Madonna‘s tribute to Aretha Franklin at today’s MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) has not gone down so well.
The Queen Of Pop has been re-dubbed the Queen Of Ruining Tributes by Aretha fans on Twitter, after she spent the majority of her speech honouring the legendary soul diva talking about, well, herself.
Madge assumed the stage during the 2018 ceremony to present the award for video of the year to Camila Cabello and pay tribute to Franklin, who died last week after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
She opened her speech by proclaiming that the Queen Of Soul “changed the course of my life,” but from there, plunged into a long-winded tale about her own journey in the music business, detailing her many rejections until one fateful day an audition to become a back-up dancer and singer for a “French disco sensation”, during which she sung Franklin’s ‘(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman’, finally positioned her on the path to success.
“I thought, ‘why not?’ The worst that can happen is going back to getting robbed, held at gunpoint and being mistaken for a prostitute on my third-floor walkup that was also a crack house. That’s right — I’m a Rebel Heart,” she declared, referencing her own 2015 album for some reason.
And fans on Twitter are accusing Madge of extreme dis-r-e-s-p-e-c-t.
Check out some of their reactions below, or head here for the full list of winners from the 2018 VMAs.
This ain’t about Aretha at all. #VMAs
— Felonious Munk (@Felonious_munk) August 21, 2018
“If it wasn’t for Aretha, we wouldn’t have Madonna”- Madonna
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) August 21, 2018
“You’re probably all wondering why I am telling this story.” Yes, Madonna. #VMAs
— Michael Arceneaux (@youngsinick) August 21, 2018
*Aretha Franklin dies*
MTV: “You know what would be really good? If Madonna talked about herself for 10 minutes and mentioned Aretha once”
— Hannah (@HannnSandwich) August 21, 2018
So instead of an actual tribute to Aretha you let Madonna talk about herself for 30 minutes?! @MTV our beautiful black queen deserves better
— Rebekah Genice (@rebekah_genice) August 21, 2018
#Madonna is demonstrating a dynamic performance of peak white womanhood. This was not an #Aretha tribute but a monologue on how another iconic Black woman is being reduced to how she helped a white woman.
— Anansi (@blaqueerflow) August 21, 2018
So all the black artist they could call to talk about the legacy of the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin and MTV brought out Madonna to mention Aretha one time in her long ass story???? #VMAs D.I.S.R.E.S.P.E.C.T. pic.twitter.com/9wAmpxH74k
— Joy Henry (@joibella19) August 21, 2018
Can we hold this discussion in the parking lot? I got an appointment https://t.co/u7aMM6NFXY
— ❄Mikki Kendall❄ (@Karnythia) August 21, 2018
I’m so lost. I thought Madonna was supposed to be paying homage to Aretha but I all heard was her paying homage to herself. HEAVY on the Mayonnaise……
— Charlamagne Tha God (@cthagod) August 21, 2018
The post Madonna Is Copping It Over Her Awkward VMAs Tribute To Aretha Franklin appeared first on Music Feeds.