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Tags: Madonna, pictures, celebrity, gossip, entertainment, tv

Fan Cover Songs: "Get Together" by Rudi Douglas, Video by CrazyforMadonna

I've posted this cover version of "Get Together" by Rudi Douglas in the fan cover songs section, but since CrazyforMadonna did such a great job compiling a video for this cover, I wanted to post it. Great moments, that will take you back in time. And yes, Rudi's cover is still amazing! Thanks to both Rudi and CrazyforMadonna!

US Magazines Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair have sent out this press release informing fans of what to expect from the upcoming May issue:

Madonna appears on the cover of Vanity Fair for the 10th time, posing for photographer and longtime collaborator Steven Meisel for V.F.???s third annual Green Issue. The inspiration for the cover image (Madonna holding up a custom-made globe of the world measuring four feet in diameter) came from the cover of a mid-century fashion magazine and the 1920s work of Czech photographer Frantisek Drtikol.


Madonna tells Vanity Fair contributing editor Rich Cohen that in high school, 'I was one of those people that people were mean to.' She continues, 'I wasn???t a hippie or a stoner, so I ended up being the weirdo. I was interested in classical ballet and music, and the kids were quite mean if you were different....'


'When that happened, instead of being a doormat, I decided to emphasize my differences. I didn???t shave my legs. I had hair growing under my arms. I refused to wear makeup, or fit the ideal of what a conventionally pretty girl would look like. So of course I was tortured even more, and that further validated my superiority, and helped me to survive and say, ???I???m getting out of here, and everyone is a heathen in this school???you don???t even know who Mahler is!'


Madonna draws on the same kinds of survival skills today when it comes to dealing with all of the media attention, telling Cohen, 'You have to get to a point where you care as little about getting smoke blown up your ass as you do when you become a whipping boy in the press, because ultimately they both add up to shit. You just have to keep doing your work, and hope and pray somebody???s dialing into your frequency. If your joy is derived from what society thinks of you, you???re always going to be disappointed.'

Madonna speaks on a range of topics, including:

BRITNEY SPEARS:



'Yes, I know. I know exactly what you???re going to say. It???s very painful. Which leads us back to our question: When you think about the way people treat each other in Africa, about witchcraft and people inflicting cruelty and pain on each other, then come back here and, you know, people taking pictures of people when they???re in their homes, being taken to hospitals, or suffering, and selling them, getting energy from them, that???s a terrible infliction of cruelty. So who???s worse off? You know what I mean?'



THE PAPARAZZI:



'The paparazzi are out of control. I haven???t been to Los Angeles in quite a while, and I don???t watch television here or in England, and I was told there???s now a television show where the paparazzi are the stars of the show???is that true? That they film each other doing paparazzi jobs? Which gives them more fuel. I usually found that type kept their distance???they definitely do in England, because it???s illegal to photograph children. But that???s not how it is here. They get this close, and don???t care how much they scare your children.'


'Being famous has changed a lot, because now there???s so many outlets, between magazines, TV shows, and the Internet, for people to stalk and follow you. We created the monster.'



WRITING AND DIRECTING HER FIRST FILM:



'I???ve been inspired by films since I started dancing, and I???m married to a filmmaker, and I think it was one of my secret desires, but I was afraid to just say, ???I want to be a director.??? But then one day I said, O.K., stop dreaming and do it. But I didn???t want to do it the Hollywood way, and talk through agents. I decided it all had to be generated by me, so I wrote it....It was my film school.'



HOW NEW YORK HAS CHANGED:



'It???s not the exciting place it used to be. It still has great energy; I still put my finger in the socket. But it doesn???t feel alive, cracking with that synergy between the art world and music world and fashion world that was happening in the 80s. A lot of people died.'



THE MUSIC BUSINESS:



'Well, there???s one thing you can???t download and that???s a live performance. And I know how to put on a show, and enjoy performing, and I???ll always have that.'



HER LONG CAREER:



'Honestly, it???s not something I sit around ruminating about. Who is my role model and how long can I keep this going? I just move around and do different things and come back to music, try making films and come back to music, write children???s books and come back to music.'



HOW HER MOVIES ARE DIFFERENT FROM HER HUSBAND, GUY RITCHIE???S:



'We make different kinds of movies. I don???t have the technical knowledge he has. He???s got a vision, and his films are very testosterone-fueled. Mine are much more from a female point of view, and I can???t help but be autobiographical in everything I do.'



HOW HAVING CHILDREN CHANGES YOU:



'If you have children, you know you???re responsible for somebody. You realize you are being imitated; your belief systems and priorities have a direct influence on these children, who are like flowers in a garden. So you start to second-guess everything you value, and the suffering of other children becomes much more intolerable.'



HER FAVORITE CHILDREN???S BOOKS:



'Winnie the Pooh, Pippi Longstocking, Horrid Henry.'



THE LOSS OF HER MOTHER [AT AGE SIX]:



'You???re aware of a sense of loss, and feel a sense of abandonment. Children always think they did something wrong when their parents disappear.'

The May issue of Vanity Fair hits newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on April 2 and nationally on April 8.

You can read the full interview online at www.vanityfair.com/culture/features

All Pictures: Steven Meisel exclusively for Vanity Fair.

Thanks to Elizabeth at Vanity Fair

US Magazines Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair have sent out this press release informing fans of what to expect from the upcoming May issue:

Madonna appears on the cover of Vanity Fair for the 10th time, posing for photographer and longtime collaborator Steven Meisel for V.F.’s third annual Green Issue. The inspiration for the cover image (Madonna holding up a custom-made globe of the world measuring four feet in diameter) came from the cover of a mid-century fashion magazine and the 1920s work of Czech photographer Frantisek Drtikol.


Madonna tells Vanity Fair contributing editor Rich Cohen that in high school, 'I was one of those people that people were mean to.' She continues, 'I wasn’t a hippie or a stoner, so I ended up being the weirdo. I was interested in classical ballet and music, and the kids were quite mean if you were different....'


'When that happened, instead of being a doormat, I decided to emphasize my differences. I didn’t shave my legs. I had hair growing under my arms. I refused to wear makeup, or fit the ideal of what a conventionally pretty girl would look like. So of course I was tortured even more, and that further validated my superiority, and helped me to survive and say, ‘I’m getting out of here, and everyone is a heathen in this school—you don’t even know who Mahler is!'


Madonna draws on the same kinds of survival skills today when it comes to dealing with all of the media attention, telling Cohen, 'You have to get to a point where you care as little about getting smoke blown up your ass as you do when you become a whipping boy in the press, because ultimately they both add up to shit. You just have to keep doing your work, and hope and pray somebody’s dialing into your frequency. If your joy is derived from what society thinks of you, you’re always going to be disappointed.'

Madonna speaks on a range of topics, including:

BRITNEY SPEARS:



'Yes, I know. I know exactly what you’re going to say. It’s very painful. Which leads us back to our question: When you think about the way people treat each other in Africa, about witchcraft and people inflicting cruelty and pain on each other, then come back here and, you know, people taking pictures of people when they’re in their homes, being taken to hospitals, or suffering, and selling them, getting energy from them, that’s a terrible infliction of cruelty. So who’s worse off? You know what I mean?'



THE PAPARAZZI:



'The paparazzi are out of control. I haven’t been to Los Angeles in quite a while, and I don’t watch television here or in England, and I was told there’s now a television show where the paparazzi are the stars of the show—is that true? That they film each other doing paparazzi jobs? Which gives them more fuel. I usually found that type kept their distance—they definitely do in England, because it’s illegal to photograph children. But that’s not how it is here. They get this close, and don’t care how much they scare your children.'


'Being famous has changed a lot, because now there’s so many outlets, between magazines, TV shows, and the Internet, for people to stalk and follow you. We created the monster.'



WRITING AND DIRECTING HER FIRST FILM:



'I’ve been inspired by films since I started dancing, and I’m married to a filmmaker, and I think it was one of my secret desires, but I was afraid to just say, ‘I want to be a director.’ But then one day I said, O.K., stop dreaming and do it. But I didn’t want to do it the Hollywood way, and talk through agents. I decided it all had to be generated by me, so I wrote it....It was my film school.'



HOW NEW YORK HAS CHANGED:



'It’s not the exciting place it used to be. It still has great energy; I still put my finger in the socket. But it doesn’t feel alive, cracking with that synergy between the art world and music world and fashion world that was happening in the 80s. A lot of people died.'



THE MUSIC BUSINESS:



'Well, there’s one thing you can’t download and that’s a live performance. And I know how to put on a show, and enjoy performing, and I’ll always have that.'



HER LONG CAREER:



'Honestly, it’s not something I sit around ruminating about. Who is my role model and how long can I keep this going? I just move around and do different things and come back to music, try making films and come back to music, write children’s books and come back to music.'



HOW HER MOVIES ARE DIFFERENT FROM HER HUSBAND, GUY RITCHIE’S:



'We make different kinds of movies. I don’t have the technical knowledge he has. He’s got a vision, and his films are very testosterone-fueled. Mine are much more from a female point of view, and I can’t help but be autobiographical in everything I do.'



HOW HAVING CHILDREN CHANGES YOU:



'If you have children, you know you’re responsible for somebody. You realize you are being imitated; your belief systems and priorities have a direct influence on these children, who are like flowers in a garden. So you start to second-guess everything you value, and the suffering of other children becomes much more intolerable.'



HER FAVORITE CHILDREN’S BOOKS:



'Winnie the Pooh, Pippi Longstocking, Horrid Henry.'



THE LOSS OF HER MOTHER [AT AGE SIX]:



'You’re aware of a sense of loss, and feel a sense of abandonment. Children always think they did something wrong when their parents disappear.'

The May issue of Vanity Fair hits newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on April 2 and nationally on April 8.

You can read the full interview online at www.vanityfair.com/culture/features

All Pictures: Steven Meisel exclusively for Vanity Fair.

Thanks to Elizabeth at Vanity Fair

4 Minutes Worldwide Updates

From Atlanta - thanks to John and Brian:




Her Madgesty is getting some gains in airplay in Atlanta, but we need to continue to request '4 Minutes'.


Here are some links to get her in full rotation, go to www.star94.com and email the 'On Air Now' DJ.


Email Q100.5 FM at www.allthehitsq100.com/equest/songrequest or text 71005 to request the song.

From Denmark - thanks to Louise:




Thought I'd want to share that 4 Minutes is the #1 most sold song and the 16th most played song in Denmark this week.

From Hong Kong - thanks to Stephen:




'4 Minutes' has risen to #1 in Hong Kong - check out 881903.com

From Los Angeles - thanks to Andre A:




I just wanted to inform you that I heard the song three times this weekend on LA's 102.7 KIIS FM, it seems they are playing it on a regular basis since I heard it both on Saturday and Sunday.

From the Netherlands - thanks to Dennis:




Madonna went, in her 2nd week, in the Dutch Tipparade from #28 to #10.

From New York City - thanks to Fernando:




Madonna is #1 in New York. On Friday's Z100 9@9 Madonna scored the #1 with '4 Minutes' after being the most requested song in the last 24 hours and at #2 on the most requested song for the Top 5 at Noon.


Please do not stop requesting via telephone at 800-242-0100. Also keep voting at www.z100.com by clicking 'On Air' and selecting 9@9.

From Tokyo - thanks to Dennis:




Since you are keeping tabs on such things: '4 Minutes' had the highest debut on the J-Wave Hot 100 weekly chart coming in at....wait for it....#4.

4 Minutes Worldwide Updates

From Atlanta - thanks to John and Brian:




Her Madgesty is getting some gains in airplay in Atlanta, but we need to continue to request '4 Minutes'.


Here are some links to get her in full rotation, go to www.star94.com and email the 'On Air Now' DJ.


Email Q100.5 FM at www.allthehitsq100.com/equest/songrequest or text 71005 to request the song.

From Denmark - thanks to Louise:




Thought I'd want to share that 4 Minutes is the #1 most sold song and the 16th most played song in Denmark this week.

From Hong Kong - thanks to Stephen:




'4 Minutes' has risen to #1 in Hong Kong - check out 881903.com

From Los Angeles - thanks to Andre A:




I just wanted to inform you that I heard the song three times this weekend on LA's 102.7 KIIS FM, it seems they are playing it on a regular basis since I heard it both on Saturday and Sunday.

From the Netherlands - thanks to Dennis:




Madonna went, in her 2nd week, in the Dutch Tipparade from #28 to #10.

From New York City - thanks to Fernando:




Madonna is #1 in New York. On Friday's Z100 9@9 Madonna scored the #1 with '4 Minutes' after being the most requested song in the last 24 hours and at #2 on the most requested song for the Top 5 at Noon.


Please do not stop requesting via telephone at 800-242-0100. Also keep voting at www.z100.com by clicking 'On Air' and selecting 9@9.

From Tokyo - thanks to Dennis:




Since you are keeping tabs on such things: '4 Minutes' had the highest debut on the J-Wave Hot 100 weekly chart coming in at....wait for it....#4.

UK Magazines OK

UK magazine OK! (01 April issue 616) features a five-page article reprising the interview Madonna gave to US magazine Interview - click on the images to enlarge.

UK Magazines OK

UK magazine OK! (01 April issue 616) features a five-page article reprising the interview Madonna gave to US magazine Interview - click on the images to enlarge.

UK Magazines Hello

The current edition of UK magazine Hello! (01 April issue 1014) features a one-page story on Liz Rosenberg's rebuttal to the usual marriage rumours!

Another US radio interview

Madonna was also interviewed on the Kathy & Eric Show on Friday 28 March at www.wtmx.com - you can find it under Eric & Kathy / Podcast / 3-28-2008.

Thanks to Kay

UK Magazines Hello

The current edition of UK magazine Hello! (01 April issue 1014) features a one-page story on Liz Rosenberg's rebuttal to the usual marriage rumours!

Another US radio interview

Madonna was also interviewed on the Kathy & Eric Show on Friday 28 March at www.wtmx.com - you can find it under Eric & Kathy / Podcast / 3-28-2008.

Thanks to Kay

Nato should reinvent itself like Madonna

Her chart-topping talent for reinvention has inspired the makeovers of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Kylie Minogue, and now Madonna has been proposed as an unlikely role model for Nato.
International defence analyst Dr Peter van Ham, the director of global governance research at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, says Madonna's career should provide the blueprint for 'a strategic extreme makeover' for the alliance.
Rather than Nato troops taking up purple leotards and conical bras, he contends in the latest Nato Review that the alliance should regularly reform itself in order to meet the challenges of the 21st century, such as cyber terrorism, weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and competition for energy resources.

To continue reading the rest of the article visit www.guardian.co.uk

Thanks to Paul

Nato should reinvent itself like Madonna

Her chart-topping talent for reinvention has inspired the makeovers of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Kylie Minogue, and now Madonna has been proposed as an unlikely role model for Nato.
International defence analyst Dr Peter van Ham, the director of global governance research at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, says Madonna's career should provide the blueprint for 'a strategic extreme makeover' for the alliance.
Rather than Nato troops taking up purple leotards and conical bras, he contends in the latest Nato Review that the alliance should regularly reform itself in order to meet the challenges of the 21st century, such as cyber terrorism, weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and competition for energy resources.

To continue reading the rest of the article visit www.guardian.co.uk

Thanks to Paul

4 Minutes Video Release Date

The video for 4 Minutes is now available to pre-order on iTunes sites - with an expected release date of Friday 04 April.

Thanks to Mikey

Madonna In Vanity Fair

Looking absolutely gorgeous!

Madonna In Dazed & Confused: Full Article

A UNIQUE 70-PAGE TRIBUTE TO A 21ST-CENTURY ICON: MADONNA

The undisputed heavyweight champ of reinvention, Madonna has consistently created new characters and concepts. She has always been quick to discover new image-making teams, and to develop new looks, never letting the public become used to just one "Madonna". At the same time, she has consistently poked and provoked society's moral authorities, asserting her right to promote individual freedom and collective tolerance. This special issue of Dazed & Confused is a celebration of the spirit of reinvention, letting the images and characters Madonna has created influence our pages. The cover story with Steven Klein was created by Madonna, the rest were created with her blessing. Irony has been Madonna's shield, her sense of ambiguity her most cunning weapon. We hope this issue adds to her legacy and gives her fans - and detractors - a fresh perspective on the enduring influence that Madonna has had and continues to have on style and British youth culture.

"WHERE DO YOU WANT ME?" ASKS MADONNA COYLY...

Inside the private office of Madonna's London home the walls are filled with powerful, personal images she has collected over the years. Splice them all together and they might provide a quirky visual collage of her psychology. Madonna chooses to sit on the counch, wearing blue jeans, a simple shirt over a black bra and natural, understated make-up. Her hair is relaxed and she has an air of studied calm about her. There is no fuss nor pomp nor ceremony. If you were expecting a diva in erotic riding gear and crop, you'll have to wait until the next tour. If you thought she'd be in kimono and white slippers, then you've got the wrong pop star. In these intimate surroundings and with her natural dancer's grace, she comes across as more youthful and beautiful than when she appears on tour or on the world stage, misshaped and exaggerated by the media's distorting lens. For her latest album, Madonna has collaborated with chart-busting producers and writing partners Pharrell Williams, Timbaland and Justin Timberlake.

Dazed & Confused: Are they the sexiest producers in the world?

Madonna: In terms of the way they look or the music they make? Both?
(Laughs) Yeah... they're hot!

Music from the new album plays through crystal-clear Bose speakers wired to Madonna's laptop. A self-portrait by female art icon Frida Kahlo hangs directly in front - Kahlo looks back, defiant, tough, warrior-like, with a wild, playful monkey around her neck.

"Sticky and sweet," sings Madonna, the vocals repeating over the swirling beats on the Pharrell-produced opener "Candy Shop"...

"I think Pharrell is a natural musician," continues Madonna. "I like his inventiveness - he would grab my acoustic guitar, which he couldn't play, but start playing percussion on it. He would find bottles and start playing them with spoons. He is very inventive in the studio, he's not precious and I like his lo-fi approach to making music."

"The suga is raaawww," raps Madonna

"He is also a little kid and silly... he would come to work, take these Mickey Mouse slippers out of his giant Hermès bag and out them on... (laughing) I don't feel like he took himself too seriously."

In a photograph by Helmut Newton, a girl who looks like a Sex-era clone of Madonna sits at the edge of a bed with a gun in her mouth, as if she's about to blow her head off. "Four Minutes To Save The World", is an urgent, clarion call of a song. Timbaland's horns and pulsating, thrumpy funk beats underscore Madonna's sexy, breathy vocals and the Michael Jackson-like melody sung by Justin. Imagine Superwoman, Batman and Robin entwined in an apocalyptical threesome - this would be the soundtrack. "Save the world", exclaims Justin at the end of a song loaded with irony and double meaning.

"I can totally relate to Justin as a songwriter," says Madonna. "We would sit down together and say okay, let's come up with a concept. What story do we want to tell? We would riff off of each other and play with words. He likes to play with words and the rhythm of words and so do I."

"See my booty get down," raps Madonna

And what about Timbaland?

He would seem like he was disappearing from the room, then he would take his headphones off and suddenly blast something on the speakers and give the thumbs up. So he was sort of a silent godfather to the whole project.

There is something both deeply facile and also genuinely inventive about the album. Taking its cue from the uptempo future-disco sound of Confessions, it's still essentially a club album, but this time it's laced with hot and horny R&B dancefloor firecrackers. The album comes purposefully loaded with mainstream US chart sex appeal, but it also has a more contemporary hip hop edge... if Dangermouse's 'Grey Album' was literal template for layering white pop with hip hop, then Madonna's new album is the next genre flux, a sonic collage that could yet come to be the synthesis of what Timbaland and Pharrell have been working towards for the best part of this decade - the sound of a self-satisfied America teetering on the edge of nihilism; or to put it more graphically - the sound of sex without consequence.

"Sex with you is incredible", breathes Madonna

So, how would you describe the mood of this record?

I felt more introspective because I was writing with Pharrell and Justin. On Confessions, which I wrote all the lyrics to, I wanted to stay away from anything serious, even though the word 'confession' implies seriousness. I just wanted to make a frivolous dance record, and with this one I had to dig deeper and go to a different place... For me, it's a true collaboration, intellectually and artistically.

The stars have lined up with Madonna for good cause. It's New York Fashion Week and Gucci have erected in aid of her foundation Raising Malawi. In attendance are Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, a heavily pregnant J-Lo, a less pregnant Gwyneth, Drew Barrymore, and many more. But the most unexpected star to emerge is Madonna's daughter Lourdes, who handles questions from the press with char and natural ease.

As Madonna takes to the podium in the subdued glamour of a simple but elegant grey-crepe Gucci dress, she appears approachable, ambassadorial even. In a heartfelt and convincing speech, she talks about changing people's lives and changing her own in the process: "I've spent the last 25 years in the entertainment business. I have earned a reputation for being many things. For pushing the envelope. For being a provocateur, for never taking no for an answer, for endlessly reinventing myself, for being a cult member, a kidnapper, for being ambitious, outrageous, irreverent, and for never settling for second best. And that's just the good stuff. Then one day I woke up and I asked myself - what is being the best? And how can I be the best when I know that millions of people around the world never have a shot at being 'best'? If I am because we are, then what am I doing about the 'we'? 'Cause God knows I've taken care of the 'I'."

What surprised you most about that night?

I was surprised how nervous I was. When I got up, I felt responsible, I had a lot of pressure on me, but I didn't factor in how nervous I was going to feel. It also ended up being a lot more intimate than I thought. There was something both really grand and intimate about it.

What was the high point of the night?

When Rihanna started playing and I know I could relax. I could dance and not worry. Before that, I felt like I was responsible for absolutely everything. The phrase 'I am because we are' was obviously the slogan of the night - would you say that you have always been compassionate about other people, or was it something you discovered later on in life?

I think I was always compassionate about people in my immediate circle... I have always been a caretaker to my family, to my brothers and sisters, to people around me, people I work with, like the musicians and dancers. I have always taken people in, wanted to rehabilitate people. But I never thought about my responsibility to the world at large.

A trailer from I am because we are, the documentary film Madonna produced, introduces us to the prophetic Zulu phrase that explains how our lives are inextricably bound to the powerty trap and the HIV/Aids epidemic in Africa. The trailer is inventively edited and shows harrowing black and white photography of the victims of Aids alongside touching cinematography of Malawian life. Candid interviews with leaders and citizens alike are spliced through the imagery. There is clearly an emergency in Africa, but why did Madonna choose Malawi? As Madonna says, "I didn't. Malawi chose me."

"The more you know, the more you realise you don't know and the more you cannot turn your back on things," says Madonna. "I suppose that's why people generally don't want to know more, because at a soul level they understand that the more they know, the more they have to do. We live in a world full of distractions, so we can pretty much keep ourselves so busy that we don't have to engage... yeah... so, I guess the challenge is to live in the world and enjoy all of the things the world has to offer, including the distractions, but not be so distracted that you don't notice that there is a world going on around you."

"Save the world," says Justin Timberlake at the end of the new single

How did you manage balancing working on this record, while you were producing the film on Malawi and putting the fundraising event together?

I find that I now use making music as a kind of antidote to things that are more anxiety provoking. Confessions On a Dance Floor was a release for me and in a way that's how working on this record was. I had set up an editing suite in the basement for the documentary, and would go from sitting there watching hours and hours of footage of people dying, to going to the studio. I cut out a lot of stuff that people just couldn't handle - a lot of really painful things. And to see this imagery over and over again, of children dying and mothers weeping, burying their children and vice-versa... I needed a release from that. Going into the studio was that release. I'm not going to say it was easy, but it was the opposite.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions," sings Madonna

"I think all fears lead from the fear of death itself," she will say later

Do you have an unrealised dream for a performance?

I have always wanted to do intimate performances. My dream is to go around doing shows in opera houses but you know, who makes money in opera houses?

If that's your dream though, you have to do it once.

Yes, but when I create shows they are usually quite intricate. They don't expand and collapse to varying stage sizes. So I kind of put myself in a corner and only pick venues that can accommodate my type of monstrous production. I have always wanted to do grand shows but in really intimate venues, which never seems to be possible.

But isn't that the challenge - to make the grand seem intimate?

I just love theatre and the magic of theatre. I love going to shows like Cirque du Soleil because you are so close. You can hear people breathing and you can see their sweat, you can see the work. And yet you can still be pulled into the magic of everything, and be tricked by the illusion of one spotlight and also the danger of it being live. You know, you can't take it back. It's in the moment. If you make a mistake, then you have to own that mistake, every night is different and every second is different. Each audience that you have changes your performance. I love that more than anything.

Do you think that you will always push yourself to perform at such a physically demanding level? With so much emphasis on dance and so much emphasis on your body as well?

Yeah, probably, because I'm a masochist. (Laughs)

Madonna is holding a beautiful black and white portrait of Edith Piaf. It shows Piaf as a tiny spotlit figure on the Olympia stage. Shot from high in the stalls, it simultaneously captures all of her power and vulnerability. "I love this picture," says Madonna. It shows a performer loved but all alone - at once present and yet isolated, an island of solace in an atmosphere of tender admiration.

I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT FUCKING UP - I REALLY HAVE A PANIC ATTACK, THAT EVERYONE ELSE IS BREATHING MY AIR. IT'S HARD TO DESCRIBE.

Do you feel vulnerable or invincible on stage?

Both.

Can you describe some of the emotions that run through your mind during your shows?

I have moments when I feel incredibly invincible and know that I have the audience in my hand - I know that everything is absolutely perfect... and then I have panic attacks, where I feel like everyone is breathing my air and I cannot live up to everybody's expectations, and I might just die on stage.

What do you do to pull yourself together?

I normally try to turn my back to the audience, take a deep breath and remind myself that it's all temporary.

So, it doesn't matter if you fuck up?

I'm not worried about fucking up - I really have a panic attack that everyone else is breathing my air. It's hard to describe. When you have panic attacks you cannot rationalise them, obviously there's enough ozygen for me and it never happens outdoors, it's normally in indoors sport arenas that feel very close... suddenly, I feel claustrophobic. It's not a fear of performing.

A series of female Olympic divers photographed by the legendary Leni Riefenstahl are framed and propped along the wall. It was Riefenstahl that created heroically stylised films for the 1936 Berlin Olympics and who - despite her artistic credibility and unbiased eye - was forever labelled as a Nazi propagandist because of her docomentary Triumph of The Will. She was snubbed by Hollywood but kept working, making incredible photographic series such as the Nubas of Sudan.

Filth and Wisdom, Madonna's narrative feature film has just premiered at the Berlin Film Festival to very mixed critical reviews. Yet Madonna is resolutely proud of it and star Eugene Hutz's performance. Either as an actress or in this case, co-screenwriter and director, Madonna has found little love from the movie industry. Yet there have been some convincing performances (Desperately Seeking Susan, Dick Tracy), some occasional high points (Evita), but really it is in the realm of short films like Steven Klein's X-STaTIC PRO=CeSS, which can be seen on Jonas Akerlund's I'm Going To Tell You a Secret, where Madonna comes into her own as a multi-dimensional artist and performer. Madonna is without doubt the short-form video star of the century, and one who has elevated it to a fine art.

It says in the blurb for Filth and Wisdom, 'Whether we take the path of wisdom or the path of filth, we end up in the same enlightened place.' Do you believe that?

I think one must choose - even if you choose the wrong path, you're going to get to the end quicker. I don't think the universe conspires to help a fence-sitter. I think you've got to make a choice and go down either road. I thin if you choose the path of wisdom, sooner or later you are going to be wanting filth. If you choose the path of filth, sooner or later you're going to be wanting enlightenment. So you end up in the same spot.

You can't balance the two?

I didn't say you couldn't, but I htink it's wrong to judge people on either side. I think there is as much to learn in the gutter as there is up in some enlightened place... absolutely. And in fact, I find people who have been to the dark side and come out of it are ultimately much more interesting people. Because they have survived and have a story to tell... The most light comes from converted darkness...

On Madonna's desk are portraits of Guy Ritchie and her children, seven-year-old Rocco, 11-year-old Lourdes, and their most recent addition David. She has always presented a threat to conformism and even now, established as the best-selling female artist of all time, even on the cups of turning 50, she is more than ever able to radicalise public opinion on almost any issue, from her cosmetic nips and tucks, to not letting her children watch television. By riding the globalisation of MTV and becoming the first female major video star, Madonna's symbiotic relationship with the media, her fans and the public was sealed. She always drew the line in interviews between what was public and private information. However, the lengths she was prepared to go to become public property were never in question. Now with family and spirituality in the mix, she tries to redraw the lines but some would say it's too late. The less she gives of herself now, the more they still try and take.

"If it's against the law, arrest me. If you can handle it, undress me," sings Madonna...

I want to ask you about fear and what you are most afraid of?

I think that all fears lead to the fear of death. So, being perfectly honest - death.

Does that include a living death - acceptance?

The end of anything is an implied death. The end of a relationship, the end of a career, the end of life, the physical life as we know it. Am I sitting around being consciously afraid of it? No. But I think it's more of an unconscious thing. If we ever have fearful moments, if you trace it, you really dig deep - it will all lead to that one thing.

Do you find age an advantage, or do you see getting older as an issue?

Well, it's an advantage in terms that you've got a lot more experience and you tend to not make the same mistakes. And you feel a bit wiser and less impulsive. It's great to feel experienced. But I also work with people who are half my age, so I feel like I have to work even harder to keep up with everybody... but the fact of the matter is I can kick all of their asses! I guess I'm okay for now (laughs). It does keep the flame under my foot, though.

Do you still feel emotionally connected to the images from your past, or do you feel disassociated from them?

Sometimes, I see a picture of me and I really remember that moment - and it brings back memories, very specific memories. And other photographs that I see, I just think - who's that? I don't know that girl! (laughs) I don't regret any of it, but I do sometimes think, 'Oh god, what was I thinking... Why did I wear that, why did I do that?' ...all kinds of things.

"I'll be your one stop (one stop) Candy Shop," sings Madonna

The music continues...

Interview by Jefferson Hack.
Photography by Steven Klein.
Source: Vanity Fair

Madonna's "4 Minutes" Premiere On iTunes: April 4th

The video for "4 Minutes" will have its premiere through iTunes, four days from now, of the 4th of April. You can already pre-order the video if you wish. *if you live in the right country...

Videos: "Vogue (Perpetuous Dreamer Mix)"

Photo Archive: Rare Captures

Madonna with friends in the beginning of the 80s.

U2 Follows Madonna: Makes A Deal With Live Nation

Concert promoter Live Nation Inc. is looking to enlist powerful allies. The latest to sign on: U2, which has reached a 12-year deal giving the promoter exclusive rights to produce the Irish rock band's concerts, manufacture and sell its merchandise, license its image and run its Web site and online fan club. The situation highlights the shifting landscape of the concert industry, as various players vie to expand their influence.

Live Nation, the world's largest concert promoter by revenue, has said it is parting ways with Ticketmaster, the biggest ticket seller, when their partnership ends at the end of this year. Live Nation plans to launch its own competing ticket service to sell seats to its own concerts as well as events staged by others.

Live Nation has also acquired several companies that run Web sites and sell merchandise for artists, and it is looking for artists to sign to record deals like the one it entered last year with Madonna -- a move pitting it against record labels. Promoters, labels and ticketing companies alike are looking for ways to expand their presence online, by acquiring companies that market and promote music on the Web.

The U2 arrangement, which follows an even broader 10-year deal with Madonna, would guarantee desirable inventory for the new ticketing service, set to launch at the beginning of 2009.

The Madonna-Curve: Role Modelling Star

Her chart-topping talent for reinvention has inspired the makeovers of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Kylie Minogue, and now Madonna has been proposed as an unlikely role model for Nato. International defence analyst says Madonna's career should provide the blueprint for "a strategic extreme makeover" for the alliance.

The only alternative to a Madonna-makeover, according to the analyst, "seems a steady decline in relevance and merit". He said: "The quality of adapting to new tasks while staying true to one's own principles is something which business analysts qualify as the Madonna-curve. This curve is named after the legendary pop-diva who reinvented herself each time her style and stardom went into inevitable decline, but whose audacity has lifted her up to ever-higher levels of relevance and fame. Nato should follow the Madonna-curve, and not wait till its controversies escalate into public wrangles."

Madonna's British spokeswoman said analyst's proposal was a "nice idea", but that the pop star was unavailable for comment. Madonna, who 10 years younger than Nato, is the world's most successful female recording artist. This week she is expected to rack up her 13th number one in the UK and a record 37th top ten hit in the US - more than Elvis and the Beatles - with her new single 4 Minutes.

Madonna Performing at Carramba Che Fortuna (2000)

Madonna performing "Don't Tell Me" at Carramba Che Fortuna in Italy (2000). The clip includes a short interview.

Madonna Interviewed By Pippo Baudo (1992)

Madonna in Italian Television, 1992.

Madonna's Mitsubishi Commercial (1987)

Mitsubishi commercial (1987). Oh, the video recorder at the end looks so funny!

Madonna On The Verge Of Her 37th Top Ten Hit!

If Madonna's latest single "4 Minutes" lands top ten in the U.S. this week, it will be her 37th top ten hit! How amazing is that? Some artist struggle forever - maybe their whole career - just to get even one top ten hit, and she is already on the way to claim her 37th! And if that is not all, doing so, she triumphs over Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Michael Jackson and becomes the artist with the most Top 10 hits in music history!

Her collaboration with Justin Timberlake, "4 Minutes", is hotly tipped to reach the top ten, which will lift her above Elvis Presley, who made the top ten 36 times in his career The Beatles stand third in the all-time list, with 34, ahead of Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson on 28.

Go and buy the new single to ensure the Queen lands in the top ten - now! =) *you can find the link on the right.

Another diva, Mariah, is also having a great week and she will breaking a record as well. If her Touch My Body will embrace the #1 spot, she will surpass Elvis too - as an artist with the most #1's in the music history. But hold on Mariah, Madonna is coming just right behind you - might wanna enjoy that title a.s.a.p.!

ARTISTS WITH THE MOST TOP 10 SINGLES (Before 4 Minutes)

1. Elvis Presley (36)
1. Madonna (36)
3. The Beatles (34)
4. Stevie Wonder (28)
4. Michael Jackson (28)

Congrats to both Madonna and Mariah!
*No offense, but I'm cheering more to Madonna, haha!

"Instead Of Being A Doormat, I Decided To Emphasize My Differences"

"In high school, "I wasn't a hippie or a stoner," Madonna tells the May issue of Vanity Fair, on newsstands April 8, "so I ended up being the weirdo. I was interested in classical ballet and music, so the kids were quite mean if you were different. I was one of those people that people were mean to. When that happened, instead of being a doormat, I decided to emphasize my differences."

It's a philosophy the superstar has kept all these years. After all, she says, "if your joy is derived from what society thinks of you, you're always going to be disappointed."

In VF, Madonna shares that when she started on her album Hard Candy (out April 29), she didn't know what sound she wanted. "I just knew I wanted to collaborate with Pharrell Williams and Justin Timberlake." It took time to get comfortable: "It's not like we hit it off right away. Writing is very intimate. You have to be vulnerable and it's hard to do that with strangers."

Madonna seems to have evolved into a woman who embraces giving. Her 90-minute documentary, I Am Because We Are, is screening at the Tribeca Film Festival in April. The movie focuses on Malawi and its orphans. In it, she explains how she learned about the African nation and why it has meant so much to her.

4 Minutes Video Release Date

The video for 4 Minutes is now available to pre-order on iTunes sites - with an expected release date of Friday 04 April.

Thanks to Mikey

Madonnathon Gifts: Wallpapers

*Here's few wallpapers for all the fans.

"David is the life of the Party", Says Madonna

In an appearance on the Yo on E! satellite radio show, Madonna admitted that she expected the experience of parenting her 2-year-old son David Banda - whom she adopted from Malawi in 2006 - to differ from that of parenting her biological children Lourdes, 11, and Rocco, 7 ½.

The singer says that her expectations were quite wrong, however. She tells E!: "I thought it was gonna be [different], but it feels the same to tell you the truth." David, Madonna adds, is "the life of the party. He loves music, he’s an amazing dancer. ... He’s a character." *He is adorable, this picture always makes me smile - though he's grown quite a lot since this was taken!

We Will Always Have... Madonna!

It is one of the greatest films of Hollywood's golden era, a triple Oscar-winning classic with electrifyingly charismatic stars and a script bursting with memorable lines. But now Madonna has stunned the movie industry with plans to remake Casablanca – and this time set it in Iraq.

The singer is allegedly also planning to take the lead role of Ilsa Lund, which originally made a star of Ingrid Bergman, mother of Isabella Rossellini who posed in Madonna's revealing coffee table book in 1992.

A source at a major Hollywood studio that was recently approached by the star said: "She is still determined to make it in the movies. She and her representatives have been touting around a project which is a remake of Casablanca. The reception has been lukewarm to say the least. No one can understand why she wants to redo what many people consider the greatest film of all time." *Additional comment: Let me throw in a wild guess, ummm, maybe because it is considered the greatest film of all time? Ha!

In the 1942 original, Bergman starred opposite Humphrey Bogart, who played Rick Blaine, a cynical bar owner in the Moroccan city of Casablanca in the early days of the Second World War. Ilsa is torn between love for her husband, a Czech Resistance leader, and her ex-lover Rick.

Madonna is said to believe the film will make her reputation as an actress, after a string of high-profile flops such as Shanghai Surprise, Body Of Evidence and Swept Away, her much-derided 2002 collaboration with husband Guy Ritchie. *Additional comment: I thought she was rather good in the BOE and SA, sorry, her record is not that bad! And well, she has great triumphs too - like Dick Tracy, and foremost Evita which she won a Golden Globe for.

The source said: "Madonna is talking about taking the Ingrid Bergman role for herself, even though Bergman was in her 20s when she played Ilsa and Madonna is nearly 50." *Additional comment: Oh no, not that age thing again! Those envious reporter bitches...

"She wants to update the story and maybe set it in a modern war zone such as Iraq. There is no script yet. Madonna and her people are testing the waters to see if this is the right vehicle for her and if a major studio will get behind the project."

The movie, which regularly tops lists of the greatest films ever made, includes the classic song As Time Goes By and memorable quotes such as: "Here's looking at you, kid", "We'll always have Paris" and "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world she walks into mine". But one of the lines most closely associated with Casablanca – "Play it again, Sam"– is a misquotation. In fact, Ilsa says: "Play it once, Sam, for old times' sake. Play it, Sam." Later, Rick says: "You played it for her and you can play it for me. If she can stand it, I can. Play it!"

Bollywood filmmaker Rajeev Nath is also said to be working on a remake set in India, calling it "a tribute to the original".

A spokeswoman for Madonna refused to comment - and no wonder, the alleged "improvements" she's said wanting to do (to the script) were in bad taste, obviously fake, with nasty references to her adoption of David and Kabbalah beliefs. This is why I will not even publish them here.

The project in itself, her remaking the old classic would not be that unbelievable though. After all she's a tough cookie and has never been afraid to take risks - and to do a remake of one of the biggest movie classics is nothing short of a risk. However, if such a project will come together, we will know it in time.

*As of now, I encourage you all to take the content of this story with a grain of salt. I am simply publishing this as a rumour, not a fact! I did have fun doing the movie poster however, haha, even if it would not be exactly what she is going for - if the rumours about the movie and it taking place in a war zone are infact true.

Madonna's Candy Is Soon To Be Everywhere

Madonna, who is the most successful female recording artist in history, has reportedly earned millions with her new album Hard Candy - even though it does not go on sale until next month.

She has signed lucrative contracts with major companies including Vodafone, Unilever and Fuji, which will use her music to sell products from hairspray to mobile ­phones. The deals, which involve more than half the tracks on the album, have not only earned the London-based mother of three a fortune, they will ensure her album receives free global publicity ahead of its release.

Madonna's deal with Vodafone means the network's customers will be able to listen to seven tracks one week before the album's worldwide release on April 28. It is the first time an artist has launched an album on a mobile phone.

Her new single, 4 Minutes, which features Justin Timberlake, is already being used in a commercial for Unilever's Sunsilk hair care range. The advertisement, which premiered during the American football Super Bowl, is set to go global next month. It includes more than a dozen images of her at different stages of her career. The track will also feature in Timberlake's film Get Smart. Madonna has also licensed Miles Away, expected to be the album's second single, as the theme for a drama called Change on Japan's Fuji TV.

In a move that is likely to infuriate some fans, the eagerly awaited video for 4 Minutes, with Madonna and Timberlake, will make its debut online rather than on MTV.

John Reid, the president of Warner Music Europe and vice-chairman of Warner Music International, Madonna's label, said: "It's not about upfront payments, it's about selling the product. She is a very smart businesswoman who wants to sell a lot of albums. These companies want their customers to know about their links with Madonna. They are going to promote the deals and her music online and in extensive television, radio and press adverts."

He added: "If it all goes to plan then there is no reason why other acts shouldn't strike similar deals."

Madonna is not the first artist to make her work available to advertisers, but past commercials have tended to feature songs only after they have been released. Claire Beale, the editor of Campaign, the advertising industry's trade paper said: "These deals prove that Madonna is the most marketing-savvy musician in the world. She's a case study of what great marketing is. Using advertisements to promote a new single in advance of its release is very shrewd indeed."

Stuart Clarke, the talent editor of Music Week, said: "When you first hear about 4 Minutes being used for a Sunsilk campaign you think 'how tacky'. You then see the advert and you realise what a brilliant idea it is. It is as much an advert for her and her music as it is for the product she is supposed to be selling. No one else could get away with that."

Gennaro Castalodo, a spokesman for HMV, said: "Madonna knows it's not just about reaching her own fans, who are going to buy the record anyway."

4 Minutes goes up the UK Singles Chart

Madonna's 4 Miuntes has gone up two places in this weeks UK Singles Chart from #7 to #5 - again this is purely on downloads alone!

Check out the chart at www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles

4 Minutes goes up the UK Singles Chart

Madonna's 4 Miuntes has gone up two places in this weeks UK Singles Chart from #7 to #5 - again this is purely on downloads alone!

Check out the chart at www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles

"4 Minutes" Shortened for US Radio: "Not My Idea", Says Madonna

Pop superstar Madonna is upset that her song "4 minutes" has been cut almost by a quarter before it was aired on US radio. The song was almost pared down to three minutes, a website reports.

Allegedly, Madonna is angry over this, being reported saying: "It wasn't my idea. That's not enough time to save the world."

Madonna is currently doing promotional work for her upcoming album "Hard Candy". She is also "working overtime" to dispel rumours that she is having marriage problems with her husband, British director Guy Ritchie.

Austrian Magazines

Madonna is featured in several recent Austrian magazines - below are scans from 1st (April issue), Compliment (February/March issue) and Kurier Freizeit (29 March issue) - click on the articles enlarge.

Thanks to Margit