Madonna’s much-hyped Rebel Heart concert at the National Stadium tomorrow night could be remembered as the hottest gig of the year, or as the most contentious, depending on how you see it.
The most recent flap: the statements from the Roman Catholic Church here and the National Council of Churches of Singapore, urging believers to reconsider attending the show and not to support those who “denigrate and insult religion”.
We look back at all the times the 57-year-old US pop icon caused a commotion in her three-decade career.
WHEN MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) performance of Like A Virgin (1984); Like A Prayer music video (1989); Confessions concert tour performance of Live To Tell (2006)
WHAT She got down and dirty on the stage in a white wedding dress and crucifix accessories while singing Like A Virgin; her Like A Prayer music video had burning crosses and Madonna making out with a black saint; and she hung on a cross wearing a crown of thorns while delivering Live To Tell live.
WHO Catholic groups and leaders, the Vatican and Christian conservatives. Pepsi, which used the song Like A Prayer for its commercial, cancelled plans to broadcast and dropped its contract with Madonna.
WHEN MTV VMA performance of Ray Of Light (1998)
WHAT She sported Hindu holy markings on her forehead while performing sexually charged dance moves.
WHO Religious group World Vaishnava Association and some Hindus and yogis
WHEN MTV VMA medley (2003)
WHAT She kissed US pop princesses Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera suggestively on the lips during a medley of songs including Hollywood and Like A Virgin.
WHO Parents Television Council and media critics
WHEN Justify My Love music video (1990)
WHAT Guest-starring Madonna’s then-boyfriend, model Tony Ward, it had nods to voyeurism, sadomasochism and bisexuality.
WHO Major US TV networks that banned it for being “near-pornographic” and “unfit for broadcast”.
WHEN MDNA concert tour (2012)
WHAT During a video collage for the song Nobody Knows Me, the face of Marine Le Pen, a French far-right politician and leader of French party National Front, appeared on screen with a swastika superimposed on her forehead.
WHO Le Pen and National Front party members, who threatened to sue Madonna if she went ahead to use the image in her concert in Nice, France. Madonna subsequently removed the swastika from the video and replaced it with a question mark.
WHEN Girl Gone Wild video (2012)
WHAT The raunchy black-and-white clip contained scenes of grinding, naked men in stiletto heels, same-sex kisses, an implied orgy and Madonna in a bondage suit.
WHO YouTube viewers who rated it as “inappropriate”. The video-sharing site then slapped it with an age restriction, allowing only those aged 18 or older to watch it. Madonna was also blocked from uploading the video onto her Vevo account.
WHEN Coachella Music Festival (2015)
WHAT She locked lips with a stunned Canadian rapper, Drake, for a good three seconds on stage during the latter’s headlining set. At the 29-year-old’s invitation, she made a cameo appearance when he performed one of his songs titled Madonna.
WHO Likely Drake himself, who – rather amusingly – appeared repulsed and horrified after the intense snog. And probably Drake’s fans too, who created a slew of hilarious memes mocking “grandmother” Madonna for “sucking the life force” out of their idol.
Source: www.tnp.sg
