Madonna is superhuman. She has to be to survive the ugly abuse!!

No wonder Madonna took her Brit awards fall in her stride – she deals with much worse just for being a 56-year-old woman

Madonna was at the Brits, performing her totally boss I Will Survive-style single Living for Love, when it happened. “Took me to heaven, let me fall down … lifted me up and watched me stumble.”

So she prophesied it, and so it came to pass. It wasn’t a trip or a tumble. It wasn’t funny; it was terrifying and so brutal that the audience fell silent. It was the kind of accident that breaks necks, damages brains and haunts Cirque du Soleil performers’ nightmares. The Armani cape Madonna was wearing as she approached the podium was tied too tight and didn’t fall undone when her dancers pulled it. She was yanked back by the neck and flew through the air over three steps, landed hard at the base of the podium and for a split second didn’t move.

Watching at home, my heart stopped. Is that all it takes to kill a queen? Milanese outerwear?

The hateful hashtags #shefellover, #Fallenmadonna, immediately began toxifying Twitter: “I get it, Madonna. My grandma is exactly the same.” “I hope grandma’s ok. A broken hip at her age could be a death sentence.”

But as Madonna also sang last night, “I picked up my crown, put it back on my head. I can forgive, but I will never forget.” After a fall like that, anyone else would roll around screaming in agony then look for someone to blame.

She drew on a higher power: herself. Showing her famous mental and physical strength, she got to her feet, picked up the choreography and tune, un-lip-synced and note perfect – as the isolated vocals from her performance at the Grammys show – and finished triumphantly.

That is the Madonna I’ve loved for ever, starting with the flamenco moves of La Isla Bonita. They say you’re not supposed to believe the hype. But with some people, the mythos is real. She has mystique, the rare bulletproof real-deal charisma. She has never been defined by men and has always advocated for other women, pointing out in her upcoming Rolling Stone cover interview that “people like to pit women against each other”.

Analysis Madonna falls, but it was the Brit awards that took a tumble
If the ceremony proved anything, it was that the Brit awards themselves are substantially less interesting than watching someone fall over
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But it’s not just about individualistic survival ability, sisterliness or externals like Vogue style or Desperately Seeking Susan attitude. Madonna is not worthy of respect simply for surviving, having sass or cannily working out how to play every capitalist angle. She has a brilliant and indeed record-breaking talent in her discipline, which is music. She’s been making great albums including Like A Prayer, Ray of Light and Confessions on a Dancefloor throughout her career, and the latest, Rebel Heart, is up there with them; she is “in the game again”, as The Telegraph says.

But how many times does Madonna have to prove that she’s a worthy player? How many times does she have to break records by selling more, touring more lucratively, flexing harder than everyone else on the planet? Her many colleagues have paid tribute to her exceptional skills as a producer, songwriter, lyricist; but whenever Madonna successfully works with a male producer it is he who is given the credit.

Where her abilities are not ignored, imputed to men or praised in passing as though they have now faded, they are actively mocked. I loved her film WE, comparing it favourably with the risible King’s Speech, where the women were two doting wives with barely a line between them and Wallis Simpson was a depraved shrew. I saw WE with a historian friend who was astounded by its accuracy and detail; I loved the women characters, the aesthetic, the mournful realism behind the romance. It’s a feminist film, psychologically acute.

But she was brutally mocked in the reviews. And that laughter is growing louder and crueller and uglier, as the Twitter response to her fall illustrated. Madonna’s longevity was first admired and is now actively sabotaged by editorials which never fail to mention her age, as though it is something to be ashamed of. I am shocked by the uninflected scorn, the derision and foul-mouthed trashing she is dealt, and how much of it is grossly visceral: hatred of her flesh, physicality, sexual confidence, athleticism, ambition, her preference for Latin spunkbots, her alternating bossiness and vulnerability and romanticism and eroticism and playfulness, her performance ability and hunger. All the things which were once admired about her are now used to bash her and make her appear laughable or monstrous or desperate.

Madonna is no stranger to misogyny. She is a rape survivor and a domestic assault survivor. How much worse is this going to get?

Madonna is only 56. She is in the prime of her life, she has power, talent, experience and wisdom, in addition to her natural intelligence and rigour. She is about to release her 13th album – one of her best yet. The things she is ordered to do – age gracefully, put it away, retire, crawl away and die – have behind them a desire to shame, permanently destroy and negate this woman who dares to be vocal and visible, physical and political.

In order to withstand this, one would have to be superhuman. Luckily, Madonna is.

But why should anyone have to swallow the world’s unstinting hatred when she wants to be remembered for her brilliant artistry?

Madonna On The Cover Of Rolling Stone.

Madonna in NYC airport Feb 21/2015

Madonna Gala Magazine Interview.

"I am terribly annoying for my kids"

They introduce her, saying that she is known for being quite difficult to interview and thus the guy interviewing her described, how nervous he was. He says how he´s been warned by Liz to not ask stupid questions in order to have a good time. The interview was located in the Universal building and he notices with astonishment that M is only fifteen minutes too late, which is nothing for a star. She seems to have played the tequilla game with him again . He says that she seems nice, has "remarkably many lines from laughing" around her eyes and wore gloves again.

​Your children are quite grown up by know. Did they help you choosing the songs for "Rebel Heart"?

Yes, for many years we do that together. I played them every songs and ask them for their opinion on the sound and the text.

How was their feedback?

They liked many songs right at the beginning. Sometimes though they opposed to my decisions - which always lead to discussions. I had to watch out for them not to undermine me. My kids know exactly how to influence me.

Who´s your biggest fan in the family?

David loves my music. He is really into the faster tracks and dances around in the room.

And who is your biggest critic?

Lola, definetly. Of all my kids, she is the one closest to me. She knows exactly what she wants. Just like me (laughs).

Lola turned 18 in October and now studies dance, music and theatre in Detroit. How hard was it for you to let go of your first child?

When she moved out of my house in autumn it was the hardest day of my life. I was destroyed. Even when my long-term relationships broke I did´t feel the pain I felt in that moment. It almost tore my heart out of my chest.

How long did it take for you to get used to this new situation?
I didn´t get used to it just yet. I miss my daughter every day. Lola for me is like a soul mate. She is a part of my and thus it feels like losing an arm.

As a mother, are you scared of many things?
Yes. I really annoy my children with that. I am very caring and overly protective. I can be a real mother-hen and I don´t like the thought of Lola dancing the night away in clubs without me having the possibility to control at what hour she returns to home.

But isn´t it normal for a young woman to test herself?
Yes, of course. I was even worse at that age (laughs). But it is a sad fact, that we live in a crazy and scary world.Every year it seems to get worse.There are so many freaked out people out there. That is why I am often very scared for my kids.

Is your family complete now or could you imagine adopting another child?
No, I have my hands full raising four children. But I still take financial care of the orphans in Malawi, trying to provide them with education. The children in Malawi in some ways feel like mine anyways.

What is the greatest misconception people have about Madonna?
Oh well, there are plenty. One, for sure is that I am not vulnerable. Some people honestly think that I am never neither sad nor depressed, exhausted and that I never suffer from a broken heart. They think of me as bigger than life. Or they believe that I am cold hearted and calculating. But you know what? I hate this question (pours tequila and hands it over)
Hold on for a second: you said I had to drink for every stupid question.
Well, I extend it with another category: annoying. Cheers. Drink it up!

And where is the salt and the lemon?
We didn´t have enogh money for that (laughs)
Your answer to the question about misconception shows that you are also a vulnerable person. "Rebel Heart" shows this part of your personality.

Have you grown
softer in the last years?
In some ways, yes. But even 25 years ago I already was romantic and sensitive. The other part of me will always be a rebel.

​How do you handle the hostility directed at you?
Sometimes I am very hurt, when I read the hateful and nasty comments people make about me in the Internet. I think it´s shocking how mean and villainous some people could be. Even more, since it´s a very coward behavior. Those people would never say the mean things to my face, if they met me in the streets.

You really read the nasty comments about you?
Every now and then, yes I do.

Why do you hurt yourself this way?
Because I am a very curious person. And luckily, there are not mainly nasty comments, but a lot of positive things. For me it´s exiting to see what my fans are thinking. And, concerning the haters: I should have grown a very thick skin by now, since I have always been critisized. Some people think I am an invulnerable superwoman. But I am not. Some offense directed at me really go under my skin and hurt me. After all, I am just a normal woman.

Why do you think you polarize as much as you do?
In many cases it´s enviousness. Many people just can´t bear the fact that I am still there. And I am a woman who pushes peoples buttons, who scandalizes(? don´t know, if there´s an english word for that) and polarizes. Many people are put off by that. That´s what I don´t understand: Why do people put so much energy in dealing with someone who they think is terrible.
Since 31 years you are a part of the "pop-circus". Are there moments in which you feel exhausted and wonder if you should carry on?
No, I love my work. I have too many ideals, plans and creativity to stop now.

Are you sometimes sad by seeing how time flies?
Yes, sometimes I really feel sad, but foremost nostalgic. I miss the good old days, in the beginning of my career. I was friends with so many great artists - Warhol, Haring, Basquiat. I experienced the upcoming of the Rock Steady Crew and the Graffity-Scene. New York was so full of life, we all pushed each other. Nothing was censored, everything was new, unique and exzessive. It was a wonderful time. Nowadays many things have become very nice and boring.
But your life remains exiting: In November you will start a new world tour.
To perform live in front of my fans is the greatest thing for me. But on the other hand it is also a huge effort. That´s why I train so much. I need to be super fit to be able to give my best every evening for months.
What do you say to people who think you are too old to participate in the Pop-

Business and who think that you generally don´t behave age-appropriate?
I only have one answer to that... (pushes the button which is standing on the table next to her. A squawking voice exclaims: "Two words - one finger")
"Fuck you" and the middle finger? There it is, Madonna`s rebellious side!
Yes! I am sick of this age-racisms in our society. Should women over 50 just vanish from the public? Is there a law saying that we can't be adventurous and experimental after that?

That we are not allowed to feel sexy and celebrate sexuality after we have
turned a certain age?
No, but many people think it is embarrassing to be sexy in a offensive way after a certain age.
That is not my problem. I never followed rules and I love pushing people´s buttons. If you don´t like it; don't watch, don´t listen

Madonna Notches Historic 44th No. 1 on Dance Club Songs Chart

http://www.billboard...direction=false

The Queen of Pop reigns again with 'Living for Love,' tying with George Strait, the King of Country, for the most leaders on a single Billboard chart.

Madonna makes Billboard chart history, as she earns her 44th No. 1 on Dance Club Songs, where "Living for Love" lifts 2-1. (The ranking, dated March 7, will refresh on Billboard.com on Thursday, Feb. 26.)

With the coronation, Madonna equals George Strait, who's logged 44 No. 1s on Hot Country Songs, for the most leaders ever by an act on a singular Billboard chart.

It's fitting history for the artists also known, respectively, and reverently, as the Queen of Pop and the King of Country.





With her 44th leading title on Dance Club Songs, which measures reports submitted by a national sample of club DJs, Madonna pulls further ahead of runners-up Beyonce and Rihanna. In fact, Madonna has tallied as many No. 1s as they have combined: 22 each. (The chart launched as a national survey in the Billboard issue dated Aug. 28, 1976.)

Madonna, who performed "Love" at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, matches Strait's esteemed honor, with the latter icon having stood at the Hot Country Songs summit with 44 smashes between 1982 and 2009. He first reigned with "Fool Hearted Memory" (Aug. 28, 1982) and most recently ruled with "River of Love" (April 18, 2009.)

"Love" introduces Madonna's 13th studio album, Rebel Heart, due March 10.

Madonna On New 'Rebellious and Romantic' Music, Demo Leaks, 'Possibly' Crashing the Grammys and the 'Crazy' Sony Hack

"The reason I wanted to call the record Rebel Heart was because I felt like it explored two very distinct sides of my personality," Madonna told Billboard's Keith Caulfield in December. "The rebellious, renegade side of me, and the romantic side of me."

Specifically of the house music-infused "Love," the ever-youthful Material Girl similarly said, "It's kind of like the old me and the new me all mixed in together."

Looking ahead, all Madonna needs is one more leader, perhaps also from Rebel Heart, to pass Strait and claim vaunted chart history -- 45 No. 1s on one ranking -- all to herself.

For now, at least, Madonna and Strait make for unparalleled Billboard chart royalty.

Updated look at Madonna's 44 Dance Club Songs No. 1s @ http://www.billboard...direction=false

Rebel Heart Australian Review!

Discussing Madonna around a dinner table will likely garner her some ridicule. “Relevant” seems to be the last compliment people want to give her, these days. The typical naysayer will give praise for what she used to be but express disdain for her continued eminence in culture. Reasons for such contempt usually circle her 56 years of age and the belief she’s desperate to still be doing what she’s already been doing for 30 + years.

Ironically, considering this apparent attitude, there are forces at work,which want Madonna’s new music in the world before she’s quite ready. The release of her 13th studio album Rebel Heart will be remembered for its premature leaks. Even before last year was through, numerous demos seeped onto the internet, prompting Madonna and her team to make six tracks from the LP immediately available on iTunes. An Israeli man was eventually arrested under suspicion for the hack, but the full album, in its completed form, subsequently emerged online earlier this month.

For an artist who has always muscled an iron grip on her career, it seemed, for the first time, Madonna was without considerable control. Interestingly, loss of control is a developed theme on ‘Rebel Heart’. In ‘Wash All Over Me’, she questions, “Who am I to decide what should be done?” There’s a sense Madonna has learnt to lean into seeming unease. “If this is the end then let it come. Let it come, let it rain. Rain all over me” she sings over the song’s majestic pace of marching band percussion. Lyrically, she’s releasing. And, at a point in her career where ageism is tugging at her seams, it’s a needed expression of self-awareness in being a mature icon, in today’s condemnatory pop world.

With letting go, Madonna is also willing to be vulnerable. Exposure runs rampant on ‘Rebel Heart’. Ten years ago, she was making frivolous confessions on a dance floor, now she’s confessing from a deeply honest place. On ‘Joan Of Arc’s’ tuneful chorus, she vents, “I don’t wanna talk about it right now, just hold me while I cry my eyes out.” It’s a tender moment from a woman who’s physicality, at the very least, suggests nothing can break her. ‘Joan Of Arc’ leads us to believe that despite her astonishing resilience, her armour can be shattered by what they say. Perhaps it’s responsive to claims of her irrelevance and desperation – “Each time they write a hateful word, dragging my soul into the dirt. I wanna die.” It’s an admission from Madonna that feels like a rarity, considering her typically steely persona.

Madonna’s previous album, 2012’s ‘MDNA’, was deemed her divorce piece. Her lyrics often detailed the drama she experienced in leaving ex-husband Guy Ritchie. On ‘Rebel Heart’, Madonna articulates her experience with separation on a greater spectrum. Sentiments travel from anguish to the power found in goodbye. ‘HeartBreakCity’ is a clear cut from her material defined by grief. “Cut me down the middle. Fucked me up a little”, she tremors over a forlorn piano, which is later intensified by another percussive march. Notably, marching is the sound of endurance on ‘Rebel Heart’, and we’re taking Madonna’s steps of survival in listening.

From the strength she finds in moving on, ‘Living For Love’ is manifested, as the album’s lead-single. The Diplo made sequence of house lifts the roof like her titanic benchmarks, ‘Like A Prayer’ and ‘Express Yourself’. There’s also duality within the song’s context of life-after-love. The secondary message is making love the point of life. And, for this reason, one can easily imagine pride seasons around the globe elevating ‘Living For Love’ to a higher anthemic level than where it already stands.


The reverse side of Madonna’s loss of love is her undying affinity with romantic idealisation. Such musings gain tremendous momentum on ‘Ghosttown’, where her perspective is starry-eyed, as she narrates a tale of love’s survival in a post apocalyptic world. Adorned with a far-reaching chorus, ‘Ghosttown’ is an electro-ballad with melodies that curve deeply. Despite minor flourishes of auto-tune, Madonna’s voice sounds wholesome and less cartoonish here. Behind all that goes on, sonically, the cinematic embellishments of this tune are lassoed in by a series of humble yet mighty chord progressions, which work to keep everything tightly arranged. Solely written by Madonna, ‘Ghosttown’ feels more concerned with song-craft than trend, making it a rewarding listen.

The delightful ‘Body Shop’ is another rose-tinted vision. Madonna likens her romantic needs to upkeep on a car, which ought to be attended to by her beau in the body shop. “Jumpstart my heart, you know what you gotta do.” The metaphoric discourse is endearing and the song twangs somewhere between India and Middle America. Is it a sitar or banjo playing? Either way, it strums blissfully on the ears. Not dissimilar to ‘Ghosttown’, it’s a track where Madonna doesn’t seem preoccupied with staying current, and the results are actually quite fresh.
Of course, there are ticks on ‘Rebel Heart’, where Madonna’s penchant for appealing to the youth market makes the production overexcited. ‘Bitch I’m Madonna’, featuring Nicki Minaj, swanks a flatulent synth that ambushes the listener with its teenage enthusiasm. With lyrics like – “Yeah, we’ll be drinking and nobody’s gonna stop us”, the song essentially uses the age-appropriate-guidebook as toilet paper. Likewise, on ‘Unapologetic Bitch’, Diplo edges the production with raving alarms, as it’s reggaeton beat struts with brazen confidence. “I’m popping bottles that you can’t even afford. I’m throwing parties and you won’t get in the door”, it’s a brattish ode to validating oneself against the ex. The pressing break-up suggests one she had with a recent boy-toy, perhaps twenty-something Jesus Luz or Brahim Zaibat? Surely Guy Richie could afford expensive champagne.

Even among the party packages, ‘Rebel Heart’ is an album laced with lush guitar and strong song writing. A noteworthy number, which attests to these qualities, is the title track, ‘Rebel Heart’. It’s a mid-tempo ballad so melodically sophisticated, with its sing-along euphony, that the chorus reaches a much higher plane. The instrumentation of heart-tugging strings and percussive punch helps to support a vocal performance from Madonna that echoes wisely from her point of reflection. The song, thematically, is a look back, “So I took the road less travelled by, and I barely made it out alive.”

Unlike the Madonna of previous eras, this one is absorbed in pronouncing all she’s done before. The album explicitly rejoices in her legacy and that’s evident in song titles like ‘Iconic’ and ‘Veni Vidi Vici’. In the latter, Madonna self-references her litany of hits by weaving big names into autobiographic lines like “I expressed myself, came like a virgin down the isle… I opened up my heart. I learnt the power of goodbye. I saw a ray of light. Music saved my life.” In the Natalia Kills assisted ‘Holy Water’, she goes as far as resurrecting the rap from ‘Vogue’ to commemorate her history. And after three decades of prominence in the music industry, she’s earned her privilege to revel in such rich heritage.

No one has matched the endurance of Madonna in pop. No one has had a career of consistency to compare to her achievements. ‘Rebel Heart’ can be enjoyed as a testament to her continuance. Usually, persistent success in one’s career, over a lengthy period, is societally regarded as an achievement worthy of applause. Therefore, it seems contradictory for cynics to drag her for prolonging a career. The alternative perception is to simply appreciate the music, as it so easily is, with ‘Rebel Heart’.

Inarguably it’s her best release in ten years. This is Madonna’s new era. If attention looks beyond the music, perhaps it’s time to notice that what she’s doing, as a 56-year-old female in pop, is shifting the paradigm for what it means to be middle-aged. We’re all living longer lives, let this central part in our life become more abundant. Let’s look to Madonna as an example on how to express freely.

Source : SameSame.co.au

MADONNA’S “LIVING FOR LOVE” BECOMES ONE OF POP’S 50 MOST-PLAYED SONGS

BY BRIAN CANTOR

Following its strong Valentine's Day performance, Madonna's "Living for Love" now ranks as one of the pop format's 50 most-played songs.

Thanks to a big Valentine’s Day push, Madonna’s “Living for Love” now registers as one of the fifty most-played songs at pop radio.

The song, which made an underwhelming pop radio impact last week, registers at #49 on Monday’s edition of the rolling Mediabase pop radio chart.

That #49 position is attributable to the 427 spins “Living for Love” received between February 9 and 15. Reports indicate that 205 of those spins came on Valentine’s Day.

Whether this weekend’s airplay represents an anomaly or the beginning of a momentum swing remains to be seen, but it certainly breeds some optimism for those discouraged by previous status reports.

Per last week’s Mediabase add board, only fifteen monitored stations added “Living for Love” in conjunction with its official radio impact (and on the heels of its Grammmy Awards showcase).

That it had gained virtually no traction ahead of its official impact date–Mediabase says it only received 10 pop radio spins during the week between February 2 and 8 despite its weeks of pre-impact buzz and availability–provided further reason to doubt the extent to which radio programmers were “Living for Love.”

If audiences reacted favorably to the song they started to hear more frequently over Valentine’s Day weekend, that could change.

MADONNA INTERVIEW ON EUROPE1 NEXT FRIDAY 27th

Europe1 will be broadcasting a new interview with Madonna on Friday February 27th.



Madonna will talk about her new album, the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and the upcoming tour. According to Le Parisien newspaper, Madonna will be performing twice in France in the fall and it will probably be at the Bercy Arena in Paris.

ANDY COHEN : MADONNA IS QUEEN , NOW AND FOREVER

Madonna’s butt-baring Givenchy matador number on the Grammys red carpet may have landed her on many a worst-dressed list — but count Andy Cohen as a fan.

“I loved it,” he said Tuesday night at the Woman’s Day Red Dress Awards at Jazz at Lincoln Center. “Here’s the thing, the red carpets today are so boring because everyone has a stylist, and they just listen to their stylist and they do whatever they say. I like that Madonna puts on a show every time she comes out . . . when I’m 56, if my ass looks like that, I’ll wear fishnets and a matador outfit and show my ass.”
Cohen found the Madge Twitter backlash particularly obnoxious.

“I thought the response to her was really ageist,” he said. “Why should you deny Madonna the right to be Madonna? This is who she is. This is what she does.
“I was tweeting about her, and I got a lot of tweets from women who were saying, ‘She’s too old, she can’t do this, she looks ridiculous,’ ” added Cohen. “I tweeted a couple back and I said, ‘Look, I’m looking at your avatar, and with all due respect, honey, you have a situation happening yourself.’ I don’t know why I’m on such a soap box about it, but I think it’s interesting. She’s Madonna. Let her keep being Madonna. Don’t take that away.”

A longtime Madonna fan, Cohen has made no secret of the fact that the Queen of Pop is his dream guest to have on his nightly Bravo talk show, “Watch What Happens Live.” He’s hoping to leverage the release of her new album coming in March, “Rebel Heart,” into a booking.
“I’m working on it!,” he said. “Over Christmas, I was sitting there, zoning out in the sun, listening to Madonna, thinking seriously, ‘What would you ask her?’ And I started writing questions. Because that’s one show that I don’t want to blow . . . I don’t want to f – – k it up.”

MADONNA, LIGHTS YEARS AWAY FROM ACTING HER AGE

Now that we’ve calmed down after Kanye’s tanty over Beck winning best album at the Grammys, I think we can safely agree that although Kanye might have some valid points, until he holds his own personal awards ceremony he is not in a position to decide who gets what gong. End of.

All this kerfuffle has distracted us from something else that happens each year at the Grammys: the relentless and constant age-shaming of Madonna. It’s become some sort of sport.

Madge turned up to the ceremony in her usual garb, ie something tight, excruciatingly short and topped off with a pair of unwearable shoes. No real surprises there. Although I did enjoy the Napoleon-slash-Spanish matador vibe of her whole ensemble. She flounced about in her now de rigueur corsetry with boobs proudly on show, legs encased in saucy fishnets. On first glance, most people thought “Nice hat” and went back to their lives.

Then she flashed her backside. At the paparazzi. Who deserve it just as much as that degrading manicam box into which celebs are forced to shove their hands to have their cuticles filmed up close. Moon them both, I say.

Of course, Madonna’s rear wasn’t encased in a comfortable pair of sensible control-top cottontail undies like most women of most ages would wear. Her backside was bare, encased only by some sort of sporty jock strap that worked as a cheek hammock (where can I get one? The lift was extraordinary). Glorious Madge. Glorious 50-something-year-old Madge. Who refuses to put it away.

Cue the naysayers on socials saying Madonna should act her age. These normally rational people, who clearly all now hold a university degree in sitting on their own backsides and having opinions of 140 characters or less, were deeply concerned that Madge really needs a friend right now who’ll be honest and tell her the truth about her clothing choices. Others worried for her children. Some stated that she has more arse than class.

To think an older person wearing revealing clothes can still get folk in a lather, yet when Taylor Swift at the barely-legal-to-drink age of 22 turns up dressing like a 45-year-old movie star no one bats an eye! And that is so sad. Why should anyone be told to act their age when it comes to getting dressed? And as an aside, what on earth does acting your age really mean in this context? I assume the answer is covering it all up. And as Tay would say: shake it off.

I attended a product launch years ago that was hosted by an octogenarian artist who has a history of pulling practical jokes and pranks. Once her speech was done she then proceeded to pour the champagne all over the place, including on herself, then hoik her skirt up to flash her undies too. It was both shocking and joyful.

This moment always serves as a reminder that I wasn’t used to people over a certain age enjoying themselves, their bodies, and just generally mucking about with societal norms. It also showed me what a terrible bunch of conservatives we’ve become. Self-expression is not only for the young.

Telling Madonna what you think she can and can’t wear at her age has a hint of the Kanyes about it. And if we all agree that Yeezus doesn’t have that right to tell someone else who deserves to win, nor do we have the right to tell someone over a certain vintage to dress their age. Isn’t it the same?

Source : TheGuardian

Why Madonna’s Mooning Was A Triumph

Nothing could have been more predictable than the scorn and disgust provoked by Madonna’s cheeky get-up at the Grammy Awards.

Commenters wanted to know why Madonna can’t age gracefully and tastefully like, say, Annie Lennox, who arrived on the red carpet draped in black, from neck to toe and shoulder to wrist.

All that was missing from Lennox’s outfit was a hijab, or head covering.

But it’s Lennox who’s being held up as a model of what’s appropriate for post-menopausal women to wear in public.

Covered up, unremarkable, blending into the background, no body part noticeable — that’s what’s required for aging women to avoid the adjectives hurled at Madonna today: old, tired, desperate, demeaning, hag, ugly, delusional, disgusting, sadly pathetic.

“Saggy baggy old hag. Has to use a big leather strap to hold up that old saggy ass to keep it from hitting her on the back of her knees. Pathetic.”

There’s a lot more nastiness about her sexy matador costume and bare flesh but you get the idea.

The revulsion for Madonna’s extreme cleavage has been outdone only by the horror about her bum exposure after she mooned millions or red carpet watchers.

The in-your-face sexuality of a 56-year old woman is intolerable for most people. It’s considered monstrous and it’s why witches are regarded as abominations.

Women’s sexuality is a potent force and aging is a source of anxiety and when the two are combined, many people are repulsed by it.

Women are traditionally required to please, to be gentle and accepting and not to call attention to their sexuality, even to hide it.

They’re also required to fade into old age, relinquishing sexuality when their bodies are no longer fecund or as pleasing to men.

That, of course, is what’s meant by “aging gracefully” and “dressing age appropriately.”

But Madonna has always broken the rules and thank goodness for that.

She’s exactly the kind of provocateur we aging women need right now, even if we don’t feel the need to moon for photographers.

And as for dressing appropriately for the red carpet, that’s exactly what she did.

The red carpet is as much a show as any performance and the costume is what’s it’s all about.

If we’re going to watch women paraded around and judged for their appearance and body parts, then Madonna deserves applause for playing the game and, even more so, for mocking it.

Sure, we might choose to look elegant and wear something more like Lennox’s tasteful black gown when the occasion calls for dress-up.

But Madonna is doing us all a huge favour in insisting that post-menopausal women don’t have to hide themselves behind the dictates of age-appropriate fashion and graceful aging.

MADONNA IS THE OG QUEEN OF THIS POP SH*T

Today Madonna dropped off two heat rocks, reminding us all that she is the OG Queen of this pop thing, the MJ of this shit, whichever one: Jordan or Jackson. One features Chance the Rapper and Mike Tyson (“Iconic”), and the other features Nas (“Veni Vidi Vici”). Back in December she let loose “Bitch I’m Madonna” featuring her heir to the pop throne, Nicki Minaj, and the Diplo-assisted “Living for Love.” And I must say, she’s back like she never left.

“Iconic” and “Living for Love” feature hard-hitting dance beats. They’ll make you want to go hammer with some glow sticks and tongue a stranger down on the dance floor. “Bitch I’m Madonna” and “Veni Vidi Vici” are more of the traditional pop variety one would hear on a Top 40 station, a tactic that she’s perfected. Nicki, Chance, and Nas spit nothing but fire on their respective features. It’s dope that she has rappers on her upcoming project because it’s a show of respect to a genre that, over the course of her career, has gone from a “fad” to the driving force in popular culture.

Never one to shy away from controversy, Madge found herself in one with her Rebel Heart online marketing campaign. She replicated her album cover by placing the various “rebel” faces of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Bob Marley, and Jesus Christ in bondage or whatever you want to call it. I’m still trying to figure out the point of that album art. She tried to compare herself to those icons and then she apologized for doing so. This made me skeptical of the whole project at first. The aforementioned online campaign was sketchy at best, and she’s also 56 now and hasn’t made a great album in nine years, which made it feel forced (don’t hate on my opinion!). But I digress.

Once upon a time my friends and I would get lit to various Madonna albums. Mind you, we were street kids from North Jersey. We’re in our late 20s, early 30s now, and Madonna’s music was just as familiar to us back then as say Wu-Tang’s music. We would pregame to 2005’s Confessions on a Dance Floor or a mix of her greatest hits with various drugs in our systems. Play drunk Twister with a group of pretty girls while listening to Madonna before you judge the kid. These new tracks remind me of those times. I’m writing this as “Sorry” plays, and I’m feeling froggy. I wish I had some ‘shrooms or some acid, to be honest. Roc-A-Fella, Dipset, Max B, Madonna, piff, and Henny got the god through college in one piece, feel me?

Accept no duplicates. Lady Gaga can’t wash the Queen’s throne. She’s a hack at best, a shock jock. Not to say Madonna isn’t, but she manages to come across as original while Gaga comes across as trying too hard—she’s already washed up. The only ones who come close are Onika, Azealia Banks, Rihanna, and Beyonce. “Truffle Butter” samples the deep house cut “What They Say” by Maya Jane Coles, and Broke With Expensive Taste is a brilliant mixing of genres, something Madonna does very well. Rihanna is a hit-making machine, and Beyonce was born to perform. Madge birthed them all, and we must honor and respect that legacy. I’m expecting Rebel Heart to go platinum in like two weeks. “Bitch I’m Madonna” and “Living for Love” have a combined 5,253,598 Spotify streams.

Let us all bow our heads because we are not worthy. I for one can’t wait to turn up to Rebel Heart when it drops. Thugs fuck with poppy, dance bullshit sometimes too, lord. Only God can judge me. I’m going to play some 2Pac after this, though, for sure. I’m sounding kind of crazy, but fuck it, it’s the truth. ‘Pac used to fuck with Madonna, and so should you.

uk.complex.com