Pop star Madonna and British musician Elton John have resolved a conflict that lasted over 20 years.
Madonna posted a photo with Elton John on her social media (SNS) on the 7th, revealing, "We have finally reconciled."
The conflict between the two began in the early 2000s. In 2002, Elton John referred to the soundtrack of the movie "007: Another Day," sung by Madonna, as "the worst Bond song ever," stating, "I do not think this song is Madonna's best music."
Since then, Elton John continued to criticize Madonna. In 2004, at an awards ceremony, Elton John remarked, "Madonna is nominated for best live performance? Since when has lip-synching been live?" The criticism toward Madonna continued thereafter.
In 2012, when both were nominated for the Golden Globe Award in the "Best Original Song" institutional sector, Elton John stated, "Madonna has no chance of beating me." However, the trophy went to Madonna, who jokingly said to Elton John, "I hope we can chat more in the future."
The relationship began to thaw in 2023 when Elton John praised Madonna in a post on social media. At that time, Elton John thanked Madonna for raising awareness about AIDS, presenting a song in memory of the 40.4 million people who died from the disease.
In response, Madonna shared that Elton John's performance she attended in high school greatly influenced her career, saying, "It was heartbreaking that someone I had respected for decades publicly disliked me as an artist."
Their reconciliation happened recently after Elton John's appearance on "SNL." Madonna revealed she went to the venue upon hearing that Elton John was a guest on the show, and they met backstage and reconciled.
Recalling that moment, Madonna said, "The first words that came out of his mouth were, 'Please forgive me.' That’s when the wall between us came down. Forgiveness is a powerful tool. We embraced in just a few minutes." She added, "Elton John said he wrote a song for me and wanted to collaborate. It felt like everything returned to its rightful place in a complete circle."