Madonna appears on the new cover of Rolling Stone magazine and has discussed how she felt that Lady Gaga was 'ripping her off'.
- UPDATE: Madonna fell over her cape at the BRIT Awards, Twitter reacted. Watch it here
Following on from her recent Mojo cover story in which she paid tribute to her formative clubbing experiences, in the new issue of Rolling Stone Madonna sets the record straight on Lady Gaga.
In leaked photos that have appeared on a Brazillian fan site, the pop icon declares: "The only time I ever criticized Lady Gaga was when I felt like she blatantly ripped off one of my songs. I do think she's a very talented singer and songwriter."
She has also discussed the sexism she faces in the industry. "Women my age have accepted that they are not allowed to behave a certain way. I never followed rules. I'm not about to start now."
Read the full interview in Rolling Stone, out later this week.
Madonna will perform tonight (Wednesday 25 February) at the BRIT Awards at the O2 Arena in London. Other performers include Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Paloma Faith,George Ezra, Royal Blood and Take That.
While it will no doubt be a huge moment during the ceremony, Madonna's appearance on the bill hasn't been universally welcomed. Morrissey singled out the singer as everything that's wrong about the awards. "For 2015, we have MacDonna, who had a quiet 2014 (but who is quite usefully about to release her new album!), yet here she is again promoting her frightening career on the Brit Awards even though her music has not ever said anything at all about British life."
Madonna is widely expected to announce a world tour in the next few weeks. Anticipation for shows is returning to fever pitch among Madge fans, after an Australian ticket website last year suggested that dates for 2015 would be announced soon. But now, with her 13th studio LP on the horizon and with her putting together a new stage experience, it seems the wait could soon be over.
Recent Madonna tours have hit headlines for numeous reasons. Her Stick & Sweet Tour between 2008 and 2009 saw her perform to over 3.5 million fans in 32 countries, grossing a total of US $408 million - breaking records at Wembley Stadium. The 2012 MDNA tour was a sold-out run of 88 dates, ranking the year's top grossing tour with $305 million but attracting much controversy for nudity, showing her support for Pussy Riot and brandishing a handgun on stage.
Can she top her recent world tours? See Gigwise for latest Madonna tour news. For tickets and more information, visit Gigwise Tickets.
