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August 2018

5 Things We Want From Madonna's Next Album

Monday, 27 August 2018
Hark! Celestial trumpets are sounding from the clouds hovering near the heavens! It can only mean one thing: Her Madgesty, the Queen Of Pop, has new material on the way.

Let’s reign it in a bit, though. With all due respect, we’re still waiting for Madonna to release a great album this decade. But the good news is that her 14th LP is on its way, and she’s absolutely got it in her to give us a batch of tunes to be reckoned with. After all, you don’t become the queen without capturing lightning in a bottle multiple times over.

Her unrivaled string of hit releases in the 1980s seemed to all be building toward the golden - actually, make that quadruple-Platinum - Like A Prayer in 1989, an album that would have been an enviable career best for any other artist if they’d simply stopped there. But this is Madonna! She proceeded to triumphantly march forward by eschewing the big, glossy sound that helped make her famous and stripping down - both the music and, um, herself - and giving us 1992’s brilliant, confessional house-pop hybrid Erotica. The Queen of Pop would end the second decade of her reign with her pièce de résistance, 1998's reflective Ray of Light. Her seventh studio album, it saw her pick up a staggering 10 statues between the Grammys and the MTV Video Music Awards alone.

Subsequent years have seen tireless Madge raise her kids, direct films, open schools, launch a chain of gyms and launch clothing and skincare lines. Those cosnistently fantastic full length releases, meanwhile, tapered off after 2005’s Confessions on a Dance Floor, a bumping, peak-hour trek through clubland that earned the singer yet another Grammy. That’s not to say Madonna’s post-Confessions studio albums are all bad by any means - the urban thump of 2008's Hard Candy remains a mostly satisfying experience, thanks to the focus of collaborators Timbaland, Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams; while 2015's Rebel Heart, though spotty, contains about seven playlist-worthy tracks throughout.

Looking on the bright side, the best could very well still be to come with Madonna’s 14th studio release. What do we want from it? Nothing short of everything, of course. But we’d settle for any (or all!) of the following.

Let Madonna Sing

You know what needs to be hung up? Auto-Tune. At least in the Queen of Pop's case. This is Madonna, and she’s amassed a loyal army of fans, sold hundreds of millions of records and inspired countless Gwens, Britneys, Katys and Gagas by simply being herself.

Cuts from the last decade like 'Ghosttown' and 'Messiah' off Rebel Heart, MDNA’s 'Masterpiece' and Hard Candy single 'Miles Away' seem, for the most part, to be devoid of too much technical wizardry affecting her voice. And she sounds great on each one! Alas, for every one of those, there’s been a 'Bitch I’m Madonna,' 'Girl Gone Wild' or 'Give It 2 Me' - performances that find the singer coming off like she downed a vocoder smoothie before stepping to the mic.

Madonna, voice included, is a national treasure. Also, she kicked ass performing live at the Met Gala in New York three months ago. Just give it to us plain and simple going forward.

To read the other four things visit: www.billboard.com/articles

Posted at 04:00 PM in Music | | Comments (6)

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Madonna speaks out about Aretha VMAs 'tribute'

Tuesday, 21 August 2018
Madonna just posted this picture and message on her Instagram page reflecting on the reactions 'the internet' had about her speech about Aretha Franklin at the VMAs:

I'm with the Winner!! The beautiful @camila_cabello ! So proud of her! 🌈💕🎉.And just to clarify: I was asked to present video of the year by MTV! And then they asked me to share any anecdotes I had in my career connected to Aretha Franklin! I shared a part of my journey and thanked Aretha for inspiring me along the way. I did not intend to do a tribute to her! That would be impossible in 2 minutes with all the noise and tinsel of an award show. I could never do her justice in this context or environment. Unfortunately most people have short attention spans, and are so quick to judge. I love Aretha! R.E.S.P.E.C.T. I Love Camilla! I love my dress! AND. I love-L O V E!! ♥️ and there is nothing anyone can say or do that will change that. #vmas #postivevibes

Vma

Posted at 04:00 PM in General News | | Comments (0)

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Madonna preps for the VMAs

Tuesday, 21 August 2018

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Read the Full Transcript of Madonna's VMAs Tribute to Aretha Franklin

Tuesday, 21 August 2018
Madonna appeared at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards Monday night to present the award for Video of the Year. She also took time to give a lengthy speech in honor of the late Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Madonna focused on how Franklin's song helped her nail an audition that changed her life, leading to the career she has now.

Read the full transcript of her speech below.

'Aretha Louise Franklin changed the course of my life. I left Detroit when I was 18. Thirty-five dollars in my pocket. My dream was to make it as a professional dancer. After years of struggling and being broke, I decided to go to auditions for musical theater. I heard the pay was better. I had no training or dreams ever ever becoming a singer, but I went for it.

I got cut, and rejected from every audition. Not tall enough. Not blend-in enough, not 12-octave-range enough, not pretty enough, not enough, enough. And then one day, a French disco sensation was looking for backup singers and dancers for his world tour. I thought, 'Why not? I could go back to getting robbed, held at gunpoint, and being mistaken for a prostitute in my third floor walk-up that was also a crack house.' That's right, I'm a rebel heart.

So I showed up to the audition, and two very large French record producers sat in the empty theater, daring me to be amazing. The dance audition went well. Then they asked me if I had sheet music and a song prepared. I panicked. I had overlooked this important part of the audition process. I had to think fast. My next meal was on the line. Fortunately, one of my favorite albums was Lady Soul by Aretha Franklin. I blurted out, 'You make me feel.' Silence. 'You make me feel like a natural woman.'

Two French guys nodded at me. I said, 'You know, by Aretha Franklin.' Again, mm-hmm. They looked over at the pianist. He shook his head. I don't need sheet music, I said, I know every word. I know the song by heart, I will sing it a capella. I could see that they didn't take me seriously, and why should they? Some skinny-ass while girl is going to come up here and belt out a song by one of the greatest soul singers who ever lived? A capella? I said, 'Bitch, I'm Madonna.' No, I didn't. I didn't say that. Because I wasn't Madonna yet. I don't know who I was.

I don't know I said. I don't know what came over me. I walked to the edge of the pitch black stage, and started singing. When I was finished and drenched in nerve sweat. You know what that is, right nerve sweat? They said, 'We will call you one day, maybe soon.' Weeks went by and no phone call. Finally, the phone rang, it was one of the producers, saying. 'We don't think you are right for this job.' I'm like, 'Motherfucker, why are you calling me?' He replied, 'We think you have great potential. You are rough around the edges, but there is good rawness. We want to bring you to Paris and make you a star. Well, we will put you in a studio, with the great Giorgio Moroder.' And I had no idea who that was, and I wanted to live in Paris and I wanted to eat some food.

So, that was the beginning of my journey as a singer. I left for Paris, but I came back a few months later. Because I had not earned the life I was living. It felt wrong. They were good people, but wanted to write my own songs and be a musician, not a puppet. I needed to go home and learn to play guitar, and that's exactly what I did. And the rest is history.

So. You are probably all wondering why I am telling you this story. There is a connection, because none of this would have happened, could have happened, without our lady of soul. She lead me to where I am today. And I know she influenced so many people in this house tonight. In this room tonight. And I want to thank you, Aretha, for empowering all of us. R-e-s-p-e-c-t. Long live the queen.

Another anecdote I would like to share: In 1984, this is where the first VMAs were, in this very building. And I performed at this show. I sang 'Like a Virgin' at the top of a cake. And on my way down, I lost a shoe, and I was rolling on the floor and trying to make it look like it was part of the choreography, looking for the missing stilleto, and my dress flew up, and my butt was exposed, and oh my God, quelle horror. After the show, my manager said my career was over. LOL. So. I would now like to present the nominees for the video of the year.'

From Harper's Bazaar Via Yahoo! News

Posted at 04:00 AM in General News | | Comments (0)

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Madonna at 60: How the 'Material Girl' has shaped modern fashion trends

Sunday, 19 August 2018
Madonna’s career as an internationally renowned superstar has spanned the best part of four decades, cementing her status as one of history’s most celebrated artists.

While her musical talents have been critically acclaimed the world over, the singer has also had a significant influence on global fashion trends ever since she first took her place in the spotlight on the world stage.

When one thinks of Madonna’s most iconic looks, perhaps they picture the wedding dress that she wore for her performance of 'Like a Virgin' at the 1984 MTV Awards, the cone bra that she donned during her Blonde Ambition Tour in Japan in 1990 or her multiple tributes to Marilyn Monroe.

However, Madonna has done far more in the world of fashion than simply stir conversation due to her choice of apparel or spark a few fashion fads here and there.

The way in which the singer used her style to represent her identity was a fresh concept when she first came onto the music scene.

This became even more apparent following Madonna’s first major film role in the 1985 Desperately Seeking Susan, which saw people all around the world attempt to replicate her leather jacket, large hair bow, abundance of jewellery and loose-fitting trousers.

Madonna’s former publicist Liz Rosenberg has previously spoken about her first meeting with the young star, where she oozed confidence while wearing a signature 'black outfit with a hundred rubber bracelets on each wrist.'

It’s evident that the singer had a clear understanding both of who she was and who she wanted to become from the very beginning of her career.

'I think Madonna was one of the very first brands in her own right,' celebrity fashion stylist Alex Longmore tells The Independent. 'She had her own identity and she stuck to it.'

To read the rest of the article visit: uk.news.yahoo.com

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All hail Madonna, a 60-year-old woman who won’t be quiet

Saturday, 18 August 2018
'Is Madonna dead?' my daughter asked recently, while we danced like idiots in the kitchen to Vogue. Having spent a good few months inculcating my child with Madonna’s back catalogue, I realised I’d told her nothing about the woman herself. My daughter is still young enough to have no interest in the age of the singers she listens to – living or dead is generally enough information for her. If only we all felt that way.

Pop music is an unforgiving place for the older woman. Few know this better than Madonna, who turns 60 on Thursday, and whose every move in the past 15 years has been accompanied by a grim chorus of “Put it away, grandma”. That the entertainment industry is among the worst culprits when it comes to fading out women – note in comparison the scores of male actors and musicians carrying on into their 60s and 70s unimpeded – is especially depressing since it’s a business that directly influences how we think and live. But we can take heart that, as with so many aspects of the female experience, Madonna is doing her damnedest to put it right.

'Do not age, to age is a sin,' she said in a blunt speech in 2016, after accepting an award at Billboard’s Women in Music event. 'You will be criticised, you will be vilified and you will definitely not be played on the radio.' But being criticised and vilified is all in a day’s work for Madonna. So is adjusting expectations and redrawing boundaries, all the while pleasing herself. These are the things she does best. She hasn’t so much smoothed the path for those who have come after her as hacked her way through the undergrowth, and done battle with monsters, in order to make it walkable for the rest of us.

Madonna has been in my life for pretty much as long as I can remember. I have watched her in her various incarnations – gobby, rosary-draped urchin, corset-clad dominatrix, wayward cowgirl, hot yoga mom – with a mixture of curiosity, amusement and awe. As well as her successes, I have observed her failures and humiliations, and admired how she ploughs on regardless, doing what she wants and never apologising, even though her pain is clear. Having had her in my peripheral vision for 35 years, I now look on her like one would an unusually free-spirited relative: unpredictable, occasionally misguided, frequently inspiring, forever up for new adventure. That so many people, from Mary Whitehouse to the pope to Piers Morgan, have wished her to be quiet, or invisible, has made her all the more compelling. Rubbing people up the wrong way is one of her many talents.

You might have thought that all these years in Madonna’s company would have rendered the world impervious to her antics - yet her transgressions apparently continue. Now her mere existence as a woman (almost) in her 60s means, for some, that she has outlived her usefulness. At her age, she should be quiet and amenable. She should stay at home, cut her hair short and keep her upper arms covered. And those hands! 'Why do Madonna’s hands look older than her face?' inquired the Daily Mail in 2006 in a particularly venal piece that has been redrafted pretty much every year since.

It’s not just the press that has turned Madonna-shaming into an international sport. In a guest column for the Hollywood Reporter last year, the academic and social critic Camille Paglia derided her for her 'pointless provocations' and her 'trashy outfit[s]', and urged her to be more like Marlene Dietrich 'who retained her class and style to the end of her public life'. Madonna? Provocative? Where have you been, Camille? Even Elton John has had a pop - 'she looks like a fairground stripper', said the man who once rocked up at a party with an Eiffel Tower on his head. Right now, one of her loudest detractors is that expostulating foghorn Morgan, who believes women should be equal to men just as long their wardrobes meet his exacting age-appropriate standards.

But this is Madonna. She doesn’t do quiet and she doesn’t do amenable. In the face of criticism, she reacts. Well, why wouldn’t she? When she is told that she should slow down, step back and act her age, she protests in the only way that she knows: in the public gaze. So she does a topless photoshoot - rather beautiful, as it happens - in Interview magazine. She gets her arse out at the Met Gala, essentially pulling a massive moony at the world. This month, she put on suspenders for a Vogue photoshoot. You can just imagine her assembling her outfit with her team: 'So guys, what can I wear that will given Elton a bloody hernia?' That’s our girl. So all hail to Our Lady, still fighting, still hacking away at the undergrowth, still clearing a path and changing the world for the rest of us.

From The Guardian / Fiona Sturges

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UK TV: There's Only One Madonna

Friday, 17 August 2018
Fans in the UK can catch a repeat of a 2001 documentary the BBC made about Madonna and her fans on the opening night of the Drowned World Tour.

The programme airs at 10:00 pm on Friday 17 August and is repeated at 11:55 pm on Saturday 18 August and will also be available on the BBC iPlayer.

Documentary charting Britain's relationship with Madonna, examining the influence Madonna has had on British music and fashion, and how she provoked a debate over sexual and gender politics - inspiring a generation of women, whilst remaining a huge gay icon. The film follows a group of fans on their journey to Barcelona for the first night of Madonna's Drowned World Tour and finds out what Madonna means to them. Contributors include backing singer Donna DeLory, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Rosanna Arquette, Mel C, Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Hear'Say and Janet Street-Porter.

Posted at 04:00 AM in Television | | Comments (1)

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All hail the Queen!

Thursday, 16 August 2018

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Street artist Pegasus marks Queen of Pop Madonna's 60th birthday with mural

Thursday, 16 August 2018
A new street art mural has appeared in London to celebrate Madonna’s 60 birthday on Thursday.

Elusive street artist Pegasus spent five-and-a-half hours putting the mural together, which shows three images of Madonna’s face in bright colours.

The artist told the Standard: “I am of the generation that grew up watching Madonna succeed and become one of the most influential, powerful and iconic women who paved the way for many.

“It is very import for myself to honour this woman who has defied all [the] people who swore she would never stand the test of time.”

Pegasus, whose latest work sits in Shoreditch, added that he always listens to Madonna as he works and added that his work “tends to have elements of her character”.

The Queen of Pop turns 60 later this week, with BBC Radio 2 also planning their own tribute to her illustrious career.

Over the Bank Holiday weekend, the network will countdown her 20 biggest hitters with data compiled by The Official Charts Company.

Pegasus’ piece will feature in his upcoming show, Neon Lights, which is coming to the capital on 20 October.

From Evening Standard

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Mini Cooper Madonna sang about in American Life could be yours (for £55,000)

Wednesday, 15 August 2018
Fancy owning a piece of pop music history? Look no further than Madonna’s black Mini Hatch 1.6 Cooper S which was owned by the star from October 2002, when she was living in London with her then husband, Guy Ritchie.

The car was ordered new by Madonna L Ciccone and registered to the Ciccone 1989 Trust. Former insurance details and the car’s V5 lists both Madonna’s name and that of Guy Ritchie. The car has been in storage in the UK since Madonna and her management gave up the run-a-round.

The nippy three door Mini was driven by Madonna for four years to drop her daughter off at school and to pop to the recording studio where she was working on her ninth studio album, American Life. The car, which appears in several paparazzi photographs, is referenced in the 2003 song, American Life: 'I drive my Mini Cooper, and I’m feeling super-duper.'

The black Mini Cooper was ordered with a range of bespoke features, including privacy glass, model specific rear roof spoiler and 17” S Spoke light alloy wheels. Made in the Cowley plant in Oxfordshire, the engineers signed the bodyshell under the bonnet when they found out who had ordered the car.

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Madonna sold the car on to her personal driver after four years. It has been stored away ever since, so retains its low mileage of 25,000 and has remained in pristine condition. Several destinations that are still logged in the Sat Nav relate to Madonna’s regular destinations, including previous residential addresses in the UK and recording studios. The car is listed with a guide price of £55,000 by a specialist car collector based in Chelsea.

Rachael Hogg, Auto Trader’s Digital Editor, comments: 'It’s really timely that this car is up for sale just as Madonna turns 60. Previously owned by one of the world’s biggest music sensations and affectionately referenced in songs and TV interviews, this is the most expensive Mini Cooper S on the market, because for many it’s not just a car: it’s a significant piece of Madonna memorabilia.'

'The three door Mini Cooper S Hatch is a modest choice for a celebrity of Madonna’s wealth, but a sensible one for a star living in central London wanting to go under the radar when on the school run. It appears to be in immaculate condition still, so would make a lovely runaround for a Madonna fan with cash to flash.'

Visit www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert to view the full sales page.

Posted at 04:00 PM in General News | | Comments (0)

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‘Bigger than any man she ever encountered’: the under-appreciated genius of Madonna

Wednesday, 15 August 2018
As we celebrate Madonna turning 60 this week, let us remember that this is a woman who has no interest in nostalgia. In a recent interview with Vogue Italia, she said she would talk only about the present, which, to me, is the key aspect of who Madonna is: resolutely forward-driving. This is why she is so able to manage to a global, decade-spanning career.

When she collected her woman of the year prize at Billboard’s Women in Music awards in 2016, she said she stood before the crowd 'as a doormat'. 'Thank you for acknowledging my ability to continue my career for 34 years in the face of blatant sexism and misogyny and constant bullying and relentless abuse.' This is genuine, rightful anger and ferocity. The level of ageism and sexism directed at her is femicidal, even matricidal, visceral loathing. When people say they want Madonna to age gracefully, what they really mean is: become beige, shut up and go into a corner. And she refuses to do that. Instead, she continues to produce brilliant, captivating and thought-provoking work.

We so often do not let women take credit for their own genius. Madonna has resisted that, mainly because she always overshadows the men with whom she chooses to collaborate. Nobody ever says Mirwais or Timbaland or Stuart Price made Madonna. Only Madonna could have made Madonna. But this is also from where the misogyny stems. She is bigger than any man she has ever encountered, professionally or personally. And people hate that.

She has outlived her contemporaries: Madonna, Michael Jackson and Prince were the triumvirate of 80s stars. She has outlasted them artistically, too. Her 2015 album Rebel Heart was excellent. Her quality of work has never dropped. Many artists Madonna’s age, particularly male artists, are doing victory tours: people such as Bruce Springsteen. Madonna, instead, is not creating to prove a point about how long she can keep doing so.

It is impossible to talk about Madonna without talking about power. She is an athlete. I once read an interview where her trainer said she is so strong that he has to invent new exercises for her because she can’t feel exercises for mere mortals. Her muscularity is not about appearance; it is an indication of her mental strength and resilience. She is indestructible. But she has survived so long not just because of her talent, and not just because of her physical and mental strength. It is also that she is intelligent, professional and always engaged - she has seen the world, brought up children, worked in multiple fields. She is mentally alive and this is what keeps her searching, moving and creating.

So let us not reward Madonna for continuing to survive; let us appreciate her as an incredibly talented artist: a musician, songwriter, a dancer and a performer, a brilliant film-maker (W.E. is a beautiful, intelligent piece of feminist cinema). She sees herself as a creative artist, and we owe her the respect of seeing her that way, too.

From The Independent

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As Pop Star Madonna Turns 60, A Look At Her Scandalous Moments

Monday, 13 August 2018
Whether by brazenly injecting sex in the public sphere, adopting gay subculture for mainstream audiences or becoming the top-selling female musician of all time, Madonna has asserted an incalculable influence. The pop superstar is turning 60 on August 16 and is again breaking barriers - this time as a mature woman who is still brash, carnal and unapologetic.

Giving new meaning to the term sexagenarian, Madonna openly dates men three decades younger, maintains a svelte figure that would be the envy of most people half her age and on her latest tour put on a characteristically provocative show that simulated most conceivable sex acts.

Madonna is hardly the first female entertainer to stay active while growing older, with singers as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Cher, Dolly Parton and Stevie Nicks on stage in their 70s.

But Madonna - who entered pop culture at the same time as MTV - has embodied the cult of youth like few other artists and, while others reinvented themselves or staged nostalgic comebacks, the Material Girl has never gone more than four years without an album since her blockbuster self-titled debut in 1983.

The title of a single off her latest album, 'Rebel Heart,' summed up her unwavering attitude: 'Bitch, I'm Madonna.'

Freya Jarman, a music scholar at the University of Liverpool who co-edited a book on Madonna, said the pop star has already left her legacy, with younger artists such as Lady Gaga so evidently influenced by her.

But she emphasized that Madonna was now demonstrating a new kind of relevance.

'As an aging, female popular musician who is still so much in the public eye, she is absolutely relevant,' Jarman said.

'Madonna stands out in a way that she always has done, in that she has always been interested in creating a stir which someone like Cher, for my money, does not, really.'

Many stars 'seem to fade in and out of focus, while Madonna doesn't seem to fade out,' Jarman added.

To read the rest of the article visit: www.ndtv.com/world-news

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Madonna at 60: Female pop stars entering their seventh decade are not just rocking - they're snarling

Sunday, 12 August 2018
It’s a truism that older women have had their visibility problems. City boardrooms are short of women in general, and women over 60 are certainly thin on the ground. Most notably, broadcasting has been notoriously shy of giving older women screen time.

It was less than two years ago that the head of the regulator Ofcom accused the BBC of 'not doing as good a job as it should be' in its treatment of older women, after many complaints from viewers about a lack of mature female presenters.

The corporation had long faced criticism for its treatment of older women, and lost an age discrimination case brought by Countryfile presenter Miriam O’Reilly, who was sacked in 2009, to make way for younger presenters.

But there is one area where the older woman is suddenly and somewhat unexpectedly thriving - rock music. Madonna celebrates her 60th birthday on Saturday. Kate Bush has just celebrated hers. In fact, they are the spring chickens. Suzi Quatro, 68, and Patti Smith, 71, are not just still rocking, they are still snarling. Cher at 72 pops up with a delightful cameo in the Mamma Mia! movie. The queen of soul, Aretha Franklin, is still recording at 76.

Who’d have thought it? Look back to the 1960s and there were precious few women at all in pop music, let alone older ones. In the UK, Sandie Shaw, Dusty Springfield, Marianne Faithfull and a handful of others carried the fight to the mass of male groups (the word boyband had yet to be invented).

To read the rest of the article visit: uk.news.yahoo.com/madonna-60-female-pop-stars

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Pre-order Madonna's Official 2019 Calendar with 20% off!

Sunday, 05 August 2018
Danilo are running a 20% offer on danilo.com on ALL Official 2019 Calendar and Diary PreOrders until Sun 12th August - with the code PREORDER20 at checkout - and that Includes the Madonna 2019 Calendar - giving fans money off, free UK delivery (although worldwide delivery is also available) but they will also be the first ones to receive the calendars as soon as they are in stock.

Visit this link to purchase the calendar: www.danilo.com/Madonna-Official-2019-Calendar

No image yet from the calendar though!

Posted at 04:00 PM in Merchandise | | Comments (1)

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Madonna Partners With Ripple to Help Malawi’s HIV/AIDS Orphans

Sunday, 05 August 2018
Known for pushing boundaries with regards to the lyrical content of her music, Madonna is now intent on pushing boundaries with regards to philanthropy.

As part of her plans to mark her 60th birthday which will fall on 16th August, Madonna is partnering with Ripple in a month-long initiative to raise funds aimed at assisting orphans in Malawi through Raising Malawi, a charity the Queen of Pop founded more than a decade ago.

During the fundraising period that started from July 30 and which will run until August 31, Ripple has committed to matching all the public donations that will be made in support of Madonna’s cause.

According to Madonna, the donations will specifically benefit the work of the nonprofit at the Home of Hope orphanage in Malawi. At the time of writing US$28,783 had been raised via Madonna’s Facebook page.

In a statement released by Ripple, the firm noted that Malawi has close to one million children who have been orphaned after their parents died from HIV/AIDS-related complications.

'We’re honored to be a part of Raising Malawi’s amazing work with some of the world’s most underserved children,' Ripple’s senior vice president of business operations, Eric van Miltenburg, said.

Ripple’s statement did not, however, indicate whether the donations would be matched in XRP or USD.

According to Miltenburg, Ripple was introduced to Raising Malawi by its investors at Sound Ventures, a tech investment fund founded by Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary six years ago.

From CNN Via Yahoo! News

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Eight ways Madonna changed the world

Wednesday, 01 August 2018
She's sold 300 million albums, her tours have grossed $1.31 billion, and she's one of the most famous women ever to have lived - and next month, in a milestone, she turns 60.

But these days the Queen of Pop is much more likely to be attacked than appreciated: for years she has endured mockery of her refusal to dress demurely, her taste for younger men, and that one time she fell over on stage.

Amid this, it can easy to forget quite how influential she has been: without her, from music to fashion to the whole concept of celebrity, today's pop culture landscape would simply not exist as it is.

And that's not to mention the impact she's had on her on her fans, like my own teenage self, whose love for her I have channelled into a new novel, The Madonna of Bolton, which celebrates the impression she makes on a young working class man's coming of age in the Eighties and Nineties. So to mark the big occasion, here are a few ways in which her Madgesty has conclusively changed the world.

1. She laid out the template for the modern female pop icon
Long before Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, Madonna was the first female pop star to project an image of control, drive and fierce independence. For all her personal suffering (her mother died when she was five), she has rarely betrayed any emotional fragility. Rather, she has worn costumes that looked like armour, such as the famous corset designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier for the Blond Ambition tour.

And in the video for Express Yourself, a rousing anthem to female empowerment, she dressed in a man's suit and presided over an army of male underlings. 'I'm tough, I'm ambitious and I know exactly what I want,' she once said. 'If that makes me a bitch, OK.'

To read the other seven ways Madonna changed the world visit: nzherald.co.nz

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