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Madonna news - June 2012
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Madonna to attend Moscow's Hard Candy Fitness opening
Source: CNW via Yahoo! Finance - 26 June 2012
MOSCOW, June 25, 2012 /CNW/ - Hard Candy Fitness, the global luxury fitness brand will celebrate the success of its newest Moscow location with an official Grand Opening event on August 6. Madonna, whose MDNA Tour arrives in Moscow in August, will be attending the festivities along with the dancers from her tour. Hard Candy Fitness Moscow, which opened its doors in December 2011, has quickly become the hottest fitness destination to hit Red Square, boasting 3,500 square meters of top of the line amenities and programming allowing its members to work out hard and relax in luxury. Madonna's influence and design is seen and felt throughout this stunning new facility.
"Moscow is one of my favorite cities and my dancers and I are looking forward to celebrating at this beautiful club's official August 6th opening," commented Madonna.
Mark Mastrov, chairman of New Evolution Ventures (NeV) who is in partnership with The Material Girl and her manager Guy Oseary in this endeavor, stated, "The official opening of Hard Candy Fitness Moscow not only enhances the brand's global presence but solidifies our standard for excellence, innovation and distinction in the international fitness market. We're honored to have her attend our official grand opening event."
Madonna's personal trainer Nicole Winhoffer is also scheduled to attend the VIP gala. Following the festivities at Hard Candy Fitness Moscow, the celebration will continue at a highly anticipated after party at SOHO ROOMS.
"We are thrilled to open our doors to the Moscow community and share the unique experience that makes Hard Candy Fitness not just a gym but a fitness destination unlike any other," said Irina Razumova, CEO of Hard Candy Fitness Moscow . "We're committed to bringing Madonna's dedication to fitness, supreme style and 'No Sweat, No Candy' philosophy to life within our four walls."
Hard Candy Fitness Moscow incorporates high end design and finishes to the brand's signature "Addicted To Sweat" group programming based on Madonna's own workout regime. Club highlights include a group fitness studio with a specialized dance floor, the first anti-gravity yoga studio in Moscow , a first class pool and spa, and the industry's most advanced workout equipment.
Hard Candy Fitness will celebrate its debut in South America this summer with a club opening in Santiago, Chile. A second location in Russia is planned for St. Petersburg, Russia later this year. The brand is expected to continue its expansion into destination cities around the world. For more information about Hard Candy Fitness Moscow visit www.hardcandyfitness.com
Kylie doesn't like Madonna's cheerleader look
Source: Digital Spy - 26 June 2012Kylie Minogue made a jab at fellow pop singer Madonna during a recent episode of the style chat show Fashion Police.
When asked by host Joan Rivers what she thought of a photo of the 'Like a Virgin' singer in a cheerleading costume, Minogue answered: "No. Just no."
Madonna is currently on the European leg of her world tour, which kicked off in Israel in May.
The tour has sparked several controversies, including a clash with French politician Marine Le Pen, and instances of Madonna flashing her backside and nipple.
During the E! taping, Rivers went on to ask Minogue about Madonna exposing her breast.
"Was she caught up in the moment? Was it premeditated? Who knows," The '2 Hearts' singer said. "I think it's got people more perplexed than excited by it."
Rivers also asked what the Australian diva thought about comparisons between herself and Madonna.
Minogue quipped: "Is that because we're the two oldest ones? Competition, I don't know. But I grew up such a fan of her. I don't even care how we're in the same sentence, it's quite good for me."
Thank You, Madonna, for Still Being Madonna
Source: Huffington Post - Gay Voices - 23 June 2012Daytime TV host Wendy Williams got herself all worked up over Madonna's flashing of her bare breast two weeks ago during a concert in Istanbul, asking, "Okay old lady how desperate can we get?" The women on "The View" also weren't having it, and neither were Star Jones and ad man Donny Deutsch on the "Today" show. But I think they're all missing the point, and definitely not getting the context.
Yes, Madonna is striking out at the ageist critics who say woman of her age should act a certain way. In that sense she's doing what she's always done, pushing buttons about how women are supposed to behave. Now it's simply about how 50-something-year-old women are to behave. And yes, she has great breasts, on a par with those of many 30-year-olds, so why shouldn't she flaunt them?
But more significant is context, lost on the critics entirely. Madonna didn't show her nipple in New York or Los Angeles or Miami. She did it in Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country where many women do not show much of their bodies in public, and where women's rights are under attack by a conservative government, sending many marching into the streets in recent weeks.
Back in the 1980s, when Madonna burst on the scene, the U.S. was in a scary place on the issue of homosexuality. For a generation of gay men, Madonna was our antidote. As our friends died around us during the callous Reagan era, as conservatives like William F. Buckley Jr. called for putting tattoos on people with AIDS, as Senator Jesse Helms was writing laws against us, Madonna was pushing back culturally. She struck at the Catholic church. She flaunted sexuality. She crashed through stereotypes about gender. She did in those very oppressive years what Lady Gaga does for gays more overtly in this much more gay-accepting time.
So, by assertively flashing her nipple in Istanbul, Madonna was, in the cultural realm, doing something similar for the women of Turkey, perhaps helping to liberate them just a little bit. And what would she follow that up with? A few days later, last week in Rome, she flashed her butt to the crowd. I happened to be in Rome, and I got a chuckle when some in the Italian media actually took note that Madonna's ass was facing the Vatican. Was she mooning the Pope?
Last night I appeared with PR guru Howard Bragman on Joy Behar's new show on Current TV, and Howard made the point that Wendy Williams scored simply by having her name in the same headline with Madonna's. That may be true. But Madonna always scores bigger in these battles, and with her, so do we all.
Mika: 'She wasn't asking for my opinion'
Source: Digital Spy - 22 June 2012Mika has said that the first time he heard Madonna's Gang Bang was when the record was released.
The singer-songwriter penned the original version 'Bang Bang' with Priscilla Rene but the track ended up on Madonna's latest album MDNA.
"Madonna heard the song because William Orbit presented it to her and I didn't know," Mika told wotyougot.
"As far as I was concerned it was just a song I was writing for myself. Madonna liked it and recorded her version and in the end she adapted it.
"I was never in the studio with Madonna. The song got changed countless times and in the end it was called 'Gang Bang' - probably because there were so many people who worked on it!"
He added: "It's kind of cool - It's my favourite thing off that last record. It's kind of grown up in a weird sort of way. It's got this bitterness about it, which is kind of cool to hear."
"I heard the finished product along with everyone else. She certainly wasn't asking for my opinion. I don't think she was interested!"
Is Madonna ready to 'turn up the radio'?
Source: Ask Billboard - 19 June 2012Hi Gary,
To bring up a recent hot "Ask Billboard" topic once again ... what happened to Madonna's album MDNA? It's not even on the Billboard 200 anymore. And: no Billboard Hot 100 singles after Give Me All Your Luvin'.
Does her new label deal not include marketing for radio and/or club promotion? I mean, Turn Up the Radio is an out-of-the-box smash. And, as for I F****ed Up, just change the title to a cleaner version (like P!nk and Cee Lo Green did with "Perfect" and "Forget You," respectively) and it could be a hit. Masterpiece should also go straight to radio.
I'm just stunned by the album's performance. Any additional light to shed on this? Madonna being on Interscope Records seemed, to me, a sure recipe for success but maybe her Live Nation affiliation has thrown off promotion?
I hope for a resurrection but if it hasn't happened by now, I don't know ...
Thanks,
Michael Hamby
Modesto, California
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Hi Michael,
First, the bad news. MDNA has indeed fallen off the Billboard 200 after nine weeks. That's the quickest stay for a Madonna studio set since American Life logged 14 frames in 2003. Her self-titled debut album granted her her longest Billboard 200 residence (168 weeks). Her 1990 best-of release The Immaculate Collection ranks second (141), followed by Like a Virgin (108).
Some good news, however: With sales of 477,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan, MDNA is the 12th-best-selling album of 2012. Just two albums, in fact, released by female artists since Jan. 1 have sold more: Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away" (545,000) and Nicki Minaj's "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded" (522,000).
And, more good news: Madonna's manager, Guy Oseary, tweeted this teaser on June 12: "Video shoot right now in Florence Turn Up The Radio."
With MDNA marking Madonna's first Live Nation/Interscope album following her departure from Warner Bros., Interscope has promoted the first two singles from the album. With Luvin' having reached No. 24 on the Pop Songs airplay chart and follow-up Girl Gone Wild, No. 38, MDNA became Madonna's first album to yield multiple entries on the chart since Music in 2000-01 (the title cut, Don't Tell Me and What It Feels Like for a Girl). Luvin' and Wild also reached No. 1 on Dance/Club Play Songs, extending her record to 42 leaders on the chart.
As fans await the song's video, Interscope has not yet made an official announcement as to whether it will promote Radio (or any other song) to pop, dance and/or adult formats.
Donatella Versace rocks to Madonna
Source: WWD - 19 June 2012MILAN — Madonna took her MDNA Tour here on Thursday, but another blonde in the wings had cameras flashing away at the city's San Siro stadium.
Donatella Versace made quite an entrance at the V.I.P. area — flanked by her bodyguards and her daughter Allegra — and was cheered by the crowd. The designer was dressed for the occasion, with a rock 'n' roll outfit consisting of tight flare denim pants with crystal details and a matching vest.
"I've never missed one of her concerts," Versace, a longtime fan of the American singer, told WWD.
"I can't even count how many times I saw her performing, but it's always great," added Versace, remembering how she once flew to Amsterdam to see Madonna on tour.
Along with Versace, who sang and danced throughout the entire event, other fashion and art personalities attending the concert included Domenico Dolce, Stefano Gabbana, photographer Giampaolo Sgura and artist Francesco Vezzoli.
MDNA Tour cracks $300 million
Source: Examiner - 19 June 2012
Many fans felt that Madonna should have released Turn Up The Radio as the first single off her album MDNA instead of the much hated Give Me All Your Luvin'. Madonna has apparently listened to her fanbase and is indeed shooting a video for the much loved song. Her manager, Guy Oseary, tweeted a picture from the set.
Madonna has been on quite a role lately. She outraged many by revealing her nipple while possibly making a political statement against the repression of women in Turkey, where she performed the stunt. Now, Live Nation has revealed that Madonna's MDNA Tour has grossed more than 300 million and expects more money once dates in Australia are announced.
Madonna has played to sold-out crowds in Israel, Turkey, Italy, and Spain over the past two weeks. Even though some dates still have tickets left, she is expected to sell those out by the time she his the stage in those places.
Madonna films Turn Up The Radio video
Source: Corriere Fiorentino - 19 June 2012Yesterday, Madonna filmed her music video for Turn Up The Radio. Photographer Tom Munro took the crew to an old gas station in Mugello, a few kilometres outside out of the city of Galliano as the filming location.
Madonna looked like a 60s disco diva, dressed in black with a lot of cleavage and high heels. Surrounded by some of her dancers, she sat in the back of a brown open cadillac.
In between the shooting, Madonna stayed covered under an umbrella to hide from the heavy sun... and probably the many paparazzi.
Other scenes of the video were expected to be shot in the city centre of Florence.
We shouldn't be shocked at Madonna's flesh-flashing
Source: The Independent - 18 June 2012Star has ignited a debate on ageism, all while wearing more clothes than most younger pop idols, writes Eilis O'Hanlon
Magicians call it misdirection. It's the art of focussing the audience's attention on some small thing so that they don't notice another, much more important thing.
Madonna is a past master of the trick and, if her latest tour is anything to go by, hasn't lost any of her skill. Last week, it was the turn of Rome, where the pop superstar grabbed headlines by turning her back to the crowd, dropping her trousers, and flashing her thong-clad butt.
It's a pity it was a thong, possibly the closest fashion ever came to using tooth floss as an item of clothing; as Bridget Jones discovered, big pants are much sexier, being both cheekily unexpected and daringly counter-intuitive.
But by focussing attention on her still rather fabulous butt, what Madonna did was make the audience forget that she was wearing trousers at all.
Trousers, what's more, with fishnet tights under them. For Rihanna, 30 years Madonna's junior, that's about as tame as wearing winter woollies.
In fact, Rihanna probably doesn't even know what a pair of trousers is, most of her public appearances consisting, as they do, of her prancing about in knickers and not much else.
Britney Spears gyrates around in a bikini on stage; Christina Aguilera went through a stage where she could barely sing Baa Baa Black Sheep without simulating intercourse at the same time; Kylie Minogue had to dance around in painted-on gold hotpants for months to get that much attention.
The sluttification of modern pop culture is complete, but Madonna grabs just as many headlines with a quick glimpse of backside. Or a nipple, if you happened to be in the crowd in Istanbul.
Madonna is much tamer than she used to be, but that didn't stop the knockers (no pun intended) dropping on her from a great height for her antics. In the wake of Nipplegate, Piers Morgan, that paradigm of wisdom, was quick to tweet: "The most embarrassing, cringeworthy, desperate moment in the history of music?" Hardly.
Madonna herself once simulated masturbation while singing Like A Virgin on her 1990 Blond Ambition tour flanked by two male dancers in conical bras. Showing off less flesh in Rome than female Olympic athletes will be displaying soon in London doesn't even compete. But then Madonna had only recently turned 30 when she did that, and she's 53 now, a fact for which the critics do seem unable to forgive her.
Now, when they say that Madonna is "desperate" or "shocking", I presume they're using the words as synonyms for "old". How dare she still have a butt when she's old enough to be someone's mother?
That seems to be her real crime. Not flashing her butt, but actually having a 53-year-old butt in the first place. Not exposing her nipple, but owning a nipple that's been around longer than the Late Late Show.
One Daily Mail columnist actually said last week that "nudity at the age of 53 is not just gratuitous, it's gruesome". That's you told, granny. In a time when women are increasingly paranoid about their bodies, it's a disturbing message to be sending out. Whatever happened to the hippie dream of accepting ourselves as we are at every stage?
That could explain why I find Madonna's performances much more interesting now than they were back in the day. Twenty- and 30-somethings are always getting their kit off. There's nothing very surprising about it anymore.
It's doing it when you're supposed to have "grown out of it" that makes it so entertaining. Madonna is at an age where she's supposed to have gone all mad and gnarly like Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard, hiding out in her Beverly Hills mansion, reliving her long-gone glory days and provoking dry retching when she lusts embarrassingly after younger men.
Swanson herself was only 51 when that film was made, and wonderful she was, too; but it did rather set the tone for Hollywood, where men are allowed to grow old disgracefully and women are expected to accept they're sexless, wizened old hags before they leave their 40s. Madonna defiantly refuses to play along.
Undignified her behaviour may be; I long for the days of the Hay Code as much as the next prude. But Madonna's act is no more unflattering than Rihanna's. Being offended by one and not the other merely exposes the critics as ageist bullies rather than moral crusaders.
Besides, if I have to see any woman's butt, I'd much rather it was Madonna's any day. Hers is a backside with history, a backside with character -- and at least it is only a backside. Madonna doesn't also use it to talk out of, as so many younger pop stars feel compelled to do out of theirs. In fact, her backside should probably be listed as a UNESCO heritage site, in order to preserve it for future generations.
It's still looking great, after all. That bum is not only older than the Late Late, but ageing far better, too.
As for Piers Morgan, Madonna already delivered the coup de grace to that overpaid, overhyped public nuisance when he announced on Twitter that she was barred from his TV shows. "She doesn't even know who he is," a spokesman was dispatched to reply. Game, set and match to the old girl. That's another thing about Madonna. She always had a sense of humour. Perhaps the critics could try getting one too.
Hands off Madonna (and her nipples)
Source: The Guardian - 15 June 2012So Madonna flashed a nipple during a performance in Istanbul. Good on her. Why shouldn't older women flaunt their stuff?
Oh Gawd. Madonna's at it again. By which I mean being provocative, as everyone who has given the media even a cursory glance in the past 30 years will know. She has a bit of a back history with this stuff, after all: dry humping a black Jesus in the Like a Prayer video, snogging Britney, saying the f word on David Letterman, hanging out on a crucifix. Now she's gone and flashed her old lady nipple. Oh, the humanity! It seems Twitter twits such as Piers Morgan think her lady-nubs might not be entirely age appropriate. Cue internet outrage, articles in the Daily Mail, angry feminist backlash, and this piece.
Older women simply can't win. And despite the fact that Madonna is a veritable goddess of excellent pop campery, she is, to her detriment, also 53. Which is about the same age as my mum. Now, I'm not suggesting that my mum should start flashing people in Buckingham Waitrose, but that's because she's not a multimillion-dollar recording artist under pressure to keep things saucy. Madonna is, and if she chooses to flash her half-a-century-old nipples, by God, I defend her right to do it.
If you're a middle-aged woman, it's often said that, in the eyes of the media, you are invisible. However, proponents of that theory are forgetting one key fact: the Stifler's Mom/ Mrs Robinson paradigm. Post-menopausal women recast as sexy older cougars who rob horny young men of their sexual innocence. In light of this, the message that Madonna and women her age are receiving is clear: go hot, or go home.
If you're an older man on the other hand, like Iggy Pop or Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen, you can carry on doing your thing – which in Iggy's case is getting his crinkly bollocks out through the recognised medium of transparent trousers. Much to my disappointment, the perpetually hot and youthful Bruce is keeping his under wraps, but Iggy, despite the fact that he begins to resemble Frank Gallagher more by the day, is still flying the flag for pre-geriatric nudity. And why not? There's an assumption that aged bodies are somehow shameful, that they cease to be sexual vessels, especially where women are concerned. Madonna, in her own way, is giving that cultural assumption a pretty categorical V sign.
I don't want to assume that Madonna flashing her nipple is some kind of post-modern commentary on patriarchal gender norms. Maybe she just wanted to experience the feeling the cool breeze of a thousand gay men's sighs caressing her nip. But since "nipplegate" has officially become a thing, it's worth remembering that women's bodies and their activities are still regarded as common property. What's even more ridiculous about this whole furore is how Madonna doesn't even look 53. Do you have any idea how hard she works to please you people? I read in Closer magazine the other day (and before you start, it's my job), that she covers herself in £500 moisturiser and sleeps in a plastic suit. And what does she get in return? All-round twit Piers Morgan saying it was "the most desperate attempt in the history of music".
Madonna is not desperate. She is sensational. Morgan is forgetting the myriad desperate moments that have graced musical history over the years – not least the Steps comeback tour. And in a world of quasi-pornographic pop booty shaking, Madonna's nipple is hardly shocking. It may not be my world, or my mum's world, or your world, but it's Madonna's world, and she's not letting go of it just yet, nor should she.
Sibling rivalry between Lola and Rocco
Source: Daily Star - 12 June 2012
MADONNA has sparked serious sibling rivalry between two of her kids by letting them join her on her world tour.
Madge has given Lourdes, 15, and Rocco, 11, jobs on her 86-date MDNA Tour.
But their constant wanting to out-do each other is causing the queen of pop massive headaches.
A backstage source told us: "Rocco and Lourdes have developed a really competitive spirit as they take up roles on their mum's tour.
"Lourdes is in charge of fashion and wardrobe and is responsible for picking outfits for at least 10 of the dancers. Rocco is doing a series of breakdances and singing on a few tracks. Between the two of them, they are constantly involved in one-upmanship."
Our tour insider continued: "Madonna has taken an army of helpers along with her for the children, including five nannies and eight private tutors.
"The cost must be absolutely phenomenal with their hotel bills, food and wages."
Our source revealed it's not the pressure of performing the whopping 86 dates that's causing Madge, 53, to despair. We're told: "It's all working out completely differently to how Madonna had hoped it would go and is creating family scenes.
"The kids are already causing her a massive headache and she had originally planned for her other two children David and Mercy to join them at some point.
"She's close to tearing her hair out."
Turn Up The Radio video to be filmed in Florence
Source: MadonnaTribe - 12 June 2012Fansite MadonnaTribe has given an update on the filming of the video for 3rd single Turn Up The Radio. It has now been decided to film it in the beautiful city of Florence the coming weekend.
Saturday evening, Madonna will be performing at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence.
Tom Munro will be directing and the video is supposed to be ready to premiere in mid-July.
Madonna shows she's Queen of Pop-ping out
Source: The Sun - 11 June 2012CONTROVERSIAL star Madonna leaves her fans shocked, exposing her breast during a gig on Friday night.
The 53-year-old was performing her track Human Nature in Istanbul, Turkey, when she started taking off her clothes.
But after ditching her shirt, she caught the crowds by surprise when she went on to peel down her lacy bra, revealing her nipple to the audience.
And the pop legend soon re-thought her decision, pulling an odd face as she covered up again.s
Perhaps fans shouldn't have been surprised - as she did warn them, writing No Fear on her back.
Her actions may have been offensive to some members of her audience, as Turkey is a traditionally Islamic country, with a largely Muslim population.
Fashion is still Madonna's passion
Source: Live Nation press release, via PR Newswire - 9 June 2012Madonna's MDNA Tour which opened in Tel Aviv on May 31st includes over 700 costumes elements, six costume changes for the Material Girl and costume changes for the dancers with each song. The show is already being heralded as her most stunning and grandest extravaganza ever.
Longtime Madonna stylist, Arianne Phillips, and her staff of 25 have put together an array of big name designers and emerging talent including Jean Paul Gaultier Couture, Brooks Brothers shirts and canes, Prada/MiuMiu shoes, club and street style innovators Jeremy Scott & Adidas, Dolce & Gabanna and several new creative partnerships, as well as her own Truth or Dare line encompassing lingerie and shoes that are scheduled to come out in the Fall. The Material Girl's MDNA tour essentially runs the gamut from long time collaborators and new partners, fashion designers, retailers and artists along with dazzling elements of Swarovski crystals. "I see Madonna as one of the greatest performing artists and entertainers of our generation," commented Phillips, a two time Oscar nominee, who has collaborated with Madonna for over 15 years and four tours.
The wardrobe reflects new twists on familiar themes including spirituality, prophecy, light, super-vixen, Americana/sassy, majorette with a message, masculine, feminine, redemption and celebration. With styles including Truth or Dare lingerie with crosses, colorful metal mesh tee shirts, specially designed accessories including gargoyle and bunny masks, Brooks Brothers shirts and canes, swords, gun holsters, jeweled accessories, mirrored track suits, Lord of War tee shirts, Phillips designed Joan of Arc ensembles, a majorette costume with a 1940's inspired silhouette and Shaolin warrior costumes, fashionistas will easily find a wide range of styles and likely some new trends. Madonna's infamous attention to every last detail has called for each costume to be painstakingly assembled by Phillips and her team to match Madonna's vision of making each song an entity on to itself.
Madonna and pal Jean Paul Gaultier have taken their longtime gender-bending provocation of male and females roles to new heights and together have created a specially designed cage corset. "They still have plenty to say," said Phillips.
"In the spirit of having the opportunity to create characters and further inform the narrative of the show, I purposely choose to collaborate with not just fashion designers, but also with artists like Desi Santiago, Michael Schmidt and Erik Halley," added Phillips. Madonna and Phillips also looked toward emerging fashion designers including Fausto Puglisi, Gio Diev, Paul Seville and Chromat.
Madonna's own fashion line, Truth or Dare including intimate apparel and shoes is well represented on the tour. "It was super exciting to create pieces we have always wanted and needed, and that reflect the fashion "DNA" of who Madonna is. And it's so great to create designs that people can buy and have a little bit of Madonna in their own life," remarked Phillips.
Following the opening night, Rolling Stone commented, "The looks are as bold as any she's worn, and clearly pay homage to a pantheon of powerful female archetypes including, of course, a nod to her own past glory. Among the most striking look is a modern interpretation of what the immortal warrior saint Joan of Arc might wear on a future crusade. We don't come to Madonna for rock & roll, nor any of its wardrobe trappings. We come to her for an unparalleled super pop spectacle, and that's what MDNA, as an album and tour, set out to prove: no one does provocative pop better, and no one, even now, looks cooler doing it."
Madonna's MDNA World Tour is in support of her MDNA album which debuted at No. 1 in 40 countries.
Turn Up The Radio video filming slightly delayed
Source: MadonnaTribe - 8 June 2012Fansite MadonnaTribe now reports that the video for the 3rd MDNA single is not going to be filmed this week after all, but only after Madonna finishes the Italian leg of the tour and before she goes to perform in Barcelona (June 20th). Post-production is expected to take up 4 weeks so we shouldn't expect to see the video until mid-July.
Solveig is 'amazed and shocked' by MDNA Tour
Source: MTV - 8 June 2012'Coming from France... we do shows and stuff, but it's not to that level,' DJ says of the magnitude of Madonna's shows.
Martin Solveig is going to be one busy guy for the next month. Most recently, the French DJ got the 2012 MTV Movie Awards crowd on their feet when he wowed everyone as the house DJ, remixing themes from classic movies like "Star Wars" and "Jaws."
Solveig had a tight schedule during Movie Awards weekend, coming straight from overseas to Los Angeles for the big event. So what was Solveig up to? Well, he had just kicked off Madonna's MDNA Tour in Tel Aviv, Israel, as her opening act.
"I'm doing the opening so this is a completely different thing and so I discovered the whole show," Solveig told MTV News. "I was really amazed and shocked and there's so much going on."
Solveig will be joining Madonna for several stops as she hits 26 European and Middle Eastern countries before returning to the United States on August 28 in Philadelphia. Solveig admitted that the idea of performing in front of massive crowds each night isn't the only exciting thing about being on tour, it's seeing his music come to life.
"To see the music that we made in the studio all of a sudden play to a massive audience with all those productions and sets, dancers," Solveig said. "Coming from France... we do shows and stuff, but it's not to that level. For me it's a shock."
Solveig worked with Madonna on several songs off her chart-topping MDNA album, including the lead single, Give Me All Your Luvin.
"We were working with no limits. I think the only thing that she said when we started was, 'I just want people to be able to dance to my music and connect easily with my music,' and also probably to take some risks at some point," Solveig told MTV News in March. "Other than this, it was open to any kind of experimentation."
On Tuesday, Madonna announced that London dubstep duo Nero will open for her on the North American leg of her world tour.
Tom Munro directs video for Turn Up The Radio
Source: Ohnotheydidnt - 8 June 2012Tom Munro will direct Madonna's music video for Turn Up The Radio in Rome on Sunday, June 10, two days before her first Italian concert at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. Rumor has it that Madonna will be filming the video at the Rome Forum, but nothing's been set in store.
Munro directed 2008's Give It 2 Me music video as well as the interlude video for Die Another Day on the Sticky & Sweet Tour. He also did photoshoots with Madonna, such as the recent shoot for Harper's Bazaar.
Nero to join Madonna on North American leg of MDNA Tour this fall
Source: MTV - 6 June 2012London dubstep duo Nero are the latest dance superstars set to join Madonna's MDNA Tour.
Nero, comprised of British-born producer-DJs Dan Stephens and Joe Ray, will open for M on the North American leg of her world tour, which kicked off last week in Tel Aviv, Israel, and just wrapped up a sold-out two-show run in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Nero will open the show with a DJ set, featuring live vocals from Alana.
The group are the latest dance music stars enlisted by the Queen of Pop to open her largest-ever tour. Israeli DJ and producer Offer Nissim was the show-opener for the tour kick-off in Tel Aviv and Italian producer-DJ Benny Benassi, who produced three tracks on Madonna's most recent album MDNA, including the single Girl Gone Wild and I'm Addicted (one of the albums best tracks), handled the decks for the pop superstar's Abu Dhabi shows.
Nero recently appeared at Coachella, Sasquatch and the Electric Daisy Carnival NYC festivals and is also set to perform several shows on this summer's IDentity Festival, as well as at Lollapalooza in Chicago and Hard Summer Los Angeles in August.
The MDNA Tour travels next to Istanbul, Turkey, the first stop on the 29-show European leg of the tour, where Madonna will be joined on selected dates by Alesso and Martin Solveig . Sloveig served as house DJ at Sunday's 2012 MTV Movie Awards and brought the house down with his own remixes of some of the most iconic movie themes of all time, from "Star Wars'" "Imperial March" to "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Theme." Sloveig also produced several songs on Madonna's album, including the top ten single Give Me All Your Luvin' and one of our personal favorites, Turn up The Radio.
Nero will take over when Madonna arrives in the U.S. on August 28 for an already sold-out show at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center. The group is also currently hard at work on the follow-up to their Welcome Reality album.
Check out the MDNA Tour with special guest Nero tour dates below!
08/28 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
08/30 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
09/12 Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
09/13 Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
09/15 Atlantic City, NJ - Boardwalk Hall
10/13 Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand
10/14 Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand
10/16 Phoenix, AZ - US Airways Center
10/18 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
10/20 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
10/21 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
10/24 Houston, TX - Toyota Center
10/25 Houston, TX - Toyota Center
10/27 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
10/30 Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
11/01 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
11/03 St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
11/04 St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
11/06 Pittsburgh, PA - Consol Energy Center
11/08 Detroit, MI - Joe Louis Arena
11/10 Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
11/12 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
11/15 Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena
11/17 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
11/19 Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena
11/20 Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena
Tour book available next week
Source: Madonna.com - 4 June 2012From Madonna.com:
The wait is finally over! We are happy to announce that you will be able to get your copy of the MDNA Tour book as soon as the tour stops in Italy!
Get ready for some amazing photos by Mert & Marcus and special design by Giovanni Bianco!!
Madonna is #4 in UK's Diamond Dozen
Source: Official Charts - 4 June 2012The Official Charts Company today unveils the Diamond Dozen – the 12 artists who have sold more than 10m singles in the history of the UK 's Official Singles Chart.
This definitive list of chart royalty is published to coincide with the Diamond Jubilee of both Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the UK's Official Singles Chart - both celebrating 60 glorious years of heritage in 2012 – the list forms part of a BBC Radio 2 show running from 2pm till 5pm on Bank Holiday Monday (June 4).
In November 1952, five months after Queen Elizabeth II took the throne, the first ever Official Singles Chart was published in the New Musical Express. To mark this joint Jubilee, the Official Charts Company has compiled the definitive list of the biggest singles artists of all time, to be counted down by BBC Radio 2's Tony Blackburn in a special Jubilee Bank Holiday Monday show.
The list reveals The Beatles at the top, having sold the most chart singles over the past 60 years in the UK, followed by Elvis Presley and Sir Cliff Richard – all three have sold more than 20m singles in the UK. The Top 5 is completed by Madonna (on 17.6m) and Michael Jackson (15.3m).
Martin Talbot, managing director of the Official Charts Company , adds, “ The Diamond Dozen , from the Beatles to Kylie , with Rihanna, Madonna, Elvis and Bowie in between, is truly the cream of music makers over the past six decades years. Over the past 60 years, the Official Singles Chart has provided the musical soundtrack to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 's reign – and these artists have been her entertainers.”
The full Diamond Dozen are as follows:
- The Beatles (21.9 million)
- Elvis Presley (21.6 million)
- Cliff Richard (21.5 million)
- Madonna (17.6 million)
- Michael Jackson (15.3 million)
- Elton John (14.8 million)
- Queen (12.6 million)
- ABBA (11.2 million)
- David Bowie (10.6 million)
- Rihanna (10.4 million)
- Paul McCartney (10.2 million)
- Kylie Minogue (10.1 million)
Check here for the complete Top 60.
Front National considers legal action against Madonna
Source: Haaretz - 3 June 2012France's far-right National Front is considering a lawsuit against Madonna over a video she used during her concert in Israel on Thursday night. The clip showed party leader Marine Le Pen with a swastika on her forehead.
While she performed the song Nobody Knows Me in Ramat Gan Stadium, Madonna showed a video in which her face was collaged with a number of well-known personalities. The face of Marine Le Pen appeared for a few seconds with a swastika affixed to her forehead before dissolving into a composite character resembling Adolf Hitler.
The concert, which opened Madonna's 65-city MDNA world tour, received mixed reviews from the international press, which provided extensive coverage - around 80 foreign journalists were here for the performance.
"For a show that was originally billed as a 'Concert for Peace,' the opening night of Madonna's world tour in Tel Aviv, Israel, featured a disproportionate amount of violence," the critic from The Hollywood Reporter wrote, citing the guns and religious imagery used during the first part of the concert.
Dan Williams of Reuters filed a similar report, saying, "Pop superstar Madonna kicked off a new world tour on Thursday wishing peace on the Middle East, even as she showcased grim dance routines depicting violence and bloody gunmen among her more colorful numbers."
Gossip blogger Perez Hilton, who attended the concert, wrote, "Nobody puts on a show quite like Madonna! No one even comes close! Her meticulous work ethic and perfectionism is evident in everything she does and is especially evident in her tours, like the one she kicked off in Tel Aviv on Thursday night."
Many critics praised the production element of the show more than Madonna's own performance. Bloomberg Businessweek's Calev Ben-David wrote, "In terms of stagecraft, concertgoers got their money's worth." But he was critical of her routine itself, noting, "With extensive use of audio playback, including whole songs when Madonna disappeared from the stage for costume changes, it wasn't easy to know when one is actually hearing her live voice."
Second shows added in Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires
Source: Madonna.com - 2 June 2012South America, are you ready for more? Second shows in Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires have been added to the MDNA Tour schedule!
The newly added Sao Paolo show will take place on December 5th at Estadio Morumbi. A devoted fan club pre-sale will start June 11th @ 10am local time for Legacy members, (11am for Live Pass members) while public on-sale will start June 15th at 12:01am for internet sales, 9am for phones and 10am for outlets and box office.
Fan club pre-sale for the December 15 show at Buenos Aires' River Plate Stadium will start June 5th at 10am local time for Legacy members (11am for Live Pass members). Public on-sale will start June 11 at 12:01am for internet sales and at 10am for box office, phones and outlets.
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