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Madonna Tour Kick-off Pushed Back Because Of 'Production Delays'

Posted 4/26/12 3:40 pm EST by in Madonna, Tour Dates

Madonna's "MDNA Tour" just encountered its first setback.

The hotly anticipated tour will now open at Tel Aviv, Israel's Ramat Gan Stadium two days later than previously scheduled due to production delays. Concert promoter Live Nation assured that all tickets for the planned May 29 show will be honored at the rescheduled May 31 event.

Madonna's last several tours have been major technical achievements, featuring elaborate sets and massive LED screens. Similarly, this show, according to a press release from Live Nation, is set to feature "state of the art technical components including the largest video screens ever created."

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Looks like those fancy screens need a little more set-up time before the show can go on.

Hopefully, M and Co. get whatever production problems the show is facing under control quickly. Her Madgesty has already confirmed 76 concert dates in arenas, stadiums and large outdoor venues, including Quebec City’s historic Plains of Abraham, throughout Europe and North America with ticket sales exceeding 1.4 million to date. That's a lot of unhappy customers should the show be plagued by ongoing tech concerns. (Which we're sure it won't be, but, you know, just sayin.')

Despite some (unfounded!) talk that sales were not as brisk as concert promoters would like, the "MDNA Tour" has already sold out multiple shows in Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Istanbul as well as Philadelphia, Boston, Montreal, Quebec City (70,000 tickets), New York City’s Yankee Stadium (73,000 tickets over 2 shows), Washington DC and Los Angeles' Staples Center.

New concert dates in Mexico and South America were recently announced and will be followed by a swing through Australia, where Madonna has not performed since her "Girlie Show" tour 20 years ago.

Related:

>> Let's Talk About This Rumored Madonna Tour Setlist
>> Madonna Celebrates #1 Album With Surprise Party Backstage At Tour Rehearsals
>> Madonna Plans To Address Anti-Gay Russian Law During St. Petersburg Concert
>> Madonna Shows Off Tour Rehearsal Injuries (Photos)

Will you be seeing Madonna's "MDNA Tour"? Let us know in the comments below!

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Madonna's Tour On Track 'To End Up In The Top 10 Tours Of All Time'

Posted 4/20/12 12:05 pm EST by in Madonna, Tour Dates, Video

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There's been a bit of shizz slinging of late regarding Madonna's new album, her world tour and whether we should be calling either a success.

After earning positive reviews and debuting strongly at #1, MDNA, experienced a sharp sales decline in its second week and a majority of her US tour dates have yet to sell out. Those two facts taken together sent a few music writers down the rabbit hole, with some going so far as to say Live Nation, which signed Madonna to a $120 million 360 deal with in 2007, was concerned over both her album and concert ticket sales given the size and length (10 years) of their commitment to the Queen of Pop.

>> Madonna's Manager Confirms That 'Turn Up The Radio' Will Be Next MDNA Single

Yesterday, Madonna's manager Guy Oseary hit Twitter to address the rumors and now Arthur Fogel, Chairman of Live Nation Global Touring, talked to Billboard, saying that not only is business brisk for Madonna's tour but it is actually "on track to end up in the top 10 tours of all time."

First, what many of the reports fail to mention is that Madonna's last tour, 2008-09's "Sticky & Sweet" jaunt, was actually her first venture under her Live Nation deal, and it's enormous success ($408 million in grosses, making it the third highest grossing tour ever and the most successful by a solo artist) most certainly offset a great deal of M's sign-on cost. Merchandising is also a major factor in Live Nation's revenue stream and it controls all of that for Madonna's tours, creating another significant source of revenue for the concert promotion giant.

Perhaps most importantly with regard to MDNA's sales, Madonna's 360 deal is, at its core, touring and merchandise-driven, so talk that the company will take a loss on the album if it doesn't sell 15 million copies (as has been reported) is a bit of a reach. (Quick, name the last album by any artist to sell 15 million copies…)

Talking to Billboard, Fogel said, "To say this tour is not performing is so off base I don't even know what to say. When this tour is said and done, combined with 'Sticky and Sweet,' you're talking $750 million in gross ticket sales. That sounds pretty impressive to me."

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Iconic Madonna Cone Bra Bustier Inspires New Diet Coke Bottle Design

Posted 4/13/12 2:21 pm EST by in Madonna

By Zachary Swickey

We have to admit that we never would have guessed Coca-Cola would be trying to piggyback on the iconography of Madonna, but that seems to be the case with a new Diet Coke bottle design that sports a cone bra in a strange yet unmistakable ode to the Queen of Pop.

Diet Coke is changing things up with a new line of fashion-centric bottle designs, one of which happens to draw undeniable inspiration from Madonna’s notorious cone bra outfit from her 1990 "Blond Ambition" tour.

If you’re wondering how in the world this came into existence, famous French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier is the man responsible for creating Madge’s outfit – a mainstay in music-fashion pop culture – and was interestingly appointed as a creative director for Diet Coke.

>>> Madonna's Truth Or Dare Fragrance '15 Or 16 Years' In The Making

The Madonna-inspired bottle design is a cream color and dons a fishnet corset and cone bra as well as a touch of white and blue stripes painted on. The product has no official tie to the singer, but the audience they’re speaking to is quite clear.

This isn’t the first time Coca-Cola has partnered up with an icon in the fashion industry. Karl Lagerfeld and even Dolce and Gabbana have contributed to the soda brand.

However, if you live in the states and are hoping to get your hands on one of the bottles you're out of luck – the product is for a European-only campaign. But if you're willing, you’ll probably be able to pick some up off eBay … though you'll most likely end up paying major bucks.

Check out the ad for the soda, after the jump! Read More...

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Madonna's Manager Confirms That 'Turn Up The Radio' Will Be Next MDNA Single

Posted 4/11/12 1:09 pm EST by in Madonna

They say "ask and you shall receive." Well, we asked … and it looks like we are getting what we want.

Guy Oseary, Madonna's hunky Twitter-phile manager, took to the social net this morning to respond to a Madge fan championing "Turn Up the Radio" as the next single from MDNA, saying the song "is feeling like the next single."

Now, we've been pushing for "Radio" to be a single since, well, before MDNA even came out, so this is music to our ears! At the time, we posited that Madonna was knowingly waiting until early summer to give the track an official single release because it's a perfect warm weather tune. The calculated perfectionism of some of Madonna's club jams can leave you feeling a little chilly, but that's not the case with "Radio." During our little pre-release listening party, I scribbled the words "effervescent" and "happy" in my notes.

The track has a propulsive energy that just feels so authentic and alive. It's a big, anthemic dance-pop wonder with glittery synths and fun lyrics. In short, it's a perfect single to reignite interest in MDNA before Madonna hits the road for her world tour.

Are you loving "Turn Up the Radio" as much as we are? Let us kno win the comments below!

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Let's Talk About This Rumored Madonna Tour Setlist

Posted 4/10/12 10:27 am EST by in Madonna, tour, Tour Dates

Madonna, Facebook

Because it's pretty great.

An early rumored setlist for Madonna's upcoming MDNA tour, which kicks off May 29 at Tel Aviv, Israel's Ramat Gan Stadium, has been kicking around the Interweb. It hasn't been confirmed, but the source is pretty darn dependable when it comes to Madonna matters, so we thought we'd bring it to you so we could talk it out.

Lending a bit more credibility to the rumored setlist, during her Facebook chat with Jimmy Fallon to promote MDNA, Madonna said that the theme of the show's first act would be "transgression." "I like to have a theme for my show and create a dramatic arc," she told Fallon. "Then I try to make the songs fit within that arc."

If we're talking transgressions, opening with a video intro of "Erotica"/"Justicy My Love" and segueing into "Girl Gone Wild," as you'll see below, seems right in line with the leaked set list.

Let's dive in, shall we! Read More...

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Madonna Celebrates #1 Album With Surprise Party Backstage At Tour Rehearsals

Posted 4/5/12 11:07 am EST by in Madonna, parties

Madonna, Twitter

The Queen of Pop is enjoying a big week and yesterday she celebrated her successes during rehearsals for her upcoming world tour with her dancers, crew and manager, Guy Oseary.

In video she posted during her Twitter Q&A with fans last night, Madonna shows up to rehearsals and is surprised by Oseary with a party to celebrate the #1 debut of her 12th studio album, MDNA. Sticking to the celebrity tradition of not knowing news about yourself that everyone else knew two days ago, Madonna tells Oseary she "didn't even know" she was at the top of the charts!

(Sure, Madonna. Sure.)

From the looks of things, everyone was in high spirits with balloons filling what looks like a backstage area full of sound equipment and plenty of champagne to go around.

"Guy, I'm going to give this to you, for real," Madonna says as she slices a piece of cake for her manager. But, like a just-married couple, Her Madgesty won't just let him have his cake and eat it too. She promptly smashes it into his face, saying, "That's for making me work so hard, mother**ker!"

Check out Madge's chart-topping celebration, after the jump! Read More...

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Lady Gaga, Madonna And The Beatles Named To TIME's List Of All-Time Fashion Icons

Posted 4/4/12 3:59 pm EST by in Lady Gaga, Madonna, Taylor Swift

Gaga and Macca

Each year, TIME names its 100 Most Influential People in the World and that much-touted list is often accompanied by supplementary lists, including this year's countdown of the "All-TIME 100 Fashion Icons." A number of our favorites made that list – though there are a few notable absences.

The majority of the list is composed of Designers and Brands, Models and Photographers, but many celebrities who inspired the direction of fashion over the years were rounded up under the broad category of "Muse." There are classic muses like Josephine Baker, James Dean, Farrah Fawcett, Jean Harlow, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Bettie Page and Princess Diana, whose signature styles the public tried to emulate (and still do – walk around the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg on a nice day and you are guaranteed to see feathered "Farrah" hair or short, blunt pinup-style bangs). Then there are the rockers: The Beatles, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga and Madonna.

(First Lady Michelle Obama also made the list!)

The magazine goes in depth about Madonna's influence as a style icon, writing, "Embraced early as a fashion idol — especially for the young generation — Madonna never ceased to amaze, nor has she ever lost control of her look or her career. From bridal gowns to cone bras and from sexy menswear to Asian inspirations, anything Madonna touched was emulated by her legions of fans around the world."

Gaga is praised for being "as notorious for her outrageous style as she is for her pop hits."

We don't disagree with any of TIME's selections and understand they had a finite number of spots to fill, but, um, where are Beyonce and Taylor Swift – two modern stars whose off-stage style has had a direct impact on modern fashion? If you live outside of a major city, Swifts princess-meets-down home country chic style is about as ubiquitous as it gets. And while Gaga is of course a fashion icon, Swift (just as Madonna and MJ) actually impacts what people wear. just sayin.'

Do you agree with TIME's list? Let us know in the comments below.

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Madonna's Still Got It: ABC Bans Perfume Ad

Posted 4/2/12 11:54 am EST by in Madonna

By Zachary Swickey

If you didn’t already know, it’s clear a new Madonna album is out considering how much noise the icon has been stirring up lately. From her feuds with Piers Morgan and deadmau5 to the buzz that her MDNA is set for a big debut, everything is coming up Madge right now – and the latest buzz is over a racy ad for her perfume that's been deemed too hot for TV. (Shocking, right?)]

The singer’s new scent, Truth Or Dare, shares the same name as her iconic 1991 documentary that followed her during her Blonde Ambition World Tour. In the banned ad, Madge dons a black leotard, fishnets and some fetish gear and is filmed in black and white (just like the tour doc). According to the New York Post, the ad was considered too racy for ABC, which is refusing to air it.

The video also includes the Queen of Pop reciting lyrics from her newest single “Girl Gone Wild” (above) in the background: "I know I shouldn't act this way/I know good girls don't misbehave/But I'm a bad girl.”

Despite the steamy nature of the ad, a press release states the scent is inspired by Madonna’s mother.

"My oldest memory of my mother is her perfume. I carry it with me everywhere," Madonna writes. "She always smelled like gardenias and tuberose. An intoxicating mixture - feminine and mysterious."

Madonna’s twelfth studio album MDNA was finally released last week and is expected to take the number one Billboard spot – besting the newest from Lionel Richie – with an estimated 300,000 units being sold. Tickets for her massive world tour are also on sale now.

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Madonna Plans To Address Anti-Gay Russian Law During St. Petersburg Concert

Posted 3/21/12 3:01 pm EST by in Activism, Gay Rights, Madonna

Madonna

People have been buzzing over whether Madonna, a long-time LGBT rights ally (understatement?) and activist, would address the passage of a new law in St. Petersburg, Russia, that forbids the "promotion of homosexuality" by making discussion of the topic illegal in almost all instances and regardless of the context during her planned concert there in August. In an editorial, the New York Times encouraged Madonna to cancel the show entirely.

Well, she's not changing her concert plans, but she also doesn't plan to back down from the controversial legislation either.

"I will come to St. Petersburg to speak up for the gay community and to give strength and inspiration to anyone who is or feels oppressed," Madonna said in an email statement to Bloomberg. "I'm a freedom fighter."

The new rule, which is aimed at protecting minors from "the false perception that traditional and nontraditional relationships are socially equal," was signed into law on March 7 by St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko. Gay news blog Towleroad reports the law is far-reaching and essentially prohibits "participation in/organization of pride parades and gay rights protests, as well as the maintenance of a gay website, the donning of a gay pride pin, the sporting of a gay pride bumper sticker" and much more. The site also calls the legislation a "foggy, subjective law that can only be enforced selectively," meaning that without any explicit guidelines as to what constitutes "propaganda," law enforcement officials in socially conservative St. Petersburg essentially have free reign to bully LGBT citizens and allies under the broad umbrella of protecting the public from things they don't need to hear – you know, like how being gay is perfectly normal and how all people should be treated with equal respect.

The law has, understandably, drawn a great deal of criticism. "I don’t run away from adversity," Madonna told Bloomberg. "I will speak during my show about this ridiculous atrocity." Read More...

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Madonna's MDNA Leaks Online

Posted 3/20/12 2:30 pm EST by in Madonna

Madonna

A week ahead of its U.S. release, Madonna's MDNA has leaked online. The album reportedly began showing up on some illegal file-sharing websites yesterday (March 19).

Contact Music reports that Madge's manager Guy Oseary has been on leak watch for a while and is asking fans to police them, writing in a series of tweets, "Please police all leaks for us... Much appreciated... It's more luck than anything else... We are grateful that no leaks have occurred... I've done my best... I'm sure it won't hold for much longer... I'm hopeful, but we are too close now... So I'm realistic..."

It goes without saying that you should go out and purchase MDNA when it drops next week. Show some respect for the music industry, the law and Madonna and don't steal it. But since it's out there and all over YouTube, people are talking about it, so we're breaking down our four favorite tracks, after the jump. Read More...

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