MADONNA´S BIGGEST FAN

Madonna y Lady Gaga

2009-10-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

Las divas estadounidenses sorprendieron a los televidentes de la emisión Saturday Night Live, cuando comenzaron a reprochar la presencia de la otra en el programa, reclamos que pasarían de los arañazos a los besos.

El pasado sábado la emisión Saturday Night Live, estuvo engalanada con la presencia de Madonna y Lady Gaga, dos de las mujeres más atractivas, polémicas, exitosas y sexies, del medio del espectáculo estadounidense, situación que hacía creer que el programa sería todo un éxito de audiencia.

La atrevida vestimenta que utilizaron las dos mujeres en el foro de grabación sorprendió a todo mundo, incluidos los conductores, la producción y el público, quienes no podían creer que dos de las mujeres más codiciadas estuvieran frente a sus ojos vistiendo sensuales trajes de cuero y no sólo eso, sino que también protagonizaron una muy pícara pelea de mujeres, en la cual no podían faltar los empujones, rasguños, jaladas de pelos e insultos alusivos a la vestimenta y apariencia de su contrincante:

"¿Sabes qué Madonna? Estoy mucho más buena que tú", comenzó Lady Gaga. "Pues soy más alta que tú. Además, ¿Qué tipo de nombre es Lady Gaga? Suena a comida para bebés", le respondió de inmediato la Reina del Pop.

Tras los insultos, se enfrascaron en una típica pelea entre mujeres, sólo que en esta ocasión, contó con un desenlace inesperado, ya que lejos de terminar con golpes la pelea, éstas sorprendieron a propios y extraños cuando amenazaron con darse un beso en la boca.

A pesar de lo picante y atrevido del sketch, no logró ser del agrado de los televidentes, quienes lo calificaron de intrascendente, aburrido y sobre actuado.

Ritchie turns down Madonna’s £20m offer

2008-10-28T15:48:00.001-07:00

It doesn't look like Madonna and Guy Ritchie's divorce is going be an uncomplicated affair. According to the singer's biographer, J Randy Taraborrelli, the pair are said to be rowing over where their children - Rocco, seven, and adopted David Banda,
three - will live and be educated, and Ritchie is said to have turned
down flat a one-off settlement offer of £20 million made by the singer.
Taraborrelli has told Hello! magazine that Madonna, 50, wants the two boys to live with her and Lourdes,
her 12-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, in New York. But
Ritchie, 40, is said to prefer that the children go to school in London.

Said Taraborrelli: "There was a great deal of haggling about this matter
last week, with Madonna upping the amount of Guy's settlement to more
than £20million in hopes that he would acquiesce." He added that they
are "not even speaking to each other. They communicate only through
lawyers".

Taraborrelli, who appears to be acting as an unofficial
spokesman for Madonna, also said that the two now have very few friends
in common. A source is said to have told him: "Madonna was never very
fond of Guy's pals. She found them uninteresting and dull. She even
used the word 'common' to describe them. And for his part, Guy always
felt the conversation was forced and pretentious with many of Madonna's
friends."

Meanwhile, it appears that Ritchie did not take his
wife's Kabbalah religion as seriously as everyone supposed. The film
director has stopped an order for specially blessed "Kaballah water"
that was destined to fill the pool of the couple's Wiltshire estate,
despite the fact the cancelled order could cost him as much as £10,000.

A source told the Daily Mirror:
"He [Ritchie] partly blames Kabbalah for the deterioration of their
marriage, so the last thing he wants is an Olympic pool-sized reminder
of the religion."

Guy Ritchie cancels Madonna's order to fill swimming pool with Kabbalah water

2008-10-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

Mr Ritchie, the film director, has stopped the order for the 'special water' for the pool at their Wiltshire estate.The couple announced they are to divorce after seven years of marriage this month. Mr Ritchie will be keeping the country house, it has been reported.
The 40 year old has insisted that the pool should be filled with normal chlorinated water, not Kabbalah water as requested by the singer.
Madonna is a devoted follower of Kabbalah, the mystical belief system based on Jewish teachings, and has donated millions to the Kabbalah Centre led by Rabbi Philip Berg.
Kabbalah water which is blessed "has the power to to return water to its primordial state of completely positive, healing energy", according to the organisation's website.
It has been suggested that cancelling the order could cost Mr Ritchie £10,000.
"There would also have been water fountains dotted around, again filled with Kabbalah water. It would have cost a small fortune, but obviously money for Madonna isn't really an issue," a source told the Daily Mirror.

"Since splitting, though, they've agreed to let Guy keep the country home – meaning he can do what he wants with it.

"One of the first things he's insisted on is scrapping the ridiculous pool plans. He partly blames Kabbalah for the deterioration of their marriage, so the last thing he wants is an Olympic pool-sized reminder of the religion."

Ciara Supports Madonna Through Guy Ritchie Divorce

2008-10-27T19:20:00.001-07:00

Ciara is supporting Madonna through her divorce from Guy Ritchie and she feels the Queen of Pop is strong enough to cope.
"She's a megastar, and that goes with the territory," Ciara says of Madonna to OK! Magazine. "But she's definitely put her foot down as a woman over the years and she's proven to be one of the best to me. She'll make it through - she's been doing this for a long time."

Ciara is currently working on her next album, rumored to be called 'Fantasy Ride'. Collaborations for the project have already been recorded with T-Pain, Lil Jon, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and Ludacris.

Madonna wants to bury Guy's gifts

2008-10-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

Madonna wants to allegedly dig a grave to bury all the gifts she got from her soon-to-be-ex-hubby Guy Ritchie to rid herself off his ‘energy’.

Sources close to the Queen of Pop revealed that the singer wanted to ‘move on’ with her life and thought this as the most suited way of getting a closure. “Madonna wants to get Guy’s energy out of her life to help her have a more balanced view for the divorce,” the Daily Express quoted a source close to the 50-year-old as saying.

“In effect she wants to bury that part of her life and the attachment she had with Ritchie and this is how she thinks she can do it and move on.

“It will be a little bit like a funeral as she lays that part of her life to rest,” the source added.

Madonna 'Im Bigger than Jesus'

2008-10-26T19:40:00.001-07:00

To keep her future ex-husband Guy Ritchie from engaging in a court battle over custody over children Lourdes, Rocco and David Banda, Madonna is offering to pay over $8 million in addition to the lump sum he's already set to receive in the divorce.

According to a source that talked to the Daily Mail,
"Basically she is offering a cash incentive to him to encourage an
amicable out-of-court agreement over the children." Madonna wants guy
to see the kids, the spy dished, but "on her terms."

In addition, it seems the final straw for Guy came during a discussion
in which Madonna complained to her husband about how she was being
ridiculed in the media for her kabbalah beliefs. He told her, "Listen
love, you're just a singer." To that, Madonna retorted, "Listen baby, I'm bigger than Jesus''

Who wouldn't want to stay married to that?

Madonna Refused To Invest in Guy's Next Movie

2008-10-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

Madonna Pulls OutWhile Guy Ritchie battles news here in the U.K. that he's having a fling with actress Kelly Reilly on the set of his latest movie, he tells my source that he's preparing for even more mud: "He knows that Madonna and her big PR guns will pull out all the stops to damage him and his reputation."

The source also tell me that before their bitter breakup,Guy wanted Madonna to invest in his next movie, and she wouldn't! "This was one of the reasons that Guy knew his marriage was doomed,“ says the source. "If the wife won’t back you, who will?“

Madonna confirms Justin will be on a sticky and sweat tour stop

2008-10-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

Madonna made her directorial debut Monday night at the Cinema Society and Dolce and Gabbana hosted screening of her new film, “Filth and Wisdom,” which does not shy away from Madonna’s long history of working with provocative material.

Her new feature film includes cross-dressing, S&M and stripping, but Madonna had tamer topics on her mind when she talked to Access Hollywood about Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and daughter Lourdes.

Although she’s in the director’s seat for “Filth and Wisdom,” Madonna hasn’t forgotten about her roots in pop music — or the younger pop stars who look up to her.In one scene of the film, Madonna uses Britney Spears’ iconic hit, “Baby One More Time” as the soundtrack for a ballet dancer doing a striptease.

“That’s my wink and my smile to Britney Spears, whom I love,” Madonna told Access.

And Spears is not the only young pop star Madonna was breaking news about. She said her “Sticky & Sweet” world tour has a few more guest surprises in the works.

“(Justin Timberlake is) going to make a guest appearance probably in Los Angeles,” she told Access. “Pharrell came on stage Saturday, which was great, and I’m hoping Kanye (West) is going to join us in Chicago or Miami.”

The “Sticky & Sweet” tour has eight major costumes changes for Madonna, involving 36 different designers and filling 30 wardrobe trunks, but these fashion extravagances are not for everybody in Madonna’s household.

2008-10-18T09:07:00.001-07:00

The battle in the courts and has its countdown, Madonna has hired Fiona Shackleton to the dreaded divorce from Guy Ritchie after seven and a half years of marriage. The same lawyer Sir Paul McCartney and Prince Charles, according to an announcement the Times of London. For his part Guy Ritchie has opted for the release of lawyers Manches, also in London.

People magazine has interviewed lawyers in divorce. The Londoner Vanessa Lloyd Platt said that if Madonna chooses to take the couple's two children, Rocco, 12 and the small 3-David, the English courts are in their favor, since he has lived most of his life in States United.

It would be very unlikely that judges authorize that only Madonna's daughter, Lourdes, will go with it, since it is not the policy of separating children. "The issue between them will be the rights of views."

The setback could come if, as the New York attorney Nancy Chemtob, "Ritchie believes that divorce is because she is with another or feel cheated, you may Ritchie battle for custody of children, perhaps because it thinks it is better father. "

Recall that this year's world tour departed surrounded by rumors of a romance between Madonna and baseball star Alex Rodriguez.

A crude DEDICATION TO THE NEW ALBUM
"This song is for the retarded emotional. You may know some people who fall into this category. I do," said Madonna to her fans in Boston to present his song Miles away.

Ths Sun : Madonna Divorce / She's moving back to New York ?

2008-10-17T12:12:00.004-07:00

... The source said: “Despite huge attempts to patch things up they both knew deep down that divorce was on the cards.
"It wasn’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’. They tried hard over the last few months but their fighting was getting out of control.

“The final straw came before Madonna started her US tour.

“Madonna wanted a highly stage-managed separation, with their split being announced when it was convenient for her.

“She didn’t want the distraction while she is trying to concentrate on her tour.

“But a series of rows around Guy’s 40th birthday last month were so bad that Madge ended up storming out of the house and Guy’s had enough.

“Guy said if they were going to split, it has to be now — and their marriage will finally be over in a matter of weeks.

“Madonna was dithering at first about whether a separation would be best or whether to go ahead with the divorce.

"She has now agreed with Guy that a divorce is the best thing to do.”

Guy has flown back from France, postponing filming of his new movie Sherlock Holmes, to break the news to his parents.

This week he will take his possessions from the couple’s London home, which Madonna owns, and move into their Wiltshire home, which he owns.

Madonna — in New York on Monday night for the premiere of her new movie Filth And Wisdom — initially planned to move back to the US with their three children in July.

The source said: “She was adamant that she was leaving Guy and not coming back.”

But talk of the separation leaked out — along with rumours that Madonna was secretly seeing a married baseball star — and Guy flew out in a public last-ditch bid to repair the marriage.

The Sun led the way in reporting the couple’s ups and downs.

Madonna instructed her spokeswoman to put out a strongly-worded statement insisting there were “no plans” to divorce.

And the couple put on a show of unity at the UK premiere of Guy’s film RocknRolla, at Madonna’s birthday party and then at his birthday bash.

They also shared a weekend in Italy. It was planned as a romantic break but ended with them sleeping in separate rooms.

The source said: “Lately Guy has been putting his foot down about a lot of stuff.

“He is sick of his career taking a backseat to hers and was determined to spend as long as he had to promoting RocknRolla here, even if it meant being away from Madonna rehearsing in the US.”

They went on: “When Madonna first moved to the UK, she loved the idea of becoming an English rose. But slowly it turned sour. She decided she hated hunting and quickly dropped her ‘hobby’ of going for a pint of bitter with Guy in the local pub.

“She doesn’t have many friends here and as she has turned 50 she has become very philosophical and started wondering what it’s all about.”

Other arguments raged about their kids Lourdes, 12, Rocco, eight, and David Banda, two.

The source said: “Guy wants Madonna to stop uprooting them and let them stay in one place.

“It doesn’t help that Lourdes has decided she wants to spend more time with her real father, Carlos Leon, in New York.

“Guy is very keen for Lourdes to have a good relationship with him, but it means Madonna can use that as an excuse to spend more time in America.”

Dancer Carlos has been living in Madonna’s New York apartment for the last few months, overseeing renovations in preparation for the star’s return. During that time they have rekindled a close relationship.

Madonna and Guy have also rowed about her desire to adopt another baby.

Guy did not want to adopt initially because of his own family’s experiences.

His mother Lady Amber Leighton was forced to give up a baby boy for adoption when she was an unmarried 17-year-old, and his stepmother Shireen Ritchie struggled for years to find the truth about the adoption of her mother.

Guy was persuaded by Madonna to adopt David Banda but has since resisted her pleas to adopt a baby girl.

The source said: “Guy adores David and is glad they went ahead with the adoption. But he doesn’t want to adopt another child when their marriage is rocky. It’s a real bone of contention.

“Everyone agrees it is unfair on the children to witness such terrible arguments and so the divorce has been agreed.”

Last night a spokeswoman for Madonna declined to comment.

And as Guy’s dad John left his Chelsea home with Guy's sister, he refused to answer questions about his son.

Guy’s sister said: “We are not going to say anything today.”

More from Liz on Madonna/Guy Divorce

2008-10-17T12:12:00.003-07:00

Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie are ending their almost-eight-year marriage, a rep for the singer confirmed Wednesday.
"The main concern for Madonna and Guy are their children - the security of their children in all senses of the word and the wellbeing of their children," rep Liz Rosenberg tells PEOPLE. "That's the priority for both of them moving forward. It's a sad situation."

The former couple, who have Rocco, 8, and David, 3, together and Madonna's 12-year-old daughter Lourdes with ex Carlos Leon, announced their divorce in a statement.

"Madonna and Guy Ritchie have agreed to divorce after seven-and-a-half years of marriage. They have both requested that the media maintain respect for their family at this difficult time," says the statement.

The statement says they have not agreed to a settlement.

Madonna takes to the stage following split

2008-10-17T12:12:00.001-07:00

Madonna put aside her impending divorce last night to take to the stage in Boston for the latest gig in her world tour.
Ever the consummate professional, the 50-year-old declined to mention the end of her marriage to Guy Ritchie as she performed to a sold-out crowd.

Those expecting her to mention Guy on stage were instead treated to yet more political talk, with the singer urging fans to vote for Barack Obama.

Madonna and Ritchie confirmed they were to divorce on Wednesday, as the singer left New York to travel to Boston for the next stop on her Sticky & Sweet World Tour.

The gig at the city's Banknorth Garden was the 23rd concert of the tour, which started in Cardiff in August and is expected to end in December.

Madonna cryptically announced to a New York concert audience on October 6: 'In exactly 29 moves, the Queen will dump the King.' She then had 29 more dates on her U.S. tour.

Lawyers line up for Madonna divorce

2008-10-17T12:11:00.003-07:00

Two of London's most formidable female lawyers will go head to head over Madonna and Guy Ritchie's divorce.
The pop superstar will be represented by Fiona Shackleton who acted for Sir Paul McCartney in his £24.3 million split from Heather Mills earlier this year.

Facing her will be Helen Ward, who secured £48 million for Beverley Charman when she split from her insurance magnate husband John in 2006.

Mrs Charman's payout is thought to be the biggest divorce award in English legal history.

A spokesman for the film director confirmed he had hired Manches, the firm where Lady Ward is a partner, but would not say which lawyer would represent Mr Ritchie. Manches refused to comment.

According to the firm's website Lady Ward "specialises in family law, with emphasis on the financial consequences of the breakdown of relationships with particular expertise in cases involving substantial assets, complexity and an international element."

It adds: "Where it is necessary she also deals with cases involving the resolution of disputes relating to the children."

Arrangements for the couple's children are likely to be central to Madonna and Mr Ritchie's divorce.

The singer has a 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes, from a previous relationship. The couple have an eight-year-old son, Rocco, and adopted their younger son, David, three, from Malawi.

The divorce was announced in a joint statement released on Wednesday, nearly eight years after the couple's lavish wedding at Skibo castle, Scotland, on December 22, 2000.

Divorce Surprises Madonna's Ex

2008-10-17T12:11:00.001-07:00

In an interview Wednesday on syndicated radio program The Billy Bush Show, Leon said that Madonna and Ritchie's divorce "was news to me." He added, "all I know is I just support Madonna and Guy and of course my daughter, and I support all the children and I show them love, and it's all I can do."
In regard to his own relationship with Madonna, Leon says, "Any parents that stay friends, it's really good, good for the children. It's good for family values. It's good for a lot of reasons."

Filth and Wisdom - New York Times Review

2008-10-17T12:10:00.002-07:00

Pop go the dialectics in “Filth and Wisdom,” a tale of bumping and grinding your way to happiness from the hardest-working hard body in show business, that precision sex-and-beat machine turned first-time movie director known as Madonna. Set in London, the loosely threaded 84-minute story written by the Big M and Dan Cadan (a former crew member for her soon-to-be ex, Guy Ritchie) involves three roomies who are peddling body and soul in order to follow their different dreams, all of which should sound familiar to the Madonna faithful: music, dance and ... saving impoverished African children.
Though she might be in an autobiographical mood, Madonna never appears on camera (two of her songs get a workout), letting the low-profile cast go through the motions and emotions for her. First and foremost is A. K. (Eugene Hutz, of the self-styled Gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello), a Ukrainian musician who earns his keep British style by punishing naughty (adult) boys and dressing up in women’s clothing. A charismatic string bean adorned with gold hoop earrings and a kitten-sized mustache, A. K. shares a flat with Holly (Holly Weston), a ballerina with no discernable personality, and Juliette (Vicky McClure), a pharmacist’s aide whose obsession with African children leads to the worst line (and idea) in a movie this year: “She don’t know she’s starving too,” explains A. K.

She’s not really, though you might fervently wish that she were if not for the playful Mr. Hutz, who, whether loping through London or ogling the camera, lightens this otherwise heavy endeavor. Seriousness per se isn’t the problem (never is); the problem is the air of self-consciousness about being serious (or being taken as such), a tendency that has plagued Madonna’s own acting ever since her breezy 1985 breakout in “Desperately Seeking Susan.” That self-consciousness weighs on “Filth and Wisdom,” creating moments that are as cringe-inducing — Richard E. Grant as a professionally sensitive blind poet pulling books off his shelves in a rage — as the ill-advised director’s statement in which she name-drops Jean-Luc Godard, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Luchino Visconti.

Well, better Visconti than most. “Filth and Wisdom” is a ridiculously easy target, but it also creaks and strains with more ambition than most mainstream throwaways that just recycle the usual guns and poses. Not that Madonna has gone in for originality, which isn’t really her thing: rather, instead of repurposing a genre, she has riffled through the art-house catalog for inspiration, as evidenced by the film’s intentionally grubby visual texture, jumpy editing, direct-address commentary, freeze frames and other tricks. Although the somewhat rough visual style doesn’t feel especially organic or natural for a director who has built a slick international brand with mind-blowing calculation, it does keep you interested from scene to scene, which is a more generous compliment than it might seem.

As to that story: A. K. pines for Holly, who remains oblivious until she learns to love herself or something by becoming a pole dancer at a men’s club. Juliette learns something else, though I’m not sure what, partly by ducking and then embracing her infatuated boss, Sardeep (Inder Manocha), an Indian immigrant with a noisy brood and a jealous wife (Shobu Kapoor). Madonna spices up these human ingredients and others with light bondage and grave affirmations (there’s even some marital advice), and while her movie meanders hither and yon, it all works out because life is a giant virgin-whore paradox and filth leads to wisdom and wisdom leads to filth and Gogol Bordello leads to a merry blowout with horn blasts and yelps.

Christopher Ciccone on Madonna's Divorce

2008-10-17T12:10:00.001-07:00

from the Sun :
Madonna’s brother says her split from husband Guy Ritchie was brought about by the singer’s devotion to Kabbalah.

Christopher Ciccone - who recently penned a tell-all book on his big sis - also says there is no chance of the star couple getting back together.

The gay interior decorator told German newspaper Bild: “The Kabbalah sect, to which Madonna is completely devoted, played a large role in this marriage.

“It was based on it. And that is not enough on which to base a marriage and it couldn’t have survived.

“As for a reconciliation - I really don’t think so. With two such ambitious and headstrong personalities, it would just be too hard.”

Christopher, who had a big falling out with Guy, added: “He is not the easiest guy to get along with. We don’t really see eye to eye.

“I really have no idea what my sister loved about him. I suppose I could have tried to stop her.

“But I always wanted to welcome those people whom Madonna let into her life. Whether it was Warren Beatty, Sean Penn or Carlos Leon.

“They were and are good friends of mine. Guy was the first who couldn’t bear how close Madonna and I were."

These Shoes are made for Shooting

2008-10-17T12:08:00.001-07:00

Don’t mess with Madonna!
She debuted some Chanel shoes that were something fierce at the New York premiere of “Filth and Wisdom” last night.

An homage, perhaps, to husband Guy Ritchie’s new buzz-worthy film, “RocknRolla”?

Her dress was Dolce and Gabbana, who also styled her for last night’s premiere.

Madonna directed the film, which marked her feature film directorial debut.

access hollywood

Express Yourself Obama Tee

2008-10-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

Don't go for second best, express yourself with this Madonna Obama Tee! Printed in the Sticky & Sweet Tour colors this tee features an image of Obama and reads 'Express Yourself' on the front and 'Vote Obama 2008' on the back. Black. 100% cotton. *Will ship on or around October 23rd.

Madonna's Grammy Submissions

2008-10-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

http://www.grammy.com/pdfs/entry/album_year.pdf

Album of the Year
Hard Candy

http://www.grammy.com/pdfs/entry/record_year.pdf
Record of the Year
4 Minutes

http://www.grammy.com/pdfs/entry/song_year.pdf
Song of the Year
4 Minutes

http://www.grammy.com/pdfs/entry/pop.pdf
Best Pop Vocal Album
Hard Candy
Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
4 Minutes

http://www.grammy.com/PDFs/entry/Music_video.pdf
Best Short Form Music Video
4 Minutes

http://www.grammy.com/pdfs/entry/dance.pdf
Best Dance Recording
Give It 2 Me

Filth and Wisdom - Slant Magazine Review

2008-10-13T16:26:00.003-07:00

It was my original intention to review Filth and Wisdom without ever mentioning Madonna's name, but given how much the pop icon's past and present—like her sense of image—informs every frame of the film, to have done so would have been foolish. More so than Angelina Jolie, whose screen performances have become near impossible to scrutinize without also grappling with her immense superstardom, Madonna brings considerable baggage to her feature-length directorial debut, which tells the story of a close-knit group of down-and-out London artists simply trying to get by—a story that not only suggests an elaboration on the lives of Madonna's "Hung Up" dancers but a rebuke to Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Critics have fallen hook, line and sinker for Woody Allen's trite vision of pretty people bumping uglies in fashionable Catalonia, lavishing the film with the sort of write-ups you'd expect to read in US Weekly and Travel and Leisure. (Even some of the most sensible film writers in the world have noted how shooting in Spain seems to have invigorated and liberated Allen—almost as if they were praising him for having had a bowel movement.) When jet-setting through posh European locales and seeing Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson make out is enough to give a movie a free pass, you know film culture has reached some sort of dead end. Indeed, so successful is the film's luxe patina that Allen's sexual and gender politics—like his repugnant reduction of the Mediterranean to a "lusty" type—have gone completely ignored. But Filth and Wisdom isn't interested in creating such an obnoxious show of distraction

Dreamhive Puts Images to Music for Madonna

2008-10-13T16:26:00.001-07:00

The Dreamhive animation studio provided dynamic music video background imagery for Madonna's recent "Hard Candy" world tour, visually backing up two of the singer's latest music hits.

For Madonna's "Hard Candy" world tour and promotional appearances, The Dreamhive created striking animated background imagery for two of Madonna's most popular songs -- "4 Minutes" and "Give it 2 Me". The imagery was then played during Madonna's exciting stage performances of the songs during the Hard Candy promotional and concert tours.

For "4 Minutes," The Dreamhive created footage with a flashing countdown clock that paid homage to Madonna's music video for the song. Using reference images from the original music video, The Dreamhive created a dynamic CGI version of the practical digital countdown clock, which they then rendered using custom real-time shading code. Additionally, The Dreamhive re-created and animated the "black onyx" effect element seen in the music video, and also generated new effect passes that were then composited into live-action footage shot during the original video production.

"It was a terrific and extremely cool experience, to be adding our visual effects into footage from the set of the music video," comments Wes Grandmont III, Senior CG Supervisor at The Dreamhive. The Dreamhive's images mimicked the strong pulse and irresistible hook of the song, and as the images played behind Madonna onstage for the tour, Justin Timberlake then frequently joined the singer for the rest of the "4 Minutes" piece.

For the disco anthem "Give it 2 Me," The Dreamhive created CG laser work that had an evocative, poppy, 80's look and feel, and which combined with a live laser show to create a pulse of green and pink light beams flickering disco-style across the dancing crowd.

The Dreamhive created all of the imagery using Autodesk(R) Maya(R) software, outputting to 1080p resolution for the shows. On the laser creative work, The Dreamhive worked from storyboards of possible laser movement options, and then generated creative variations for use in the live shows.

Paris Hilton wants to be Like Madonna

2008-10-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

The socialite, 27, enjoys being in spotlight so much she would love to have a career spanning a quarter century like the Material Girl.

She says, "I love Madonna. I think she is beautiful.

"She is gorgeous and her body is incredible. I cannot believe she has been around for so long.

"I want to have a career just like hers. She always reinvents herself and I really look up to her as an artist. I am so inspired by her and her music."

2008-10-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

Madonna's Sticky and Sweet tour in NY - Reuters Review

2008-10-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

The Madonna concert ended nearly 12 hours ago, and this reviewer is still tired. And that's just from watching.

Of course, I'm not in quite as good shape as the 50-year-old Material Girl, who has metamorphosized into a lean, mean machine of muscle and sinew. That pumped-up toughness also is evident in her music as performed in this latest arena extravaganza, dubbed the Sticky and Sweet tour and promoting her recent CD "Hard Candy."

That album is generously highlighted in the course of the two-hour show, a good half of which is devoted to such cuts as "Candy Shop" (the opener, in which Madonna makes her entrance while seated on a throne), "Beat Goes On," "She's Not Me" and "4 Minutes."

She cherrypicks from her hits, forgoing most of her best-known tunes -- with the exception of such songs as "Borderline," "Into the Groove," "Ray of Light" and "Like a Prayer." Most of these are dramatically rearranged to give them a harder-rocking edge, with heavy doses of electric guitar and thumping bass beats. As with the performer herself, the sweetness in them seems to have been drained away.

There's a relentless drive to the proceedings that is almost unnerving. The headliner almost never stops moving, constantly whipping through intensely choreographed set pieces with her corps of backup dancers as if determined to burn off a certain number of calories per show. At one point, she even showed off her Double-Dutch jumping-rope skills.

She doesn't let the audience rest, either. Late in the show, she refused to begin one song until she had made sure that everyone in the massive arena was on their feet.

The one relatively quiet interlude was more bizarre than restorative. It featured an acoustic, Gypsy-flavored rendition of "La Isla Bonita," followed by the evening's sole ballad, "You Must Love Me," from the "Evita" soundtrack.

The singer showcased her physique in a series of revealing outfits, though they were mostly more redolent of the gym than the usual S&M garb.

Unlike her most recent go-around, there was little in the way of controversial material on display, with nary a crucifixion in sight. The one exception was the video montage accompanying "Get Stupid," which interpolated images of Barack Obama with figures like Nelson Mandela and John McCain with, among others, Hitler.

The Sticky and Sweet tour plays Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on November 6.

Robyn 'banned from talking to Madonna'

2008-10-09T16:38:00.000-07:00

Swedish pop sensation Robyn was banned from approaching Madonna during her Sticky + Sweet tour - despite appearing as a supporting act.
The singer claims she was told by the Holiday hitmaker's representatives not to approach her or take photos during the European leg of her tour.
She tells a Swedish newspaper, "I hadn't expected any glamour, but it's strange that they assume that the first thing you're gonna do is run after Madonna and ask for an autograph."

Madonna leads fans in anti-Palin chant

2008-10-09T16:36:00.000-07:00

Singer Madonna made it clear where her loyalties lie in the upcoming US presidential election.

In a rant at her Madison Square Garden show earlier this week, she told thousands of fans: 'You know who can get off of my street? Sarah Palin!

'I'm gonna kick her a** if she don't get off of my street!'

Madonna performed a string of hits including the song 'I Love New York', which song features the line, 'Get off my street'.

And her attack on the Republican's bid for vice-president comes days after she told

thousands of fans in New Jersey on weekend: 'Sarah Palin can't come to my party. Sarah Palin can't come to my show'.

With her audience full of celebrity fans and friends, including Rosie O' Donnell, and Diddy, Madonna continued with her anti-Palin rant.

The 50-year-old superstar then mocked the Alaskan governor's accent, before sarcastically telling the audience, 'I love her'.

Even Palin's husband Todd didn't escape Madonna's wrath, as she shouted, 'This is the sound of Sarah Palin's husband's snowmobile when it won't start up in the wintertime,' before creating some ear-piercing feedback on her electric guitar as she launched into hit single 'Hung Up'.

Madonna has already raised eyebrows on her current world tour by projecting images off presidential candidate Barack Obama next to Mahatma Gandhi, while juxtaposing rival John McCain with Adolf Hitler.

Madonna joins fellow celebrities Matt Damon, Brigitte Bardot, and Pamela Anderson , who have all been vocal critics of the self-described 'hockey mom'.

Latest news from Robyn and more...

2008-10-09T16:34:00.000-07:00

Swedish newspaper GP has a short clip from Madonna's opening night in the States. Click here and then "Senaste Nöjesklippen" under the red square. The Madonna-story is in the meny.

Swedish singer Robyn - who warmed up for Madonna on some European shows - said that her worst nightmare would be to turn into a Madonna. Not that Madonna is a horrible person. Robyn never met her, but says that Madonna is constantly chasing the latest trends, and don't want to have an artist who's not safe in her own creative process.

In adition to that, Robyn revealed that she and her crew were ordered to:

NOT to approach Madonna

NOT to speak to her

And above all, NO PICTURES!

Robyn seems to be a bit irritated when she says: "I hadn't expected any glamour, but it's strange that they assume that the first thing you're gonna do is run after Madonna and ask for an autograph." Check it out here.

Madonna as finalist at the 2008 Magazine Cover Awards

2008-10-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

Madonna's famous "Green Issue" cover by Steven Meisel for Vanity Fair was among the 4 finalists of this year's Magazine Awards in the "Best Concept Cover" category.

The Madonna cover unfortunately didn't win the prize - held by the American Society of Magazine Editors - which was awarded to the February 11 & 18, 2008 of The New Yorker and artist Seth's reinterpretation of Rea Irvin’s classic Eustace Tilley image to produce "Eustace Tillarobama," a two-headed playing card image that featured the leading Democratic presidential candidates dressed as the New Yorker icon, sharing his famous monocle.

This is how the online website of the ASME described the Vanity Fair finalist cover featuring Madonna:

Vanity Fair, May 2008

For the cover of Vanity Fair’s third annual Green Issue, Madonna - who has been involved in ecological causes and runs the charity Raising Malawi (a volunteer organization helping orphans of the poorest nations) - portrayed a 21st century Atlas, embodying the notion that the fate of the fragile Earth is, quite literally, in our hands. The inspiration for the image came to Editor Graydon Carter from a mid-century fashion magazine cover. Vanity Fair’s Fashion and Style Director Michale Roberts began with several sketches, channeling the fashion cover as well as the 1920s work of Czech photographer Frantisek Dritkol. Then Roberts commissioned London-based set designer Robbie Doig to construct the globe, which was made from polystyrene, resin and plaster, and finished with paint and marble dust; it weighed just under 80 pounds and took 10 days to complete. The globe was suspended from the photo studio ceiling, enabling Madonna to maneuver herself around its entire circumference, and photographer Steven Meisel to shoot his subject from all angles.

Madonna's husband hair ban

2008-10-07T17:33:00.000-07:00

Madonna has been forbidden from cutting her hair by husband Guy Ritchie.The 50-year-old singer - who has been sporting long blonde locks on her current 'Sticky and Sweet' tour - is desperate for a radical new style, but Guy is less than thrilled with the idea.
She told Fox News: "I want to have shorter hair, but I have a husband that loves
the long-haired look and, well, that is just one of the things I do for
him."

The '4 Minutes' singer's hair is also one of her most profitable assets.

Earlier this year, Madonna was paid $10 million to advertise Sunsilk hair care
products, and starred in a global 'Life Can't Wait' campaign for the company alongside Shakira and the late Marilyn Monroe.

The phrases "Some girls can't wait", "To make life happen" and "Their hair
tells their story" flashed up on screen accompanied by Madonna's hit
song 'Ray of Light' before the commercial, which premiered at the
American Super Bowl in February, ended with the words "Make you hair
happen

Luis meets Guy Oseary.

2008-10-07T17:31:00.000-07:00

A friend of DrownedMadonna.com Luis took a photo with Guy Oseary and asked him about the Re-Invention Tour DVD.

"I saw Guy and wanted to say hi and take a picture," Luis told Drowned Madonna. "I said 'Hey Guy, remember me, from Glendale circa 2006?'. He said, 'Yea, how are you?' I was like, 'Good, can I take a picture with you?' and he was all like, 'yea.' We took a picture then I said 'What's the story with the RIT DVD?! I flew to Lisbon for that!' and he said, 'I'm working on it.'"

Filth and Wisdom US premiere

2008-10-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

FILTH AND WISDOM premiere is Monday, October 13th in New York City. Madonna is expected to attend. Now we know why there is a 3 day break of her S&S Tour between Madison Square Garden and Boston.

S&S Tour: East Rutherford,Jersey,USA

2008-10-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

Sticky & Sweet in East Rutherford - Sun Media Review

2008-10-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

Madonna has become the poster girl for aging gracefully in the youth-oriented world of pop music.
Still at the height of her performing powers at the age of 50, The Material Girl kicked off the North American leg of her Sticky and Sweet Tour in front of a sold-out crowd at IZOD Arena on Saturday night - including her famous pal Rosie O'Donnell visibly seated near the front - with an action-packed, hi-tech, and yes, briefly political two-hour show that took a few jabs at Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin.
Frankly, it was hard to take your eyes off Madonna's bulging biceps, despite such distractions as various raising platforms and slick-looking, moving video screens, and if she didn't always successfully reinvent her older tunes, the nine new songs represented from her latest urban-influenced album, Hard Candy, were among the best offerings of the night.
Opening dramatically with the new tune, Candy Shop, Madge first appeared on a throne, holding a cane, seemingly announcing The Queen of Pop isn't going anywhere except for a ride in a vintage white convertible that was eventually driven onto the stage.
Backed by a seven piece band, including Montrealer Ric'key Pageot on keyboards, two backup singers and various dancers, Madonna expertly moved around her impressive stage which fanned out to include a long catwalk with a conveyor belt to a smaller circular stage in the centre of the floor where she spent a lot of her time getting closer to the fans.
The strong opener was followed by another catchy new tune, Beat Goes On, with her Hard Candy collaborators Pharrell Williams and Kanye West appearing via video, as did Justin Timberlake and Timbaland (4 Minutes) later in the evening.
It was when she began what would be a trend of reinventing older songs, starting with Human Nature, featuring Britney Spears trapped in an elevator on video, and Madonna on electric guitar, that the concert faltered slightly.
The energy flagged until the next song, Vogue, which was reconfigured to include the horns from 4 Minutes, and made sexy by the presence of four scantily clad female dancers in black bobbed wigs and hardly any clothes.
"Some people are still sitting down," Madonna gently scolded about half-way through the show. "I'm not sitting down - fair is fair."
Also sadly missing their original arrangements were Get Into The Groove, which featured a youthful Madonna both twirling around a stripper pole and skipping rope, and Borderline and Ray Of Light, both of which became rock songs with Madge on electric guitar.
Still, there were some nice segues like two male dancers dressed as boxers and actually fighting in a ring as Die Another Die played in a video version and downright striking versions of new songs like Heartbeat, She's Not Me - with Madonna poking fun at her various incarnations including the bride from Like A Virgin and the cone-bra wearing provocateur - Spanish Lesson, Miles Away, 4 Minutes, Give It 2 Me, and the old chestnut Like A Prayer.
"It's good to be in America, I'm so glad to be back," sang Madonna, who started her latest tour in Europe with a stadium show in Cardiff, Wales, on Aug. 23.
Not known for her ballads, she also proved to be incredibly adept at the two in her set list, even if she couldn't hit the high notes during an impromptu version of the requested song, Open Your Heart.
First up was Devil Wouldn't Recognize You, with Madge decked out in a black cape and lying on top of a piano while cool-looking water imagery was projected on circular video screens enveloping her.
That was later followed by a Romanian gypsy folk band version of the Evita song, You Must Love Me, an arrangement that also strengthened the more uptempo La Isla Bonita.
The now famous Get Stupid video segue, which included images of Hitler and John McCain alongside those of Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela, was trotted out again by Madonna, who actually called out Palin by name several times as her show wound down.
"This is the sound of Sarah Palin's husband snowmobile when it won't start," she said producing guitar feedback.
Madonna has two shows at Toronto's Air Canada Centre on Oct. 18-19, Montreal's Bell Centre on Oct. 22-23 and Vancouver's BC Place Stadium for her first-ever show there on Oct. 30.
source : canoe.ca

Sticky & Sweet in East Rutherford - Associated Press Review

2008-10-05T14:33:00.001-07:00

In a show defined by throbbing dance music, tight choreography, spectacular stage sets and stunning visuals, perhaps the most stirring moment during the kickoff concert to Madonna's "Sticky & Sweet" tour came when the Material Girl stood onstage with just her guitar and a few musicians for an acoustic set.
As she sang the emotional song from her movie "Evita," Madonna couldn't help but wink and smile at the roaring sold-out crowd as she sang the song's main refrain and title: "You must love me."
Maybe that's because she knew she was right. Even the superstar's most cynical critics couldn't walk away from her two-hour extravaganza at the Izod Center on Saturday night without being thoroughly wowed. It was not only the spectacle of the concert, but the performer herself, as she reasserted her musical relevance and dominance in her 25th year in the spotlight.
Madonna is not the world's most gifted singer or dancer or even musician, but she may be its greatest performer. From the moment she first appeared on stage, looking taut and chiseled in a black bra and shorts with a mesh layer overlay, she turned the arena into a massive dance club and a nonstop party. The zooming "Candy Shop," off her most recent CD "Hard Candy," set it off as Madonna strutted onstage flanked by an army of dancers. While they may have executed the show's most intricate dance moves, the ever-fit Madonna dazzled on her own with sinewy steps that belied her AARP-status.
Though the show's first moments were devoted to her new album, it didn't take long for her to seamlessly groove back in time, performing one of her '90s gems, "Human Nature." The already funky, synthesized tune got an even funkier update, as Madonna utilized the vocoder trend with her background vocals. The unapologetic anthem was highlighted by a video that showed Madonna being watched by a security camera in an elevator; as the song went on, Britney Spears' image intertwined with her blonde musical mentor, looking frightened and frail under the camera's lens before striking a decidedly confident pose at the song's end.
It's a testament to Madonna's musical chops that her new music blended so expertly with some of her greatest hits: Elements of "4 Minutes" were mashed up with "Vogue" for a flashback that managed to be both classic and cutting edge. While she sang many of her classics, such as "Like a Prayer," "La Isla Bonita," and "Ray of Life," those moments weren't relegated to short renditions during the retrospective medley part of the show, like many veterans do. They were given full attention with colorful, dazzling displays and new arrangements that made them seem as exciting and fresh as when they first made their debut. "Get Into the Groove" was re-imagined with the help of a DJ, a double-Dutch playing Madonna and cartoons by the late Keith Haring. During one of her many guitar-playing moments, she gave a rocked out performance of "Borderline" to the feverishly energetic crowd.
While the "Sweet & Sticky" tour would have been a triumph in any year, it was particularly impressive coming off her somewhat lackluster "Confessions" two years ago, which seemed more like a labored, carefully designed exercise than a joyful performance.
Not so this time around. Instead of performing at the crowd, she was performing for and with them, bringing them into her world with warmth and appreciation. Even when she scolded the few in the audience who weren't on their feet with unprintable language, she was jovial and endearing.
Jabs at Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin — "Sarah Palin is not in my show!" were not daggers, and she even added, "Nothing personal." And the one preachy moment — in which she implored the audience to "save the world" through a series of video images that interspersed the world's atrocities with her ideas hopeful images, including Democratic candidate Barack Obama — wasn't as over the top as might be expected (with the exception of the interloping of video of Republican candidate John McCain in with world dictators and Adolph Hitler).
With her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year and her 50th birthday, it would have been easy for Madonna to turn her latest tour into some kind of nostalgia show. It probably would have been an enjoyable experience nonetheless.
But then again, it wouldn't have been Madonna — the consummate artist who always stretches the limits, exploring new ideas to stay relevant. On Saturday, she proved to be more than relevant — she's still music premier performer.

Sticky & Sweet in East Rutherford - USA Today Review

2008-10-05T14:32:00.002-07:00

50 is the new 25. Or at least, that's what Madonna seemed intent on proving at her first U.S. concert since reaching that half-century milestone.
Kicking off the U.S. leg of her Sticky & Sweet tour at the Izod Center, the pop icon exhibited the energy, not to mention the muscle tone, of a woman half her age during a 23-song set that chronicled her storied career, from '80s hits to songs from this year's release Hard Candy.
Intent to give herself and her fans a musical workout, as well, Madonna put a slightly different spin on familiar tunes. As she has on recent tours, the singer played guitar on several numbers, lending a garage-rock edge to Borderline and Hung Up.
Into the Groove was presented as a pumping club mix, with Madonna jumping rope to emphasize its aerobic intensity. By that point, she had changed from a black-bustier-and-boots ensemble to a sportier but similarly revealing number set off by red gym shorts and black socks that stretched up to her gravity-defying thighs.
Audience members were impressed, and titillated. "If I were a lesbian, I would go for her," said Mary Beth Murdza, 45, a resident of Wall Township who added, "I don't think I've missed one of Madonna's tours."
Manhattan newcomer Barry Sherman, 29, came dressed in fishnet and spandex in homage to his idol. In his old house in Vermont, he added, "One of the bedrooms is a shrine to Madonna."
Madonna herself paid tribute to world music and different cultures throughout the evening. Devil Wouldn't Recognize Me had an Asian flavor, underscored by Japanese dancers, and was followed by a segment that drew on Latin influences and included Rumanian gypsy musicians, including the songs La Isla Bonita, Miles Away and, from Evita, the ballad You Must Love Me.
The visuals were similarly exotic and often stunning, from an anime-inspired montage to footage of various foreign landscapes and people. Ray of Light and Like A Prayer were accompanied by spiritual imagery, with quotations from the Bible floating across the screen.
Madonna's recent collaborators Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Justin Timberlake popped up on video, as did Britney Spears, who filmed a special black-and-white clip as a backdrop for a frenzied Human Nature.
An already controversial segment showed famous and infamous figures ranging from Adolf Hitler and Kim Jong Il to Martin Luther King Jr., the Dalai Lama and John Lennon. Current presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama were also included, McCain in closer proximity to some more patently villainous types and Obama nearer to those viewed more favorably, who also included Mother Teresa and Bono.
Madonna did not patently link McCain to any of the ogres, or verbally attack the Republican contender. She did, however, have a few choice words for his running mate. "Sarah Palin can't come to this party," she declared, after leading the audience in a festive a cappella version of Open Your Heart. "She is not in my show. She will never be in my show."
She reinforced that message, humorously, by imitating "the sound of Sarah Palin's husband's snowmobile when it won't start" with a loud, purposefully irritating burst of guitar.

Top 10 Things Madonna Said Last Night in East Rutherford

2008-10-05T14:32:00.001-07:00

10. “This is the sound of Sarah Palin’s husband’s snowmobile when it won’t start.” (She then launched into a guitar solo.)9. “You can sing along if you like.”8. “Habla espanol?”7. “[Expletive]! It’s too high for me!” (As she realized she started “Open Your Heart” in a key too high for her to finish.)6. “Are you guys having a good time? There are still people sitting down. I’m not sitting down. Fair is fair.”5. “I’m having a bit of a memory problem these days.”4. “You’re thinking: ‘What’s going on here? I paid good money for these tickets! Who’s doing the show?’ It’s not Sarah Palin. She’s not in my show. She will never be in my show... nothing personal.”3. “Opa!”2. “Did you ever have a best friend who wanted to do everything you wanted to do including [expletive] your boyfriend?”1. “I’m about to live out my fantasy here with you tonight... I want you to sing the chorus while I jump rope.”
source : newsday

Sticky & Sweet in East Rutherford - New York Daily News Review

2008-10-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Madonna broke another convention at the first U.S. date of her Sticky and Sweet tour, held at the Izod Center in the Meadowlands Saturday night.
After a career spent sneering at the stricter rules of religion, sex and gender, the star has a fresh foe in her sights - age.
Seven weeks after qualifying for her AARP card, the 50-year-old put on a show that could have winded the most sinewy of teens. For nearly two hours, Madonna commanded the stage - first, quite literally, by entering on a throne - then by throwing her rigorously toned body through tricky dance moves, including leg splits, crotch grinds and even a double Dutch jump rope drill.
The sight had to inspire admiration, even if it did nothing for the cause of spontaneity and even less for the realm of sensuality. Then again, Madonna's shows have never had much use for such things. They're multimedia workouts, geared more to awe - or alarm - than charm.
Luckily, the staging of the show has enough razzle-dazzle to excite. And the material that dominated had enough fury in the beats and fluidity in the melodies to make up for any of the night's self-consciousness or rigidity.
Half the show's repertoire drew from the new "Hard Candy" CD, which ranks as Madonna's most fun, fleet and danceable work since her very first one.
She started right out with a newbie, "Candy Shop," and from there kept the momentum going with consistently fresh arrangements of even the oldest songs. The yearning pop ballad "Borderline" became a punk pop anthem, sounding more like something The Stooges would thrash out. "Vogue" earned a new electro-clash boost. And for some reason "La Isla Bonita" got an enjoyably weird Eastern European arrangement.
Nearly all the music swung in a more punishing direction than on its album, and Madonna allowed only one true ballad, "You Must Love Me," which had its own form of overstatement in her pleading vocal.
The video followed the tough theme, with brutal images even of candy canes. In one of the few more sprightly passages, Madonna dipped back to her 1980s roots, using a playful backdrop of Keith Herring electric babies. Thankfully, she had just one political moment, the now infamous video montage that juxtaposes John McCain with images of fascist leaders and Barack Obama with peace activists. Maybe it would have been more effective if the music behind it didn't endlessly repeat the phrase "Get Stupid."
The clumsiness of it all only threw into even higher relief the welcome lack of pretension in the rest. Mainly Madonna aimed to push her true forte - cutting-edge dance music. She did so effectively enough to make the audience dance nearly as hard, and as youthfully, as she did.

Sticky & Sweet in East Rutherford - New York Times Review

2008-10-05T14:30:00.001-07:00

“Tick-tock, tick-tock,” sang Madonna’s backup singers as video screens and subwoofers blasted to life at the Izod Center. Time obsesses Madonna on her Sticky and Sweet Tour, which made its first American stop here on Saturday night.
Time means beat and rhythm, and it means the pop history encapsulated in the hits she has been making since 1982. It also means the aging that Madonna defies with workouts, image makeovers and what looks like plastic surgery. A 50-year-old working mother, Madonna can no longer be seen as a clubland ingenue, a Hollywood glamour queen, an iconoclast rejecting a Catholic upbringing or a kinky provocateuse, and she won’t be any kind of dowager yet. Time has brought out her core: careerist ambition and a combative tenacity.
Has there ever been a colder pop sex symbol? For all the invitations in her lyrics, Madonna has always projected more calculation and industriousness than affection. She works; her audience looks and pays, becoming another conquest.
“I can keep on going through the night,” she insisted in “Heartbeat” from her latest album, “Hard Candy” (Warner Brothers), which provided nearly half of the concert’s songs. That was the point: There she was, 50 be damned, spreading her legs, strutting, pushing her dancers around, even doing double-dutch jump rope steps without a tangle.
Madonna built her career on her assets — her ear for hooks and beats, her looks, a predictive fashion sense and an instinct for pushing cultural hot buttons — and the Sticky and Sweet show insists, even demands, that they still have their effect.
She pumps up the volume, piles on the beat and mixes the unstoppable and the baffling, the thrilling and the ridiculous. The set had four thematic sections: the present-day dance floor, the old school, the big wide world, and political and spiritual aspirations (via the dance floor). For thumping electro songs from “Hard Candy,” she had the album’s hip-hop guests — Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Timbaland — performing on towering video screens, sharing the proudly mercantile sentiments of songs like “Candy Shop.”
The old-school section, with a backdrop of animated characters invented by the artist Keith Haring, riffled through original elements of hip-hop culture — break dancing, disc-jockey scratching, double-dutch and graffiti — along with (inexplicably) some pole dancing. Since punk and hip-hop were contemporaries, Madonna also picked up an electric guitar for a enthusiastic punk-pop version of “Borderline.” Her moves were aerobic, not erotic; in one song, other dancers spotted her as if they were personal trainers.
Then came a high-fashion, geographically scrambled international romp, as dancers did flamenco, tango, Indian and Middle Eastern moves. The Spanish-language “La Isla Bonita” moved to Eastern Europe as Madonna brought out a gypsy-style band, with fiddle and accordion. It accompanied her in the one song that exposed her voice: the ballad “You Must Love Me,” with woeful sustained notes.
Madonna turned to messages: a save-the-world video that torpedoed its good intentions with overkill, juxtaposing John McCain with Hitler and Barack Obama with Gandhi. Although her outfit and a mop-with-bangs wig made her look like a bad 1970s comic-book character, Madonna was close to inspirational in an electrocharged version of “Like a Prayer,” with golden-rule religious teachings projected overhead. She followed it awkwardly, with guitar-slinging rock versions of “Ray of Light” and, returning to earthly things, “Hung Up,” with a feedback finish. She wants punk’s old rebel credibility.
“No one is ever going to stop me,” Madonna proclaimed in her finale, “Give It 2 Me.” But as the show ended, the last glimpse of Madonna was a video close-up of her sweaty, unsmiling, exhausted face. She had worked hard, and showed it.

Britney and Madonna Fallout?

2008-10-05T14:11:00.001-07:00

NOW are reporting that Madonna has fallen out with Britney because she has turned her back on Kabbalah. Britney was to perform on stage with Madonna when her tours come to LA but Britneys been given the boot now because of this.
A source told NOTW:“Madonna is dismayed that Britney has just dropped Kabbalah. She’s always believed it is a way of life, not just something to pick up and get rid of on a whim. Madonna doesn’t feel she can work with Britney any more because they’re just not aligned on a spiritual level.”Madge needs to get over herself. Just because someone doesn't believe in something you do that means you can't be friends with them.

MTV EMAs: Video Star

2008-10-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

Madonna's 4 Minutes has been nominated for the Video Star award at this years MTV EMAs that take place in Liverpool on Thursday 06 November.Unfortunately fans cannot vote in this category - it is just up to MTV to decide! Madonna faces competition from 30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie, Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes, Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction and Weezer - Pork and Beans.

Gossip : Madonna and A-Rod Dine Together in NYC

2008-10-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

From US Weekly :
Madonna and New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez took in a cozy dinner for two at Dos Caminos Third Avenue on Tuesday, a source told Usmagazine.com.
They pair ate at an alcove-like table in the back.
"They seemed very close," a source told Usmagazine.com.
See all of Madonna's former loves.
Rodriguez, who has donated money to her charity Raising Malawi, has yet to discuss the extent of his relationship with Madonna.
Rodriguez and his wife Cynthia settled their divorce in September.
Cynthia's attorney, Earle Lilly, told Us that Rodriguez had an "affair of the heart" with Madonna.
In July - after more than four years of marriage - Cynthia filed for divorce, citing her husband's alleged infidelity. The filing came shortly after Us Weekly broke the news that the slugger had been paying late-night visits to Madonna's NYC apartment. (Madonna, who is married to Guy Richie, denied an affair, saying they were just friends.)
Their relationship came to light, a week after The Times of London reported that Madonna met with high-powered British divorce attorney Fiona Shackleton, who represented Paul McCartney in his split from Heather Mills.
According to The Times, Ritchie met with a lesser-known law firm, Forsters.
Rodriguez was smitten with Madonna six months before the scandal broke.
"He [said] he was in love her," a friend of A-Rod recalled to Us.
By February, A-Rod had upped the ante. ""He said, 'She's my f--king soulmate, dude,'" the friend said.

Madonna on the cover of new issues of Next and HX

2008-10-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

Madonna on the covers of Spanish Magazines

2008-10-04T18:01:00.000-07:00

Go! (Seville Edition, September 2008)

Go! (Valencia Edition, September 2008)

Pop Guide (September 2008)

Ronda Magazine (Iberia Promo Only, September 2008)

OK (September 24 2008)

Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour in Rome (September 06 2008) - Pictures by Pam

2008-10-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

Madonna & A-Rod Didn’t Dine Out In NYC

2008-10-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Access Hollywood:
Madonna did not step out to dine with New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez, despite a report otherwise in Us Weekly, a source very close to the singer told Access.
On Thursday, Us Weekly claimed the two had a “cozy dinner for two at Dos Caminos third Avenue,” according to a source.
The two reportedly ate at the back of the restaurant and “seemed very close,” the source claimed in the magazine.
But, a source close to the star told Access Hollywood that the story is completely false.
“They did not have dinner,” the source said.
When contacted by Access Hollywood, a spokesperson for Us Weekly said the magazine stands by their story.
Page Six :
Reps for Madonna and Alex Rodriguez deny the two dined together at Dos Caminos on Third Avenue the other night. But sources insist the Yankee star broke bread with Madge and two male friends. 'Madonna entered through the front door half an hour after A-Rod arrived and had her security guards check the exits before she sat down at a quiet corner table,' said one source. Madonna had the men laughing with her stories. When the meal was over, they left by separate exits."

Jeremy: 'Madonna is a beast'

2008-10-03T17:23:00.000-07:00

You’re doing Speed-The-Plow on Broadway. Madonna did it 20 years ago. Did she have any tips? Ha ha, no. She was very intimidating. She didn’t have to say anything. She was just Madonna. It’s like she was some sort of wild animal – a wild beast walking into the room. It’s like, there she is – it’s Madonna! I actually did speak to David Mamet [the writer] about her and he said he was absolutely blown away by how professional she was in the play. He said she was totally on her game, more so than the rest of the stage actors. I wish I could have seen the production.

Madonna and Arod Meet up for Dinner

2008-10-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

Oh oh, here we go again! Madonna was reportedly spotted having dinner with Alex Rodriguez in NYC on Tuesday night at Dos Caminos Third Avenue.They sat in the back of the resturant and appeared very cozy according to eyewitnesses. "They seemed very close," a source told Us Weekly.While Madonna has publicity denied any romance between them, A-Rod hasgone out of his way to stay mum on the subject. We give it two daysbefore Madonna's publicist releases some statement claiming they werediscussing Kabbalah or Raising Malawi.Whatever the case is, all the PR Madge has been getting has certainly worked towards her advantage, she's selling out concerts like its going out of style!

Elle Cover

2008-10-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!
Madonna on the cover of the magazine Elle Serbia, October edition

Madonna’s Filthy Directorial Debut

2008-09-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

The trailer for Filth and Wisdom resembles your average picaresque quirk film about misfits in London's ethnic underworld. Then, about thirty seconds in, everything changes when the title "The Directorial Debut of Madonna," appears onscreen. Suddenly the mention of saving starving African children, and images of S&M and pole dancing become Madge touchstones. The film stars Eugene Hutz, lead singer of gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello, as some kind of alterno version of himself. How Madonna finds the time to direct movies, and tour the world is beyond me.

Sean Penn text messaged Madonna

2008-09-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

JAMESFranco seems to like playing gay characters and talking about it। Inhis umpteenth interview about his role in "Milk," opposite Sean Penn,Franco told Out magazine, "After our [on-screen] kiss, Sean textedMadonna - his ex-wife, Madonna - and said, 'I just popped my cherrykissing a guy। I thought of you। I don't know why' . . . There's ascene in the pool and everybody else is dressed and there's justsomething uncomfortable about that."

Madonna nominated as Best Act Ever at the EMAs

2008-09-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

Madonna has been nominated as Best Act Ever at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards. The category encomprises the acts – new, established or legendary - that fans love the most. Madonna is in the shortlist of 40 artists for the best act ever award - with frontrunners such as The Beatles and Take That.This year's MTV Europe Music Awards is set to be staged at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Thursday, November 6 as one of the highlights of Liverpool's year as European Capital Of Culture

Madonna Loses Out To Beyonce In Highest Paid Pop Stars List

2008-09-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

Beyonce Knowles and The Police are the richest musicians according to a poll in Forbes magazine to find the World’s Best Paid Music Stars।The Police came top after pocketing a hefty $115 million over the past 12 months.Beyonce is next up with her impressive dollar stack of $80 million, compared with Madonna's $40 million earnings.The rockers were crowned as the wealthiest when their reunion tour shows brought in $28.3 million alone.Other stars who have money rolling in include Justin Timberlake ($44 million) and new mum Gwen Stefani ($27 million).

Chris Ciccone holds his Czech book

2008-09-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

Christopher Ciccone presented Zivot s Madonnou, the Czech version of his tell-all Life with My Sister Madonna, at Prague's Luxor Palace bookshop earlier today, by demonstrating how audiences are eating it up

Vote & create a Madonna Top 20 Playlist for October 4, 2008 (Phoenix FM)

2008-09-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

On the 4th October Phoenix FM is doing a Madonna Top 20 Show on the radio station।You can decide the outcome too, which is what will make it special.Vote for your favorite songs to create the top 20, let's make this a fan-created list! ;)

http://www.phoenixfm.com/top20-madonna.php

Be sure to leave a comment!

Pharrell Williams: "Madonna: Hot"

2008-09-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

Common on the bill at the Kool Haus (132 Queens Quay East) Toronto Ontario Canada, Monday (September 29)। With that in mind, we tracked Pharrell Williams down for some quick-hit questions।

You say, "Everybody Nose," so do you use drugs?
Nah.

I read somewhere that your new high is information. Is that correct?
Absolutely.

Did you ever get to put Nardwuar in another video?
Not yet!

What artist would you love to work with?
Prince.

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Madonna?
Hot.

Busta Rhymes?
Crazy.

Britney Spears?
Entertaining.

Noreaga?
Superthug.

Gwen Stefani?
Sexy.

Ludacris?
Talented.

Ol' Dirty Bastard?
Life-changing।

Madonna everywhere in Montenegro

2008-09-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

"Last morning in Podgorica, capital city of Montenegro, a special atmosphere was present all through the town. Madonna was expected to arrive at the Podgorica airport with her children and management. Nine vehicles were parked in front of the airport building awaiting them.

In stores, fashion boutiques, caffee bars and restaurants all you could hear was people talking about Madonna and the event. And in the background her music, naturally.

Jaz beach got ready with some 55,000 people expected to be at the concert. In addition to the show, Roger Sanchez had a session the night before and David Morales and Junior Jack performed after the Madonna show."

Hello Athens, Good-bye Europe

2008-09-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

"News is just in from Greece - where 16,000 fans from abroad are expected to attend the final European show of Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour tomorrow - that the subway will remain open until 2.30 a.m. after the show, so that people can return home easily!"

Tiny Montenegro town gears up for Madonna's big gig

2008-09-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

"More than 65,000 Madonna fans are expected to visit Montenegro's small coastal town of Budva for the pop diva's concert on Thursday, the biggest-ever event to be held in the small Adriatic republic.
Media reports have revealed the singer's various requests, such as kosher food to be prepared by a Belgrade rabbi and her stay at a luxurious hotel's penthouse with a swimming poll on a balcony under banana and palm trees.
Organizers have unveiled that Madonna requested two rooms and a big bathroom in the 50-room backstage area.
'The rooms should be without air conditioning and fluorescent lights and colors,' said public relations officer Aleksandar Rados. 'Smoking is forbidden....'
The event on the Jaz beach, famous for its turquoise water and golden sands, will cost some $7 million, according to the Russian Mirax Group, which is the concert's general sponsor.
The beach was picked as the concert site after the last year's Rolling Stones concert and other musical events including a Lenny Kravitz concert this summer."

How Timbaland pushed Pharrell to do more songs with Madonna

2008-09-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

In their interview with "Backfile", Pharrell Williams talked about how Timbaland pushed him to do more then one record for Madonna:"Timbaland was pushing me, he was like 'I like that one song you did' and I was like yeah? And he was like'u gotta hear the album I did almost the whole thing' and I was like Yeah?! Then Madonna kept teasing like 'Tim Got More Sooongs Then You, Tim Got More Songs Then You' and I was like... Okay u aint gonna like me when I start turning green..."

Voyager Cover

2008-09-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

Madonna is featured on the cover of free BMI inflight UK magazine Voyager for the September 2008 issue.

Madonna in Rome

2008-09-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

Joined by daughter Lourdes and son Rocco, devout Kabbalist Madonna recently paid a flying visit to the Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome.
The trio arrived by car in the Botanical Gardens of the Basilica after flying from Germany by private plane. The gardens are considered mysterious and almost magical.
Normal practice would be that females wear a head covering though Madge opted to forgoe that tradition. She was, however, given a guided tour of the religious paintings and artifacts.
Some of the monks even gave her a rendition of an ancient Gregorian Chant।Look for the Paul Van Dyk remix on the Material One’s upcoming album!

Nothing To Declare

2008-09-24T14:25:00.000-07:00

A funny tidbit emerges from the Budva stop of the Sticky & Sweet Tour. Eastern European border guards have reportedly seized Madonna's entire stock of 300 expensive designer towels she brings along for her and her dancers.Officials in Montenegro apparently confiscated the lot because the number she was taking into the country was "suspicious". A source told a local paper that customs officials never came across that huge amount of designer towels for personal use before, or the cost declared for them as people in Montenegro just don't spend that money on towels!

Budva waiting for Madonna

2008-09-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

Pop diva Madonna, who should spend three day in Montenegro, will land at Podgorica’s airport today and leave directly for Budva’s “Splendid” hotel.She will be met at the airport by nine vehicles. IN accordance with her management’s request, this motorcade will include two S-class Mercedes or two “Feton Volkswagens”, couple of “Toyota Land cruiser” SUVs, three mini vans and two “vits”. Escorted by the police and “Guardian” security, motorcade will proceed straight to the luxurious hotel in Becici.According to our source, unlike members of the “Rolling Stones” who have puzzle the organizers with their list of requests - which included 50 liters of water in their vehicles, special sorts of candy, drivers in uniforms – Madonna turned out to be quite “modest”. Nevertheless, as an unquestionable star, she did present the organizers with the lengthy and detailed list of things she needed for her performance and pleasant stay. This list, which will be fulfilled at organizer’s expense, defines it all – from the number of qualified workers to, for instance, dimensions of a sink in the backstage.Madonna’s backstage will, for instance, include children’s playroom. This room must not have air-conditioning, must allow pleasant stay for at least ten persons must have certain number of plugs, carpets, preferably wall lamps. Closets should or bricks should be covered by wallpapers. Organizers are also advised to provide impeccable lavatories, which should be cleaned – in detailed – before Madonna’s arrival, while the toilet board should be brand new and wrapped up.“Medical requests” include two bottles of oxygen, with brand new masks, as well as a skilled doctor who will be on standby throughout her stay in Montenegro. Also, half an hour before the concert, a trained nurse, who speaks fluent English, should be positioned in the area immediately next to the stage and stay on her place till the very end of the show.Entire backstage will be a non-smoking area, in accordance with Madonna’s special request. Some 20 rooms which are in immediate vicinity to Madonna’s dressing room should also include seven offices for her management team, which should be five times six meters, with telephone lines, internet connections, tables with specified dimensions, garbage cans, etc.Production team shall travel across the concert area in gulf-court-vehicles. There will also be two cars at their disposal.On the day of the concert, Madonna will also require 900 cubicles of ice. These must be placed in bags which will be easily carried by one person. Ice should be perfectly clean.Some of these requests might seem as exaggeration, but good host must also make sure that concert area would also be secured against objects which might endanger the member of the crew or visitors.Madonna’s management is also taking local legislation into account. So, if the host country bans use of propane, management should be notified ahead and provided with kitchen-equipment which will use alternative energy source. Also, Madonna’s management posed question in relation to the level of tolerated noise in the country, whether there is space specifically intended for disable visitors, if the host-country has such practices.In case of extreme heat, Madonna’s team has requested that audience area would also be provided with water tanks and drinking cups for visitors.

Live Heute Cover

2008-09-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

Madonna appeared on the cover of the magazine Australian Live हयूते

2008-09-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

Brazil show on DVD?

Nathan Rissman, director of the Malawi documentary I Am Because We Are, is supposed to film a Sticky & Sweet show in Brazil for the DVD release. He would be in charge of directing the show and the DVD would be packed with behind the scenes stuff. Keep in mind we have no official confirmation about a DVD release or a tv broadcast, so keep checking our newspage in the upcoming weeks for more info, if emerges.

2008-09-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

No video for Miles Away

According to the French portal Musique Radio, Warner has confirmed that the third single from the album Hard Candy, Miles Away is not provided with promotional music video। This is very sad as it is a great song you like Nothing Fails ran out of video, this only shows the fragility in which the record companies are today, not counting that Warner is furious with the departure of his star No.1, at this stage it seems that they are not interested in investing more.

2008-09-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

Madonna leaving the hotel Le Crillon, for the second day go by Stade de France where he gave his last concert in the COUNTRY

2008-09-22T16:19:00.001-07:00

According to French music portal Musique Radio, Warner has confirmed that the 3rd single of Hard Candy,Miles Away is not going to be accompanied by a promotional music video. While this is very disappointing because it's yet another great song after Nothing Fails that won't have a video, it just shows that record labels are so weak nowadays that they can't afford 3 music videos from the same album by such an important artist like Madonna, and of course further evidence for the 'music video era' being long gone...

2008-09-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

Here you will find in it the exclusive official calendar 2009 of Madonna published by Signatures Network. The schedule gonna on sale in October, you can buy it at amazon.com

2008-09-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

Madonna's Like A Prayer video made the top ten in a poll held by MTV, with more than 40,000 viewers voting.The music video for the song directed by Mary Lambert, that sparkled controversy back in 1989 and even caused Pepsi to withdraw the "Make A Wish" commercial that premiered the song, was voted #9 in the poll, with results to be announced tomorrow, Sunday September 21 at 7pm on MTV Two and other MTV channels.Duran Duran's "Rio" has been named the greatest music video of all time - and here's the complete top ten:

1 Duran Duran, Rio

2 Bjork, All is Full of Love

3 A-ha, Take on Me

4 Michael Jackson, Thriller

5 Sigur Ros, Svefn-g-Englar

6 Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit

7 Radiohead, Just

8 Jamiroquai, Virtual Insanity

9 Madonna, Like a Prayer

10 OK GO, Here It Goes Again

2008-09-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

WELCOME TO THE NEW BLOG OF MADONNA