Madonna gets a roasting over her rambling ‘tribute’ to late Aretha Franklin

THE backlash was swift for Madonna’s rambling, egocentric tribute to Aretha Franklin at the MTV Video Music Awards, with media and fans of the Queen of Soul wondering why she got the job of delivering the tribute in the first place.

Dressed in flowing black with grandiose flourishes of African jewellery, Madonna, pictured, delivered the send-off before she presented the video of the year award to singer Camila Cabello on Monday night.

The 60-year-old star spoke at length about her own start in the business and her own career before thanking the late Franklin for ‘empowering all of us – R.E.S.P.E.C.T’.

Cabello, a former member of US girl group Fifth Harmony, then collected the biggest award of the night for her Havana video with a bow to Madonna, and dedicated the trophy to… Madonna.

There was a short video of early Franklin that played before Madge said the icon, who died aged 76 on Thursday, ‘changed the course of my life’. The soul star’s Respect then played as the night’s closing credits rolled, but there was no live musical performance honouring the legend.

Some accused Madonna, in her spiky silver headpiece, heavy necklaces and beaded bracelets, of cultural appropriation.

Far more accused her of making the show’s only tribute to Franklin all about herself. ‘I’m so lost,’ radio host Charlamagne tha God, 40, tweeted. ‘I thought Madonna was supposed to be paying homage to Aretha, but all I heard was her paying homage to herself.’

In her speech, Madonna described her exit as a teenager from Detroit to make her name in showbusiness, then added: ‘So, you are probably all wondering why I am telling you this story.’ But before she got to the point (she sang [You Make Me Feel Like] A Natural Woman a capella at an audition of yore), Madonna meandered through references to Paris, poverty, guitar lessons and finally her backside hanging out at a VMAs show after breaking a stiletto.

‘Does Madonna know Madonna didn’t die?’ ESPN’s Katie Nolan tweeted. Marc Snetiker of Entertainment Weekly described the speech on Twitter as: ‘Madonna presents an Aretha Franklin tribute by Madonna featuring Madonna with Madonna and Madonna as “Madonna”.’

The response was not unlike that from some fans of Prince when Madonna donned a Purple Rain suit at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards to honour him soon after his death.

One angry Aretha Franklin fan continued the online roasting, writing: ‘Only Madonna would tell her life story while honoring a dead Black Woman lmaooo.’