War is over — music legends Madonna and Elton John have ended their long-standing beef.
“We Finally Buried the Hatchet!!!” Madonna, 66, wrote via Instagram on Monday, April 7, alongside a photo of herself posing with John, 78, backstage at Saturday Night Live. “I went to see @eltonjohn perform on SNL this weekend!! WOW.”
John was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live’s Saturday, April 5, show alongside Brandi Carlile.
“I remembered when I was in high school — I snuck out of the house one night to see Elton perform live in Detroit! It was an unforgettable performance that helped me understand the transformative power of music,” Madonna continued. “Seeing him perform when I was in high school changed the course of my life. I had always felt like an outsider growing up and watching him on stage helped me to understand that it was OK to be different-to stand out- to take the road, less traveled by. In fact, it was essential.”
John and Madonna have been at odds for decades, with the root of their discord stemming from a 2002 comment John made about Madonna’s Die Another Day theme song, which he called “the worst [James] Bond tune ever.”
“It hasn’t got a tune,” he told the U.K.’s Sky News at the time. “James Bond themes are usually very camp and this one’s different. … They should have gone for somebody like Lulu and Shirley Bassey, or maybe I’m in that league?” He added, “I don’t think it’s the best Madonna record and I’m a big fan.”
Two years later, the “Rocket Man” singer threw even more shade at the Queen of Pop at the 2004 Q Awards, where John was honored with the Q Classic Songwriting Award. In his acceptance speech, he questioned Madonna’s nomination for best live act.
“Since when has lip-synching been live?” John said of Madonna. “Sorry about that, but I think everyone who lip-synchs on stage in public when you pay, like, 75 quid to see them should be shot. Thank you very much. That’s me off her f***ing Christmas card list, but do I give a toss? No.”
What followed was a years-long back-and-forth between the two artists in the media — until today.
“Over the decades it hurt me to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist. I didn’t understand it,” Madonna wrote in her heartfelt caption on Monday. “I was told Elton John was the musical guest on SNL and I decided to go. I needed to go backstage and confront him. When I met him, the first thing out of his mouth was, ‘Forgive Me’ and the wall between us fell down.”
She concluded, “Forgiveness is a powerful tool. Within minutes. We were hugging. Then he told me had written a song for me and he wanted to collaborate. It was like everything came full circle!! And you can tell everybody , This is Your Song……….💙🩵🩶🤍.”
John himself chimed in to thank Madonna for her forgiveness.
“Thank you for coming to see me at SNL. And thank you for forgiving me and my big mouth,” he wrote in the comments section. “I’m not proud of what I said. Particularly when I think about all the groundbreaking work you have done as an artist – paving the way for an entire generation of female artists to succeed and be true to themselves. You were also one of the very first people to rise up against HIV/AIDS in the 80’s, bringing love and compassion to so many who desperately needed it.”
He added, “I’m grateful we can move forward. 🙏🏻🚀I’m increasingly distressed by all the divisiveness in our world at the moment. Both you and I have wholeheartedly been accepted and embraced by communities who are under threat around the world. By pulling together, I’m hopeful that we can make great things happen for those who really need support. And have a lot of fun doing it!! ❤️❤️🚀🚀.”
Plenty of famous names weighed in as well, with Carlile, 43, writing, “Whatever happens to this country the gays won today folks.”
Actress and longtime Madonna pal Debi Mazar added, “Great news ❤️💯💯💯💯💯🙏🏻.”
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