Madonna, while Taylor Swift (as of last week) and Dionne Warwick also have tallied 56 entries.
12 Hot 100 No. 1s: Madonna’s haul of chart-toppers is the fourth-best of all time. (The Supremes also boast 12 No. 1s). Only the Beatles (20), Mariah Carey (18) and Michael Jackson (13) have earned more. Madonna first hit No. 1 with 1984′s “Like a Virgin,” which spent six weeks atop the list (her second-longest reign. Only 1995′s “Take a Bow” led longer.). Madonna has also ruled with “Crazy for You” (1985), “Live to Tell,” “Papa Don’t Preach” (1986), “Open Your Heart,” “Who’s That Girl” (1987), “Like a Prayer” (1989), “Vogue” (1990), “Justify My Love” (1991), “This Used to Be My Playground” (1992) and “Music” (2000).
20 Billboard 200 top 10 albums: Madonna has rung up 20 top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, the second-most among women after Barbra Streisand (32). Among all acts, Madonna and Bob Dylan are tied for the sixth-most top 10s, trailing only the Rolling Stones (36), Frank Sinatra (33), Streisand, the Beatles (30) and Elvis Presley (27). Among Madonna’s 20 top 10 sets are eight No. 1s (also second only to Streisand, who’s banked nine.) Madonna most recently topped the Billboard 200 with “MDNA” upon its April 14 debut.
Five Adult Contemporary No. 1s: After arriving as a dance diva, Madonna soon crossed over to adult contemporary audiences, widening her appeal and helping to ensure that her catalog of hit singles scores daily airplay today. She’s led AC with “Live to Tell” (1986), “La Isla Bonita” (1987), “Cherish” (1989), “I’ll Remember” (1994) and “Take a Bow” (1995).
A No. 1 even when she’s not No. 1: Madonna’s songs have found a place atop a Billboard ranking even when she’s not singing them. The cast of FOX’s “Glee” crowned the May 8, 2010, Billboard 200 with the “Glee: the Music, the Power of Madonna” EP. Four of the release’s covers reached the Hot 100 — “Like a Prayer” (No. 27), the “Borderline”/”Open Your Heart” mash-up, “Like a Virgin” and “4 Minutes” — reinforcing that the Queen of Pop’s music continues to reign among each new generation.
Source: Billboard
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
Flamboyant Divas Can Thank Madonna!!
http://triblive.com/...ic-stars-kramer
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Nov. 1, 2012
When provocative, sexualized pop stars like Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry perform, they can tip their hats to Madonna -- the original Material Girl who busted boundaries for future young women performers, industry observers say.
Today's more-flamboyant female pop stars enjoy the freedom to make music and perform the way they do, but they didn't create that freedom, says Howard Kramer, curatorial director of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Madonna -- who is performing Tuesday at Consol Energy Center in Uptown -- did the moving and shaking when she burst onto the pop-music charts in the early '80s, he says, and followed with hit after hit.
"Madonna and the career she carved out for herself made possible virtually every other female pop singer to follow," Kramer says. "She certainly raised the standards of all of them.
"She redefined what the parameters were for female performers," he says about Madonna. "She is, without question, the most important female artist, and one of the most important artists of the last half-century."
M. Tye Comer, editor of Billboard.com, agrees.
"You could argue that Lady Gaga wouldn't exist if it weren't for Madonna," he says. "Certainly, she made life easier for the (female artists) to be a little more provocative and a little more sexual. ... She's already shocked everybody with the things she's done onstage."
Although Madonna had her influences, such as David Bowie, she created her own unmistakable style. Madonna is ... well, Madonna. There was no one like her before, and though some singers from the past two decades show a style reminiscent of Madonna, there never will be another artist quite like Madge, Kramer says.
"She wrote her own ticket; she didn't have to follow anybody's formula," he says. "She declared who she was ... and took possession of her music."
Madonna's biggest hits include the perky, happy dance jigs like "True Blue," "Material Girl," "Into the Groove," "Cherish" and "Lucky Star;" the ballads "Crazy For You" and "Live to Tell;" the intense "Like a Prayer" and "Like a Virgin;" and the sultry, seductive "Justify My Love."
Her music continues in this generation with this year's dance-heavy "MDNA," and other recent albums such as "Hard Candy" from 2008 and "Confessions on a Dance Floor" from 2005. Madonna has earned her fame not just for the prolific hit-making, but for her live shows known for visual spectacles, dancing, sensuality and theatrics, Kramer says.
"She's exactly what she wanted to be: She wanted to be the biggest thing in the world, and she succeeded," he says. "Very few people get there. ... Everybody who auditions for 'American Idol' wants that."
Madonna, who is 54, makes no apologies for her boldness that often offends people, and proudly and abrasively shares her liberal viewpoints. At a recent concert, she admonished the audience to "vote for (bleep) Obama!" At the recent concert in the Denver area, still reeling from "The Dark Knight" shooting in July, Madonna upset many concertgoers with her fake guns on stage.
"She still raises eyebrows. ... People were a little taken aback by it," Comer says. "It's a very provocative show, but ... that's who Madonna is. She continues to push buttons."
And, Madonna's Pittsburgh concert is Tuesday, which is election night. This ought to be interesting, Comer says.
"It doesn't really matter who you see; there's going to be that sort of anticipation in the air," he says. "The final results will come out when the show is still happening, especially with Madonna being so political."
Comer is a longtime Madge fan, and has been to at least a half dozen of her concerts. He says that the current "MDNA" Tour, which has been selling out, is one of the best he's seen.
"You expect to see a spectacle on stage," Comer says. "Beyond that, she herself is just an amazing performer. ... She could be a dancer in her own right.
"She continues to ... push her own boundaries as a performer in an effort just to give the audience something different and something new," he says.
Madonna was someone different and new in the early '80s, and somehow, no female pop star has seemed quite as new and different since, says Chip DiMonick, singer of his self-titled Pittsburgh-based rock band. "Bad girl" pop stars follow a well-defined formula, and may have the "copycat virus," he says.
"Female pop artists don't have to look too far or work too hard to find a template on how to be that bad girl," says DiMonick, of Moon, in an email. "But, for as titillating as these pop stars' personas are, things are feeling a little contrived to many like me.
"Madonna was the original bad-girl pop star," he says. "There was no template. She broke new ground. ... One can argue that today's style is simply a current manifestation of what Madonna was doing in the early '80s."