Arts & Entertainment
BET and Twitter side-eye Madonna’s BBMA Prince tribute
pop star receives backlash for performance

Madonna closed the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday with a tribute to Prince that many, including network BET, thought fell flat.
The pop star sang a rendition of “Nothing Compares 2 U” and was joined by Stevie Wonder for a duet of “Purple Rain.” Pictures of Prince were displayed on a screen behind her and the arena was lit up with purple lights. However, the tribute wasn’t enough for everyone.
After the performance, the BET Awards Twitter account expressed its condolences to fans by posting a video advertising its own Prince tribute.
“Yeah, we saw that. Don’t worry. We Got You,” the video reads.
BET seemed to echo the sentiments of other fans on Twitter.
“The #BBMAs Prince tribute is a joke. You don’t have Sheila E or the surviving members of The Revolution on there? Child, boo!” one fan tweeted.
“They told me #Madonna’s vocal tribute to #Prince @BBMAs was sang entirely in the key of u flat. I’m glad I didn’t watch,” another fan tweeted.
Questlove, who introduced Madonna’s performance, took to Twitter to defend the tribute.
“For starters it’s hard to accept him no longer being here. & in the upcoming award season for ’17 there will be a gang of tributes,” Questlove tweeted. “Naturally there will be folded arms & shade thrown because the Purple Standard is hard boots to fill & a lot of us don’t wanna come 2 grips.”
“So I know there is gonna be ALOT of ‘feel a certain ways’ about who you want to see do his music justice—but you gotta put that aside yall,” Questlove continued. “Every Prince rendition will not be a life changing orgasmic xperience. Just to SING his work is brave enough. Again feeling are on high.”
Details and performers for the BET Awards’ Prince tribute have not yet been released. The BET Awards air Sunday, June 26.
#BETAwards #PrinceTribute pic.twitter.com/VpnjybXia2
— #BETAwards (@BETAwards) May 23, 2016

The 10th annual Frederick Pride was held at Carroll Creek Linear Park in Frederick, Md. on Saturday, June 25.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
















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Out & About
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