Fairground Stripper? Elton vs Madonna

Now I love a celebrity feud as much as the next man, but there's something distinctly unedifying about the latest attack in the long-running Elton John and Madonna stand-off. For history buffs, you may recall this goes back as far as November 2002 when Elton slammed Madonna's Bond theme for Die Another Day, calling it tuneless and "the worst Bond tune ever". Now I might have room for agreement there with Elton, but I'll save that for my inevitable Bond theme blog. What was strange was why he felt the need to weigh in while proclaiming himself a big Madonna fan, but then Elton has often considered himself one of music's leading critics. The next major spat came two years later at the Q Awards in London during Elton's acceptance speech for the Classic Songwriter Award. Again without apparent provocation he blasted Madonna's nomination in the Best Live Act category claiming she lip-synced her entire show and that "anyone who lip-syncs in public on stage when you pay £75 to see them should be shot". So no over-reaction there then. Madonna's spokesperson retaliated on her behalf, pointing out that "Madonna does not lip-sync nor does she spend her time trashing other artists. She sang every note of her Re-Invention tour live and is not ashamed that she was well paid for her hard work". Elton later backtracked a bit, but then seemed surprised that Madonna refused his invitation to perform at his bachelor party in 2005, prompting him to call her a "miserable cow".

The latest bad blood seems to stem from Madonna's triumph in the 2012 Golden Globe Awards, when her song Masterpiece from her film W.E. won over Elton's ditty from Gnomeo and Juliet. Elton's partner David Furnish took over the attack, claiming Madonna's win showed the awards had nothing to do with merit and calling her acceptance speech narcissistic. Furnish later kind of apologised, but Madonna again kept to the high ground, saying of Elton "he's been known to get mad at me, so I don't know. He's brilliant, and I adore him, so he'll win another award. I don't feel bad". That brings us to the latest bout, when in an Australian TV interview Elton again issued forth with this charming tirade when Madonna's name was mentioned, "she’s such a nightmare. Her career’s over...and she looks like a f***ing fairground stripper. She’s been so horrible to Gaga". The latter reference no doubt relating to Madonna's recent comments about the similarity between Lady Gaga's Born This Way and her own hit Express Yourself, a controversy I covered in an earlier blog [The New Queen Of Pop?]. Again Madonna has decided not to respond, leaving it to her fans to leap to her defence. Now far be it from me to get in between such a major catfight, but whatever the provocation behind Elton's attacks, there are a couple of his claims that I take issue with. So while not an official Madonna spokesperson, here is how I would respond to Elton's attacks.

"Madonna does not sing live"

I have been lucky enough to witness Madonna live many times and I have only missed two of her world tours. She is without doubt a brilliant live performer and she ensures her shows are chock full of visual delights, while also using the live arena as an opportunity to recreate many of her classic hits in surprising ways. Madonna expends Olympic levels of energy when performing and engages in complex and cutting edge dance routines that would tax any professional dancer. Let's face it, she pretty much invented the template for the stadium age of live pop shows and Kylie, Janet, Beyoncé and co. all follow in her wake. I'm pretty good at spotting a lip-sync, as a fan of vocalists I know when there is actual sound emanating from a mouth or when it's fakery. I have never detected Madonna miming in her live shows, in fact I am often in awe at her breath control and recovery that enables her to sing and dance the way she does, but then I guess that's what daily yoga and gym work gets you. Yes Elton, it is important for stars to sing live when an audience has paid for that experience and I daresay it's a lot easier to achieve sitting behind a piano than it is performing gymnastics on a studded leather S&M carousel horse, but somehow Madonna manages it.

"She looks like a fairground stripper"

Now I don't know what fairgrounds Elton hangs out at, but I've yet to encounter one that offers strippers. That aside we can assume that his issue is that Madonna, as a woman in her fifties, still wears stage outfits that are overtly sexual. Madonna has always used sexuality as a central theme in her work, that is neither new nor particularly surprising. What is unusual is that Madonna has managed to maintain a pop career for three decades and remain relevant and commercially successful, so she is now challenging cultural stereotypes of what a fifty-year old woman should look like. Determining what is attractive is a highly personal matter, but I take issue when Madonna is attacked on her looks and image purely based on chronology. While as a culture we like women to quietly disappear in middle age, Madonna is at the forefront of challenging the boundaries of what is permissible for women as they age. Can Elton seriously criticise Madonna's attire while simultaneously leaping to the defense of Lady Gaga? Why is it acceptable for Gaga to run around in her underwear, but Madonna is called a stripper when she dares to bare any flesh? The fact is that Madonna's stage outfits for her latest tour are not that provocative by her standards, but they are recognisably Madonna, an image and icon she has worked hard to establish. What should she perform in to make Elton happy? A smock? A nice woolly and an A-line skirt? Madonna has earned the right to wear what she damn well pleases and if Elton doesn't like it, he can always take a trip to the fairground instead.

"Her career is over"

This one doesn't really need much of a response. Madonna's latest album MDNA topped the charts in the US and the UK and many other countries. Her half-time show at this year's Super Bowl set a TV audience record, with 114 million tuning in. Madonna is using her current World Tour to raise awareness of a number of issues around freedom and equality, gaining headlines and attention to some of the most serious social concerns facing us as a human race. So Elton, what have you done for me lately?

I'm pleased Madonna has continued to maintain a dignified silence in the face of Elton's frequent taunts. As she said, she doesn't really need to attack fellow artists to get publicity. Perhaps one day Elton will be able to make the same claim.


If you enjoyed reading this blog, please consider forwarding it or linking to it from your Facebook or Twitter account. You can post feedback below or to my Twitter account, @divasblogger. Sign up for alerts at divasblogger@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter.

Barbra Did It First...

If there is a diva common denominator, an icon so legendary that every artist since has been influenced either consciously or subconsciously, then it has to be Barbra Joan Streisand. Even today's hippest R&B divas tread in Barbra's size 8 footsteps. The hippest pop princesses scramble to re-enact Bab's career highs and iconic looks. Don't believe me? Then let me give you just a few examples of where Barbra did it first...

Winning an Oscar with your debut film role in a musical

It's 2007 and American Idol loser and future WeightWatchers poster girl Jennifer Hudson is the breakout star of Dreamgirls, the movie based on the musical based on The Supremes (allegedly). Her standout performance as Effie White has made her the toast of the town. People are amazed at the maturity of her performance in this, her first motion picture and in awe of her show-stopping rendition of the first act closer And I Am Tellling You I'm Not Going. The industry throws awards at her, including the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Could anyone have ever been so stellar in her film debut...

Flashback to 1969 and Barbra has taken her Fanny Brice from Broadway to the silver screen in Funny Girl. Critics and fans alike are wowed that she so easily made the transition from leading lady to movie star and she literally stops the show with the first act closer Don't Rain On My Parade. Result: Oscar for Miss Streisand.

Being a fashion icon

Every outfit that a diva wears, every hairstyle and make-up choice is fully scrutinised and judged - no pressure! A true diva sets trends, creates new looks and leads the fashion pack. Leading fashion diva of the moment has to be the reigning queen of the urban scene, Miss Beyoncé Knowles - the noughties Diana Ross. Now Sasha Fierce is not overfond of clothing, preferring to show a little skin...

But wait.. haven't we seen that look somewhere before?

In fact Miss Knowles may not be the trendsetter she pretends to be... it seems she has found inspiration from La Streisand on a number of occasions...

I rest my case. Clearly Barbra was the first hip-hop fashion diva! And come on Beyoncé , Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) is just Cry Me A River updated a bit and with a better dance routine. And Babs doesn't need a drag persona, she's got half a million queens pretending to be her on a daily basis. Barbra 3 - Beyoncé 0.

Diva duets

Now there's nothing we diva fans love more than a megastar duet. Never mind how terrible the song is (and they often are), there's nothing more thrilling than seeing two huge voices (and egos) battling it out on one track. Sometimes it's a hot artist of the moment who seeks a bit of extra cred and status by persuading an established superstar to join them on a track, like when Britney Spears begged Madonna to take her tongue out from her mouth long enough to record a song. The result? A number one hit in Denmark, Ireland and Hungary - Me Against The Music.

But Britters is not the first red hot diva to persuade her elder and better to duet up. Where did that mirrorball come from? It's 1979, disco rules and the queen is Donna Summer. But wait, who's that frizzing up their afro and boogieing up to the mic? It's Babs! A duet Miss Summer? Why I'd love to. Hang on though, my new album is all water themed, so let's tack on this slow intro about rain and tears, change the title and then I'll do it. Oh, and make sure I get all the good notes.

If you've only heard the single version of No More Tears (Enough Is Enough), you're missing out. Check out the 8:24 mix on Barbra's Wet album, or better still the full 11:43 version on Donna's On The Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes I & II. Go on, you won't regret it.

Hanging out with the President

We've previously established that Lady Gaga likes to "borrow" ideas from other divas, but maybe it's not Madonna who's her major mentor. There's evidence another legendary native New Yorker has heavily influenced the career of this pop magpie.

Gaga is a famous campaigner (for which we love her) and she has taken her lobbying to the top, making a beeline for President Obama. He admitted to finding Gaga "a little intimidating" when they met. A pop diva making a grown President quake in their presence... now where I have I seen that before?

Oh yes, that's right. Didn't Babs meet JFK? It's May 1963 and La Streisand is singing for her supper at the White House and grabbing a cheeky autograph from the President for her mum. She may not have been campaigning that night, but she's probably the most famous Democrat woman after Hillary these days. Her first recording was Happy Days Are Here Again after all, the Democrat party theme song.

But grabbing on the mantle of political diva isn't the most shocking steal that Gaga's made from Babs. You know all this "little monster" business and the whole "paws up" thing that Gaga does with her fans...

Well where do you think she got that idea from!

Enough proof? I'm convinced I can find evidence that Babs has originated every idea any diva has ever had. Challenge me if you dare!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Barbra Streisand: she did it all first!



If you enjoyed reading this blog, please consider forwarding it or linking to it from your Facebook or Twitter account. Also you can hear the tracks mentioned in this week's blog on my Spotify account at the following link: Barbra Did It First.

The new Queen of Pop? Gaga vs Madonna

One is a pop music sensation, fashion icon, friend of the gays and polarising figure of controversy. The other is Lady Gaga. The parallels between Gaga and her admitted musical influence, Madonna, are manifold. Both of American-Italian heritage, both emerging from the New York club scene, both international pop culture icons, it is easy to look at Gaga and assume that here is the pretender to Madonna's throne as Queen of Pop. I, however, am not so sure that Gaga's destiny is to emulate Madonna's seemingly impossible feat of remaining relevant and hugely successful in the ephemeral world of pop for three decades. Are the similarities and parallels between the two proof enough that Gaga is here to stay, or will she end up as roadkill on pop's highway like so many before her? Is Lady Gaga on the Edge of Glory or is this just another Bad Romance?

Madonna may not have been the first woman to use her sexuality and persona to sell records, but she was the first to do it from a position of power and control. She redefined forever the image of women in music, from passive objects of (usually) male pleasure to active and, crucially, equal partners in the mating dance of pop. If you were turned on by Madonna it was because she had given you permission to enter her seduction and when she wanted it to stop, it would stop. But it was not just this show of erotic force that made Madonna a star, she also made era-defining pop music.

Two of her earliest singles forged iconic images of Madonna that still resonate in her career today. To announce that she was Like A Virgin seemed astonishingly bold back in 1984 and the iconic video took the two female paradigms of madonna/whore and smashed them together with such force that they no longer became a binary choice for women artists. Material Girl then followed and removed the remaining male power of financial control. Madonna acknowledges money is central to male/female relationships, but instead of the man using it to control her, she is the one that determines who her benefactor will be. The double whammy of these two touchstone singles created an iconic image for Madonna based around these dual concepts of sexual and financial independence, which still define her in the public's mind today.

Gaga is now at the same point in her career that Madonna was when her icon was forged. Two albums in and it is not as easy to pinpoint what Lady Gaga's iconic brand is. She instead has played the chameleon, changing her look constantly and creating multiple personas, while playing with different musical styles. While this demonstrates her undoubted creativity, it makes it difficult to know Gaga: feeling connected and committed to our icons is a critical element of career longevity.

There is also the danger of diminishing returns. If we know that Gaga will always be attempting to shock or titillate us, then that very expectation undermines her ability to do so. This constant barrage of looks and sounds has also led to accusations of piracy from other artists, most notably when her single Born This Way was seen as a direct copy of Madonna's Express Yourself. The two songs are incredibly similar, from the talky intro to the identikit chorus. Let's be kind and say it's homage, though Madonna when asked said she thought it was "reductive".

In some ways Lady Gaga is the perfect post-modern popstar: fragmentary and disposable. My fear is that the music she produces is not strong enough to support her career long term, once the 20 million Little Monsters tire of her tweets and click "unfollow". She has had some interesting singles and has a knack for a catchy motif, I couldn't get the chant from Bad Romance out of my head for weeks, but I find it impossible to recall an entire Lady Gaga song. You remember the ear worm elements, but the verses with their scant melodies tend to fade quickly. Gaga has undoubted musical talent, but for me her compositions lack staying power, they are in one ear and mostly out the other. She also has a very ordinary voice.

Madonna is not a great singer, but she is a recognisable one. She has made the most of her limited vocal ability, working extremely hard on her technique, but critically she has an interesting and unique voice. You can identify Madonna's voice almost instantly you hear it; Gaga, not so much. The uniqueness of a singer's voice is fundamentally important in securing long term success; if you sound like everyone else, then why should I listen to you?

Madonna is on the verge of releasing her twelfth studio album, MDNA, and through an inspired half-time show at this year's Super Bowl has reaffirmed her position at the top of pop's monarchy. Whether Lady Gaga reaches a similar career milestone will depend on whether she has the energy and creativity to sustain an image built on constant revolution. She might be better advised to take a tip from her mentor and create an iconic brand that explains to the public what she stands for and look to evolve it over time. Oh, and she should also remember that when the image fades, it's the music that's going to last.


If you enjoyed reading this blog, please consider forwarding it or linking to it from your Facebook or Twitter account. Also you can hear the tracks mentioned in this week's blog on my Spotify account at the following link: Queen of Pop?.