As the world mourns the passing of R&B legend Aretha Franklin, Madonna has come under intense scrutiny for giving the Queen of Soul a wack tribute at the 2018 VMAs. 

Madonna, who recently celebrated her 60th birthday, was criticized for seemingly turning the tribute into a celebration of her decades-spanning career, reports E! 

"Aretha Louise Franklin changed the course of my life. I left Detroit when I was 18. Thirty-five dollars in my pocket. My dream was to make it as a professional dancer. After years of struggling and being broke, I decided to go to auditions for musical theater. I heard the pay was better. I had no training or dreams ever, ever becoming a singer, but I went for it," she recalled. 

She would continue, reminiscing about her big break and how Franklin's music would give her the chance to be a star in her own right. 

"I showed up to the audition, and two very large French record producers sat in the empty theater, daring me to be amazing. The dance audition went well. Then they asked me if I had sheet music and a song prepared. I panicked. I had overlooked this important part of the audition process. I had to think fast. My next meal was on the line," she said.

"Fortunately, one of my favorite albums was Lady Soul by Aretha Franklin," she continued. "I blurted out, 'You make me feel.'  Silence. 'You make me feel like a natural woman.' Two French guys nodded at me. I said, 'You know, by Aretha Franklin.' Again, mmhmm. They looked over at the pianist. He shook his head."

Twitter was perplexed by the glaring self-absorption and didn't forget that this wasn't her first time poorly paying homage to a late black music icon. Her tribute to Prince during the 2016 Billboard Music Awards also invited side-eyes. If the VMAs had the same memory, this might have all been avoided. 

If the tribute wasn't bad enough, Madonna's choice of clothing also caught the eye of critics. She stood up in front of millions while wearing traditional Moroccan/Amazigh attire, perpetuating the controversy and inviting accusations of cultural appropriation, as The Hollywood Reporter points out. 

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