NEWS - FEBRUARY 2006 « January (part II) - News index - February (part II) »

15 February - Madonna wins Brit award for Best International Female Artist Madonna attended tonights annual Brit Awards, the most prestigious awards in the British music industry, held at the Earls Court Arena in central London. Earlier it was announced that she would be attending but not performing because she had a minor surgery for hernia. Neil Tennant from the Pet Shop Boys presented her with the award for Best International Female Artist, fighting off competition by Björk, Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey and Missy Elliott. She accepted the award, dressed in a bright red dress. Congratulations Madonna! She was also nominated in the categories 'Best International Pop Act' and 'Best International Album' but lost out to respectively James Blunt and Green Day's 'American Idiot'. Later on the show she presented ColdPlay with the award for Best British Album. (pictures courtesy of Reuters) 15 February - Madonna treated for hernia Pop queen Madonna was treated for a hernia last week, it was confirmed today. The news came as the 47-year-old mother of two was set to attend the biggest event in Britain's music calendar, The Brit Awards. The singer is thought to have had what her spokeswoman described as "a minor operation" in the United States last week following her show stopping performance at the Grammys. The spokeswoman said the star had fully recovered and was still attending The Brits, where she is not expected to perform but is in the running for best Pop Act, International Female Solo Artist and International Album. The New York Post reported that the London-based star went from the Grammys to Cedars Sinai Hospital in LA last week. Dudley Rogg, clinic director of the British Hernia Centre, said that having a hernia had no connection to age or physical activity. He said: "A hernia is a mechanical breakdown of the tummy muscles. The abdominal wall is nature's corset. It is tough stuff but full of natural weaknesses like the perforation in a postage stamp. When you get a hernia one of these windows opens a little too wide and the corset effect is lost. The intestines come through and force their way through the wall." He added: "Some are excruciatingly painful but most don't hurt at all. Unfortunately that's part of the problem, people don't tend to know it's happening. When you have a reoccurrence it's a much bigger operation and it increases the risk of a reoccurrence again. It's just the luck of the draw. It's nothing to do with physical fitness. One in 10 of us will get it. It's the most common of surgical procedures. The truth is it's a design fault. We're all riddled with this natural weakness in the abdominal wall, it's just a matter of luck." He said most hernia operations were under general anaesthetic and that in a few cases strangulated hernias could be life threatening. (source: Irish Examiner) 15 February - Madonna on Harpers Bazaar Madonna is featured on the cover of US magazine Harpers Bazaar for the month of March. Cover and inside pages feature an amazing portfolio created by Solve Sundsbo. Be sure to grab your own copy of it! Also, please note that Harpers Bazaar's subcribers are being mailed a different Madonna cover shot, as seen on the right. (source: Madonna.com) 15 February - Madonna talks about tour on TRL In an interview with John Norris on MTV's TRL yesterday, Madonna talked about her tour plans and said that she was hoping to include Stadium, Arena, and Small Theater shows. Two venues she mentioned were the Roseland Ballroom in New York City and the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles. She added she's currently working on chances to begin the tour in May 2006 in Los Angeles, possibly at the Wiltern which only seats 2200 people. She also hopes to incorporate an exploding Disco Ball in the show. (source: MadonnaTribe) 14 February - Gwen loves Madge's breasts Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow thinks her pal Madonna has amazing boobs. When asked by People magazine what she thought of Madonna's assets, pregnant star Gwyn said: "They are fantastic, by the way." The blonde star, who has a daughter, Apple, with Coldplay star husband Chris Martin, also revealed she has a crush on Radiohead drummer Phil Selway. Gwyneth, who was speaking on Los Angeles radio station 103.1 - said if she ever got a "free pass" to indulge a crush, "it would be with someone like Phil Selway, my musical hero". She added: "I admire him so much." (source: The Sun) 14 February - Madonna blasts catholicism Pop queen Madonna converted from Catholicism to the ancient mysticism of Kabbalah because she found the Christian religion too restrictive. The Hung Up hitmaker - a devout follower of the mystical offshoot of Judaism - grew to resent Catholicism after having too many rules and regulations imposed upon her as a child by her family. She says, "There's nothing consoling about being a Catholic. They're all just laws and prohibitions." (source: ContactMusic) 14 February - Mixed venues on tour Madonna will follow the Rolling Stones' example when she tours the world this summer (06) - by mixing up dates between theatres, sports arenas and stadiums. The pop superstar insists the ever-changing venues will stop her from getting "bored" on the road. She explains, "Originally I had the idea that I wanted to do a little bit of everything - some small, some sports arenas and then stadiums." The tour will kick off in Los Angeles in May (06). Full dates and venues are yet to be announced. (source: ContactMusic) 14 February - Madonna gets Lifetime Achievement Award at TRL Awards MTV: Music Television today announced the nominees "The 4th Annual TRL Awards" set to air on Saturday, February 25th at 12PM ET/PT. MTV's "TRL Awards" will recognize and honor the people that make TRL one of the most diverse and dynamic live shows today. This year's edition will be the most star-studded show to date with some of today's hottest celebrities accepting and presenting awards, live performances by some of your favorite TRL artists and a few more surprises along the way. Hosted by MTV VJs Damien Fahey, Vanessa Minnillo and Susie Castillo the "TRL Awards" will celebrate some of the most exciting artists and moments. The awards special will include appearances by Mariah Carey, Bono, Madonna, Kanye West, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Ashlee Simpson, Amanda Bynes, Jessica Alba, Stephen Colletti from Laguna Beach and a special performance by Chris Brown, we also go exclusive in the studio with Christina Aguilera and talk to her about her new album and more. This year's "TRL Awards" will present its most coveted awards to two of the biggest names in music. "The Lifetime Achievement Award" will be presented to Madonna who over the course of her career has impacted not only her fans, but other musicians. By always reinventing herself, Madonna has stayed popular and relevant throughout her career. The massive success of her album, and her video Hung Up on the TRL countdown, shows her popularity with the MTV viewers. Past recipients of this award have been P Diddy and Eminem. The "TRL Awards" will also acknowledge Bono, for his incredible humanitarian efforts, with the "Most Inspired Artist Award." This award was created for artists who transcend the world of music to make a profound impact on MTV's audience, as well as people around the globe. By giving Bono this award, MTV will thank him for all of his amazing work, and give viewers yet another opportunity to become more involved with issues that truly matter. Viewers can vote to determine the outcome of the "TRL Awards" on MTV.com starting February 13th through February 21st. In addition, fans can log onto MTV.com to watch select clips of the nominees, and other streaming videos leading up to the big February 25th show. Viewers can also go to MTV.com to check out flipbooks of celebrities presenting and performing, red carpet flipbooks, backstage flipbooks and in the studio highlights as well as highlights from last year's show. MTV Overdrive the network's broadband channel will also take part in this special night by providing details on video playlists of hit singles from this year's nominees. Viewers will have access to interviews, backstage and red carpet action. They can also get access to the winner's video playlists and several other video playlists from the night's winners; each playlist will include acceptance speeches. In addition fans can get up close with Christina Aguilera as she talks about her new album on MTV Overdrive. For more details, go to MTV.com. (source: PR Newswire) 13 February - Second newspaper interview Sunday's edition of Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad has printed second part of our Sorry single cover story (read part I here): "Madonna choses Sorry cover on Belgian site. The new single of Madonna, Sorry, will once again be a smash hit. Did you know that the cover artwork has a Belgian touch? Here's how it is: a Polish fan, Marcin Kokowski made some magnificent pictures during a mini gig in London in November. Those pictures were put online on the Belgian website www.mad-eyes.net by webmaster Bart. And then something incredible happened: "Bart and I got a mail from the official fanclub saying the management was interested in one of the pictures" says Marcin "I first thought it was a joke. But then I got invited by Angela Becker, Madonna's manager. She told me that Madonna found the picture great, because the facial expression was so good. The picture has been adapted though. Madonna's hair was made red instead of blond." (source: Jan Ruysbergh @ Het Nieuwsblad, translation by Mad-Eyes) ~ The story was also available today on Teletext p.817 of TV channel 'één'. ~ Check here for the original story. 13 February - Second single Sorry wins raves Madonna returns with her stunning new single Sorry on Warner Bros Records, released February 20th. The second track to be taken from her critically acclaimed, million-selling album Confessions On A Dance Floor 2019, it follows the international Number 1 smash hit Hung Up and is undoubtedly one of the stand-out tracks from the LP. Written and produced by Madonna and Stuart Price, Sorry purrs addictively with its electric glow and powerful discotheque grip. Released on three formats, it will be available on 2-track CD, Maxi CD and DVD. The 2-track and Maxi CD feature exclusive remixes of the album track Let It Will Be which was recorded at her incredible live show at London, KOKO in November. Confessions On A Dance Floor is one of the best-selling and celebrated LPs of the year. Madonna is officially the most successful international female solo artist in the world, ever. Her global album sales have reached 200 million, while she has had 58 Top Ten UK hit singles including 11 Number 1s, 9 Number 1 albums and spent 2000 combined weeks on the UK charts. In America she holds the record for 27 consecutive Top 20 entries by a female artist and 16 successive Top 5s, plus a dozen Number 1s - ten of which she wrote. "Madonna is back at what she does best. The choruses of Sorry and Get Together are triumphant" - The Guardian "(Sorry is) One of the best tracks on the album" - The Sun "The albums opening triple salvo of Hung Up, Get Together and Sorry speak for themselves" - Mixmag (source: Madonna.com) 13 February - Madonna returning to US for five months Madonna is moving her family back to the US for five months. The singer wants time to prepare for a world tour in the summer, and also hopes to escape rumours in the UK press that her marriage is in trouble. "She feels like she is living in a goldfish bowl in Britain," a source told The People. "She thinks an extended break will do them all the world of good and take the heat off for a while." The insider also insisted that Guy Ritchie will be accompanying the star to the Brit Awards on Wednesday, despite speculation that he was refusing to do so. "Their marriage is strong and normal," the source explained. "They argue like mad but it doesn't mean anything. Madonna loves him and life here. There is no way she'd quit Britain for good." (source: Digital Spy) 13 February - Count Gorillaz among those who still find Madonna shocking The Gorillaz are on a roll, and we're not talking about bread. (Although, since they're animated, that would probably be possible too ... and hilarious. Not to mention delicious. Think about it: a Gorillaz sandwich. Mmm!) No, it's more of a momentum thing, built upon their impressive Grammy-night doubleheader, which started when they took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals (for "Feel Good Inc.") during the untelevised early handouts and then rolled right into the actual Grammy broadcast, which they kicked off by performing alongside Madonna. In a night full of big-budget, big-name performances, their collaboration with Madge - a mash of "Feel Good Inc." and her Hung Up (see "Road To The Grammys: The Story Behind Gorillaz's 'Feel Good Inc.' "), powered by 3-D holograms and an army of histrionic dancers - was easily one of the broadcast's most talked-about moments, and despite the whole thing looking quite choreographed, the Gorillaz insist it all came together at the last moment. In fact, they claim not to have known about Madonna's involvement until she appeared onstage. "The whole thing was a shocker, wasn't it? I tell you, I don't scare easily but she gave me a real jump when I saw her suddenly appear like that. I was miles away!" bassist Murdoc told MTV News. "'But it was great. 'Feel Good' meets Hung Up - the 'Feel Up' mix - was a real clash of the titans." "Madonna, like Gorillaz, has always been someone who likes to push boundaries, and has been open toward experimentation and not afraid of challenges or competition," guitarist Noodle added. "I feel that's why the collaboration between us worked so well." (source: MTV) 10 February - That looks painful... not bad for 47, Madonna! All those hours spent working out do more than just make her look good. As these eyewatering poses show, Madonna has developed amazing flexibility and strength as well. The 47-year-old mother of two bends over backwards (and ties herself up in knots) to demonstrate her gymnastic skills in the video for her latest single, Sorry. She also shows off backflips and somersaults in her most physical performance for some time. "Madonna was cutting the most incredible shape across the dance floor," said an onlooker. "Some of her moves were gravity-defying, let alone age-defying. She was dancing solidly but didn't once look even remotely out of breath. "She may be three years off her 50th birthday but she has the flexibility of a pre-pubescent gymnast." In the four-minute video, Madonna is squeezed into a white leotard and matching tassled corset as she performs in a cage. With her hair in a 1970's-inspired flicked style and a pair of knee-high silver platform boots, she looks a disco diva of the highest order. The singer, whose album Confessions on a Dance Floor has been a critical and commercial hit, is certainly going through a leotard phase at the moment. On Wednesday night she opened the American Grammy awards in a skin-tight lilac all-in-one. (source: Daily Mail) 10 February - Madonna trades macrobiotics for Red Bull Pop icon Madonna desperately needs energy drink Red Bull to give her an added boost when she is preparing for a performance. The Hung Up singer normally adheres to a strict macrobiotic diet that bans meat, eggs, dairy - and usually caffeine. She says, "Sometimes I drink Red Bull. That's only when I'm desperate. That's only when I have jet lag and I have a show and I have to wake up and I need some serious artificial stimulation." The star says she also relies heavily on coffee to keep her energy levels up but tries to keep her Red Bull intake to a minimum. She adds, "I try not to do it very often, (but) desperate times call for desperate measures." (source: ContactMusic) 10 February - Malaysia cuts Madonna's Grammy act Madonna's performance was struck from Malaysia's television broadcast of the Grammy Awards because her skimpy outfit and steamy dance moves were too risque for audiences in the Muslim-majority nation, a network official has said. The Grammys were broadcast on Thursday night on Malaysia's 8TV station, 12 hours after the show took place in the United States. However, Malaysian fans were surprised when the show kicked off without the much-hyped opening act - Madonna and the cartoon-fronted rock group, Gorillaz. "From our point of view, it wasn't suitable for our audiences," said an official at the programme content unit of 8TV, one of Malaysia's main private networks. The rest of the telecast wasn't censored, but Madonna's barelegged leotard attire and sexy gyrations were "too much of a risk for us to take if we tried to show it," the official said. In her Grammy performance of her recent hit, Hung Up, Madonna, 47, writhed on-stage with her background dancers, both male and female, to a throbbing disco beat. Television shows and films screened in Malaysia must abide by a strict censorship code that forbids sex, graphic violence and provocative handling of topics such as race and religion. The awards ceremony was a triumph for Irish rock band U2, who took five awards. (source: Scotsman) 10 February - Madonna's face on icon irks Poland's Catholics Poland's Roman Catholics expressed outrage after a magazine published a picture of the much revered icon of the Black Madonna with pop icon Madonna's face transposed onto it. "We are shocked to see, yet again, the miraculous icon of the mother of God used in a profanatory way for advertising and business purposes," Paulinian monks at Jasna Gora monastery in the southern city of Czestochowa, who are custodians of the icon which Poles believe was painted by St. Luke the Evangelist. Pop magazine Machina published a photograph of the sacred icon, with pop idol Madonna's face transposed over the face of the Virgin and one of the singer's children in the place of the baby Jesus, on the cover of the issue which hit the newsstands Thursday after a three-year publishing hiatus. "The icon, along with the crucifix and the Bible, are key symbols of faith for all Christians," the monks said in a statement published on their website. "Current events have shown us where abuse of religious images and symbols can lead," the statement said, referring indirectly to the wave of protests that have hit the Muslim world since the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed in several European newspapers. Ultra-Catholic daily newspaper Nasz Dziennik slammed Machina's cover photo as "another act of profanation of sacred symbols," and Poland's tolerancja.pl website has received scores of messages of protest. Machina's publisher Piotr Metz said he was "surprised" by the outrage sparked by the magazine's cover and issued a statement saying the magazine had "not intended to offend anyone's religious feelings". But, the statement stresses, some popstars "have achieved cult status and are often referred to as icons." Hence, the cover photo of popular culture's Madonna as the Black Madonna. (source: AFP) 10 February - Madonna 'shrivelled away' after accident Pop star Madonna fears she started to "shrivel away" after her horse riding accident last year (05) - because she was left unable to exercise. The singer broke nine bones in the fall, but she showed at the Grammy Awards on Wednesday night (08FEB06) that she's back in top form. The Hung Up hitmaker explains, "I fell off a horse and broke nine bones. I broke my scapula, my collarbone, five ribs and my left knuckle. "Then I didn't do anything (exercise) for a month. It was strange. I shrivelled away." After allowing enough time to heal from her injuries, Madonna quickly got back in shape to promote her new album. She adds, "I had to start all over again and invent a whole new workout." (source: ContactMusic) 09 February - Madonna confirms summer tour During an appearance on the syndicated "Ellen DeGeneres Show" that airs today (Feb. 9) in the United States, Madonna confirmed widely speculated plans for a 2006 tour. "You have a huge announcement that I'm so excited about," said DeGeneres, to which Madonna quipped, "No, I'm not pregnant." "OK, I can't hide it anymore: I'm going on tour this summer," she continued. Beyond the time of year, specific details regarding the outing were not revealed during the show. A spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment by deadline. The appearance was taped in Los Angeles, where Madonna was on hand to open last night's (Feb. 8) Grammy Awards telecast with "virtual band" Gorillaz. DeGeneres also appeared on the show, introducing Paul McCartney's performance by saying he "needs no introduction" and walking off the stage. (source: Billboard) 09 February - Mad-Eyes in Belgian newspaper Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad has printed the story of the Sorry single cover, which uses a picture of Madonnafan Marcin Kokowski, discovered on the Mad-Eyes website by Madonna's management. The full interview will appear in sunday's edition. Here's the translation of today's preview: "On February 17th, Sorry, the successor of Hung Up, will be available in stores, featuring the Dutch sentence "Ik ben droevig". The video, in which Madonna ties on roller skates (hopefully she doesn't break any bones again), will premiere tonight at 18.30 on lifestyle program De Rode Loper (Eén). Starting tomorrow evening, the clip can be seen exclusively on TMF for an entire week. There's a cool story about the cover of this new single. The picture wasn't taken by some expensive studio photographer, but by a Polish fan Marcin Kokowski. He took the photo on a mini concert in London. Thanks to the Belgian fansite www.mad-eyes.net it came under the attention of Madonna's management. "I know Marcin very well and could place the pictures on my website." says webmaster Bart. "A while later the Madonna camp contacted me to ask permission to use the picture for the single artwork!" Warner Bros gives away 10 maxi singles. Send a postcard before wednesday to YO! - Sorry, postbox 3100, 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden en tell us in a few lines what you're sorry about. We pick the winners from the most original stories." (source: Jan Ruysbergh @ Het Nieuwsblad, translation by Mad-Eyes) Check sunday's edition for the full interview. 09 February - Madonna in Billboard charts Hung Up stays at #1 in the Hot Dance Singles Sales. COADF is down from #1 to #2 in the Top Electronic Albums, and drops from #40 to #60 in the Billboard 200. Sorry climbs from #2 to the top spot in the Hot Dance Airplay. The huge drop in the album chart is alarming. While Madonna is on top of most European charts, she deserves to do much better in the US. It's up to the American fans to promote the new single Sorry by requesting the song and the video. This way the album will get more exposure as well! So contact your local radio station and request! request! request!! Mad-Eyes visitor Günther has provided us with the following list: http://www.kiss957.com/pages/music.html?feed=116014&article=334710 http://www.hot30.com/vote.php http://www.wbdr.com/hot5at9-04.asp http://www.hitzradio.com/ http://allthehitsq100.com/equest/songrequest/ http://www.chumfm.com/Music/SongRequest.asp http://www.xmradio.com/programming/20on20_vote.jsp http://www.z100.com/pages/shelleywade/highnoon.html http://www.z100portland.com/pages/contact/index.php http://www.104krbe.com/djbooth/equest/equest.asp http://www.radioalice.com/contact/request.asp For more links, click here. Please vote every day and don't forget: every vote counts! 09 February - Gorillaz, Madonna perform Grammy opener Madonna channeled Studio 54 and the Gorillaz a high-tech animation studio in a clever opening medley at the Grammy Awards. Gorillaz, a studio concoction represented by cartoon videos, replicated the animation while "performing" their Grammy-nominated hit "Feel Good Inc." with the real-life De La Soul. Unlike the song itself, the effects were quite stunning, with the "singer" checking his cell phone during an instrumental break and stumbling as he attempted to sit on a stool. The hulking "drummer" spun a drumstick on one finger like a propeller and even appeared to drift off to sleep before being jolted awake by Madonna's emergence on the stage. With her flip hairdo, Madonna's Hung Up hearkened to the classic days of disco. She writhed onstage with her background dancers, male and female, as a gigantic mirror ball loomed in the background. It was a fun, frivolous choice. And a special shout-out to Madonna's personal trainer, who had the bare-legged Madge, age 47, sculpted and toned to perfection. (source: AP) ~ Pictures courtesy of AP, Reuters & MTV - click to enlarge 09 February - Ellen interview taped yesterday Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres interviews singer Madonna during a taping of 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' at the NBC studios in Burbank, California in this undated publicity photograph released February 8, 2006. (source: Reuters) 08 February - Madonna at the Grammies Madonna has just kicked off the 48th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. The act started with the cartoon band The Gorillaz playing their hit Feel Good Inc. After an interlude by some rappers, Madonna appeared on stage with the crowd going wild. She sang two lines of Hung Up on the melody of the Gorillaz song which gave a nice effect. Though many were hoping she'd continue this mixture, Hung Up started over again and this time in the already known act, very similar to the one at the Europe Music Awards in November 2005. Only this time she had a different purple corset and had her hair longer and straightened out. The act, though great and energetic, might've been new for the Americans but fans were probably expecting something new. Maybe she should've performed Sorry after all... 08 February - Video promo pix These are the promo pictures used to promote the video for Sorry. (thx to Matt @ Madonnalicious) 08 February - Madonna wears Period Corset at Grammies Period Corsets is proud to announce that Madonna is performing at the 2006 Grammy Awards in a custom turn-of-the-century Lilly corset made by Period Corsets by Kaufman-Davis Studio. The show will air on CBS Wednesday, February 8th at 8 p.m. EST. Period Corsets' craftsmanship is usually hidden, but this year Madonna is wearing Period Corsets fashions as outerwear. From the opera singer at the Metropolitan Opera to Madonna in her newest video, Period Corsets creates elegant garments for theatre, fashion and historic costumers. Period Corsets is a Seattle-based company with a worldwide clientele. Owners Rebecca Kaufman and Susan Davis have worked across the country in highly-regarded professional costume shops since the 1980s. In 1997, they merged their knowledge of historical costume and costume technology to develop the distinctive period silhouettes that have come to define Period Corsets' acclaimed aesthetic. Period Corsets provides the underlying foundation for costumes at university and regional theaters, in opera, film and television productions, and for individuals. Period Corsets' underpinnings have been worn by the character Alma Garret in the HBO series Deadwood, by actress Evan Rachel Wood in The Missing, and by cast members in the film Cold Mountain. On the stage, Period Corsets' garments have featured prominently in the musical hit White Christmas, and in the opera Death in Venice at Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown, New York, among others. (source: Period Corsets; thx to DrownedMadonna) 08 February - Sorry video premieres The video for Sorry has premiered on certain European music channels; I just watched it on MCM Belgium at 7pm. Let me tell you, Madonna looks AMAZING in a splendid video!! Like reported before, this is a total follow-up of Hung Up. We first see Madonna in close-up in front of the purple dotted background doing the spoken words (see yesterday's first picture on the left). She and two of the girls come out of the club they were dancing in at the end of the Hung Up video, wearing the same outfits. The guys (Cloud and two other dancers) are after them. The fat lady from the metro scene comes around the corner in a white van and waves the girls over. When they open the slide door, you can see the interior is completely 'pimped'. They quickly get in and leave the guys behind. Then they change into great disco outfits and they start pulling guys from the street into the van, making them dance for them. There are cute guys, but also a fat guy, a geek, a muscled guy, etc... basically the girls make fun of them and then kick them out again. They arrive at another club where they hold another dance competition, not on a DDR machine as in Hung Up but now inide a cage. First the dancers compete against each other, then Madonna gives her best with some yoga moves. They move onto another club where they turn the dance floor into a rollerskate arena, giving away a cool group choreography. In the end they leave the club and all get back in the van. The whole video is heavily dane inspired. It's like they continued where they left off in Hung Up and then take it a notch higher and heavier! Top job Madonna and Jamie! ~ Check MadonnaTribe, DrownedMadonna and Madonnalicious for more screencabs from the video. 08 February - Madonna's proud of her successful marriage Despite rumors that her marriage is on the rocks, Madonna's proud of herself for having a successful relationship with Guy Ritchie, she told Harper's Bazaar for the mag's March cover story. "I must admit, I have to pat myself on the back," she said. "It's not easy to be married, to have a successful career, to have children, to be with someone who is as strong-willed and as ambitious as I am ... our marriage - the union of us, the things we create together - is bigger than the petty fights we have." One of those petty fights is about where to spend their vacations - so now she's suggesting that they swap with a week each in their desired destinations. The art of compromise, she says, has made her a better person. "You become less impulsive, less reckless, less careless, less selfish," she said. "In those respects, I've changed a lot." ... Madonna leads the nominees this year for MTV Australia's second Video Music Awards. The Material Mom's got five nods, including Best Female Artist and Album of the Year for Confessions on a Dance Floor. The video for Hung Up is a Video of the Year contender. Kanye West will square off against Madonna and James Blunt for the Song of the Year award, and he'll also be vying for the Best Hip-Hop Video prize against 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and the Black Eyed Peas. (source: MTV) 08 February - Ask Madonna on Ellen The website of the Ellen Degeneres show gives fans the possibility to ask a question to Madonna. The best questions will be asked by Ellen on her Grammy Special tomorrow. Pose your question here. 08 February - Pimp My Ride preview Madonna will appear on a special edition of MTV's show Pimp My Ride. Download the preview trailer at fansite Madonna-TV. It shows some great footage of Madonna on the set of the Sorry video. The show will be broadcast on February 19th at 9.30pm on MTV UK. ~ Also check out Madonna-TV for the ET preview of Harper's Bazaar, the German MTV trailer for the Sorry video premiere, and some great footage of the G.A.Y. gig in November (can you spot the Mad-Eyes webmaster in the queue? ;-) 08 February - Video premiere dates 08/02 - UK: Channel 4 will premiere the video at 11:05pm. 08/02 - US: Preview on "MTV News: All Up in the Grammys". 08/02 - France: NRJ12 will premiere the video at 7pm. 09/02 - Australia: Sneak peak of 30 seconds will air on TEN News. 09/02 - Online: AOL will premiere the full video online. 10/02 - Germany: MTV Germany, VIVA, VIVA Plus will air at 3:30pm. 11/02 - Australia: Video Hits will premiere the video on Sat & Sun. 11/02 - Asia: Various TV stations should start airing the video. Other countries that aren't listed should have the premiere on either Friday or Saturday, as February 10 and 11 is the official airdate for most countries. It is still unknown if the US will play the video in normal rotation tomorrow or the day after - it's not listed for a premiere on TRL for either Wednesday or Thursday, there's no TRL on Friday. (source: Madonna.nu) ~ MTV Asia has announced the premiere for the 9th at 3am Singapore time. 07 February - Sorry video spoiler Fansite DrownedMadonna has posted the following spoiler on the Sorry video, which will premiere tomorrow. The Sorry video - which features the Album Version - is a total extension of the Hung Up video. Later the same night, Madonna leaves the club, gets in van, changes clothes, picks up guys and dances around, goes to roller rink, and so on. Same dancers, boombox, etc. When Madonna leaves the club, she is in the Hung Up outfit, but they all change in the van and she puts on a white outfit. The purple outfit we already saw is for her solo dancing. So there are 3 outfits: Hung Up, the white and the purple. Her hair is less wavy, more flat, like the Harpers Bazaar cover. Madonna does some of the same Hung Up dance moves, but on roller skates. Her dance scene is very yoga-like, and it's in an enclosed cage, like thunderdome. Her best dancing in a long time. The video ends with they getting back in the van, either to go home or on to their next destination. There is one male dancer who is prominent, but he is not a lead. We think that they would look good together as one long video. The Sorry video flows that seemlessly. Finally, we can say that... we like it better than the Hung Up video. ~ Check DrownedMadonna for more pictures from the video. 07 February - Madonna to Tour "Confessions" Unconfirmed jaunt will focus on new material Madonna is planning a world tour starting this spring, sources say, and it may include several European stadiums. Madonna rep Liz Rosenberg says the singer won't make a definite decision until early March but adds, "It looks good." According to Rosenberg, the tour would emphasize her latest album, Confessions on a Dance Floor, with a few hits thrown in -- and include dancers from David LaChapelle's crumping documentary, Rize. "Her last tour was kind of a greatest-hits tour, and I don't think she would want to repeat all the songs," Rosenberg says of 2004's Re-Invention trek, which grossed $79.5 million and was the year's third-best-selling tour, according to Pollstar. "But there are a few off the list that she left out." (source: Rolling Stone) 07 February - 'Belong Together' drives Mariah, Madge apart There better be plenty of distance between the dressing rooms of Madonna and Mariah Carey at tomorrow's Grammys. We told you three weeks ago that Madonna would perform at the awards. We didn't know then how much she'd rankle Miss Carey. Mariah, who is nominated for eight Grammys, "really wanted to open the show with her choir-backed rendition of 'We Belong Together,'" an insider tells us. Unfortunately, Madonna also wanted to kick off the broadcast - or else she wasn't coming, she's said to have told Grammy producers. Even though Madonna's smash Confessions on a Dance floor wasn't nominated for any Grammys, the producers gave in. They're said to be betting that her dance extravaganza, featuring the British group Gorillaz, will hook viewers early and hard. "The producers noted that Madge is a five-time winner," reported a source. But Carey, the comeback queen who has picked up only two Grammys to date, is reportedly vexed. "The war between Madonna and Mariah has been going on for years," says a source. "Mariah was also steaming last summer when Madonna stole the show at Live 8." (source: NY Daily News) 07 February - Madonna on Ellen Ellen takes her viewers inside the Grammy Awards with an all access backstage pass. For the first time, and Ellen has an exclusive interview with music icon Madonna. Plus, a performance by Grammy Awards winner Nelly featuring Paul Wall and Ali & Gipp. They perform the #1 hit, "Grillz". Make sure to check out Madonna on Ellen on Thursday February 9th. (source: Madonna.com) 07 February - TRL retires Hung Up at Number 1! Thanks to your votes, Madonna's video for Hung Up retired from MTV's TRL countdown at #1 today! This amazing video spent several weeks at #1 since its release and was still voted as TRL watchers' favourite today. Keep in mind that Madonna's new video, Sorry, will most certainly enter the countdown very soon, so make sure to give it the success it deserves. (source: Madonna.com) 07 February - Limited Edition Vinyl of Confessions On A Dance Floor A limited edition double pink vinyl of Madonna's Confessions On A Dance Floor album will be released in the UK on March 6. This edition will feature all of the unmixed versions of the album's songs. This will also be the first coloured vinyl record officially released by Warner Bros since the Don't Tell Me blue one, back in 2000. (source: Madonna.com; picture taken from MadonnaTribe) 06 February - On the cover of Harper's Bazaar The Queen of Pop has traded disco chic for middle-aged stylish, donning a simple and elegant red dress for the March cover of Harper's Bazaar. A transformed Madonna 'fesses up to her expensive tastes in the spring edition of the fashion bible, even admitting that pop stars can be a difficult to handle. "What's the difference between a pop star and a terrorist?" the 47- year-old quips. "You can negotiate with a terrorist." Madge, who posed in front of a background that matched her vivid red dress, also tells the magazine that when it comes to vacations, she and director husband Guy Ritchie often argue over how to spend their wads of cash. "He loves the sea and fishing and being on a boat, outdoors, nature stuff," she says. "I'd rather go to India and check out all the temples or go to Bhutan. "We've had this discussion, and he's got to start doing more of the holidays like I do." Madonna, who releases the second single, Sorry, from her Confessions on a Dance Floor album today, also says she is a big fan of expensive wine and champagne. "I love Bordeaux," she says. "I'm obsessed with drinking red wine." (source: NY Post; thx to Dave Gardner @ MIR for the scan; check MadonnaTribe for more previews) 05 February - Hung Up on DVD We recently reported that the new single Sorry would get a DVD release. A reliable source has now informed us that the DVD that is about to be released in France only, will be for Hung Up, not Sorry. Further details aren't available yet. 05 February - English Roses sequel gets fall 2006 release Madonna's book publisher Callaway has announced the release of the sequel of The English Roses for the fall of 2006. The latest additions to Madonna's story collection include: Two-Disc Collection of Madonna reading her stories. Includes exclusive video footage, image gallery, and downloadable wallpaper. Box set of all five stories for children (even grown-up ones). Limited Collector's Edition available exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman. The highly anticipated sequel to the international bestseller The English Roses arrives in stores fall 2006. All titles available at penguinputnam.com or at your local bookseller. 05 February - Five nominations and Australian MTV Awards! Madonna has received 5 nominations at the 2006 Australian MTV Video Music Awards, which will be held at the Sydney Superdome on April 12th. She's up for the following awards: Best Female Artist Best Dance Video (Hung Up) Song of the Year (Hung Up) Album of the Year (Confessions On A Dance Floor) Video of the Year (Hung Up) Visit the AVMA website now and vote for Madonna! 05 February - Jump to promote Olympic Winter Games According to an Adweek news report, Nike is giving the final touches to a huge print and broadcast campaign to run during the XX Olympic Winter Games 2006 taking place in Turin, Italy. The song the company has chosen to drive the campaign is no other than Madonna's Jump from the Confessions On A Dance Floor album. Sources at Nike are quoted as "very excited about the deal with Madonna and will be cross-promoting her world tour later this year." (source: MadonnaTribe) 05 February - Sorry video and photo shoot preview Several magazines and websites have premiered a picture, taken on the set of the Sorry video, which will premiere next week. Meanwhile, Entertainment Tonight has given a sneak preview of a new photo shoot that Madonna has done. Click on the images to enlarge. 05 February - Sorry in airplay charts The huge success of the first single from Madonna Confessions On A Dance Floor makes what is currently happening in the Italian airplay chart not completely unexpected, as Madonna is giving way to herself with Hung Up going down and Sorry going up quicker than a ray of light.. Hung Up goes down from #2 to #19, and Sorry enters straight at #15 being the highest new entry and highest climber of the week (by audience and by plays). In Europe, Hung Up remains still at #3 and Sorry follows at close range at #5. The song [debuted at] #5 in the UK airplay chart. HUNG UP Italy: # 19 (down from #2) Europe: #3 SORRY Italy: #15 Europe: #5 UK: #1 (source: MadonnaTribe) Meanwhile, Sorry has risen to the UK airplay #1!! In the Billboard Club Play chart it has risen from #40 to #20. (source: DrownedMadonna) To help the airplay on US radio stations, click here for info on how to request! 05 February - True Blue in movie '20 Centímetros' Madonna's 1986 song True Blue gets a tribute in the new Spanish movie 20 Centímetros, by director Ramón Salazar. The movie tells the story of Marieta, a transexual who dreams of having the last thing removed that separates her from becoming a real woman; the 20 centimeters between her legs. One of the musical scenes of the movie features Marieta singing True Blue, while dreaming of marrying her dream guy. 05 February - Madonna denies nasty tabloid rumours Pop superstar Madonna has furiously denied reports her close relationship with producer Stuart Price is threatening her marriage to Guy Ritchie. British newspaper The Daily Mirror, today claimed the Hung Up singer spends all her available time with the 28-year-old musician - despite work on their project album Confessions On A Dance floor having long finished. A source tells the tabloid, "It's no secret that Madonna and Stuart have developed a special working relationship. They enjoy each other's company and respect each other. She confides in him and regards him as one of the most important people in her life." But the 47-year-old singer's publicist Liz Rosenberg insists Madonna has only sisterly feelings towards her young colleague. She says, "There's no strain in Madonna's marriage. Her relationship with Guy is good. They are happy. "She treats him (Price) like a little brother. They have fun and talk a lot." (source: WENN) 05 February - Hung Up on Brit Awards compilation Hung Up is the opening track of the new compilation Brit Awards 2006. The dual disc album will be released on February 7 (US) / 13 (UK). Pre-order it here. 02 February - Madonna joins Gorillaz for Grammys gig Madonna and Gorillaz – who both caused separate sensations at last November's MTV Europe Awards – will appear for an onstage duet at the Feb. 8 Grammys, the singer's rep tells PEOPLE. "They are Grammy-nominated," Liz Rosenberg says of the virtual group comprised of four fictional animated band members: 2D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel. "Madonna really likes them, and they like Madonna. They are going to do something together." Rosenberg would not reveal the number to be performed, but said: "It's going to be stupendous. Another Madonna showstopper." Gorillaz, conceived by Blur's Damon Albarn and drawn by Jamie Hewlett (the creator of the cult comic Tank Girl), scored four Grammy nods, including record of their year for their song "Feel Good Inc." They're up against Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together," Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" and Kanye West's "Gold Digger." As for what prompted Madonna to share the stage with, well, cartoon characters, Rosenberg says: "She likes them. She's promoting her album (Confessions on a Dance Floor). She's won a lot of Grammys. It seems like a wonderful opportunity for her." (source: People) 01 February - Madonna announced as Grammy opening act Madonna and Gorillaz make their world debut performing together on one stage during the 48th Annual GRAMMY® Awards telecast, The Recording Academy® announced today. In keeping with the tradition of creating exciting "GRAMMY moments," the GRAMMY-nominated Gorillaz will be joined onstage for the first time by worldwide megastar and five-time GRAMMY winner Madonna in an exclusive GRAMMY segment. Gorillaz will appear in 3-D animated color for the first time on network television. They currently are nominated for Record Of The Year, Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, and Best Short Form Music Video ("Feel Good Inc." featuring De La Soul) and Best Urban/Alternative Performance ("Dirty Harry" featuring Bootie Brown). Newly announced presenters include current GRAMMY nominees pop vocalist Michael Buble (who also will be featured in a performance during the GRAMMY Pre-Telecast ceremony) and rapper/actor Common; as well as last year's GRAMMY host Queen Latifah, Academy Award®-nominated actor Matt Dillon and rapper/actor Ludacris. [...] The music industry's premier event will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, and will be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). The show also will be supported on radio via Westwood One worldwide, and covered online at www.grammy.yahoo.com. (source: Yahoo! Finance) Fansite MadonnaTribe adds: "Gorillaz with De La Soul will actually open the show with the song "Feel good inc" and right after them the Queen of Pop will do Hung Up. So it's not Madonna with The Gorillaz, it's the other way around but everything will look and sound amazing as both songs are mixed together. Madonna has been rehearsing this performance for the whole past two weeks with the "Gorillaz people" in London." 01 February - Sorry maxi-single details Madonna has spent the recent days filming her video for Sorry, which will premiere next month. Be prepared for an amazing state of the art video! In the meantime, don't forget to vote for Hung Up on MTV's TRL. Just click here and make it #1 again! Sorry will be released as a maxi-single on February 20 in the UK and on February 28 in the U.S. It will feature remixes by Man with Guitar, The Pet Shop Boys, Green Velvet and Paul Oakenfold! Here is the full tracks-listing: 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 A commercial 12'' vinyl single will also be released on February 28, while the remixes will be sent to clubs on February 14. It seems that Madonna fans won't feel sorry in February, right?! (source: Madonna.com) ~ As posted earlier, the European maxi also contains a remix of Let It Will Be. 01 February - Sorry video premiere date The Sorry video is now scheduled to be shown on Channel 4 in the UK on 8th February. On the 9th February it will be exclusively available to view on the internet. Then on 10th February it will be shown on all TV stations. Other countries will also have premieres on 8th February on selected TV stations. (source: Madonna.nu) 01 February - Pimp Madonna's Ride The Queen of Pop, Madonna, gets the ultimate in star treatment as MTV pimps her ride! Led by inimitable DJ Tim Westwood, the MTV crew return for a one off special to honour the show's number one celebrity fan with the ride of her life, exclusively on MTV, Sunday February 19th at 9.30pm. Once she's received the Pimp My Ride UK treatment, Madonna's brand new ride will be paraded in the video for her latest single Sorry, which comes fresh from her sensational album Confessions On A Dance Floor. She's been dubbed a human chameleon thanks to her numerous image revamps over the years, but which of her enigmatic styles will be the inspiration for her latest getaway accessory? Having applied the finishing touches to Madonna's ride, Westwood and the whole crew will be back on MTV for a new series in April. Viewers have already contacted MTV in their tens of thousands hoping to be have their cars pimped. Madonna is about to become the envy of the showbiz world thanks to Pimp Madonna's Ride. You've heard the rumours, now watch it happen for real in a totally unforgettable Pimp My Ride UK special 'Pimp Madonna's Ride' - a one off exclusive on Sunday 19th February at 9.30pm. Tune into 'Pimp Madonna's Ride', Sunday 19th February at 9.30pm! (source: MTV) 01 February - Skype to offer Madonna tunes Users of the popular internet telephone service Skype will be able to hear ringtones taken from the Warner Music Group stable of artists including Madonna, the record label said yesterday. In the first such tie-up with an internet telecoms player, Warner said the 74m registered users of Skype would get the option to have their incoming calls announced by a host of tunes. "In the coming months, consumers will be able to download master ringtones from WMG artists including Madonna, Green Day, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, D4L, T.I., and many more to Skype's leading internet calling service," the company said. Luxembourg-based Skype charges €1 (68p) for users to download a ringtone. Or they can use its traditional ringing alert for free. Skype enables users to make telephone calls via the internet using a headset plugged into their computer. Calls between Skype users are free while others carry a low rate. Skype was bought by online auction site Ebay for $4.1billion. (source: The Telegraph)

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