One of the biggest talking points of the Billboard Music Awards was Madonna‘s tribute to Prince featuring Stevie Wonder. Look, it wasn’t particularly great, but tributes at award shows are rarely particularly good. They’re there to occupy airspace between the rich and famous people getting their shiny trophies.
Black Entertainment Television, who are doing their own award show and Prince tribute, threw out some cheeky shade for their audience to enjoy.
#BETAwards #PrinceTribute pic.twitter.com/VpnjybXia2
— #BETAwards (@BETAwards) May 23, 2016
Quite, quite good. One million articles exploded onto the web within seconds of that tweet cheering on the MAD SHADE, but Stephen Hill, BET’s President of Programming, told The FADER that it wasn’t intended that way (it was).
“There’s no such thing as a “comprehensive” tribute to Prince.” Hill said “His music is too varied and vast; however, at the BET Awards on June 26, you can look forward to a multi-tiered, multi-generational, musician laden, expansive…and funky celebration of Prince’s music in line with our audience’s clear and expressed desires.”
It seems the collective shout of “meh” eventually reached Madge’s ears, because she tweeted in defence of her performance, which came after a tweet from Questlove telling everyone to calm down, and that they ought to anticipate a whole slew of Prince tributes – some good, some maybe less so.
Every Prince rendition will not be a life changing orgasmic xperience. Just to SING his work is brave enough. Again feeling are on high
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016
Madonna’s tweet says that everyone is allowed to cover Prince regardless of age, gender or skin. We’re not sure if that was the issue really, or whether it was more the fact that Prince hated people covering his music full stop, let alone during the crass spectacle of an awards show. But y’know.
Anyone who wants to do a tribute to Prince is welcome to. Whatever your age Gender or skin…https://t.co/1alm1YYtZM pic.twitter.com/0uhiOKopYW
— Madonna (@Madonna) May 23, 2016
You do you, Madge.
Source: Twitter.
Photo: Getty Images.