Madonna’s Prince Tribute Was More Like Yellow Snow Than Purple Rain: [Op-Ed]

COME ON MADONNA!!

Now let me preface this by saying that I am actually a fan of Madonna‘s music. I have been since I was a little girl. But “nothing compares” to Prince singing his own songs, so anyone who even thought to attempt a tribute to him should have been able both vocally and musically to get as close to him as would have been humanly possible. Madonna was never going to be able to do that…not ever. Which was just one of the myriad of reasons that people threw a serious tantrum when they found out that she was going to be the one to “tribute” him at this year’s Billboard Award Show which aired Sunday.

Take a look at what Madonna did to honor the fallen purple rocker below.

 

 

The response from social media ranged from blank stares to praise to flat out cursing. Memes began to creep up like a swim suit on a big booty in the middle of July! And anyone who remembers the looks on Prince’s face during his tribute in 2010 at the BET Awards knows he felt a particular way about how his music was performed. Take a look below to see what we mean.

 

Compared to Madonna, Trey did the damn thang and you see how it was received! Not well…not well at all.

Those of us who remembered this performance, knew Prince would not be a fan of the Madonna tribute and that was why all the bruhaha about her not doing it came into play. But as usual she did what she wanted to do because she’s a rebel. That was cute when she was in her 20’s but now at nearly 60 it just looks ridiculous.  If she wants to suck Drake’s face off on an award show fine, show up on a red carpet with her behind hanging out cool. She spent the money on that outfit so she should wear it if she wants to.

But people told her to sit down somewhere and to enjoy her seat while she was there because we all knew that Prince would not have enjoyed that disaster of a performance. And bringing our Uncle Stevie up there…tsk, tsk and tsk. She should have just let Stevie do the tribute in the first place. He could have handled it by himself.

Madonna decided to respond to her “haters” (or as I like to call them people with ears and an opinion!) on social media by saying,

“Anyone who wants to do a tribute to Prince is welcome to. Whatever your age Gender or skin Color. If you loved him and he inspired you then show it!!!! I love Prince 4 ever.”

Madonna should not have been allowed to do the tribute for no reason greater than this; she was not the musical equal to do it. Period. And fans worldwide wanted a tribute that was befitting to a man who played almost 30 instruments and who was self taught in everything he did. It was supposed to be a celebration of this man’s decades old career. Madonna didn’t give us a celebration…that was a party with no hors-d’oeuvres and a cockroach floating in the punch bowl and no one wanted that…not at all.

Now, I know the Material Girl is all about reinvention yada, yada, yada and she by virtue of being a veteran should have been allowed to salute her “friend” Prince. However, why did her salute have to mean her singing? Why couldn’t she have introduced real musicians that Prince actually mentored like Alicia Keys or Bobby Ross Avila etc? Why couldn’t they have given artists who are prodigies like Prince the opportunity to remind us all of what his loss truly means to the music world and us as fans collectively? Why did it have to be about her?

Because in the end, she made it all about Madge…as usual. Which really begs the question, Was this ever about Prince at all? Or was it simply one more desperate attempt from the likes of a woman who can not accept her reality. This was not supposed to be about making her feel relevant. It had nothing to do with her age, or her sex or even her color honestly. What it had to do with was Prince Rogers Nelson and the loss of a talent that can never truly be replaced. On second thought maybe her ship wreck of a performance did just that…it reminded us that Prince’s talent level can never be replaced!