This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Artist News Media
Madonna “cannot perform” at Eurovision if she doesn’t hurry up and sign her contract
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 15 May 2019
It was the first semi-final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest last night. I forgot and watched the last episode of ‘The Line Of Duty’ instead. Ultimately, I feel like I failed to use my time wisely. Whatever, I didn’t watch it. And I’ll tell you another thing that didn’t happen yesterday. Madonna didn’t sign her contract to perform at the Eurovision final on Saturday.
Last month it was announced that Madonna would appear as the interval act at this year’s big contest, performing two songs. The booking proved controversial, as protesters who oppose the competition being held in Israel this year turned their attentions to trying to get the singer to withdraw from the event. There have also apparently been issues with the political content of a new song she is planning to perform during her set.
Nevertheless, everything seems to be going ahead as planned, with Madonna set to arrive in Tel Aviv to begin rehearsals today. Though, that said, European Broadcasting Union boss Jon Ola Sand said earlier this week that the organisation that oversees the contest “has never confirmed Madonna as an act” – her performance having been announced by Madonna’s own publicists.
But surely that’s just an admin glitch that will prove insignificant, no? No. Madge has not signed her contract with the contest’s producers and that just won’t do. “If we do not have a signed contract she cannot perform on our stage”, says Sand.
See, I think the story in ‘The Line Of Duty’ is good. And compelling. But it has some of the worst written dialogue I’ve ever seen on TV. Some of the acting’s pretty ropey too, but I think that might be a result of the dialogue being so dreadful. The ‘Star Wars’ effect, you might call it.
Anyway, Eurovision. I was meant to be watching Eurovision. Sand continues: “We are in a situation now that is a bit strange. We have an artist who would like to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, and who we would love to welcome on that stage. But for that we need to have the framework secured. We are negotiating now, in the final stage of that – but if there is no signed contract this week, she will not be on the stage”.
This is all starting to sound a bit like some other negotiations that have been happening in Europe of late. Except with someone trying to get in, rather than out. Everyone’s geared up to see Madonna do a little sing-song now though, so I’m sure it will all pan out and no deadlines will be missed. Or maybe we’ll have to push back the half-time show to October.
Of course, there are those protesters who would relish the whole deal falling apart and it not happening at all. Madonna’s performance, I mean. In their efforts to get the star to stand down in solidarity with the people of Palestine, those protesters have pointed out that Madonna has previously expressed solidarity with those very people, specifically in a 2014 Instagram post in which the musician said “I love Palestinians” and that she “wanted peace” in the region.
But Madonna has not been swayed by those arguments as yet. Ahead of the (possible) performance at Eurovision, she told Reuters that she would not allow her music to be used as someone else’s political tool. “I’ll never stop playing music [in order] to suit someone’s political agenda”, she said. “Nor will I stop speaking out against violations of human rights wherever in the world they may be”.
She continued: “My heart breaks every time I hear about the innocent lives that are lost in this region and the violence that is so often perpetuated to suit the political goals of people who benefit from this ancient conflict. I hope and pray that we will soon break free from this terrible cycle of destruction and create a new path towards peace”.
So, whatever else may be occurring, it seems that Madonna is not holding back on signing any contract due to a last minute change of heart, having been won round by the cultural boycott of Israel movement. Still, her signing the contract and therefore performing is still not guaranteed either. Fun times.
The second Eurovision semi-final will be on tomorrow night, which means I can fit in the next episode of ‘Game Of Thrones’ this evening without another embarrassing clash. I mean, come on, what was going on with those postscript screen captions in ‘Line Of Duty’? I thought we’d all agreed that was a lazy storytelling mechanic that shouldn’t be allowed. The final of Eurovision will then take place on Saturday. I’m going to be at a fucking wedding.
