Madonna’s rambling Aretha Franklin tribute earns backlash

NEW YORK — The backlash was swift for Madonna’s rambling, egocentric tribute to Aretha Franklin at the MTV Video Music Awards, with media and Queen-of-Soul fans wondering why she got the gig in the first place.

Dressed in flowing black with grandiose flourishes of African jewelry, Madonna’s send-off came before she presented the video of the year award to Camila Cabello on Monday night. She spoke at length about her own start in the business and her own career before thanking Franklin for “empowering all of us. R.E.S.P.E.C.T.”

Cabello then collected the biggest award of the night for her “Havana” video with a bow to Madonna, dedicating the trophy to, you guessed it, Madonna.


There was a short video of early Franklin that played before Madonna said that the icon who died Thursday “changed the course of my life,” and Franklin’s “Respect” played as the night’s closing credits rolled. But there was no live musical performance honoring the legend.

Some accused Madonna, in her spiky silver headpiece, heavy necklaces and beaded bracelets, of cultural appropriation. Far more accused her of making the show’s only tribute to Franklin all about herself.

“I’m so lost,” radio host Charlamagne Tha God tweeted. “I thought Madonna was supposed to be paying homage to Aretha but all I heard was her paying homage to herself.”

After describing her teen exit from Detroit to make her name in show business, Madonna said at one point, “So, you are probably all wondering why I am telling you this story.”

Why, yes. Before she got to the point (she sang “(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman” acapella at an audition of yore), Madonna meandered through references to Paris, poverty, guitar lessons and finally her backside hanging out at a VMAs show after breaking a stiletto.

“Does Madonna know Madonna didn’t die?” ESPN’s Katie Nolan tweeted.

Marc Snetiker of Entertainment Weekly described the speech on Twitter as “Madonna presents an Aretha Franklin tribute by Madonna featuring Madonna with Madonna and Madonna as ‘Madonna’.”

The response was not unlike that from some fans of Prince when Madonna donned a “Purple Rain” suit to honor him soon after his death, at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards.

The Madonna Twitter roasting included this from one angry Franklin fan: “Only madonna would tell her life story while honoring a dead Black Woman lmaooo.”

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Musicians and fans pay tribute to DJ Avicii

Thousands of fans gathered in Stockholm Saturday to remember Swedish star Avicii, one of the world’s most successful DJs who has died aged 28.


The DJ, whose real name was Tim Bergling, was found dead Friday in Muscat, the capital of the Gulf sultanate Oman, where he had been on holiday with friends.

A police source in Oman said the death was not considered to be suspicious, adding that the circumstances would remain confidential at the request of the family.


On Saturday afternoon, several thousand people gathered to remember the DJ at Sergels Torg plaza in Stockholm, where the crowd danced to his hit songs.

“He was a modern Mozart,” said 61-year-old language teacher Chris Koskela. “One of the greatest artists that Sweden has ever known.”

Fellow DJ Sebastian Ingrosso, who organised the event with Swedish House Mafia, tweeted: “We were just kids with dreams, Tim inspired us all and millions more.”

On Friday night nightclubs across the capital held a minute’s silence and his name was projected on the Ericsson Globe arena, where in 2014 Avicii played three sell-out gigs.

Tributes poured in from the musical world, as well as from Swedish royalty.

Madonna, who worked with Avicii on her last album, posted a picture of herself in the DJ booth with him and wrote: “So Tragic. Goodbye Dear Sweet Tim. Gone Too Soon.”



DJ David Guetta, who collaborated with Avicii on “Sunshine,” wrote: “We lost a friend with such a beautiful heart and the world lost an incredibly talented musician

In 2015, Avicii DJ-ed at the wedding reception of Sweden’s Prince Carl Philip and his bride Sofia. In a statement they said: “We had the honor to have known him and admired him both as an artist and the beautiful person that he was.”

Health problems

Avicii was among the first DJs to break through into the mainstream as electronic dance music grew over the past decade from nightclubs to Top 40 radio.

His biggest hits included “Wake Me Up,” which went to number one across Europe in 2013 and featured the soul singer Aloe Blacc.

But he had made no secret of his health problems, including pancreatitis, triggered in part by excessive drinking linked to his party lifestyle.

In 2016, Avicii stunned fans by announcing his retirement when he was just 26, saying that he wanted to leave the high-flying electronic music lifestyle.

Avicii — who for years was one of the world’s most lucrative electronic musicians — in 2016 made number 12 on the list of top-paid DJs of Forbes magazine, which said he earned $14.5 million in the previous year. NVG

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Kalyeserye Recap: Alden as Elvis, Maine as Madonna

Handang-handa na nga ang AlDub para sa kanilang performance sa "Bulaga Pa More, Gaya Gaya Pa More" ng Eat Bulaga ngayong Sabado.

Ngayong Biyernes nga sa Kalyeserye, todo-bihis ang dalawa sa pagpapakita ng kanilang talent.

Si Alden Richards, ginaya ang King of Rock 'n Roll na si Elvis Presley.

Si Maine Mendoza naman, kuhang-kuha ang Queen of Pop na si Madonna.



    Team AlDub! #ALDUBPreparePaMore pic.twitter.com/rFbMSqO7YX
    — Eat Bulaga (@EatBulaga) November 6, 2015



Pero kahit iba ang bihis, hindi nawala ang pakilig ng dalawa.



    Alden: kanta ka ba ni Madonna? Yaya: bakit? Alden: Kasi I'm crazy for You #ALDUBPreparePaMore
    — Eat Bulaga (@EatBulaga) November 6, 2015

    Yaya to Alden: "COMMUTE ka ba? Dati CUTE ka lang ngayon lalo kang COMMUTE". #ALDUBPreparePaMore
    — Eat Bulaga (@EatBulaga) November 6, 2015



Sa huli, may bilin si Lola Nidora sa AlDub.

Kailangan daw, sabay ang performance ng phenomenal love team.

Bukod pa dito, nagbigay din si Lola ng ilang choices kung sino dapat ang maging peg ng dalawa: 1) Ken and Barbie; 2) Guy and Pip; 3) Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus.

May pang-apat na choice din: ang none of the above, kung saan hindi na papayagan ni Lola na magtanghal ang dalawa.

Sino ang dapat gayahin ng AlDub? Click here to vote. —JST, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Pop icon Madonna announces dates for 'Rebel Heart' tour

Madonna will begin an international tour to promote her new album "Rebel Heart" with a concert at the American Airlines Arena in Miami in August, her promoters, Live Nation, said on Monday.

The Aug. 29 show will kick-start the North American leg of the tour that will include appearances in New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Vancouver and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The 56-year-old pop star will begin the European and British segment of the tour with a concert in Cologne, Germany on Nov. 4 followed by dates in London, Paris, Barcelona and other cities.

Concerts in Australia and Asia will be announced at a later date, according to Madonna's website.

Last week the Grammy-winning singer took a tumble on stage while singing "Living for Love," a single from the album, during a performance at the British music industry's annual Brit Awards.

She fell backward down a few stairs when a flowing cape that was part of her matador costume failed to loosen. The singer regained her composure and continued the performance.

During a taping of "The Jonathan Ross" show that will air on March 14 on Britain's ITV network, Madonna said the fall was not a publicity stunt. She added that she had suffered a bit of whiplash and had hit her head.

Last December early demo tracks from "Rebel Heart," Madonna's 13th studio album, were leaked ahead of its release next week. An Israeli man was arrested on suspicion of hacking into the computers of Madonna and other singers.

Madonna responded to the hacking by releasing six tracks from the album for purchase on iTunes in December.-- Reuters

Top Grammy moments: Matador Madonna, Dancing Sir Paul and Kanye

 

LOS ANGELES - Step aside winners. The Grammy Awards have long belonged to performers and unexpected moments—and Sunday's show was no different with Kanye West rushing the stage, Pharrell Williams' orchestral bash and a poignant plea to end domestic violence.

 

Kanye, Again

 

West, in perhaps a tongue-in-cheek gag on his infamous outburst rushing the stage in protest at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, approached album of the year winner Beck on stage before flashing a quick grin, waving his hand and retreating.

 

"That's what's great about live television," said Neil Portnow, the president of the Recording Academy.

 

"Whatever happens is part of the culture of the people in the room," he added.

 

Fifty Shades of Madonna

 

In the night when the music industry crowned British soul singer Sam Smith with a leading four Grammys, including song and record of the year, viewers at home were treated early on to Madonna's burlesque homage to bullfighting.

 

Pop music's 56-year-old grand dame of scandalizing spectacle, performed her new song "Living for Love" in red and black lingerie with 20 dancers wearing bulls' horns and rhinestone-covered faces twirling the singer about. She was later joined by a choir of more than two dozen singers.

 

Dancing #SirPaul

 

Paul McCartney—who later performed "FourFiveSeconds" with West and Rihanna—gave the audience a light moment on a mostly somber night by dancing alone in the audience to ELO's Jeff Lynne playing the 1975 hit "Evil Woman."

 

With the camera up close, the former Beatle stopped, looked around and sat down with a sheepish smile, drawing laughter and sending "Sir Paul" trending on Twitter.

 

It’s on us

 

The show took a serious turn half-way through with President Barack Obama delivering a taped address urging the audience and TV viewers to help stop domestic violence, through the ItsOnUs.org campaign.

 

Then Brooke Axtell, a survivor of domestic abuse, took the stage urging victims of abuse to seek help and telling her own story about how her ex-boyfriend had threatened to kill her. Katy Perry finished the segment with the inspirational anthem "By the Grace of God."

 

Civil Rights

 

Williams, dressed as a hotel bellboy in shorts, found a way to recast his uptempo international smash "Happy" as a soaring orchestral song with Chinese concert pianist Lang Lang, film composer Hans Zimmer on guitar and a choir of 20.

 

But the singer-producer's allusions to the protest chant "hands up, don't shoot" and hooded sweatshirts about the killings of unarmed black teens cast the shadow of civil rights, the predominant theme at the show's close.

 

Prince introduced the album of the year award saying "black lives matter."

 

The evening ended with Beyonce singing the Civil Rights-era spiritual, "Precious Lord, Take My Hand," and John Legend and rapper Common sang their Oscar-nominated song "Glory" from the soundtrack to the Martin Luther King Jr. biopic "Selma."—Reuters