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Madonna news - Jan. 2006
← Dec. 2005 | Feb. 2006 →
Rave Sorry review from Billboard
27 January 2006Single Title: Sorry
Producer(s): Madonna, Stuart Price
Writer(s): Madonna, S. Price
Publisher(s): Webo Girl Publishing (ASCAP)
Label/Catalog Number: Warner Bros. (CD track)
Source: Billboard Magazine
Originally Reviewed: February 04, 2006
Second single Sorry from the platinum No. 1 mix-style Confessions on a Dancefloor should keep fans hung up on Madonna's ability to create instant radio and club classics. She may sing, "I've heard it all before," but Sorry is neither a reinvention of her past hits nor of anything else on top 40 radio. A vigorous vocal and vivacious, swirling layers of addictive, arresting beats ensure that this is the right-on follow-up to Madonna's record-tying 36th top 10 Billboard Hot 100 single. Also give a listen to the smoothed-out remix with added vocals by Pet Shop Boys. Sounds like a smash no matter how you spin it; no need for apologies here.
Madonna buys 3rd house on block
Source: The Sun - 27 January 2006Madonna has bought a second house next to her London mansion. She has forked out £900,000 for the gaff in one of the capital’s smartest addresses so she can move in more staff. The stunning mews property is at the end of the garden of the Queen Of Pop’s £7.5million Georgian terrace pile.
The singer already owns the mews property next door to the latest addition to her property empire. She lets her manager lives there. Madge can now lay claim to owning a very considerable slice of Mayfair, London’s most exclusive borough. The singer, who considers London to be home, lives at the five-storey main house, which is near Oxford Street, with hubby Guy Ritchie, daughter Lourdes and son Rocco.
It is just round the corner from the home Tony Blair and wife Cherie bought on posh Connaught Square. The new property was built in the 19th century and has open living space, three bedrooms, an office and a garage. Madge has apparently had her eye on the place for a while.
Max skates into Madonna video
Source: Eastbourne Today - 27 January 2006An in-line skater has been hand-picked to star in pop star Madonna's new music video. Max Freeman, has already been filmed to accompany Sorry, the second single from her album, Confessions On A Dance Floor. Former Ratton and Sussex Downs College student Max went to London to take part in the shoot. It is the first time he's been involved in a music video, but he's hoping it won't be the last.
'I had an audition before Christmas and got a call back last week telling me that I needed to be in London the following day,' he said. 'I was very excited as it was my first appearance in a pop video and I'd not done anything like it before. I've been skating since I was 14 years old after becoming interested in it from going to the Skate on the seafront. Although I was skating before the event, it gave me new ideas about tricks and it continued from there. I've been lucky enough to take part in competitions around Europe and really enjoy it, but it's for pleasure and not to make money.'
The shooting of the video took place over two gruelling days of filming. The first shoot started at 11am and finished at 1am, with the second starting at 8am and finishing at 1am. The 20-year-old, of Shalfleet Close, also managed to speak to the normally very private superstar. 'Madonna was nice and we spoke for a bit,' he said. 'She was only on set for a fraction of the hours the rest of us were there for. They shot the bits she needed to be in and then she went home. The hours were long and it was hard work, but very enjoyable.'
Max hasn't yet seen the final version of the video and will be waiting like the rest of the pop star's fans for its release. But he gave no secrets away about the theme. He added, 'I know the lyrics off by heart now. I would love to do another video, but I'll have to wait and see what happens in the future.'
Gaultier to design Madonna's tour costumes
Source: WWD - 26 January 2006Madonna, absent from fashion's front row for years, unleashed pandemonium at the couture shows here Wednesday afternoon when she arrived at Jean Paul Gaultier.
The paparazzi surged dangerously, with camera crews sneaking in between the rows to get footage of the pop superstar. Dressed all in black with wraparound sunglasses, Madonna told WWD, "Gaultier is going to design the costumes for my next show. We are going to discuss the details tomorrow."
Once her bodyguards cleared the runway, Madonna jumped from her seat to greet French photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino before the show. As it turns out, the queen of pop is quite the polyglot, finding time to exchange a few words in Spanish with her front-row neighbor, flamenco dancer Joachim Cortez.
Gaultier is also designing costumes for Cortez and his 17 musicians for his upcoming Paris show dubbed "My Loneliness." After Gaultier’s Greek-themed confections exited the runway, Madonna exited with her entourage, with camera crews trailing aggressively, getting into tussles with editors also eager for a look at the celebrity.
Madonna mingles with Gaultier's Greek goddesses
Source: Reuters - 26 January 2006French designer Jean Paul Gaultier showered pop icon Madonna with white rose petals on Wednesday at the end of a spring-summer haute couture collection that was inspired by Greek mythology and culture.
Models wearing outfits named Poseidon, Athena and Midas weaved around chairs clustered as Greek islands. Glass lanterns hung overhead which Gaultier said resembled those of Orthodox churches. Hairstyles were piled high or fell almost to the floor.
Parthenon was a jacket cut away to look like a column, embroidered with antique wire over a tight silk skirt. Cyclops was a long tunic with trousers covered in black organza petals.
"It's a marvelous country with a big culture and I go there quite often and one day I knew would need to do a Greek collection," Gaultier said.
After the final wedding dress, a huge ruffle joined onto a skirt with strings of pearls, Gaultier came running out with rose petals for his old friend Madonna.
"I'm excited, I'm really in love more with her. I'm very happy that she came," he said.
Madonna was wearing a black jacket and skirt sat next to Spain's top flamenco dancer Joaquin Cortes.
French actress Catherine Deneuve was also there. "It was so beautiful. Such extraordinary colors, classical, and refined and very structured as well. A superb collection," Deneuve told Reuters afterwards.
Gaultier's show was the penultimate one of three days of haute couture collections in Paris. The outfits are made-to-measure and cost thousands of dollars, so there are only estimated to be between 200 and 300 clients in the world.
The dresses can take weeks to make and Gaultier said some were finished only just in time. "It was almost a Greek tragedy ... some arrived three minutes before," he said.
Lebanese designer Elie Saab was the last event on the official calendar.
His models walked out to the tune of Erotica, a song by Madonna, in romantic glittery gowns with bows and tulle skirts. The audience was filled with potential clients from the Middle East, including many princesses.
The final bride wore a bustier dress with a 3.5-meter tulle train with latticework embroidery of pearls, silk and organza flowers and iridescent sequins.
Beach concert in Rio? *rumour*
25 January 2006Brazilian Madonnafan Daniel informs us that many important magazines, newspapers and websites in Brazil are reporting that Madonna will give a special concert in Rio de Janeiro. It would be on the Copacabana beach, like Lenny Kravitz did in March 2005 and like the Rolling Stones will do next February.
Again, this is only a rumour at this point. No dates have been officially confirmed and it is as yet unknown whether or not Latin America will be included in the tour schedule. Fingers crossed!
Remark on rumoured tour dates
25 January 2006Following yesterday's reports of the first rumoured tour dates, we wish to remind everyone that these dates are only *rumoured* and far from being confirmed! Some of our readers pointed out that some of the dates are fridays, while Madonna normally doesn't perform on fridays to follow the Kabbalah sabbath.
It also seems that certain US arenas mentioned in the Australian article are already booked for sports events on those dates. So for now, we'll have to wait for an official announcement (which should follow some time soon).
Another reminder: don't be fooled by online ticket brookers that claim you can already book tour tickets with them. If you want value for your money, then only trust the official sale channels, and only after the tour dates have officially been announced!
Madonna's Australian promise
Source: The Mercury - 24 January 2006Madonna looks set to include Australia on her 2006 world tour, it was revealed yesterday.
Music industry insiders say Madonna will tour the US through June and July, then head to Europe before touring Japan and Australia towards the end of the year.
She would cap off a superstar summer with Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue both expected to tour Australia at the end of 2006.
Madonna is expected to perform outdoor shows in Australia, meaning she would need to tour closer to summer.
The star's last two tours bypassed Australia; her last visit here was in 1993.
"If I go to Japan I'll go to Australia, I promise!" Madonna said in October.
The new tour is set to focus on the dance theme of Madonna's latest album, Confessions on a Dance Floor.
"It'll be all discotheques and disco balls," Madonna promised.
Meanwhile, Madonna fuelled reports she is suffering from exhaustion when she failed to perform at the NRJ Music Awards in Cannes, France, on Saturday.
The Hung Up hitmaker, 47, withdrew from the prestigious awards ceremony on Friday - giving organisers one day's notice.
A source told Le Parisien: "She is exhausted. She rehearsed a lot of her routine for the video and she is on a strict diet to maintain her young and sexy image."
However, the singer's publicist Liz Rosenberg, insisted Madonna was busy "filming her new video".
Madonna accepts Jovi's apology, still waiting for Elton's
Source: ContactMusic - 24 January 2006Madonna has accepted Jon Bon Jovi's apology for criticising her parenting skills, but is still waiting for Elton John to apologise for his regular attacks on her.
The Bon Jovi frontman slammed the Material Girl last year (05) for bringing her children Lourdes and Rocco to public events.
After Madonna's spokeswoman denied the superstar had ever brought the kids to a film premiere, Bon Jovi apologised, saying, "Let me apologise because I don't know the woman."
In response to Bon Jovi's apology, Madonna's rep Liz Rosenberg tells the New York Daily News, "Now that is a gentleman - unlike Elton John, whose favourite hobby is trashing Madonna."
John hit the headlines in 2004 when he falsely accused Madonna of lip-syncing on her Drowned World tour and berated her for failing to attend his pre-'wedding' bash before his civil partnership ceremony to David Furnish last month (DEC05).
Madonna tour leaked
Source: Launch - 24 January 2006The first details of Madonna's 2006 world tour have been leaked on the internet, with full confirmed dates expected to be announced this week.
According to unsubstantiated claims appearing online, the pop superstar will play shows throughout June and July in America, including five dates at Shea Stadium in New York City.
The news comes amid industry reports that promotional king-pin Arthur Fogel has been signed for the live follow-up to last year's Re-Invention tour.
Fogel, who put together the Re-Invention jaunt and the [2001] Drowned World tour, is said to be fronting the 2006 outing, which will promote last year's Confessions On A Dance floor album, reports Billboard.
The tour, which is set to commence in America, apparently spans the globe, concluding with shows in Australia in mid to late September.
Meanwhile, Madonna's spokeswomen in the US and UK have dismissed claims that her marriage to film director Guy Ritchie is in trouble. Both have released statements following speculation in the UK press.
Speaking about the video shoot to Madonna's new video, Sorry, her US spokeswoman commented: "Guy came to the set to visit - once with the children Rocco and Lourdes, and once without.
"Mr and Mrs Ritchie seemed perfectly comfortable and adoring of each other. My sense is that they're quite a happy, content couple."
Her UK spokeswoman added: "There have been a lot of silly stories which are all untrue."
First possible tour dates *rumour*
Source: Undercover - 24 January 2006Rumours of Madonna's second ever Australian tour are gathering momentum following dates expected to be announced for the US this week.
According to sources, the Madonna tour will end in Australia with mid to late September being the preferred dates.
A US tour is not far off being announced but leaked dates suggest the following venues and cities:
June 2, 3: Dodger's Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
June 9, 10: Soldier's Field, Chicago, IL
June 16, 17: Fenway Park, Boston
June 22, 23, 25, 27, 29: Shea Stadium, NYC
July 3, 4, 7: Ford Field, Detroit
US ticket prices are expected to peak at $600 with the volume of tickets coming in between $150-$250.
Her new single Sorry will be released next month.
2006 Madonna Tour taking shape
Source: Billboard - 24 January 2006In the clearest sign yet that a Madonna tour will happen in 2006, sources say Arthur Fogel has nailed down the promotion rights for the outing. Fogel is president of TNA International, Live Nation's global touring division. The tour will come in support of Madonna's 2005 album, Confessions on a Dance floor.
Fogel produced Madonna's Re-Invention tour in 2004 and Drowned World tour in [2001], which grossed a combined $200 million. He got the nod from Madonna's camp despite what sources say was a concentrated effort from rival promoter AEG Live to promote the tour.
Fogel, who declined to comment, seems to be solidly in place in the Madonna touring business. "Arthur Fogel knows how to make the impossible possible," she was quoted as saying in Billboard last summer. "He's a touring genius."
"If I go on tour, it would be next summer," Madonna told Billboard in November. "And it would be all out disco, with lots of disco balls. I would focus on dance music and the new record. I already did the older stuff on my Re-Invention tour."
Highest selling female artist ever
Source: Madonna.com - 24 January 2006The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry has just published its updated list of the 150 highest selling artists ever. Madonna appears at number 4, right behind the Beatles, Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley, with a total of 275 Millions records sold worldwide from 1984 to late 2005. Congratulations to our queen of the dance floor!
The full top 10 goes as follow:
01. The Beatles 40 400,000,000 UK 60s (1962-1970) Rock/Pop Guinness/EMI
02. Michael Jackson 14 350,000,000 US 70s-00s (1979-) Pop/R&B MJ Stats
03. Elvis Presley 150 300,000,000 US 50s-70s (1956-1977) Country/Rock
04. Madonna 16 275,000,000 US 80s-00s (1984-) Pop WBR
05. Nana Mouskouri 450 250,000,000 Greece 60s-00s (1959-) Pop
06. Cliff Richard 60 250,000,000 UK 50s-00s (1959-1969,1977-1979,1986-1999) Rock/Pop
07. The Rolling Stones 54 ~250,000,000 UK 60s-00s (1964-1981) Rock 60.5 million in the US
08. Mariah Carey 14 230,000,000 US 90s-00s (1990-) Pop/R&B
09. Elton John 43 ~220,000,000 UK 70s-00s (1972-1976,1989-1991,1997-) Pop
10. Celine Dion 21 220,000,000 Canada 80s-00s (1990-) Pop Music/Pop Discography
Goldfrapp defends Madonna
Source: Irish Examiner - 24 January 2006Alison Goldfrapp has lashed out at her fans for dubbing her idol Madonna, 'Oldfrapp'.
The Number One hitmaker was thrilled when the 47-year-old superstar named the second Goldfrapp album Sopernature as her favourite disc of 2005, but her delight quickly turned sour when fans pilloried the ageing singer.
She says: "It's nasty and unfair. It's great to see a woman of her age still performing and producing such fantastic work."
Of the queen of pop's comments, Goldfrapp says: "I take that as a real compliment."
Sorry video news
Source: VillageVoice - 24 January 2006"[...] Meanwhile, a much thinner creature, Madonna, is doing the sure-to-be-awards-bound video for the fabulously catchy Sorry, which I hear will involve her bouncing out of a Pimp-A-Ride van with tons of dancers and proceeding to roller skate into your mind. She's kabbalah on wheels!"
"A reporter from BBC Radio One had attended the Sorry video shoot and that the theme is apparently this major dance off between Madonna in one cage and another dancer in another cage. It is like a sequel to Hung Up. Madonna's hair and style is exactly the same, but this time she's in a white leotard and clad in diamonds.
The BBC Radio One website has published a picture of Madonna onset of the Sorry video shoot. Madonna is pictured with the fans who were lucky enough to win the BBC Radio One competition to meet Madonna onset!"
Madonna wins at Virgin.net Awards
Source: Virgin.net - 23 January 2006Madonna has won two awards at the Virgin.net Music Awards 2005. She was named Best Solo Artist (with 46% of the votes), while her single Hung Up received the title of Best Single (with a smashing 66%).
Confessions On A Dance Floor was nominated for Best Album but ended at 2nd place behind 'Young For Eternity' by The Subways (30% against 37%). Congratulations Madonna!
Madonna wins at NRJ Awards
Source: AP - 23 January 2006Robbie Williams writhed, Shakira shouted and Madonna didn't show up, although all three won honors at one of France's biggest music awards shows.
Williams, voted best male international performer at the NRJ Music Awards on Saturday night, was uncharacteristically serious in his acceptance speech but put on a strong performance of his hit "Tripping."
Madonna scored the best female international artist award but didn't appear to accept it, disappointing the audience. At the 2004 show, Madonna accepted a career award from Britney Spears and thanked French fans for two decades of support.
Shakira shouted "I love France!" in accepting the award for best international song, "La Tortura." She charmed French rock veteran and aging sex symbol Johnny Hallyday, who praised her successful melange of "sex and rock 'n' roll."
Bob Geldof praised the French for their "good taste" in granting him an honorary award for his organization of the Live 8 concerts in July for fighting world poverty.
The show, organized by the NRJ radio station, grants awards for French and international stars.
O'Donnell sought parenting advice from Madonna
Source: ContactMusic - 23 January 2006Lesbian comedienne Rosie O'Donnell sought advice from her celebrity pal Madonna on how to deal with parenting in public.
O'Donnell and her wife Kelli Carpenter O'Donnell are parents to Parker, 10; Chelsea, 8; Blake, 6; and Vivienne, 4, while the Material Girl is mum to Lourdes, 9, and Rocco, 5.
The former talk show host admits she initially shielded her children from the public eye, but after discussing the issue with her A League Of Their Own co-star Madonna, she decided to let her kids live a normal life.
O'Donnell tells the New York Post, "Until 9/11, I bought into the idea that the kids should be shielded. But then something happened inside my soul; I didn't want to instill in them some sort of paranoia that the world was unsafe, and they should be hidden even though my love for them is so huge.
"She (Madonna) said, 'Life is short and you don't know what's going to be. I want to raise them in the light, not in a fear-based environment.'"
Madonna attempts biggest virtual archive
Source: ContactMusic - 23 January 2006Madonna is encouraging fans to upload their personal Madonna photographs onto her official website in a bid to create the "biggest photo archive ever devoted to a single subject".
The virtual photo album already contains a picture of the singer's famous smooch with pop star Christina Aguilera - but fans have been warned nude snaps are strictly forbidden on madonna.com.
The 47-year-old Material Girl hitmaker has also requested pictures of her autographs to be added to the online archive.
Bon Jovi apologises to Madonna
Source: ContactMusic - 23 January 2006Jon Bon Jovi has apologised to Madonna after wrongly accusing her of exploiting her children by proudly displaying them at movie premieres.
The Livin' On A Prayer hitmaker berated the pop superstar for allowing Lourdes, nine, and Rocco, five, to attend public events, advising her to shield them from media intrusion.
But the 43-year-old soon realised his mistake after the Material Girl hit back, insisting her children had never attended a single film opening.
He says, "I put my foot in my mouth recently with a comment about Madonna. Let me apologise because I don't know the woman."
However, the rocker continues to express distaste for publicity hungry celebrities: "There are celebrities who will go out of their way to get their picture in the paper and I just think that is a load of rubbish."
Lourdes and Rocco have since been photographed attending the Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire premiere in London on 12 November (05).
Sorry maxi-single tracklisting
20 January 2006Madonnaned has got the tracklisting of the Sorry maxi-single from Warner Netherlands. The release date is still scheduled to February 17th in the Netherlands.
9362 42892 2 - CD Maxi
1. Sorry (Single Edit)
2. Sorry (Man With Guitar Mix)
3. Sorry (PSB Maxi-Mix)
4. Sorry (Paul Oakenfold Remix)
5. Sorry (Green Velvet Remix)
6. Let It Will Be (Paper Faces Mix)
~ It's possible that the US/Canadian version will have the same tracklist.
Sorry cover in HQ
19 January 2006Warner Music has given us a high quality version of the cover of the Sorry single, which was revealed yesterday. To read about how a picture from a fan made it as official Madonna artwork, read yesterday's news items. You'll also find the original picture, taken at the G.A.Y. gig on November 19th. Click on the image below for a bigger version of the single cover.
Madonna's fitness mania worries friends
Source: Rush&Molloy @ New York Daily News - 19 January 2006Somebody unplug Madonna's treadmill.
Friends are worried that the hardest-working woman in show business is whittling her body down to a stub.
"She looks way too thin," one insider tells us. "It's scary. Everyone around her is buzzing that she's working herself right into exhaustion."
Even after breaking her collarbone and fracturing three ribs in a horseback-riding accident, the 47-year-old singer has stuck to a strict exercise routine. She's said to do between two and three hours a day of Ashtanga yoga and Pilates, plus swimming, weight training and cycling.
She says her husband, Guy Ritchie, expects nothing less.
"I wish I were comfortable enough to look zaftig," Mrs. Ritchie recently told Elle magazine. "But I choose men who like carved-out women, the can-you-run-for-the-bus kind of guy. I'm naturally inclined toward men like that."
She's also been rehearsing like a dervish for the video for Sorry, the second single off her hit album Confessions on a Dance Floor.
Her tireless publicist, Liz Rosenberg, was in London yesterday for the video shoot.
"I'm about 40 feet away from her," she told us, "and she looks pretty hot to me."
Rosenberg acknowledged that some recent paparazzi photos show her client looking less than rested.
"How would you look with 10-hour dance rehearsals?" she added. "Maybe she's working harder than usual, but that's what you have to do before a video."
The mother of two, who last week became the oldest person ever nominated for a best pop act BRIT Award, doesn't look like she's about to let up. We hear she's in talks to do a show-stopping number at next month's Grammys.
Rosenberg would say only, "I've heard rumors to that effect."
Madonna is yummiest mum
Source: Channel 4 - 19 January 2006Madonna has topped a poll of the nation's favourite celebrity mothers. In the poll, more than a third of people said they thought the pop icon best combined parenthood with a hectic career. The showbiz legend has two children with husband Guy Ritchie. Lourdes, nine and Rocco, five were recently featured in the star's documentary about her latest tour, I'm Going To Tell You A Secret.
Bottom of the celeb parents' vote was Kate Moss who is mum to three-year-old Lila Grace. She currently lives in the US as British police await her return to the UK to answer drugs allegations.
Madonna comes third in poll for sexiest over-40
Source: Monsters and Critics - 19 January 2006Sharon Stone has been voted the sexiest over-40 woman in the world. The sexy 'Basic Instinct' star topped the poll conducted by top US magazine 'Sly' beating a whole host of older beauties to the accolade. The magazine, which is owned by Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone, said Stone scooped the title because 'her potency to the male libido rivals that of Viagra'. 47-year-old Stone beat fellow forty-something stunner Elle MacPherson into second place, while pop beauty Madonna came third.
Sly Magazine's World's Sexiest Women:
1. Sharon Stone
2. Elle MacPherson
3. Madonna
4. Diane Lane
5. Iman
6. Julianne Moore
7. Heather Locklear
8. Marg Helenberger
9. Tina Turner
10. Gong Li
Madonna and children saddle up with Fox-Pitt
Source: The Independent - 19 January 2006Like any true horsewoman, Madonna has clearly decided that the best response to an accident is to jump straight back into the saddle.
Five months after she broke her hand, ribs and collarbone in a riding accident, the Queen of Pop has signed her children up for lessons with Britain's top three-day eventer, William Fox-Pitt, right.
By way of a late Christmas present, I hear that nine-year-old Lourdes and Rocco, five, have also been given membership of the Olympic star's club, Fox-Pitt Eventing.
As a result, horsey circles are alive with speculation that Madge and her family will be turning up at this summer's major Eventing championships, where the club has private marquees.
Yesterday, Fox-Pitt, who lives near to Ashcombe, Madonna's Dorset country seat, shared details of the star's prowess in the saddle. "I was asked by Madonna for some lessons, as she is quite local," he told me. "She wanted someone to help her after her fall and I am happy to report she is now back in full flow."
"I haven't seen the children ride yet, but they've joined my club and hopefully will come along soon. Rocco's obviously still quite small but he can ride. Lourdes is a rider and is very keen, like lots of girls her age.
"There was quite a fuss made over Madonna's fall, but everyone falls off. Some of her backers weren't keen on her riding again but she's a risk taker who likes to push her limits."
Madonna bans her daughter from auditions
Source: Digital Spy - 19 January 2006Madonna has banned her daughter, Lourdes, from auditioning for the role of Luna Lovegood in the next Harry Potter movie.
Hundreds of girls turned up to audition for the coveted part in London last weekend after Warner Brothers bosses called for an open audition. However, Madonna was not going to let her daughter, also known as Lola, be among them.
An insider is quoted in The Daily Star as saying: "Lola printed off all the information and showed it to her mum. She's convinced she has the other-worldly qualities Warner Brothers are looking for.
"But Madonna pointed out they're looking for girls aged between 13 and 16, so she is much too young."
The source added: "Lola had a massive sulk and complained that producers would overlook her age because she looks and acts much older than her years."
Madonna has previously commented that she thinks Lourdes will follow in her musical footsteps but that she wants the girl to make up her own mind when she is older.
Portrait of Marcin, Sorry cover photographer
17 January 2006Let's have a closer look at Marcin Kokowski, the Madonnafan who can now officially call himself a Madonna photographer. Marcin was born on July 24th 1981 in Przemysl, Poland. He studied International Business at La Sorbonne University in Paris, where he lived for several years.
He combined his studies with work at the famous Le Louvre museum. In August 2005, he moved to London to study Masters in International Marketing at the South Bank Business School. Meanwhile, he works for the Royal Opera House at London's Covent Garden.
As a devoted Madonnafan and close friend to Mad-Eyes webmaster Bartie, he followed many Madonna events from up close. Many of you will recognize the amazing close-up pictures he made during the Re-Invention Tour in Paris and Arnhem.
He selected the 20 best pictures of these sessions for an exclusive exhibition, held in April 2005 at club Le Madame in Warsaw, Poland. In November of that year, he attended the promo gigs at KoKo club and G.A.Y. club. Pictures of the latter were published on this site, where they were spotted by Madonna's management. Soon Marcin agreed with them in using one of his photos for the artwork of second single Sorry. Now let's hope Madonna asks her new-found talent for a full photoshoot!
Sorry cover uses fan picture
17 January 2006Warner Netherlands has revealed the cover picture for the Sorry single. We at Mad-Eyes can now confirm that we were contacted by Madonna's management in December, concerning this single cover.
After seeing our pictures from the G.A.Y. gig, made by Mad-Eyes photographer Marcin Kokowski, they expressed intrest in using one of them for the single artwork. As you can see in the result, they did indeed!
Giovanni Bianco reworked the picture, changing the hair colour to red, like he did for the album cover. Warner asked us not to break the news yet, but now Warner Netherlands has revealed the final cover through the Dutch fanclub MadonnaNed. (thx to Axel for bringing it to our attention)
You can compare both pictures on the right; the original picture has been available on this site since November 2005. Congratulations to Marcin for making the first fan picture used in any official Madonna artwork!
No NRJ Awards? *rumour*
17 January 2006According to DrownedMadonna, Madonna has cancelled her attendance at the NRJ Music Awards, which take place this Saturday January 21st. Reason would be conflicting schedules, with the filming of the Sorry video. There's no official news whether or not Madonna will be attending the show.
Has Madonna been too hard on herself?
Source: Daily Mail - 16 January 2006She had given herself a rare night off for a restaurant date with her husband. And if the hollows in her face were any indication, Madonna deserved it.
The 47-year-old singer, who has a punishing exercise schedule, seemed to have been pushing herself a little too hard lately.
In a severe black coat, she appeared pale and almost gaunt. And thanks to her apparent weight loss, those chiselled features seemed rather too chiselled.
"She looked almost like she was sucking her cheeks in," said an onlooker at the Japanese restaurant Nobu in Berkeley Street, Mayfair. "She definitely did not look as healthy as she normally does."
Madonna, who last week became the oldest person ever nominated for a best pop act Brit, has been basking in plaudits for her latest album Confessions On A Dance Floor, one of her most popular for years.
But that doesn't mean she is taking it easy. She is in London to start filming the video for her latest single, Sorry, and is also busy making plans for a world tour.
She maintains a tough exercise schedule to keep her in shape, sticking to it even after breaking her collarbone and hand and cracking three ribs in a horseriding accident last year.
She does three hours of exercise a day, starting with Ashtanga yoga, followed by pilates, and then either swimming, weight training or cycling.
She recently revealed that her push for perfection was not solely her own doing.
It seems her husband Guy Ritchie also likes her athletic look. "I wish I were comfortable enough to look zaftig [a Yiddish word for a fuller-shaped woman]," she told Elle magazine.
"But I choose men who like carved-out women, the can-you-run-for-the-bus kind of guy. I'm naturally inclined toward men like that."
Madonna builds horse course at mansion
Source: ContactMusic - 16 January 2006Pop superstar Madonna is planning to build a three-day horse jumping course at her country estate in Wiltshire, England.
The Hung Up hitmaker, who broke her hand, ribs and collarbone after falling from her horse last year (05), decided to construct the eventing course after undergoing riding lessons with British Olympic silver medallist William Fox-Pitt.
A celebrity friend of Madonna's says, "She is enthralled with the idea of becoming a better horsewoman, and spending time with an Olympic champion is certainly going to give you the bug."
Fox-Pitt's club spokesman confirmed, 'He's definitely been giving Madonna lessons."
Echo Award nomination
14 January 2006Madonna has been nominated in the category 'Best Female' at the upcoming Echo Awards. She will be competing against Enya, Katie Melua, Shakira and Gwen Stefani.
The award show will be held on March 12th in Berlin and will be broadcast live on TRL, starting at 8.15pm.
Sorry on Belgian radio
14 January 2006Belgian Radio Donna has announced Sorry as their "Smaakmaker van de week" (Taste of the week), which means we'll be hearing the single once during each program for a full week.
In other news, the radio air date for the US is supposedly February 7th.
Sorry maxi single
14 January 2006According to the German Amazon the tracklisting of the Sorry 3-track maxi is the following:
1. Sorry (Single Edit)
2. Let It Will Be (Paper Faces Mix)
3. Sorry (Man With Guitar Mix)
Note that 'Paper Faces' and 'Man With Guitar' are both aliases of Stuart Price.
Meanwhile ICON has confirmed the remixers for Sorry:
Pet Shop Boys
Man With Guitar
Paul Oakenfold
Green Velvet
COADF back to #1 in Euro chart!
Source: Monsters and Critics - 13 January 2006Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor (Warner Bros.) takes over from Robbie Williams' 'Intensive Care' (Chrysalis) at the European Top 100 Albums summit for a second time. The album displaced Williams at No. 1 by debuting there in November, before itself ceding the top spot to Williams late in the year.
Madonna now has five aggregate weeks atop the pan-European survey compared to Williams' six; the albums have held the top two spots on the chart for eight consecutive weeks. Hung Up, the first track taken from Confessions, leads Eurochart Hot 100 Singles for the ninth straight week.
Madonna's surge back to the top albums spot is helped by climbs of 4 to 2 in Norway, 6 to 3 in Germany, 4 to 3 in Portugal, 5 to 4 in Hungary and Denmark and 6 to 5 in Italy. She's still No. 1 in Finland and top ten in most other European markets. The album, however, dips from 9 to 11 in the United Kingdom.
Williams, meanwhile, keeps top place in Switzerland but loses the No. 1 position in both Germany and Austria to Xavier Naidoo's 'Telegramm Fur X' (Naidoo Records). [...]
On the Eurochart, Hung Up is still trailed by Black Eyed Peas' 'My Humps' (A&M/ Interscope) at No. 2, while Mattafix's 'Big City Life' (Buddhist Punk) improves again, from 5 to 3. The latter track is No. 1 for a second week in both Austria and Switzerland, climbs from 4 to 2 in Germany and holds at No. 2 in Italy.
The single, which reached No. 15 in the United Kingdom last August, comes from the duo’s album 'Signs of a Struggle,' released last October.
Hung Up UK chart performance
13 January 2006Hung Up is now tied with both Vogue and Like A Virgin as Madonna's longest-running UK Top 10 single. And with the single holding steady at #3 on last Sunday's chart, there's every chance that Hung Up will claim a 10th week in the Top 10 next weekend, which would put Hung Up out on its own as her longest-running UK Top 10 single.
Additionally, Hung Up already owns the title as Madonna's longest Top 3 residency (7 weeks and counting) and longest Top 5 residency (8 weeks and counting).
Here are the chart runs in full for the three singles in question:
LAV: Entry Date 17/11/84: 51-36-27-8-5-4-5-4-3-4-7-9-15-23-31-38-53-68 (18 weeks; 9 in the Top 10)
Vogue: Entry Date 07/04/90: 4-1-1-1-1-4-6-8-9-15-27-36-48-65 (14 weeks; 9 in the Top 10)
HU: Entry Date 19/11/05: 1-1-1-3-2-4-8-3-3 (9 weeks, all Top 10).
The Official UK chart is a 75-position chart. (positions 75-200 are published to the trade but generally regarded as "provisional" as several additional more stringent rules are applied to the singles that find themselves outside the Top 75).
Hung Up has now sold 339,285 copies in the UK, including 11,781, so it will probably struggle to overtake Music, next above it on the all time list of Madonna best selling UK singles, which stands at 390,624.
COADF falls from 9 to 11 this week, after a 7-week Top 10 run (to date). COADF also finished 2005 as the 15th biggest seller of the year, with a 2005 total of roughty 830,000 copies.
James Blunt's "Back To Bedlam" sold the most during 2005 - 2,367,758 copies to be precise - with Coldplay's X&Y finishing up in second place, just about a 1,000 copies shy of 2 million.
That album passed the 2 million mark early last week, meaning their 3 UK albums to date have all cleared the 2 million mark. Source: Neil F @ MIR, Music Week)
Franz Ferdinand praise Madonna
Source: Sunday Mail, MIR - 13 January 2006Franz [Ferdinand] boys reveal who they rate and who they hate before this year's Brits nominations are announced. [...]
Madonna could win: Best International Female
The music doesn't sound like a 47-year-old woman. We think she'll be making records that sound fresh and exciting when she's in her nineties - good on her.
We also think Madonna has gone beyond that level. Age doesn't really necessarily matter any more.
She's a figure like Edith Piaf or Eartha Kitt who will be seen as a grand singer and an icon for the rest of her life.
Sorry video shoot
13 January 2006David Figueiredo from MIR reports that the video for Sorry will be shot on January 18th and January 19th in London.
Haber nabs Madonna tour doc
Source: c21media - 12 January 2006US distributor Alfred Haber Distribution has signed on as the exclusive distributor of Madonna film I'm Going to Tell You a Secret, just in time to tout the documentary at Natpe.
Featuring a mixed media format edited in a montage style, the doc is a behind-the-scenes portrait of Madonna while on her 2005 Re-Invention Tour.
Madonna as presenter at Brit Awards
Source: Madonna.com - 11 January 2006Congratulations to Madonna for being nominated for 3 Brit Awards! Madonna is being recognized in the categories of International Female Solo Artist, International Album, Pop Act. Madonna will also be on hand as a presenter! Be sure to catch the Brit Awards on February 15th.
~ Judging from this official report, it seems she won't be performing on the show.
Madonna tops music sales on Amazon's busiest day
Source: New York Post, Madonna.com - 11 January 2006So what was the busiest online shop ping day of 2005? According to Amazon, purchasing went into overload on Dec. 12 when shoppers ordered 3.6 million items - 41 every second.
The hot sellers in books were: "Does Anything Eat Wasps? And 101 other Questions" followed by "The Da Vinci Code." After that "Eats, Shoots and Leaves." Then my personal favorite - "Schott's Miscellany."
Madonna topped music sales that day with Confessions on a Dance Floor. (The disc has sold 6.4 million worldwide.)
Billboard clears up best charting Female Artist issue
Source: Billboard) - 11 January 2006Fred,
All of us Dolly Parton fans were certainly pleased to see her back in the top 10 again this week after a 14-year absence. "When I Get Where I'm Going" with Brad Paisley is her 55th credited top 10 Billboard country single, allowing her to regain that record for a female artist (you had reported earlier in the year in "Chart Beat" that Reba McEntire had tied her at 54).
My question is, does Dolly also hold the female artist record for most top 10s in any genre, or is there another woman with more top 10s on the Hot 100 or R&B or dance or some other chart?
Thanks!
T. Duane Gordon
Dear T. Duane,
Madonna holds the record on the Billboard Hot 100, as she is tied with Elvis Presley with 36 top 10 hits. Aretha Franklin is the clear female leader on the R&B chart, with 52 top 10 hits. I don't think anyone will be surprised that the female frontrunner on the Adult Contemporary list is Barbra Streisand, with 35 top 10 hits.
Three nominations at Brit Awards
Source: u.tv - 11 January 2006Former British Army captain James Blunt and Leeds rockers the Kaiser Chiefs have followed their explosion on to the music scene with five nominations each at the prestigious Brit Awards.
Madonna and the band Arcade Fire dominate the international categories with three nominations each.
The queen of pop is up for best Pop Act, International Female Solo Artist, and International Album, for Confessions on a Dance Floor.
Pop Act
Winner chosen by CD:UK viewers; The Sun Bizarre column readers and customers of 02 and Motorola
James Blunt
Katie Melua
Kelly Clarkson
MadonnaWestlife
International Female Solo Artist
Bjork
Kelly Clarkson
Madonna
Mariah Carey
Missy Elliott
International Album
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Green Day - American Idiot
Kanye West - Late Registration
Madonna - Confessions On A Dance Floor
U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
~ The Brit Awards take place at London's Earls Court on February 15. Rumours that Madonna will perform at the show are not yet confirmed. Fingers crossed!
Madonna continues to top Euro Singles chart
Source: ContactMusic - 11 January 2006Madonna continues to sit atop the European singles chart for a staggering eighth successive week with her smash hit Hung Up.
The Material Girl's dance track keeps The Black Eyed Peas's My Humps at number two, while Eminem track When I'm Gone is at number three.
At number four is UK TV talent show winner Shayne Ward's That's My Goal. Big City Life by Mattafix is at number five.
Robbie Williams remains at number one in the European albums chart, as does Madnna's Confessions On A Dance Floor at number two.
Also sitting at number three is James Blunt's Back To Bedlam, while Eminem hit compilation Curtain Call is at number four.
Closing the top five is Enya's Amarantine.
Madonna afraid of getting fat
Source: MTV - 10 January 2006Part of the reason Madonna keeps in such good shape is that she's afraid of getting fat, she reveals in the February issue of Elle, on stands Thursday.
"I wish I were comfortable enough to look zaftig," she told the mag, "but I choose men who like carved-out women, the can-you-run-for-the-bus kind of guy. I'm naturally inclined toward men like that."
The singer traces her desire to win men over back to her relationship with her father, who she said doesn't get excited about much of anything.
"A good part of my life was spent trying to wow him, to get his approval," she said. Even so, she doesn't think her fame will help any man in her life, especially the big guy upstairs.
"In the big picture, it means very little," Madonna said. "At the end of my life, God doesn't give a sh--." ...
~ Also check MTV for some pictures of the Elle Magazine photoshoot.
Madonna wants eternal life
Source: ContactMusic - 10 January 2006Madonna is hoping for an eternal life because she likes the idea of reincarnation.
The pop superstar and Kabbalah follower admits she turned her back on Catholicism because there was nothing consoling about the religion and she wanted something more.
She says, "The thought of eternal life appeals to me. I don't think people's energy just disappears.
"I hope by the time it's my moment to leave this world physically, I'll have gotten my head around the idea that life is an endless cycle."
Scans of Elle Magazine
9 January 2006Check out fansite DrownedMadonna for some HQ scans of Elle Magazine, which hit US stands this week. It features an interview and pictures from a new photoshoot.
News titbits: performances
9 January 2006 There's no official announcement from Madonna's camp yet, but NRJ has announced that Madonna will perform at the NRJ Music Awards in Cannes on January 21. She's expected to open the show with her new single Sorry.
Rumours are circulating that Madonna will be opening the Brit Awards, which takes place in London's Earls Court on February 15. No official confirmation yet either.
News titbits: releases
9 January 2006 According to Warner Music Belgium the video for Sorry will be seen for the first time on February 8 and the single will be released in Europe on February 20.
Warner Music UK says that Sorry will also be released as a DVD single.
Warner Music Canada announces that the Sorry single will be released on February 28. Since Canadian singles are usually released a week after the US, it means the US can expect the single on the 21st, which also seems to confirm the date set by Warner Belgium.
More from Warner Canada: a release date for the DVD of I'm Going to Tell You a Secret is set for March 2006. No release date set yet for the live DVD of the Re-invention Tour in Lisbon.
News titbits: year end
Source: Herald Media - 9 January 2006 Hung Up is Song of the Year 2005 on the Lebanese Radio One and Mix FM yearly charts (#1 in the top 100). It's the second time Madonna has scored the biggest hit of the year; previously Music was named Song of the Year 2000.
Despite having spent less than two months on the stores' shelves, Confessions On A Dance Floor is the 10th top selling album of the year in Italy (7 weeks in the charts) and Hung Up is #2 in the 2005 annual chart of mix and singles compiled by FIMI/AC Nielsen (8 weeks in the charts). Confessions is also the 3rd top selling album by a non-italian artist in the chart. Speaking of airplay, Hung Up remains at #1 in Europe and Italy, and #2 in Germany and the UK.
Canadian based International Media Giant CanWest has named their choices for the 50 best songs of 2005, and Madonna came in at number 2! Isaac was the only Madonna song included on the list, and was a runner up to 'Gold Digger.' Other songs that were included were 'Bucky Done Gun,' 'Galvanize,' 'Belly Dancer,' and 'Shake It Off.' CanWest also named Confessions On A Dance floor the third best LP of the year.
Meet Madonna on the set of the Sorry video
9 January 2006Official fanclub ICON is organising the "Please Don't Say Forgive Me Contest", which sends one fan to the filming set of the Sorry video to meet Madonna and get a picture taken with her:
"Before Madonna performed at Live 8 during the summer of 2005, she first asked Sir Bob Geldof to send her a letter explaining her why she should do it.
We are now in 2006 and our lady is about to start filming of her Sorry video. And for the first time in 23 years, you'll maybe be THE lucky Iconer to makeone of her fans biggest dreams to come true: Madonna would like to invite one Iconer to visit the set of her new video!!!
This contest's winner will be able to watch some of the filming of the video, meet Madonna and get his/her picture taken with her! Can you believe it?!"
Palthrow's baby loves Madonna
Source: ContactMusic - 9 January 2006Gwyneth Palthrow's young daughter Apple is huge fan of her mother's celebrity pal Madonna. The 20-month-old tot, whose father is Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, prefers the Material Girl's number one hit Hung Up to her dad's rock sounds.
Paltrow says, "Apple loves to dance. She absolutely loves Hung Up by 'Dadonna' - that's how she pronounces Madonna. We have it on repeat in our house. She demands to hear it over and over and over."
Madonna's record company files for appeal in plagiarism case
Source: VRTnieuws; translation by Mad-Eyes - 5 January 2006Music distributors Warner, EMI and Sony are filing for appeal against the ruling of the court in Bergen (Belgium) about the song Frozen of Madonna. That has come to the knowledge of the lawyer of Salvatore Acquaviva.
On November 18, the judge ruled that Frozen plagiarised a song by Belgian composer Salvatore Acquaviva and that Frozen was no longer allowed to be played on Belgian territory.
According to Acquaviva's lawyer the record companies will file for appeal against the ruling. Fabienne Brison, who represents Warner, EMI and Sony, doesn't want to comment at the moment.
"Appeal will be filed before the court of Bergen on January 24th. The pleadings will presumably follow only four or five months later", says Acquaviva's lawyer Victor-Vincent Dehin.
~ Since the court ruling on November 18, Frozen hasn't been played on Belgian radio anymore. During the Donna Top 2005 (see our monday item) it wasn't played but instead a Belgian singer sang a parody with some words from Frozen.
Many record stores however still haven't received an official notice prohibiting the sale of all material containing the song and are still selling the Ray Of Light album.
Pet Shop Boys confirm Sorry remix
3 January 2006The official site of the Pet Shop Boys confirms the earlier reported Sorry remix:
"We can confirm that Pet Shop Boys have remixed Madonna's next single, Sorry, which will be released in February.
At the moment we do not know whether "Sorry (PSB Maxi-Mix)" will be commercially released or only made available on promo copies to club DJs.
Chris and Neil remixed the track in December and Neil added some vocals to it. Further release details will be here when we have them."
Billboard on Hung Up airplay
Source: Billboard - 3 January 2006The past few months, Mad-Eyes has received several mails from American fans complaining about the poor airplay on US radio. Since the single was a smash hit everywhere except the States, it's fair to say the American Life boycott by American radio DJs is still kept up. Here's another comment from Ask Billboard:
Hello Keith,
This question is in regard to Madonna's single Hung Up. While it did manage to crack the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, would it be safe to assume that if radio had played it more, could it have been a No. 1 single?
I read an article in the Los Angeles Times which discussed local top 40 radio station KIIS and its reluctance to play her single because of her age and because Hung Up wasn't a hip-hop song.
It amazes me that her video of the same song could maintain a No. 1 position on MTV's "TRL" for days on end but radio would still shun her. Do radio programmers have that much control over the airwaves?
Thanks,
Jimmy Rivera
Hi Jimmy,
Your question is more of a general gripe about commercial radio in general, but I understand where you are coming from.
Right now, hip-hop music is the most popular and dominant format in the United States. There is a lot of research to back this up -- otherwise radio wouldn't be playing rap and hip-hop. Radio spends a lot of time, effort and money to determine what their listeners want to hear. Programmers play what they conclude their listeners want to hear. Right now, the masses want to hear hip-hop.
Specifically regarding Madonna's Hung Up, certainly if it had more radio airplay it would have achieved a higher position on the Billboard Hot 100. But, it still went all the way to No. 7 -- a huge feat for a disco song. I say that because dance music (that isn't hip-hop or rap) doesn't have a lot of support from mainstream radio stations, thus, you don't find many traditional pop/dance songs getting much airplay.
KIIS Los Angeles has to make sure it plays what its listeners want to hear. If you are a radio programmer, you don't want to run the risk of having a listener turn off the radio or switch to another station. So, they play what is the most popular according to their research. Madonna's Hung Up evidently didn't do very well in their research with listeners, so they opted not to play it very much. (To KIIS' credit, the station did play Hung Up, usually about 16 times a week during its peak.)
Madonna's next single will be Sorry. Perhaps it will climb higher on the Hot 100 with more widespread support from radio.
Madonna in Billboard Year In Music
3 January 2006Madonna is mentioned three times in Billboard's 2005 Year In Music:
August: Madonna celebrates her 47th birthday by breaking a collarbone, a hand and cracking three ribs in a fall from a horse in England.
Madonna tops The Billboard 200 for the sixth time in her career, with her new album, Confessions on a Dance Floor (Warner Bros.), which sells nearly 350,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
November:
Belgian songwriter Salvatore Acquaviva wins a plagiarism case against Madonna, leading a local court to ban the pop star's song, Frozen from sale or broadcast in the country.
Acquaviva's suit alleged that Madonna's 1998 hit plagiarized parts of his song, "Ma Vie Fout L'camp (My Life's Getting Nowhere)," written five years prior.
Don't cry for me Ford Cortina
Source: The Sun - 3 January 2006Madonna is used to being ferried around the world in complete luxury.
When she is in LA she relaxes in the comfort of a £300,000 Mercedes Maybach limo and her lavish private jet is on stand-by 24 hours a day. Even her mountain bike for tackling London's traffic is top-of-the-range.
Yet the Queen of Pop will delight legions of Britain's boy racers with an MTV Pimp My Ride-style video for next single Sorry.
Madge is ditching her fleet of fancy motors to transform a rusty old banger into the ultimate blingmobile.
With UK Pimp My Ride host and Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood making a cameo appearance on the promo, a team of experts will take a Ford Cortina and turn it into a high-spec speedster, just like my graphics boffins have drawn above.
A source said: "Madonna really loves the MTV show. She wanted to do a video with a rags-to-riches story, taking a battered old British banger and turning it into something special.
"Her record company contacted the MTV producers behind Pimp My Ride and they came up with a storyboard and car for the video."
Madge - who had a big hit with Don't Cry For Me Argentina - has used a 'cameo star in a car' on a video before.
ALI G was her limo driver in the video for her No1 single Music in 2000.
The new song will be remixed by the Pet Shop Boys after a personal plea from her Madgesty. She bumped into Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe at a party last year and told them she thought "they were brilliant".
The Pet Shop Boys recently signed up Little Britain stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams to appear in the video of a single from their forthcoming brilliant album Fundamental.
Having the two comedy kings associated with a tune produced by legendary hitmaker Trevor Horn will be a little Brit special.
Madonna-Guy divorce among relationships betting odds
Source: HecklerSpray - 3 January 2006Only a few days ago, Madonna and Guy celebrated their 5th wedding anniversary and judging from her recent interviews and her honest relationship statements in I'm Going To Tell You A Secret, Madonna has never seemed happier in any relationship before. Yet journalists are always on the hunt for sensation and a divorce of the happy couple is already between the 2006 betting odds of website SportingOdds:
"Madonna And Guy Ritchie To Get Divorced - Madonna is a woman in charge of her image. She only lets the world see of her what she wants to show. Except for that time she stacked it off a horse, of course. So it's hard to tell what the state of her marriage to Guy Ritchie is like.
There are always reports in newspapers that the couple are always having big fights, but divorce has never been mentioned. Still - Madonna might be going on a long tour this year, which could put a strain on their relationship. And - to be fair - if we were Madonna, we'd divorce Guy Ritchie after watching Revolver.
Current divorce odds - 16/1"
Hung Up back to #3 in UK
3 January 2006Seems the Xmas sales had a great effect on Hung Up; it makes a remarkable rise in the UK singles chart from #8 back to #3!
In other chart news, the single still reigns the Italian single chart, now #1 for 8 weeks in a row.
In the Euro chart, the single holds on to the #1 spot for a 7th week now, fighting off competition from Xmas singles Crazy Frog's 'Jingle Bells/Last Christmas' and Johnny Hallyday's 'Mon Plus Beau Noel'. The COADF album is at #2 in the Euro album chart, right behind Robbie's 'Intensive Care'.
Madonna askedto credit eyelash designer
Source: ContactMusic - 2 January 2006 Pop superstar Madonna is being asked to credit lash designer Sol Rafael or return the diamond-trimmed mink eye accessories she wore on a chat show in October (05).
A source close to Rafael tells America's In Touch magazine that the designer worked with Madonna's stylist when the singer appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman.
But she has yet to return the fluttering lashes.
The source quotes Rafael as saying, "If she's going to keep them it would be nice to have her acknowledge me as the designer."
Madonna in Donna Top 2005
2 January 2006After a week holiday, the Mad-Eyes team is back and wishes you the best for 2005; lots of love, friendship, happiness and of course some great Madonna singles and a summer tour!
In the week between Christmas and New Year, Belgian Radio Donna broadcasted their Top 2005 of All Time.
As usual, Madonna nudged several positions in the top. In 2005 the listeners voted 27 Madonna songs into the playlist. Hung Up debuted in the list immediately at #82. Like A Prayer, the topper of 2004, dropped from #82 to #112.
There was a lot of commotion for Frozen, which was at #204, but wasn't played because of the plagiarism case in Belgium. Instead a Belgian singer sang a parody song, which contained some words from Frozen.
2005 (2004) Song
82 (-) Hung Up
122 (83) Like A Prayer
204 (112) Frozen
390 (299) La Isla Bonita
463 (563) Like A Virgin
515 (443) Vogue
585 (379) Music
699 (448) Me Against The Music
768 (1397) Material Girl
853 (661) Ray Of Light
899 (762) The Power Of Good-Bye
960 (1649) Die Another Day
1025 (1200) Papa Don't Preach
1061 (1815) Beautiful Stranger
1161 (1920) Into The Groove
1210 (1336 ) Borderline
1270 (-) Don't Tell Me
1313 (1731) Holiday
1339 (877) Live To Tell
1383 (1150) Justify My Love
1534 (992) Drowned World/Substitute For Love
1562 (-) Erotica
1590 (-) What It Feels Like For A Girl
1655 (-) American Life
1711 (-) Open Your Heart
1797 (838) Hollywood
1928 (1785) Nothing Really Matters