Madonna news - Sep. 2021


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Madonna on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon next week

Source: Twitter - 30 September 2021

Madonna will be promoting her Madame X documentary during on interview with Jimmy Fallon at The Tonight Show next week.

For the Kid Theater segment, Fallon asked viewers with kids between 5 and 10 years old to let them write a story about Madame X.



Update on MTV broadcast of Madame X in Europe

Source: Madonna Underground, Megazap.fr - 28 September 2021

Our colleagues at Madonna Underground have shared more details on the MTV broadcast in territories that don't have Paramount+.

In the UK and Ireland, Madame X will be shown on Friday, October 8, on following channels:

MTV Music: 9pm (120 min)
MTV HD: 10pm (120 min)
MTV Ireland: 10pm (120 min)
MTV: 10pm (120 min)

MTV NL (broadcasting in the Netherlands and Belgium) has communicated the broadcast of Madame X as a 30-minute special, airing from 21:30-22:00 on Dutch MTV.

The broadcast is currently being discussed as meant to be shown in full on Dutch MTV as well. The 30-minute idea is a decision made solely by MTV NL.

In France, the show will be broadcast on MTV HITS on October 8 at 21h.

And Madame X will be on MTV Germany on October 17 at 22.35h.



Madonna and Madame X directors on the doc's message

Source: Hollywood Reporter - 28 September 2021

"Artists are here to disturb the peace" is the one thing Madonna wants viewers to take from her upcoming Paramount+ concert film, Madame X, which premiered at the Times Square Edition Hotel in New York City on Thursday.

And if there's one thing every person on the red carpet could agree on, it was that Madonna is an inspiration, which is fitting when her pop star status remains today as in '80s and '90s. Madame X captures the icon's unique tour, which limited each show to a couple thousand people and sold out theaters worldwide.

"There was nothing between me and the crowd, and that was an incredible experience," said Madonna, donning a "Trust No Bitch" necklace and "Fuck You" tiara at the premiere, of her Madame X tour. "I needed to document that — the process, the rehearsals, the show itself, what was in my mind, what inspires certain songs. It's a different show, it's a different time in my life." 

Madonna with Sasha Kasiuha, Ricardo Gomes and Nuno Xico at the NYC premiere of the Madame X documentary

The concert film gives viewers a look at the Madame X tour through the eyes of Madonna and her fearless persona, Madame X, a secret agent who travels around the world, fighting for freedom. Nuno Xico, one of the documentary's directors, says that the album is political — featuring songs about gun control, as well as rights for minorities, women and the LGBTQIA+ community — which, in turn, makes the film political as well.

"If you distill the songs, those themes are already there, so to bring those themes [to the film] was easy," Xico told The Hollywood Reporter. "Madonna is political."

Xico and fellow directors Sasha Kasiuha and Ricardo Gomes worked long hours, sometimes six days a week, as Kasiuha noted that collaborating with Madonna was "intense" and "exciting."

"It's great. You get to work with someone who has a unique point of view and a unique experience," Xico added. "It's really inspiring, honestly. We're definitely lucky to be able to work with someone like Madonna." 

Apart from her concert film, the iconic pop star also has a biopic in the works, which she'll direct and co-write alongside screenwriter Erin Wilson, who remembers watching and re-watching Madonna's Truth or Dare.

"It made many of us feel like, 'Oh, we can go that far. Let's do it in our own way, in our venue,'" she told THR. "I don't know a woman in my life that doesn't say to me, '[Madonna] saved my life. She really, really gave me power to be who I am.'"

Madonna and boyfriend Ahlamalik at the NYC premiere of the Madame X documentary

The upcoming biopic will follow Madonna's rise to prominence as the culture-defining artist she is today. Though it'll detail a different era of her life, there's one thing she'll take with her from Madame X to the biopic: her work ethic, with a commitment to "pay attention to detail, to leave no stone unturned, to keep pushing until you get to what you feel is the best possible," Madonna told THR. "Madame X … is me telling a story about my life." 

Drew Barrymore, designer Christian Siriano and Queer Eye's Antoni Porowski were also in attendance at the premiere event. The concert film starts streaming exclusively on Paramount+ on Oct. 8.



Madonna reunited with Vogue dancer Jose Xtravaganza in NYC

Source: Instinct Magazine - 28 September 2021

For a brief moment, on a New York City dance floor, it was 1990 all over again. Madonna reunited with ballroom legend and Vogue choreographer Jose Xtravaganza at a New York City premiere of Madonna's latest concert film, Madame X.

The Paradise Club at the Edition Times Square saw Madonna and Xtravaganza hit the dance floor to the strains of CeCe Peniston's 'Finally', and Xtravaganza taking to the stage for some classic ballroom voguing. 

The reunion of Madonna & one of the men that helped give her a master class on the dance known as "voguing" (& the ballroom community that came with it) was a long time in the making. While it had been decades since any sort of collaboration between the two, the Strike A Pose documentary of 2015 shined a spotlight on all of the dancers from Madonna's 1990 Blond Ambition tour, and their memories of that time. (Madonna refused to participate in the documentary, but her company did allow footage of the tour to be used).

During press for the documentary in 2016, Xtravaganza told Vibe about what it was like not having a relationship with the Material Girl at that time. He said 

"Sometimes it feels weird, because you like to think that these moments you share with a person aren't just business. There are feelings involved. I know she thinks the same. Whatever the reason is, she has moved on. Life happens and she is a celebrity as well. I don't expect her to come knocking on my door, but I definitely miss her on a personal level. It doesn't have to be gig. It was more than that."

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Post-Vogue, Xtravaganza found a great deal of success where it started; in the ballroom. He recorded The Queen's English in 1993 (as part of the duo Jose & Luis with Luis Camacho Xtravaganza) with the legendary Junior Vasquez, and helped create the 2012 short film VOGUE(ing.

He continued advocating for the ballroom community and the House of Xtravaganza, being named House Father in 2002. In a nod to his own history, Xtravaganza appeared on Pose throughout the landmark series run, in a supporting role. 

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MTV Netherlands will only broadcast half hour of Madame X

26 September 2021

Will European fans get to see Madame X in October or not? The question has been raised many times over the past few weeks.

All official communicaion regarding the officia release only mentions Paramount+, a new streaming service which is only available in the US, Latin America and Australia. European markets won't get Paramount+ before 2022.

But there was some relief when it turned out that MTV - part of the same group as Paramount+ would - somehow - also show the new documentary. Exact details on this have still not been announced, and MTV is not a streaming service.

The only know detail is that MTV Netherlands will broadcast Madame X on October 9. Now it turns out they will only broadcast half an hour of the show, which is a slap in the face of the fans.

So what will Madonna's management do for us, European fans? Will we get a full broadcast somehow in October? Will we get a DVD? Or do they expect us to just download the show illegally somehow?



Madonna: Florence Pugh is 'on the list' to play me

Source: Today via Yahoo! - 26 September 2021

Madonna has millions of fans who agree that she's endlessly fascinating — and in a new interview, she opened up about the upcoming film she's going to direct about her life.

"It's a visual autobiography," the "Material Girl" singer told the Associated Press at the New York premiere for her new concert documentary film, "Madame X" (the title of her latest album). "It's a pretty crazy experience so far, I'm just in the writing process, and just deciding which stories to tell, how much detail to go into, which characters to develop. It's really been a long and arduous process, but it's been really therapeutic as well."

Madonna, 63, also has thoughts about who she'd like to have play her in the movie: "Midsommar" and "Black Widow" star Florence Pugh, 25.

We can totally see the resemblance!

Madonna vs. Florence Pugh

But nothing is locked down, Madonna said. "I don't know. We haven't decided yet. But she's definitely up there on the list, if she'll have me."

While on the carpet, Entertainment Tonight also took a moment to ask her about her eldest child Lourdes, 24, who's been working as a model. "Anything is possible for her," said Madonna. "She's way more talented than I was, (or) am. I'm really proud of her."

She's also been vocal about a young woman whom she's expressed maternal concerns for: Britney Spears. She told ET that she was "just checking in on her, and congratulating her on her marriage. Or her pending marriage" (Spears recently announced her engagement to Sam Asghari).

"I love her," added Madonna.



Inside the premiere for Madonna's new concert documentary Madame X

Source: Vogue - 26 September 2021

It was once said that a queen is never late—everyone else is simply early. Never was that more true than Thursday night at The Edition Hotel's Paradise Club in Times Square, where Madonna presented an intimate screening of her new concert documentary film, Madame X.

A slew of New York's finest—including Drew Barrymore, Jeremy O. Harris, and Antoni Porowski—turned out to toast the Queen of Pop until it seemed like everyone in town was there except the host herself.

Madonna at the NYC premiere of the Madame X documentary

Arriving fashionably late in a black lace bustier, a gold-plated necklace that declared "Trust No Bitch," and a diamond tiara that read "Fuck You," Madonna certainly made an impression once she finally made her grand entrance. The 63-year old superstar has been fine-tuning the edit for her new documentary since the inception of the Madame X Tour, which launched during the fall of 2019 before ending abruptly in March 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic.

Filmed over the course of her sold-out, 16-night run at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the intimate tour marked Madonna's first time performing at smaller theatre venues since her debut concert tour in 1985. Since then, she's almost exclusively played arenas and sold-out stadiums, with the Madame X shows allowing the pop icon the rare opportunity to reconnect with her fanbase on a more personal level.

"Every night on the Madame X Tour, I did a show with just a couple thousand people, which is really quite small for me," Madonna told Vogue. "I could interact with the audience, and no one had phones, so people couldn't take pictures—there was nothing between me and those crowds."

Madonna at the NYC premiere of the Madame X documentary

The vibe at the premiere event was similarly intimate, with a room consisting of Madonna's friends and family, including sons Rocco Ritchie and David Banda. She even paused her opening remarks to go embrace a group of background dancers she spotted in the audience ("Oh hey, those are my friends!").

Ketel One's Vodka Martini Bar–featuring Madame X-inspired cocktails–kept the party going long after the screening ended. And with Madame X set to stream on Paramount+ starting October 8, fans everywhere will get the chance to relive one of the most thrilling artistic chapters in Madonna's career yet.

"This tour was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, so I needed to document that: the process, the rehearsals, the show itself, what was going on in my mind," she elaborated. "It's different from any other concert documentary I've done before because it's a different show and represents a different time in my life. But don't take my word for it; you'll see for yourself soon enough."



'I love people heckling me': Madonna unveils new documentary in New York

Source: The Guardian - 26 September 2021

Heavy is the head that wears the crown – and apparently fragile was the crown upon the queen of pop's head last night at the special New York City premiere of Madonna's Madame X concert film at the Paradise Club atop the Times Square Edition hotel.

Her Madgesty emerged from the pouring rain donning a slightly bent sparkling tiara above her blonde braids that boldly bore a profane phrase all-too-commonly heard on the streets of the Big Apple: "Fuck You." The diminutive 63-year-old pop star also wore what's become her signature over her four-decade career – fishnets and a bustier – in addition to white wraparound sunglasses and a gleaming plate necklace that read "Trust No Bitch."

Madonna at the NYC premiere of the Madame X documentary

Filmed in Lisbon, Portugal – where Madonna has lived since 2017 in support of her son David's football career – the film, released 30 years on from her defining documentary Truth or Dare, features footage from the singer's 2019–20 tour that was curtailed by the outbreak of the pandemic. The tour took its name from the singer's 14th studio album, which debuted at No 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2019; Madame X was the globetrotting secret-agent persona she adopted for the tour who fights for freedom and against injustices.

What distinguished this tour and concert film from others was its smaller scale, consisting entirely of theater venues instead of stadiums or arenas. And that intimacy may not necessarily translate to the film, Madonna told the Guardian.

"There's a lot of moments where I talk to the audience, but we had to cut a lot of that down for time," said the surprisingly soft-spoken singer on the red carpet. "I love people heckling me or calling out, I love talking to them about what was going on in the world, whether it's Donald Trump or a natural disaster. I loved having that back-and-forth. We capture it to a certain point but not completely." Adding to the cozy feeling of the show was the fact that four of her six children participated, in both taped segments and live performances.

Inspired by Lisbon's many cultural influences, the album traversed languages and music styles, from fado to Moroccan gnawa music and the Cape Verde tradition batuque, and the show features the all-female Lisbon orchestra Orquestra Batukadeiras, among other performers from around the world. "In Lisbon I had the chance to meet and share the great artistry of all these musicians in my show, and that was a wonderful experience for me," she said.

Madonna at the NYC premiere of the Madame X documentary

Portuguese photographer Ricardo Gomes met Madonna while she was recording the album in Lisbon and was tapped to record behind-the-scenes footage for Instagram and eventually direct the Madame X film.

"Covid shut us out at the end – we were going to film more shows," he said. "The challenge was we had to find inspiration and go beyond the show to connect things and make the message even more relevant." Even before the pandemic, the tour had been plagued with injuries, a fact that might not be apparent for viewers of the film, Gomes said. "She was very injured the whole tour, but we can't actually see that – she looks amazing and incredible." Another thing viewers may be surprised to learn: Madonna was a straight-A student, as Erin Cressida Wilson – the Secretary screenwriter who has been hard at work on the Madonna's biopic, which the star is set to direct – pointed out.

A crowd of about 75 deposited their phones in locked pouches (a practice that was also enforced during the Madame X tour) before entering the dimly lit former cabaret space Paradise Club, which was transformed into a cozy theater for the night.

Guests including Drew Barrymore, Queer Eye star Antoni Porowski and Madonna's son Rocco Ritchie downed Madame X dirty martinis and espresso martinis before the woman of the night introduced the film in inimitable Madonna fashion: "Artists are here to disturb the peace," she said, quoting James Baldwin. Then: "Shut the fuck up and enjoy yourselves."



Madonna debuts highly-anticipated documentary 'Madame X' in star-studded NYC premiere

Source: New York Daily News via Yahoo! - 26 September 2021

She's still causing a commotion.

Madonna showed up at the Thursday premiere of her much-anticipated documentary "Madame X" at the Paradise Club atop the Times Square Edition hotel in classic Queen of Pop style.

Madonna with boyfriend Ahlamalik at the NYC premiere of the Madame X documentary

Bracing the pouring rain that didn't seem to bother any of her Instagram-equipped fans, Madonna showed up at her viewing party wearing fishnet fingerless gloves, a tight mini skirt, platform boots, a few message-heavy necklaces, plus long blond braids topped with a bedazzled "F—k you" tiara.

A crowd of 75 lucky guests — including Drew Barrymore, fashion designer Christian Siriano, "Queer Eye" star Antoni Porowski and "RuPaul's Drag Race" stars Symone and Aquaria — were asked to store away their cell phones in special locked pouches before attending the event.

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Filmed in Lisbon, Portugal, the film features Madonna's latest concert tour, "Madame X."

An album of the same name, Madonna's 14th studio album, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2019.

Madame X, Madonna's alter ego-du-jour, is "a secret agent, traveling around the world, changing identities, fighting for freedom, bringing light to dark places," the 63-year-old artist explained when she announced the album's release.

She's a "dancer, a professor, a head of state, a housekeeper, an equestrian, a prisoner, a student, a mother, a child, a teacher, a nun, a singer, a saint, a whore, and a spy in the house of love," the mother-of-six added.

The album and show were inspired by her life immersed in the rich cultural influences of Lisbon.

Madonna with Sasha Kasiuha, Ricardo Gomes and Nuno Xico at the NYC premiere of the Madame X documentary

The documentary about the tour was directed by Portuguese photographer Ricardo Gomes, who met the Grammy-winning singer when she was in Lisbon recording the album.

He was initially tapped to record footage for social media before being asked to direct the film, which is set to premiere in October.

"Sharing my vision with global audiences has been profoundly meaningful to me," Madonna said about the film in a July statement.

"The opportunity to bring its message and the incandescent artistry of all involved to an even wider audience comes at a time when music is so deeply needed to remind us of the sacred bond of our shared humanity," she added.

"Madame X" will begin streaming, exclusively on Paramount+, on Oct. 8.

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Steven Klein photoshoot for November issue of V Magazine

Source: Instagram - 22 September 2021

On Sunday, Madonna posted pictures from a photoshoot she was doing with Steven Klein.

The photos seemed to revisit her look from the 1993 Bad Girl cover and the 1991 Vanity Fair photoshoot with Steven Meisel.

Madonna has now revealed the new photos will appear in the November issue of V Magazine.

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If Madonna Calls: More exclusive photos from VMA after party

Source: Interview Magazine - 19 September 2021

We're baack! As you may have heard, Madonna stopped by Interview's MTV VMA after party, hosted by our September cover star Doja Cat. We know, we know—what happens at 1OAK stays at 1OAK. But we simply can't help ourselves. Below, take a look at some exclusive photos of the night, shot by Ricardo Gomes and courtesy of Her Holiness herself.

Madonna and Doja Cat at the VMA after party

Madonna and Teezo Touchdown at the VMA after party

Madonna and Steven Klein at the VMA after party

Madonna and Jeremy O. Harris at the VMA after party

Madonna and Doja Cat at the VMA after party

Madonna and Kid Cudi at the VMA after party

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Madonna unveils new 'Madame X' teaser at VMA

Source: Paramount+ - 13 September 2021

At the VMA, Madonna also unveiled a new trailer for her upcoming Madame X documentary, which will stream on Paramount+ as from October 8.

In regions that don't have the Paramount+ streaming service yet, MTV will be broadcasting the show. The Dutch MTV (Netherlands/Belgium) will be showing it on October 9.



Madonna celebrates 40 years of MTV for VMAs opening

Source: Variety - 13 September 2021

"And they said we wouldn't last, but we are still here, motherfuckers!"

With those words, Madonna opened the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards, which along with her iconic 40-year career as the Queen of Pop, is also celebrating the network's four-decades-long anniversary.

Madonna opened the 2021 MTV VMA

The pop legend nodded to her own arrival in New York City as a young aduly with an opening segment. "I told the taxi driver to take me to the center of it all," says Madonna in a voice over while riding the cab to Times Square. "I came to New York City with nothing but 35 dollars and a pair of dance shoes. … I was 19 and terrified."

Celebrating MTV's birth, Madonna continued: "Forty years ago, another underdog arrived in New York City hoping to create something revolutionary and all music channel premiered in the middle of the night and called itself MTV. We found each other and from from then on changed my life, changed music and created a new art form. That's why there's only one place to be tonight."

Dressed in a classic Burberry trench coat and Louboutin's, Madonna took over Times Square with dozens of LED billboards playing her most-loved music videos — including "Like a Prayer" and "Vogue"– in tribute to both her own success and that of MTV, which helped her pave the way to becoming the best-selling female artist of all time.

For her onstage appearance, Madonna was wearing an Atsuko kudo crop jacket, latex bra and latex corset; a Moschino leather apron; Christian louboutin pumps; Handsome Stockholm leather gloves and rings by Neil Lane.

Madonna in the intro video for the VMA

Madonna also unveiled a new teaser trailer for her upcoming concert film, "Madame X," which will be available to stream on Paramount Plus on Oct. 8, shortly after her appearance.

One of the most decorated VMA stars, bringing home 20 awards throughout her tenure, Madonna is known for iconic performances, including her first VMA performance where she sang her Billboard Hot 100 hit, "Like A Virgin," rolling around in a white wedding dress. Madonna was nominated for Best New Artist Video (Borderline) at the 1st annual MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall, New York, N.Y.

Other iconic performances include the 1990 VMAs where the star performed "Vogue," where she brought Black and Latinx ballroom culture and voguing to mainstream pop culture. At the 1991 Oscars, Madonna performed "Sooner Or Later," where she took inspiration from Marilyn Monroe — with her date, the late Michael Jackson in the audience. In 2003, Madonna again shocked audiences as she kissed both Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera — who were singing "Like A Virgin" with her on stage.

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Madonna in the recording studio with boyfriend Malik

Source: Instagram - 5 September 2021

Madonna has posted pictures of herself and boyfriend Ahlamalik in a recording studio. The caption simply reads "In The Stu with my Boo".

Are they working on a song together? Is she providing backing vocals on one of his songs? We'll have to wait and see.

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Madonna, black lingerie, and white sheets: what could be better?

Source: W Magazine - 1 September 2021

For about a minute, while scrolling through Instagram today, we were sure that Madonna was posting outtakes of her 2009 "Blame It On Rio" cover story shot by Steven Klein for this magazine. In that spread, Madonna famously traipsed around a Brazilian vacation home in a cavalcade of little black dresses, robes, sunglasses, and lingerie amongst a small army of shirtless male models (one of whom she'd go on to date for a bit). This, of course, is not to be confused with her landmark "Justify My Love" video, in which she also makes the most of black lingerie and a hotel room. Though, as it turns out, the mini-photoshoot Madonna uploaded to Instagram today was entirely new material, proving that at 63 there's still no one better when it comes to stealing the scene with some black silk and white sheets.

While Madonna's Instagram still has the charmingly chaotic DIY hallmarks it's always had since she first joined the platform, over the summer it seems that she's incorporated more planned and professional material (perhaps she's seen Kristen McMenamy's IG?). She even turned a July family picnic into a David LaChapelle-esque photoshoot. For this boudoir endeavor, she tagged creative assistant Rita Melssen, personal photographer Ricardo Gomes, hairdresser Andy LeCompte for their assistance. (LeCompte, by the way, also did Madonna's hair for the "Blame It On Rio" spread 12 years ago. He shared his tips on how to get the best home blowout here).

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Madonna wore black Louboutins, a lace nightgown, black fishnets with matching gloves, and of course lots of jewelry. Apparently, much of the fashion for the shoot came straight from Madge's own closet, as she revealed on IG stories.

Madonna, black lingerie, and white sheets: what could be better?



MTV to broadcast Madame X on October 9

Source: Social media - 1 September 2021

MTV has confirmed that the new Madame X documentary will air on MTV (Belgium/Netherlands) on October 9 at 21.30 CET.

Territories with the Paramount+ streaming service, such as the US, will be able to stream Madame X as from October 8.

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