Here’s Madonna As You’ve Never Seen Her Before

The star is featured in a new documentary about filmmaker Howard Brookner.

A brunette Madonna shimmies in this exclusive clip from “Uncle Howard,” the new documentary about the life of avant-garde New York filmmaker Howard Brookner.

The Queen of Pop was at the peak of her fame when she starred alongside Matt Dillon, Randy Quaid and Jennifer Grey in 1989’s Jazz Age-themed comedy, “Bloodhounds of Broadway.” Despite the presence of such Hollywood heavyweights, the film is widely considered a flop and rarely broadcast.

As “Uncle Howard” recalls, however, “Bloodhounds of Broadway” was very special for Brookner, who was battling AIDS at the time of its production. The filmmaker had only worked on documentary films beforehand, including the acclaimed “Burroughs: The Movie,” about beat generation author William S. Burroughs. “Bloodhounds of Broadway” was intended to be Brookner’s big screen breakthrough, but the director died just months before its release. 

While Brookner didn’t leave as big of a mark on Hollywood as he’d hoped for, it was enough to entice his nephew, Aaron, into directing a film about his uncle’s legacy. Never-before-seen footage capturing the New York of the 1970s and ‘80s, as well as Brookner’s relationships with Burroughs, Madonna and Allen Ginsberg, is among the highlights.   

Aaron Brookner told The Huffington Post that, above all, he’d like the documentary to give viewers new insight as to why his uncle was such a pioneering figure in the New York arts scene. 

“Howard took inspiration from the likes of Burroughs and Ginsberg, who were pioneering in their writing about homosexuality.  Howard’s own work championed theirs and he took it further, putting open homosexuality on screen, and living his own life openly as a queer man,” he said. “It is painfully clear that had those in power not had prejudice against the LGBTQ community, we might not be mourning so many people and great artists today. This should be remembered now more than ever.”

Ultimately, he hopes audiences come away from the film knowing “what you do and who you influence in this life really does matter.”

“If Howard never picked up a camera and never had such an impact on me and those around him,” he said, “few people would even know he ever existed, let alone been so inspired by him.”

More games: friv

Madonna defends Rosie O'Donnell following Donald Trump debate comments

Don’t mess with Madonna’s friends.

Following Monday night’s presidential debate, where Donald Trump made yet another derogatory remark about Rosie O’Donnell, Madonna defended the comedian via social media. The singer uploaded a screen grab of herself and O’Donnell from A League of Their Own with the caption, “Mess with my girl Rosie and you’re messing with me!!! Cruelty never made anyone a winner.

O’Donnell also tweeted about Trump on Monday night, referring to him as an “orange anus” and sharing the video in which their infamous feud was born.

Who is 'the Black Madonna' and why is she so important?

Rome, Italy, Jul 19, 2016 / 03:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Our Lady of Czestochowa, also known as the “Black Madonna,” will be one of Pope Francis' primary stops during his visit to Poland at the end of this month for the global World Youth Day gathering.

The image, which has been crowned the “Queen of Poland” and is highly venerated throughout Europe, is almost a given stop for any Pope who visits the country.

Located in southern Poland, Czestochowa was the location of the 1991 global WYD gathering – the first major world event after the fall of the Iron Curtain, and which also marked the first time youth from Eastern European countries were able to set foot in the Western half.

In comments made to CNA in March, Cardinal Stanisalw Dziwisz, Archbishop of Krakow, noted how the WYD celebration this year falls on the 25th anniversary of the 1991 WYD at the Our Lady of Czestochowa shrine, which was a key year for the end of Cold War tensions.

“For the first time in history, young people coming from the Eastern countries, from beyond the Iron Curtain, took part in World Youth Day. It was the first time World Youth Day was a really a worldwide event,” Cardinal Dziwisz said.

Now, 25 years later, Pope Francis will follow in his predecessors' footsteps, and will go to venerate the image during his July 27-31 visit to Poland.

He is set to visit the monastery of Jasna Gora, which houses the image, July 28, where he will offer Mass for the 1,050 anniversary of the baptism of Poland.

But while the image holds significant meaning for Europe and for Poles in particular, what is the story behind the Black Madonna?

Legend has it the image dates back to the time of the Twelve Apostles, and was painted by the hand of St. Luke the Evangelist, who is believed to have used a tabletop from a table built by Jesus during his time as a carpenter.

According to the legend, it was while Luke was painting Mary that she recounted to him the events in the life of Jesus that would eventually be used in his Gospel.

The same legend states that when St. Helen came to Jerusalem in 326 AD to look for the true Cross, she also happened to find this image of Our Lady. She then gave it as a gift to her son Constantine, who built a shrine to venerate it.

In a major battle with the Saracens, the image was displayed from the walls of Constantinople and the Saracen army was subsequently defeated, leading many to credit the portrait with saving the city.

The image eventually fell to the care of Charlemagne, who presented it to Price Leo of Ruthenia (northwest Hungary). It was placed in the Ruthenian palace where it remained until an invasion in the 11th century.

Fearful for the fate of his city, the king prayed to Our Lady to assist his small army. The result, according to legend, was that a darkness overshadowed enemy troops, leading them to attack one another.

In the 14th century the image was transferred to Jasna Gora in Poland as an answer to a request made in a dream of Prince Ladislaus of Opola. The history of the image is better documented in while in his care.

In 1382 Tartars invaded the Prince’s fortress at Belz, and during the attack one of the Tartar arrows struck the painting and lodged in the neck of the Madonna. The prince, fearful that the image would fall into the enemy’s hands, fled during the night and stopped in the town of Czestochowa.

The painting was placed inside a small church, and the prince later had a Pauline monastery and church built at the location to ensure the painting’s safety.

However, in 1430 the Hussites overran the monastery, attempting to take the image. In the process one of the looters took the painting and put it into a wagon and tried to drive away. But when the horses refused to move, he struck the painting twice with his sword. As he raised his hand to strike it again, he suddenly fell over writhing in pain and died.

Despite previous attempts to repair the scars from the arrow and the blows from the sword, restorers had trouble in covering them up since the painting was done with tempera infused with diluted wax. The marks remain visible to this day.

Later, in 1655 when Poland was almost entirely overrun by King Charles X of Sweden, only the area surrounding the monastery remained unconquered. Miraculously, the monks who lived there were somehow able to defend the portrait throughout a 40 day siege, and Poland was eventually able to drive out the invaders.

After the miraculous event, King John II Casimir Vasa crowned the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa as Queen of Poland, placing the entire country under her care and protection.

More recent stories surrounding the image involve the Russian invasion of Poland in 1920, holding that when the Russian army was gathering on the banks of the Vistula River and threatening Warsaw, they saw an image of Our Lady in the clouds over the city, prompting them to withdraw.

The image of Our Lady of Czestochowa gets its nickname “Black Madonna” from the soot residue which discolors the painting as a result of centuries of votive lights and candles burned in front of it.

Since the fall of communism in Poland, pilgrimages to the image have significantly increased.

As many as 2.5 million pilgrims expected to gather in Krakow for this year’s WYD event. While not all of them will join Pope Francis in Czestochowa, his visit will surely attract more pilgrims to the spot.

In his comments to CNA, Cardinal Dziwisz said that given the history of WYD and the Czestochowa image, this year’s gathering is particularly significant for European countries, such as Ukraine, who are facing dramatic conflicts.

“We mustn’t forget that the World Youth Day which took place in Czestochowa 25 years ago was the first with youth who came from the countries of the east. There were around 200,000, coming from Ukraine, from Russia and Belarus,” he noted.

“For the first time, that event was truly global. We must help youth from the Eastern countries to come…above all from Belarus and Ukraine,” he said, adding that while the Ukraine conflict makes travel in the region difficult, “we don’t exclude anyone.”

Madonna keeps on pushing her tweets over the borderline.

The pop diva fomented outrage on social media after tweeting out condolences to the victims of the Orlando massacre that included photos of herself.

The memes — one of which features her famous kiss with Britney Spears at the 2003 MTV VMAs and the slogan, "Gay or Straight, no hate" -- were slammed by detractors who felt the singer was hung up on herself during a time of mourning in the gay community.

"@Madonna are you serious right now? This isn't about you and your fake ass kiss for publicity," fumed one commentator. "I would think you'd know better."

Another Twitter user replied, "Really? 50 people died and you want to make this about you?!"

In the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, 49 patrons were shot dead and more than 50 others were wounded early Sunday morning during a rampage inside Orlando's Pulse, a popular gay club.

Police shot and killed the gunman — identified as Omar Mateen — after storming the club after a three-hour hostage standoff.

Madonna has had her struggles with a reputation for using social media for blatant self-promotion.

In early 2015, critics slammed The Material Girl for posting altered photos ofdeceased civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Bob Marley to hawk her album, "Rebel Heart."

Madonna's naked flesh has taught me a lesson I'll never forget

Bare bum cheeks, taped-up nipples, leather... when it comes to Madonna, we’ve seen it all before. So when the singer arrived at the Met Gala, this week, wearing scraps of lace and PVC patched together to make a gown - one with her bum and boobs on show - I barely batted an eyelid.

Her outfit looked like it was designed to shock and be as revolutionary as her conical bra in the 80s. But to my Millennial eyes, it all just looked tired and, dare I say it, unfashionable. Compared to red carpet pros Alexa Chung and Lea Seydoux, Madonna looked like a hippie mum gone mad .

The critics agreed. Headlines called it a “fashion fail,” while commentators said she was “truly undignified”, “utterly classless” and plain “desperate.”

But Madonna has had the last word. In an Instagram post that can only be described as a massive ‘f*** you’, she explained that her dress was “a political statement as well as a fashion statement.”

“When it comes to women’s rights, we are still in the dark ages,” she wrote. “The fact that people actually believe a woman is not allowed to express her sexuality and be adventurous past a certain age is proof that we still live in an age-ist and sexist society.

“I have never thought in a limited way and I’m not going to start.”

In other words – all the haters sitting at home and wondering why she couldn’t just put on a structured Balmain gown and look chic - are ‘limited’. While Madonna most certainly is not.

If that wasn’t painful enough to hear from the original Queen of Pop, she continued to spell it out: “If you have a problem with the way I dress, it is simply a reflection of your prejudice.”

I’ve officially been schooled by Madonna.

Because she’s right. As much as we critics pretended we were against her outfit - rather than the woman inside it - it’s not the truth. If Madonna had worn the exact same garb in the 80s, when she was in her early 20s, would we have been so judgmental?

It hurts to admit it, but if Madonna had worn her lace get-up in a scene from Desperately Seeking Susan, I'd probably have thought it was an admirable statement, and wished I were her (as much I do during every other scene in that film).

But because she was wearing it a few decades on, I found it embarrassing. I'm  guilty of the very ageism and sexism that Madonna describes.

Of course, I am not the only one. As a society we’ve created a world where people over the age of 40 are only ‘cool’ if they fit certain models. Nonagenarian Iris Apfel rocks because she has amazing fashion sense and statement glasses; Mary Beard has her #greyhairdontcare; Mary Berry wears bomber jackets.

Yet when an older woman makes a choice we don’t understand, like Madonna’s matador outfit and this recent bum-flashing number, we react with disgust so strong that they feel the need to call us out.

Sarah Jessica Parker schools a fan

Sarah Jessica Parker did the same thing. After her Met ball outfit was slammed this week, she replied to a critic on Instagram: “Perhaps you didn’t like what I wore which is completely fine but you can’t accuse me not paying close attention and adhering to the theme [Manus x Machina].”

Both SJP and Madge have responded in the best way possible. They’ve used social media to get their voices heard and provide context for their outfits, in a thought-provoking way. They’ve changed people’s minds - including my own.

But they shouldn’t have had to.

We, the public, shouldn't have judged them so harshly based on their appearances alone. We’ve started to recognise that when an actress is on the red carpet we should #AskHerMore than which designer her dress is by. So why do we keep shoving women into ‘best dressed’ and ‘worst dressed’ galleries every time they walk out of the house?

As Madonna said in her post: “We cannot effect change unless we are willing to take risks, by being fearless and by taking the road less travelled by. That’s how we change history.”

Madonna continues her reign as Queen of Pop and highest-grossing solo touring artist

AFTER wrapping up her Rebel Heart Tour earlier this week, figures have confirmed that Madonna still holds the record as the highest-grossing solo touring artist, taking in a total of $1.31 billion reports Billboard.

According to Billboard's Boxscore figures, which go back to 1990, the star's recent Rebel Heart Tour earned $170 million and sold more than 1 million tickets, earning her the title of the highest-grossing solo touring artist in Billboard Boxscore history, a position she had lost to Bruce Springsteen between 2012 and 2014.

Overall, the singer now ranks third on the all-time top-grossing Billboard Boxscore list, behind only the Rolling Stones ($1.84 billion) and U2 ($1.67 billion).

She is also one of only six artists who have surpassed the $1 billion mark since 1990, and is the only woman to do so, with Elton John raking in $1.05 billion and Bon Jovi $1.03 billion, all as of March 23, 2016.

Madonna became the highest-grossing female touring artist in 2004, a record she has held continuously for the past 12 years.

Madonna and Guy Ritchie's Custody Battle over Son Rocco: 'He Should Have Been Home Already,' Says Source

Madonna and Guy Ritchie's custody battle over their 15-year-old son Rocco continues. 

After the teenager spent time on the road with his mom, traveling for her recent Rebel Heart tour, he went to the U.K. to spend time with his father and reportedly refused to return to the U.S. 

On Dec. 23, the "Living For Love" singer appeared in a New York City courtroom, where a judge ordered that Rocco return to the U.S. to sort out his living situation, the New York Daily News reported at the time. 

But according to a source close to the singer, Rocco has yet to return home. Indeed, he spent Christmas and rang in the new year with Ritchie, 47, in England. Meanwhile in N.Y.C., Madonna, 57, spent Dec. 25 sharing festive photos of her other three kids – Lourdes, 19, David, 10, and Mercy, 9 – on Instagram. (She shared a throwback shot of Rocco as well, captioning it: "Merry X-mas to the Sun-shine of my Life.") 

Keep up with your favorite celebs in the pages of PEOPLE Magazine by subscribing now.

Madonna and son Rocco Ritchie

MADONNA INSTAGRAM

"He should have been home already," says the source, who alleges that Rocco has missed some school. "Madonna is a devoted mother, and a big priority is her children's education." 

As for why the teen left his mom's tour, an industry insider says he "got tired of it and wanted to be home with his dad." 

For more on Madonna and Guy Ritchie's ongoing custody battle, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

Up next, Madonna and Ritchie – who finalized their contentious divorce in 2008 – are due in court Feb. 3 for a second hearing in New York. 

Lawyers for Madonna and Ritchie declined to comment. 

Madonna's Singapore concert is for adults only

Singapore (AFP) - The Singapore leg of pop superstar Madonna's global Rebel Heart Tour has been restricted to fans aged 18 and above, the concert's local coordinator said Wednesday.

The one-night-only event on February 28, Madonna's first-ever concert in the city-state, will be held at the 55,000-seat National Stadium, entertainment firm MediaCorp Vizpro said.

"Please note that this concert is rated 'R18' with the consumer advisory on 'Sexual References'. Only those above 18 years of age will be permitted into the venue," it said on its Facebook page.

Concerts and other forms of public entertainment are classified by the Media Development Authority, which also regulates the film and broadcast industries.

The Straits Times newspaper noted that Madonna's concert tour setlist includes a segment involving dancers dressed as scantily-clad nuns pole-dancing on cross-shaped stripper poles.

Affluent Singapore, often ridiculed as a "nanny state" for its tradition of social control, has eased censorship in recent years and become an Asian entertainment hub. But the authorities say its population is still largely conservative.

St. Paul ties bring dancer back for 'B Madonna's' regional premiere

Dancer Maureen Fleming was born on an American Navy base in Japan where her father was a lieutenant commander, but she has plenty of history in St. Paul. Her grandmother immigrated to St. Paul from Ireland in 1910 and her uncle was a local monsignor -- Father Francis Fleming of St. Olaf Church.

From mid-elementary school through college, Fleming went to Minnesota schools such as Our Lady of Peace High School in St. Paul and the now-defunct College of St. Teresa in Winona.

Fleming lives and works in New York where she puts on workshops at New York University and is a guest artist at the Juilliard School. The regional premiere of her new piece, "B Madonna," which Fleming calls "the best of her work," is Saturday at the O'Shaughnessy at St.

Catherine University.

Her dancing almost ended before it began. When Fleming was 2 years old, she was in a car accident that caused her to lose the disc between her fourth and fifth vertebrae. It could have paralyzed her, but it inspired her to begin dancing -- twisting and untwisting her joints to increase blood flow and flexibility.

Fleming hopes "B Madonna" is as much a spiritual journey for the audience as it is for her. The choreography focuses on aligning the body's spiritual center through a series of drawn-out movements and three-dimensional video projects designed by Christopher Odo, one of Fleming's longtime collaborators.

"I'm performing one image and the same image is reflected in front and behind me," she said.

Her work with performing images is heavily influenced by her formative years spent in Japan, specifically by "Butoh," a contemplative Japanese dance developed in postwar Japan. "(Butoh) begins with an image. Instead of lifting your arm, you would imagine that a smoke ring moves up your spine and off your arm," she said. "Each movement is connected to an image. That's how I create.""You get a sense of things happening simultaneously. It becomes like a visual theater."

Butoh is more improvisational, however, while Fleming's work revolves around making choices and then assembling them to create a theme. "I record a lot of my improvisations on video and then choose moments that look like two things are happening at the same time," she said. "For example, a moment that looks like I'm being born and dying, or a moment that looks painful and pleasant."

"B Madonna" is part of the O'Shaughnessy's 19th annual Women of Substance series, which Fleming says has always interested her.

"I like the value of the Women of Substance series that you see things from different perspectives," she said. The performance also has a companion gallery exhibition called "O Black Maddona" at Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality, 1890 Randolph Ave.

, St. Paul, running through Sunday.

Fleming's performance will feature text by David Henry Hwang and music by Philip Glass performed live by pianist Bruce Brubaker, accordionist Guy Klucevsek and Taiko drummer Kaoru Watanabe.

IF YOU GO

What: "B Madonna," a performance by Maureen Fleming

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: The O'Shaughnessy, 2004 Randolph Ave., St. Paul.

Singer Adele was inspired by Madonna for new album '25'

Los Angeles: Singer Adele has revealed that Queen of Pop Madonna's 1998 album Ray of Light was a direct inspiration for her own highly-anticipated record ‘25’. Adele's new album ‘25’ is scheduled for release November 20, reported Rolling Stone.

"You know what I found so amazing about that record? That's the record Madonna wrote after having her first child, and for me, it's her best. I was so all over the place after having a child, just because my chemicals were just hitting the roof and shit like that.

"I was just drifting away, and I couldn't find that many examples for myself where I was like, 'they truly came back to themselves,' until someone was like, 'Well, obviously, Ray of Light'," Adele said. The 27-year-old singer's lead single "Hello" smashed records worldwide.

Michael Jackson vs. Madonna: Who's the Greatest Visual Artist of All Time?

If you're a child of the '70s or '80s who grew up listening to pop music, chances are you were a fan of Prince, Madonna or Michael Jackson. These three artists dominated radio whilst pioneering the music video as an art form. They went way beyond what any other popstar before or since has achieved and all three are the reason that pop today is such a visual medium. Before this trio became a part of the public consciousness, having a great song was enough to be a star. They literally changed the rules of the pop game.

Personally, although I appreciate Prince, I wouldn't call myself a fan, and for that reason I'm just going to focus on MJ and Madge in this article. Who has the most iconic imagery? Who's tours have offered the most visual spectacle? And which of them can lay claim to the greatest music video of all time? Let's take a look back on two unparalleled careers and try to answer the question of whether Madonna or Michael Jackson is the greatest visual artist of all time.

Thriller: the beginning

Thriller might have marked the turning point for the music video as a form of promotion, but it wasn't the first of Michael's videos to make waves - that would be Billie Jean, the album's second single, which became the first music video by a black artist to get heavy rotation on MTV. That video was nothing special, but Jackson quickly followed it up with Beat It, a much bigger visual spectacle which Billboard crowned the video of the year.

But it's Thriller which truly put the music video as an art form on the map. There's nothing to be said about this epic clip which hasn't been said a million times - it's quite simply a masterpiece. The choreography in particular, which Jackson devised with Michael Peters, has spawned countless recreations over the years, and is not just synonymous with MJ but with Halloween too. The video cost half a million dollars and without it, the careers of everybody from Britney to Justin and, yes, Madonna herself, would likely never have got off the ground.

I hear you call my name...

Whilst Jackson churned out numerous visual epics in the decade that followed, often embracing the "music video as mini movie" format, Madonna discovered quickly that the best way to make an impression was to enhance her visuals with a secret ingredient she had absolute mastery over: controversy.

And what could be more controversial than presenting white middle America with a black Jesus? The clip came six years after Thriller in 1989, and depicts a black man being wrongly arrested for the murder of a white woman. Madonna, having witnessed the murder, goes to church where she finds a caged black saint who seems to be the man from the street. Crosses burn, Madonna dances in a state of undress, and curtains fall to reveal the whole thing was a performance.

There are various interpretations of the video and the way it infuses themes of race, religion and sexuality. The lyrics to the song itself - "I'm down on my knees, I want to take you there" - are basically about giving head, which you can imagine didn't go down too well when paired with the religious imagery of the video. So great was the outrage that Pepsi, who had just paid Madonna $5m to use Like a Prayer in a new commercial, dropped their association with her. (She got to keep the pay cheque.)

The controversy didn't scare Madonna. If anything, it fuelled her, and the power of sexual imagery became the blueprint for most of her videos in the following years. The interesting thing about the scandal was that it actually had a negative effect on her sales - Like a Prayer was a number one single, but the album sold 10 million copies fewer than True Blue three years earlier. Whilst MJ's videos were strictly a promotional tool for his music, Madonna's had become completely at one with her image, and arguably helped create a brand around her which was more important than her record sales.

After the '90s: Madonna's continued dominance

By the year 2000, Michael's public image had become so tarnished by plastic surgery and damaging allegations that his music was no longer a talking point. 1995's HIStory had sold 3.5 million copies in the US, half the figure of Dangerousfour years previously, and he hadn't released anything in three years.

Madonna had been through a quiet period of her own, releasing the deathly dull Bedtime Stories in 1994 before focusing on the movie Evita, but she came back in a massive way in '98 with Ray of Light. The video for lead single Frozenmarked a complete creative rebirth for the Queen of Pop.

Controversy had been replaced by artistry. Shot by Chris Cunningham, whose previous video credits were for relatively unknown acts like Aphex Twin, Frozenis a surrealist gothic masterpiece which is less concerned with a storyline (in fact, it doesn't have one - it's just about Madonna shapeshifting into a black dog and a flock of birds) than with creating something potent and visually arresting.

Whilst Michael's videos had more or less covered the same ground thematically during the '90s without any real change in visual style, Madonna had moved the game on. Already known for her ability to reinvent, Frozen told the world not to get comfortable. Expect only the unexpected. And so, whilst the video for MJ'sYou Rock My World barely caused a ripple in 2001, Madonna had shapeshifted seamlessly into the most important visual artist of the new millennium.

Bringing the imagery to the stage

But for both artists, the music video was never the pinnacle of their art: it was the ability to put on a performance which elevated them way beyond their peers. Their legacies were created on the stage. Jackson only toured solo three times, but all three were among the biggest concerts tours of all time. He could sell out Wembley in a matter of seconds... five times over.

This performance of Bad from Yokohama, Japan in 1987 illustrates perfectly Michael's approach to performance. The spotlight is on him, the theatrics are minimal, and there are no dancers vying for your attention. Despite the minimal stage set-up, it's absolutely impossible not to be awed by Jackson's charisma and energy. The crowd in Japan seem a little reserved, but in this clip of Black or White from Wembley in '92 every single person in the audiences is losing their mind.

By contrast, Madonna's tours are notorious for the sheer spectacle they deliver. Before she was a singer, Madonna had trained to be a dancer and left home at sixteen to follow her dream in New York City. She'd started at the bottom and her appreciation of dance as an art form is inherently clear in each of her tours. Unlike Michael, she's just one component of something bigger.

This performance of American Life from 2004's Re-invention Tour brings the song's highly controversial anti-war music video (it features a doctored clip of George Bush using a hand grenade to light a cigar, to give just one example of why it went down like a lead balloon in America) to life on stage. In terms of choreography, it's militaristic and cold. Whilst Michael's performances were all about channeling the energy of the song into the audience, Madonna is a pro at using performance to make a statement on a bigger scale - not that everybody appreciates that. The Re-invention Tour split opinion, with some fans remarking that they'd expected to attend a concert, not a political rally. Nonetheless, theAmerican Life performance is a great example of Madonna's unrivalled ability to marry her the artificial aspects of pop music with much bigger themes.

Sometimes, though, you just want a fun performance, and Madonna's incredible thirteen-minute, four-song medley from the 2012 Super Bowl has already gone down in history as one of the all-time classic half-time sets, exceeding the shows put on by the likes of Bruno Mars and Beyonce in the years since. Madonna commands the attentions of every person in the 100,000 capacity stadium - not to mention 100 million+ viewers across America - in a way no other artist could.

Except for one.

So - who's the greatest visual artist of all-time?

It's the million-dollar question, and it's all but impossible to answer.

Michael had one performance style; Madonna's is the polar opposite. Michael has the most famous music video of all time and is single handedly responsible for popularising the music video format. Madonna's music videos reinvented her image to keep her relevant as a performing artist further into her career. And yet Michael's This Is It tour was on course to be a monster comeback... every counter argument has a counter argument. The truth is, it's completely subjective.

Me, personally? On a purely visual level, and having been a chart-topping artist further into the 21st century than Jackson, I think Madonna takes the title. From the Blond Ambition cone bra to the pink leotard from Hung Up, to the incredible spectacle of her six global concert tours this side of the year 2000 alone, she has proved herself to be the master of the visual medium.

Madonna kicks her new tour off in rebel style

Queen of Pop Madonna has kicked off her Rebel Heart Tour in Montreal. 

The 57-year-old iconic singer, who has been wowing audiences for over three decades, belted out a selection of old and new and even performed Material Girl from the first time since her Blonde Ambition Tour in the 1990s. 

DJ and producer Diplo warmed the crowd up with an hour's introduction set before the lady of the hour opened the show with a video in which she discussed topics including censorship and dictatorship. 

Her entrance was as flamboyant as her fans know her personality to be and she descended on to the stage in a cage and then gave concert-goers two of the most energetic hours they may have ever seen. 

Ending the show on a high note, Madonna draped a Canadian flag around her as she sang "Holiday" to a crowd who lapped it all up. 

Her Rebel Heart album came out in March of this year and the tour continues to March 2016 where it finishes in Australia.

Madonna says Elvis Presley possessed her

Madonna felt the spirit of Elvis Presley pass through her when he died, according to her brother-in-law, singer songwriter Joe Henry.

Elvis Presley died 38 years ago on August 16, 1977. August 16 is also Madonna's birthday.

Henry, co-wrote 'Jump' and 'Don't Tell Me' for his famous sister-in-law, as well as various album tracks.

In a post at his Facebook page Henry writes, 'I have told this tale before, but it bears repeating: when Elvis Presley died on this date in 1977, this upstart professed in real-time that she felt his spirit had passed out of his body and through her own in exodus.

'I laughed at her then for such outrageous self-possession, at the arrogance that I assumed must allow her to declare such publicly'.

Henry met Madonna in 1975 when they were both Michigan students at the same school. He had just entered his Sophomore year, she was a Senior. They were both members of the Thespian Society. They once played Mother and Son together in a school play.

Henry says, 'she was whip-smart and short on patience; and to tell the truth, she scared me more than a little. But along with her sister Paula, her presence upon my landscape nudged open a door through which I would pass and find my life utterly and forever changed.that unusual and sprawling family becoming, years later, my own'.

After knowing Madonna for 40 years Henry says, 'like anyone, I can sometimes forget to see the flesh and blood/heart and mind behind the parade float that is her public persona. But then I will find myself across the kitchen table from her, sharing a martini, and be additionally shocked to recognize anew the compact, terse-yet-compassionate human at the switches'.

Madonna has three brothers Anthony (born 1956), (born 1957) and Christopher (born 1960) and two sisters Paula (born 1959) and Melanie (born 1962). Joe Henry is married to Melanie. They have two children.

R.I.P Elvis Presley, January 8, 1935.

Happy birthday, Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone born August 16, 1958

Madonna's outrageous gypsy-themed birthday party

 Madonna turned 57 on 16 August in typically flamboyant fashion surrounded by handsome young men. Her children, Lourdes, 18, and Rocco, 15, plus nine-year-olds Mercy and David, who both were adopted from Malawi, also threw themselves into the fun.

Rebel heart Madonna has every intention of growing old disgracefully

For her gypsy-themed party, the Queen of Pop wore a see through black gown, with a floral head dress. The centrepiece of the celebrations was a bar featuring a huge letter M in lights.

She was presented with a cake featuring a figurine dressed in her style with leopard-print knickers and a red top. It was emblazoned with the words 'Rebel Heart', which is the title of her latest album and a reference to her free-spirited ways.

Madonna posted pictures of the whole event with captions in praise of Leos and thanking her 'rebel hearts', as she also calls her fans, for their good wishes.

Madonna and her 'princess' Lourdes

The other important Leo in her life is son Rocco, who turned 15 last week at a birthday bash thrown by the pop star and her ex-husband Guy Ritchie.

In a clip posted to Instagram the proud parents looked on as the teenager blew out his birthday candles. Madonna was seen holding the cake while everyone sang. Then the film director tenderly put his arm around his eldest son and gave him a kiss on his head.

Madonna with some of her handsome young friends

A few days ahead of her own birthday Madonna also shared a throwback picture with her other ex-husband Sean Penn, who was born on 17 August. She had written: "It's almost our birthdays. Two Leos", noting that the black and white photo was taken by another Leo, well-known photographer Herb Ritts.

Madonna’s Instagram: Rebel Heart Tour costume revealed

Who’s That Girl………… #rebelhearttour

Nicole Kidman on meeting Madonna

“I remember just being so excited to wear [the gown to the Oscars],” Kidman said. “And then I remember Madonna coming up to me at the after party — and I was, you know, still very new to everything — and saying ‘best dressed! Best dressed!'” Remember, in the primitive, pre-social media days of ’97, the notion of “Best Dressed” wasn’t quite the orchestrated production that it is today.

Madonna Scores 46th No. 1 on Dance Club Songs Chart

Madonna’s back at No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart, as her latest single, “B**** I’m Madonna” rises 2-1 on the chart dated Aug. 15.

It’s the diva’s 46th No. 1 on this chart, and extends her own record for the most No. 1s on a singular Billboard chart. (She broke the record in May, when she surpassed George Strait’s 44 leaders on the Hot Country Songs chart.)

The new Aug. 15-dated Dance Club Songs chart — which measures reports submitted by a national sample of club DJs — will post to Billboard’s websites on Aug. 4.

“B**** I’m Madonna,” featuring Nicki Minaj, is the third single from Madonna’s Rebel Heart album. The set debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking her 21st top 10 effort.

For Minaj, “Madonna” is her fifth No. 1. She also hit the top with “Turn Me On” (David Guetta featuring Minaj), “Give Me All Your Luvin'” (Madonna featuring Minaj & M.I.A.), “Pound the Alarm” and “Beauty and a Beat” (Justin Bieber featuring Minaj).

Mad for Madonna even at P3K-P57K tickets

‘HORN-Y’ The upcoming Philippine leg ofMadonna’s Rebel Heart tour promises to be a theatrical spectacle, as sampled by her performance at the 2015 Grammy Awards held in February in Los Angeles. PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK PAGE/MADONNA

The Philippines may still be struggling to curb poverty and unemployment, but the country’s middle class seems to have adapted to a lifestyle that used to be the domain of the rich and famous.

Proof: Madonna’s Manila concert at SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena on Feb. 24, 2016, is more than six months away, but already, there is much ado about getting tickets now, “before they run out,” a midlevel corporate executive told the Inquirer.

Those who have made a purchase proudly posted the tickets’ image on their Facebook pages.

And while most Filipinos also took to social media to comment about the outrageous ticket prices—from P3,150 to P57,750—many others did not hesitate to respond to the organizers’ promotional offer: priority seats for members of Madonna’s official fan club Icon, Citibank cardholders and Globe Telecom subscribers.

Calculated move

It took one week before the official announcement on July 29 that the Manila concert, part of Madonna’s “Rebel Heart” world tour, will have a second night on Feb. 25, 2016, although the Inquirer had reported it in advance (Madonna in Manila confirmed: 2 nights at MOA Arena, lifestyle.inquirer.net, July 1).

READ: Madonna in Manila confirmed: 2 nights at MOA Arena

The decision to hold back the announcement of the second night was a calculated move, sources say, to test if the Philippine market was ready for advance ticket sales, especially for a top concert act like Madonna.

Apparently, the scheme worked because it afforded those with a tight budget to buy tickets via credit card or charge to their mobile phone bills.

But why are the tickets here more expensive than those in other countries?

International publications have noted that Madonna’s last few tours abroad sold tickets in the range of $300–$350 (P13,500-P15,750) and the cheapest at $35 (P1,575).

An article in Forbes.com mentioned that the average ticket for the Rebel Heart tour is priced at $452.33 (P20,354.85), adding that “Madonna surpassed Fleetwood Mac as the artist with the most expensive tour (51.5 percent more) in 2015… The Oct. 24 (2014) show in Las Vegas became the most expensive date with average price of $949.21 (P42,714.45) while the cheapest tickets were available for $164.30 (P7,393.50) at the Edmonton (Canada) date…”

Concert cost

According to Inquirer sources, the cost of bringing Madonna and her entourage of dancers, live band and production crew to the Philippines is approximately $4 million (P180 million), excluding hotel accommodations and other production expenses.

That’s an awful lot of money, and it took the SM Group, which owns MOA Arena, to bankroll the amount, sources said. SM’s founder Henry Sy Sr. may be the country’s richest man, but producing concerts is still a business—even if Madonna’s Manila shows could just be for prestige, the sources pointed out.

For a time, another group was determined to bring her to perform at another venue, the Iglesia ni Cristo-owned Philippine Arena, where tickets could be priced lower since it is about five times bigger than MOA Arena. In fact, a Philippine Arena representative had aggressively expressed his desire to bag the deal when he called up the Inquirer and said, “Sa amin na lang si Madonna (We want Madonna)”—even before finding out who the promoters are.

The Rebel Heart tour is said to be the 56-year-old pop queen’s third and final tour under the 10-year multirights deal with Live Nation, signed in 2007 for $120 million.

Set list

As for her Filipino fans who may be wondering what their idol would be singing at her MOA Arena concerts, here’s word from the Macomb Daily, a publication in Madonna’s hometown Michigan: “By July 2015, Madonna was still working on the set list with her team of creative directors, producers, designers and choreographers. She described the tour as a ‘characteristically theatrical spectacle’ and would include songs from her whole career.”

A recent article on Billboard.com said: “However, picking the set list was hard since the singer wanted to perform the ‘Rebel Heart’ (album) songs as well as her old discography, too, in order to satisfy all her fans. She found the task challenging since ‘thematically the songs— the old and the new—they have to go together; sonically they have to go together.’”