M55 Was a Celebration Fit for a Queen

The south of France was the place to be for the few lucky ones who helped Madonna celebrate her 55th birthday over the weekend.

But, really, any place M is is the place to be....

Click here to see another pic of the Queen of Pop in her outfit, which gave major “Re-Invention Tour” – the party’s theme seems to have been Victorian France-meets-pop/punk – plus photos of M with her b boy (toy) Brahim Zaibat and Lola, who could not be more grown up and beautiful.

Looks like Madona had a really good time. Bet she released herself som’in’ fierce out on the dance floor.

Photo: Instagram.com/madonna.

Blast from the M Past

DVDs for everyone!

Madonna is giving her fans what they’ve long wanted: a trip down memory lane.

The Queen of Pop’s camp has announced plans to release the “Blond Ambition Tour” on both DVD and Blu-ray, as well as the “Virgin Tour” and a remastered “Girlie Show.”

Yay – but what about the “Re-Invention Tour”?

Photo: Guardian.co.uk.

Update: It seems it was too good to be true: Madonnas manager, Guy Oseary, debunked the rumor of the DVDs this evening.

You Got That Right

EW.com has named Guy Ritchie and Madonna the Best Power Couple of the fall movie season.

His RocknRolla premieres in London on Sept. 1.

Her Filth and Wisdom is due out stateside, in limited release, on Oct. 17.

These ones are hot tickets, so get them while they’re…uhh…hot.

Photo: EW.com.

Update 1: Almost forgot: M’s “Re-Invention Tour” will (probably) be released this fall, too.

Update 2: Uh, attention Three Custom Color Specialists: Madonna stole my New York Fashion Week face look.

Crazy for It

And this is what I call an exclusive: After four years, the long-awaited DVD of Madonna’s “Re-Invention Tour” is finally ready to arrive in stores, probably for the holidays, early 2009 at the latest.

The holdup was a rights disagreement, I believe.

The tour, chronicled in the documentary I’m Going to Tell You a Secret, was the Queen of Pop’s most crowd-pleasing in years. It featured such hits as “Vogue,” “Express Yourself,” “Burning Up,” and “Into the Groove,” as well as several songs from her underrated American Life album.

I saw her, for the first time, on three occasions that year, twice in Fort Lauderdale and once in Miami.

I loved it – and I will do anything to see her “Sticky & Sweet Tour” show in Miami later this year.

Anything.

In case you were wondering.

Photo: Confidential Source.

That’s So Iggy, M

Alright, so Madonna will not perform at this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on March 10, after all, but Iggy & The Stooges have been tapped to pay tribute to the Queen of Pop during the show.

My beautiful-stranger spy tells me the band will play two songs – a really, really hot one from Madonna, her first album, and a really popular one from her Grammy Award-winning Ray of Light.

Think about it.... Think about it....

Now, what’s the connection between Madonna and Iggy Pop’s band?

Well, aside from the formative years spent as struggling musicians in Manhattan’s Lower East Side – they both come from the same musical influence: punk – both are Detroit natives, and he opened for her at the Dublin date of her “Re-Invention Tour” in 2004.

Among the other performers scheduled for the induction ceremony are Damien Rice (for Leonard Cohen), Patti LaBelle (for Gamble & Huff), and John Mellencamp and the Ventures, both of whom are being inducted.

Photo: RollingStone.com.

Update 1: So have you figured it out? “Don’t put me off ‘cause I’m on fire.”

Update 2: My, it’s “Burning Up” and “Ray of Light,” of course.

What a Man, What a Man, What a Man, What a Mighty Good Man

Ricky Martin performed in Miami on Saturday – and by golly if I didn’t want to go see him, which luckily I did.

He put on a terrific show, in English and in Spanish, and it was greatly appreciated by the sold-out crowd since rumor had it he might reschedule due to a back injury.

My only very minor criticisms of his “Black and White Tour” are 1) I thought it looked artistically directed by Madonna, and 2) he didn’t sing a couple of crowd-pleasers.

Martin’s a stage man all the way, but it was surprising to see how informed his show appeared to be by Madonna’s “Re-Invention” and “Confessions” tours. There were giant backdrop screens, catwalks spilling out on the floor, and conveyor belts – all fairly usual accoutrements of an arena show like his. But the vibe…the vibe was sooo Madonna. I heard a few fans around me say so, too.

Which brings me to his performance: Where the Queen of Pop did yoga poses, the Latin heartrob did sun salutations; where she briefly spoke about helping children with AIDS in Africa, he did the same, extensively, on behalf of amputee, refugee, and/or orphaned children. It was all very inspired and inspiring – and by no means am I taking anything away from Martin and his show. I loved it.

But he didn’t sing “Shake Your Bon Bon.” Or “She Bangs.” And the rock-ified “Livin’ La Vida Loca” didn’t make me want to take my clothes off and go dancing in the rain. But his “Vuelve” and his “Tal Vez” gave me goose bumps.

At the end of it, though, Martin’s Miami show was a beautiful and fun-filled sexy night. I cannot wait to see him again.

Photo: NewMusicFriday.com.

You Just Wait and See How Much Fun She’s Going to Be

Madonna will be performing the last two American nights of her “Confessions Tour” at the American Airlines Arena this weekend. I. Cannot. Wait.

Fittingly, I have a confession: I have been checking out the fan postings on YouTube, so I know what to expect – horses, a crucifixion, and lots of disco! I know the set list, I know where she spends a great deal of time on stage, and I know she turns it up.

So why would I spend lotsa de casha to see the Queen of Pop?

Well, if catching not one but three shows of her “Re-Invention Tour” (the first time I ever saw her live) a couple of years ago taught me anything, it is that Madonna is well worth it.

Not that I didn’t have a qualm or two about this tour. But making people think, especially her fans, is Madonna’s wont – and I love, love, love her for it.

So that’s what I’m doing this weekend: dancing and singing (so don’t even think to ask me to sit down) and having a blast.

Photo: People.com.

Psst…She Has Something to Say to You

Warner Bros. Records announced today that I’m Going to Tell You a Secret, Madonna’s provocative documentary of her stunning and highly acclaimed “Re-Invention Tour” of 2004, is scheduled to be released on June 20.

Madonna is currently in the middle of the American leg of her Confessions Tour.

Helmed by Jonas Åkerlund (the director of her "Ray of Light" and "Music" videos), I’m Going to Tell You a Secret gives us an up close and personal view of the artist’s daily life while out on the road. It also features beautifully filmed sequences of the undisputed Queen of Pop performing some of hits both old ("Vogue," “Like a Prayer”) and new ("Nobody Knows Me”) and a profoundly moving version of the John Lennon hit "Imagine."

You can read my review here.

Photo: Amazon.com.