Diplo has a surprisingly interesting new interview with Rolling Stone. I’m not really a fan of Diplo – also known as Major Lazer – mostly because he’s a megawatt bitch of the highest order. He’s one of the more high-profile trolls in music these days, throwing shade at everyone from M.I.A. (his ex), Taylor Swift, Lorde and more. In this interview, he talks about his recent work with Madonna and Justin Bieber. You can read the full Rolling Stone piece here. Some highlights:
Working with Justin Bieber on “Where R U Now”: “He’d been stuck in a rut where he has to do a certain thing because of his fan base. Guy from Disclosure texted me, “Yo, man, that Bieber record is amazing,” and I’m like, “Man, you would’ve never written that a year ago,” and he’s like, “I know, this is very difficult for me to text right now.” Bieber’s personal life is whatever it is — he’s a rich kid and he’s pretty much gonna have to be a jerk. But he’s respectful to me, and he has that weird gene where he’s good at everything: better at basketball than me, better at drums. For us it’s more like an art project where you utilize his voice.
His obnoxious social media persona: “If I have a fight with somebody, it makes me look like a prick, but it makes the social-media numbers explode. It’s the Kanye West theory: In 2015, become a prick and just get more popular. I don’t want to be thought of like that, but also I just don’t really care. I’m doing jokes and people take it seriously, like that’s the person I am.
He made up with Taylor Swift: “We squashed it! I saw her at the Grammys and she was supernice and cool. Her fans loved the beef, though. That’s all they have — they don’t have, like, real things going on. It’s still startling when these artists pay attention to my Twitter. Like, Ed Sheeran unfollowed me when I said something about Taylor — I can’t believe these people even know who I am.
On Madonna and ageism: “She created the world we live in. It already sucks to be a woman in the music industry, but to be a boss woman is even harder. She sold out her tour in minutes, but no one seems to want her to succeed — “Madonna, we’ve been there, done that, now we’re about Kim Kardashian.” Her song “Ghosttown” was a guaranteed Number One for anybody else, but she didn’t get a fair shot. With “Bitch I’m Madonna,” everyone said there’s no way it will go anywhere, but I’m like, “Screw it, it represents you more than anything.”
The Madonna thing – he produced “Bitch I’m Madonna” which is easily one of Madonna’s worst songs in the past ten years. That’s not ageism – that’s a sh-tty song and a really embarrassing, budget mess of a video. I’m not saying Madonna doesn’t face ageism – she does. I’m not saying Diplo isn’t totally correct to say that in a lot of ways, Madonna is still boss and she’s still successful. He’s right about that. But there is more at play when you’re talking about Madge.
I laughed at this line about the Swift-lunatics: “Her fans loved the beef, though. That’s all they have — they don’t have, like, real things going on.” LMAO. It actually never occurred to me that Diplo was just pretending to be the biggest douchebag on social media just to Yeezy his way into fame and fortune. Do you think that’s what’s really happening? Or is Diplo just a douche?
Photos courtesy of WENN, Instagram.
There’s not ageism against madonna, she just looks ridiculous and should assume her age.
Bit by bit she falls in the “has-been” category.
+1.
Back in her day she was the sh*t!!! Now, not so much. Ridiculous nails it perfectly.
I agree. If Madonna came out with incredible music, no one would care about her age. It just looks like she’s trying too hard to be hip and edgy. Desperation is a turn-off.
It’s true. I’m in my mid-50s and I have to say that while she was amazing at her peak, I think to try to continue doing what you were doing back then, 30 years later, just doesn’t feel right. Doesn’t mean you aren’t talented or can’t sing or dance, but I think people feel like there’s a time to move on and do other things. For instance, I think if she’d turned her talent toward producing and choreography or running a really successful record company or art or whatever, people would be impressed. In fact, if she was doing that and then did a duet with someone young once in a blue moon, people would be thrilled. It’s the continuation of doing what she did when she was young that feels wrong. People used to talk about how she was amazing at re-inventing herself, so I really thought that as she got older she would recognize that even if you have the best body a 50-something yr old woman can have, it’s not the body of a 20-something and turning towards a different career path to utilize your talents is a wise move. She could be creating/grooming amazing young singers and careers and still making a bundle of money and it’s really the ego stuff that is getting in the way. And it’s not just women, I feel the same way about other singers and bands that are still doing the same thing as grandparents that they were doing in their teens and twenties. I think it diminishes them and they end up coming off as somewhat pathetic, which is sad because at their peak, most of them were incredible. But you have to evolve and expand and grow.
Suzy said this the absolute right way. I couldn’t agree more.
Telling someone to “act their age” is ageism. What’s appropriate for one’s age is culturally defined and therefore dynamic. I’ve always thought Madonna was a tacky person and lousy musician, but she pushes boundaries. One thing she will never do is be put her place. Tell her to age gracefully and she will give you the finger. I like that.
Some women age gracefully and are very sexy.
Madonna is basically a joke today.
It’s not an “act her age” issue. It’s the fact that someone who seemed so brave and balls to the wall about female sexuality is now disappointing us with such an average reaction to aging… She’s afraid. We like to think that the old Madonna would have faced her fear and shown us how to do it right.
But instead of leading the pack like she used too, she’s following and conforming. She’s doing what so many others are doing with the surgeries and procedures. She’s not embracing aging and showing us how to do it with pinache, she is showing us instead, how to pretend it isn’t happening.
It’s the cowardice that makes us frustrated. We expect and hope that Madonna will be gutsy by saying, EFF YOU ALL, I’m old AND with wrinkles and droopy boobs and varicose veins I will show you how to be hot Sh*t. But she’s just copying everyone else and “fixing” all that resulting in this weird cartoon of herself…
Course… in the end that’s not really fair to her. She didn’t lead the pack on showing us how to age but instead how to be unashamed to be sexual. I don’t think she understands this either.
Oh for god’s sake. Does everything get an “ism” attached to it nowadays?
Oh please, that is not “ageism.” People need to stop being so oversensitive about everything. She’s not in her 20’s anymore, she’s 50 and there’s no shame in that. So, why not embrace it instead? A lot of people are of the opinion she should “act her age” for once, and they’re entitled to that opinion, without it being labeled “ageism.” Give me a break already.
@PoliteTeaSipper HAHA RIGHT?
Tell Mick Jagger to stop prancing around like he did 30 years ago.
@Dip Lowest THANK YOU! I forgot to mention that yesterday. Perfect comparison, I feel the same way about Jagger running around the stage in his 70’s as I do about Madonna acting like she’s still 20.
Saying “She should look her age” is classic ageism. What, exactly, is she required to look like? And why?
Madonna should be go back working with the people who produced Ray of Light and Confessions on a dance floor, end of story.
I agree– I was listening to Ray of light while driving from LA to Vegas, and it is a great album. It is pure Madonna, but it was obvious she was still growing as a person and new mother; she created a lovely, vibrant album.
I don’ t know what this “B*tch, I’m Madonna” turn is about, but she’s starting to sound a little like she’s off her identity and being a follower. It just feel like she is chasing relevancy instead of the beautiful evolutions we saw on Ray of Light and Confessions. I watch her videos and performances – she is phenomenal, but she is not 21, and it is obvious now. Please let her move gracefully into a gown and lounge phase… I think all of us would be happier when we have a more introspective Madonna producing
No women, Madonna included, should have to worry about “aging gracefully” especially into a “gown and lounge stage” wtf is that?!! Agism, sexism, you name it, this is the ugliness of peoples views on women, success and aging.
I think Madonna somewhat cause her own age-ism though. Like, if she stopped trying so hard to be seen as “hip”, I think a lot more people would be accepting of her. She just tries way too hard.
This! If she would just gracefully age and adapt I think her fans would happily and loyally follow. She is trying too hard to be youthful and relevant. Someone needs to kick her in the rear and remind her that she is the baddest b***h on the block who invented the wheel and doesn’t need to do all that nonsense anymore. Just make great music.
Perceived ageism, people jump to label anything critical of someone’s age/behavior “ageism” nowadays.
If you use a person’s age (except for in manners of legality) or sex as a reason for why they shouldn’t do something that they can, then ageism and sexism ARE a factor in your reaction. That’s different from just objectively not liking something a person is doing. The problem is that people don’t want to admit it when any type of -ism is a factor in the way they’re looking at something, so it’s easier to go with “People are just making that up” Instead of just honestly admitting “Ok, I’m uncomfortable with that behavior/dress because it goes against the way I’ve been taught a woman, mother, or middle-aged woman is ‘supposed’ to be.” What’s wrong with that totally honest and self-aware statement? I don’t think everyone who finds Madonna ridiculous in someway is being ageist or sexist- some of the things she’s said and done are silly or stupid no matter how old you are or what gender you are- but there’s no denying that ageism and sexism are a factor in some of the things some people say about Madonna, to a lesser extent J.LO, and some others.
Hahahahah. Nice try but
Speaks like a douche, acts like a douche, looks like a douche. He’s one.
I have to disagree in some way, music industry is full of douchery of all kinds and he comes way down on my list. He is outspoken but mostly he speaks the truth and I am sure he is around a lot.
I am a big Diplo fan. People keep saying they don’t know him or think he is a nobody but he is the most influential dude in the music business. He is making a movement with electronic, mixing cultures while giving a really cool message. He is much deeper than what he seems to be, he studied film, anthropology, gave art classes, made a documentary about favelas in Brasil, produced amazing stuff with MIA (the best female rapper in my opinion) and Major Lazer is one of the most innovative concepts in music right now.
Also, he is not Major Lazer, he is a third of Major Lazer.
He is also so extremely hot. HIs shoulders.. his eyes..
As long as he doesn’t take the douchiness- real or fake- too far, I’ll gloss over it.
I kept reading his name as “Dildo”. He must hear that a lot.
I don’t think people are hoping for Madonna to fail. As far as the ‘been there, done that’: yes, she is consistently regurgitating the schtick of her youth, looking for shock value, and it just isn’t working, rather than going forward with new ideas. Kim K has nothing to do with music, so why he mentioned her in the context of Madonna, making it sound like she is some musical pop star equals zero sense to me, unless Sinead was right, and music died.
Of course the music has died! For f**ks sake Taylor Swift, the Queen of Oatmeal, is the biggest act in the current firmament, in case you had any doubts on music’s unfortunate demise! About NOT as rock & roll as it gets. She is so squeaky clean, prim & proper, she is straight out of a Doris Day movie!
Even more depressing is the complete lack of GREAT young singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Tina Turner, Shirley Horn, Shirley Bassey, Dinah Washington, Etta James, Billie Holliday, Jennifer Holliday, Oleta Adams, Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, James Brown, etc, etc, etc. I have nothing against Rihanna & Beyonce, but if you take away the special FX, neither is exactly producing music for the ages. Acts like Nicki Minaj et al are just a marketing joke. When one listens to the mediocrity that is currently out there, it is enough to make you weep.
I used to be a huge fan of Madonna, up to Confessions, but post Hard Candy she can’t seem to get her act together. Having said that, her product is still a zillion times better than anything that’s out there. She needs to do a couple of albums with producers like William Orbit, Stuart Price & Mirwais, with whom she produced her best work ever.
Thanks Tristan, your rant gave me the laughs. Better than tears. And yeah, Swift, blech.
Beyonce has range, though. She can sing.
She sang very beautifully on Listen & many of her club remixes are very good, especially the ones done by the Freemasons, but I wouldn’t put her singing talents in the pantheon of the greats. She is, always in my opinion, a competent rather than a great singer. She is certainly not a great singer like Whitney or Mariah, tho I understand that vocal appreciation is highly subjective
You are so right. So so so right.
Why are you listening to mediocrity though? There are acts (Janelle Monae, Laura Mvula) who make good music with meaning so why complain when you can go look for good music? You won’t find it on generic channels. The good music is out there on Soundcloud, youtube, lots of performers trying to get their music out there. People here have provided links everytime people were moaning about music like the Billboard chart is the ONLY place where you can find music.
Oh Tristan I love you, you took the words out of my mouth
i think competent is a good adjective for beyonce, she’s loud but i wouldnt call her good
Never heard of him, but “no one wants her to succeed”??? Err what?? She’s Madonna ffs, you don’t get more successful and famous than that!
I am one of those people who care far more about Madonna than I do Kim KrapTrashian. One has worked hard and the other got peed on in a sex video and her mother made lemonade out of it. Madonna just needs to stop acting like she is 30 and start acting her age and she would be fine as for Kim …. she just needs to disappear.
I love his music douche or not.
Swift-lunatics is a VERY accurate name for her fans.
Yes I agree that can be said for all the stans out ther e
“Her fans loved the beef, though. That’s all they have — they don’t have, like, real things going on.”
I don’t care what ANYONE says Madonna looks Fantastic!! Get em girl!!! If we can cheer for Caitlin Jenner we should scream for Madonna cause she looks awesome!!!
People don’t cheer for Caitlin for her good looks, at least it seems to me.
Is Madonna transgender?
1- I don’t know when that top photo was taken, but Madonna looks fabulous in it.
2- People don’t want Madonna to succeed because she’s a pretentious a-hole.
3- If Madonna was still producing catchy tunes, she’d still be popular. It’s got nothing to do with the Kardashians.
4- Madonna coms across as pathetic and desperate because she refuses to grow up. That ‘B*tch I’m Madonna’ video is the perfect example. She looks like a fool. It’s like watching your own grandmother try to be ‘hard’.
4-DJ Dipshit is still nothing. The only way he gains relevance is by attacking people with actual talent and their fans. There’s something so gross about the way he attacks Taylor Swift’s fans in a particular, knowing that they are mostly teenage girls.
The most radical move for Madonna now is to dress and act her age. If she reinvented herself as the Grande Dame of pop music, she’d have a fighting chance of staying relevant. Competing with 20 year olds to prove you’re still f*ckable is a losing battle.
How exactly are 50 year olds supposed to dress? Because I failed to get the memo.
Flowered polyester dresses and poodle hairstyle? Wtf? She should dress however the hell she wants!! Why should anyone think they have the right to tell someone how to dress for their age?
I don’t think we have the right, but if she’s unsuccessful, maybe it’s time to re-think her strategy? Her fans have grown up, so has she, new kids have new idols, and Madonna seems to be trying to fit in by being more of the same. I feel like we already have so many people doing more or less the same thing that she can’t possibly outshine them just because she’s Madonna, and (personally) I feel like she doesn’t have the voice or the dancing chops to outshine them just by pure talent.
If she showed some evolution, though, I think she could revitalize her old fan base and perhaps gain some new fans among those who are looking for a break from the usual.
Apologies in advance to Madonna fans: I never was one of them, even in her prime.
So true.
“The most radical move for Madonna now is to dress and act her age.” Replace ‘radical’ with ‘safe’ and you’d be right.. The safest thing for a woman to do after she hits a certain age and/or pops out a kid or two is to shift neatly into that box of ‘classy’, ‘more modest’ ‘demure’ womanhood, because it’s what society expects and has always demanded of women Madonna’s age.
I love his subtle name drop “Ed Sherren stopped following me”. That sentence implies that Ed followed him in the first place.
I call Bullsh!t.
ugh. I can’t look at him without smelling vinegar and wondering if the nozzle is screwed on correctly. I wish he would go away.
I disagree! I adored her as a child, and she won me back with Ray of Light when I was in college. If she showed some personal growth she would probably make better music. That’s it. Yes, ageism exists, but she is not a good example. She’s dug her own hole.
Thank you, I’m sick of everyone calling something “ageism” just because you criticized someone’s behavior for their age. Grow up, people.
What?!?!? Madonna has succeeded! what people don’t want to do is watch 50+ woman who is a FREAKING icon try and behave like she is 20, and act like she has to compete with the likes of Miley Cyrus. She doesn’t, she is an icon she needs to own her status but that does mean stop acting a fool.
Madonna is killing her brand, and personally I’m getting annoyed because her pathetic behavior is making it so I can’t enjoy her 80/90s hits. STOP
I think you summed it up best . She doesn’t have to compete
Nailed it.
Bingo.
So Diplo is not a nickname for Derek Hough? Thought they were the same guy…
Madonna created the world we live in. I was unaware of that.
cause we are living in a material world….
Lol
Yeah, that sentence was….puzzling.
Well, this has done nothing to dispel my belief that he is a giant tool. He’s like any other social bully-he comes up and does something he knows annoys you and needles you and needles you and then when you finally get mad about it, he immediately says “God, I was just joking, you need to lighten up”. But he “doesn’t want to be thought of like that”. Right.
Dude, you pick fights with people for no reason other than your own prickish amusement, which is bad enough, but then you use sexist language to bolster your weak attacks and then accuse other people of being the bully. Bad enough that you’re an obnoxious, insecure attention whore-worse that you don’t take a shred of responsibility for what you say.
The problem with Madonna is that she can’t quite accept that her time of setting trends is over. BUT, she has one thing that none of these young artists has — a fanbase with the money to pay for expensive tour tickets. If she did a year-long tour of her Greatest Hits (and didn’t try to update them), she’d be a billionaire.
What an ass. No Dipsh*t, Madonna didn’t create anyone’s world, especially my own. She’s a vicious, narcissistic, arrogant megalomaniac who clawed her way to the top over the bodies of many, many people who trusted her. She has had her day and no amount of “Bitch I’m Madonna” attitude will help her get back on top.
Madonna, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, you… All jerks.
and he has that weird gene where he’s good at everything: better at basketball than me, better at drums
No, maybe you suck so that puts the bar quite low. Then it just seems that he’s ‘great’ when he’s just ‘above average’ really. The problem with Bieber is that too many people probably tell him this. He’s OK and can have longevity but his talents and skills do not justify his behaviour. It never will.
Her fans loved the beef, though. That’s all they have — they don’t have, like, real things going on.
He’s so petty, all he does is pick fights so he would be on par with these CHILDREN. He’s a grown man picking fights and judging kids for their childish behaviour. He even knows when somebody unfollows him! Doesn’t HE have anything better to do, after all he does have a career? This man is dumb or deliberately obtuse.
It already sucks to be a woman in the music industry, but to be a boss woman is even harder.
Yet you bodyshame popstars who are actually successful at present (Taylor Swift)? Okidoki then, whatever you say Dipshit.
Madonna’s music is just not that good anymore. Even during her worst career moments (early to mid-90s) she managed to not only make good music that sold but make a ‘comeback’ too. Her album decline in the 90s was notable because she sold that much before, she would kill to have Erotica’s numbers now! And that was a time when people where seemingly done with her. All she had to do to fall back into their good graces again was make a good album. It’s not that hard…
Present Madonna has had 3 albums, each failing more than the previous one. People do buy albums (Sheeran, Swift even Empire’s soundtrack was selling like crazy) they just don’t buy hers anymore. People are not interested. Touring is different, she will play some old songs and a Madonna show is pure entertainment but I noticed myself I skip through segments with her new songs a lot. This is also a fan complaint, nobody cares for new Madonna, a request will always be for her pre-2000s songs.
Mad is an Icon and has had a very successful career…its just the coasting she’s been doing, IMO since “Ray of Light” cd…I don’t grasp her musically anymore, but I’m not t hat 13 year old that saw her clad in black dancing to Lucky Star and drooling “Ma! I need some fishnets, leggings and a ton of crosses for Christmas!” got none of that, well, i did get those black elastic bands tho’ 🙂
I love Madonna, have always loved Madonna because she was a strong role model for young women in the 80’s and an excellent business woman. Besides, how long will Diplo (whomever he is) or other current musicians be famous? Madonna has been on the music scene for decades. The majority could only dream of being more than a one hit wonder.
Madonna isn’t perfect, but then none of us are. She needs to accept her age, re-invent herself yet again and kick ass.
The song is too immature for Madonna. Oddly enough, a lot of dance teams and dance companies are choreographing to it on youtube, and I then see why it was considered a good song because it does have a great groove for that. Another surprise. In reviews of her album, Bitch I’m Madonna was always given high marks, which still stuns me. But I think they considered it a fresh club dance track. sonically.
I didn’t consider the video budget. I liked how it was shot by Jonas Akerlund following her utilizing the 17th floor at Andre Balasz’s Standard Highline hotel and in its clubs the Boom Boom Room and Le Bain and embrace the fun of the song.
The splice-ins of the stars who weren’t even there looked budget but it worked for drawing in viewers I guess, which was her intent. Madonna has the highest number of views on that video than she has had maybe ever on VEVO, over 54 million views.
I think it’s a huge downslide for Madonna to be doing Bitch I’m Madonna, trying to grab a youth hit. It’s an immature song, period. A young hipster did pull up next to me with that song blazing and I was bopping to before I even realized the was Madonna’s song.
I don’t like Madonna anymore, though. I have been such a fan, but I almost got on board for this album because it has some great songs but can’t get past her sad attempts at being some hip kid and doing things she thinks makes her a rebel, but it’s not. It just comes across someone desperate to grab the very young audience. I can’t even be bothered to listen to the really great songs on the album and have no desire to see the tour anymore. My fandom has left the building.
This choreography group submitted this video for consideration for her tour. When you watch a talented professional group like this dancing to it, the song becomes so much better regarding a club song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQeceUuoZpE
Is anyone surprised he’s a douche? He worked with Justin Bieber, of course he doesn’t have much intelligent things to say.
I chuckled when Diplo said that Swift’s fans “don’t have , like, real things going on.” Aren’t Swifty’s fans, like, 12 years old or still in high school? Is HE 12?
I love her, no matter what all of you say. And who cares what she does to her face?? People get tattoos these days that look worse than what she does to her face. And she is one fit girl for someone in her 50s. She rocks it, and if any of you have ever been to one of her concerts, you know what I’m talking about.
Agree! She’s awesome no matter her age.
He’s right on several accords: WE don’t in general pay homage to the ones who set the precedent. WE just don’t. We look at Taylors video and not recognize, It was Madonna who did everything visually Taylor’s trying to recreate. We could go through each pop artist and nail all Madonna’s originality to borrowed passages she laid. And worse, we don’t recognize where it came from. “Madonna Appropriation”. That said, I think Madonna comes off now like she’s trying to be young or compete with young pop artists (THOSE SAME POP ARTISTS WHO ARE BORROWING OFF MADONNA) but we don’t want to see it from Madonna because we think she’s old. Madonna could change her style and outrageous approach. My girlfriend told me her daughter thinks Miley is the new Madonna. REALLY. Do we remember what Madonna had accomplished to be known globally as “Madonna” – it wasn’t sticking her tongue out riding a rope. All I’m saying is… we’ve got short attention span. Madonna’s got teenagers and sometimes comes off like she’s trying to be young. Let us let Madge be who she is… outrageous, unpredictable and counter-culture. That’s what made her famous, she did what most wanted to & too afraid to try.
I was going to say that Madonna looks effing fabulous! I like a lot of what Diplo has to say. He’s smarter than I thought he was. I do think people want Madonna to fail now. It’s not just ageism, but sexism. No one wants Mick Jagger to fail. No one gives him sh-t for “dating” two 20- something models at the same time.
Madonna has totally changed her face because she’s so afraid of getting older. She let herself down by doing so. It is hard (imo) to respect a person who seem so insecure. I feel like she’s being ageist towards herself and then blaming the world for not accepting her because she’s a woman. Madonna of all people. I used to be her biggest fan .
Malene (40 years old).
Madonna literally doesn’t look any more ridiculous than all the 30 year olds plumping their faces up and botoxing all the life out of themselves. That’s the sad thing … they all look like a woman in her mid 50s trying to hold on to youth. At least Madonna’s in her mid 50s. I’m not a fan, but I do love her “I do what I want **** you” attitude. I don’t think she loses any sleep over what the rest of us think. I love anyone that goes totally to their own drummer. And like I said, not really a fan, never have been, and I’m of exactly the right age to LOVE her.
…wow…so many posts already…There was nothing budget about that video…MegaBudget more like…the Moschino threads everyone was wearing were totally Beautiful. The dance talent looked outstanding…Madge extensions great too. Total shame about the terrible song…but thats been happening for a while…weak material…wrapped up great…soon some exec will say ‘No!’..& that will be a shame.
I love that he clearly does not get that in that picture she is STILL besting him even though they “squashed it”. Sure Diplo take a pic while I take a drink aka while I quench your THIRST.
Madonna is putting out the same lyrics that a 20 year old would put out. That’s why she’s hard to take seriously right now. Yes OF COURSE Madonna you can “drink as much as we want to” (like she claims on B*TCH I’m Madonna) because you’re 56. There is no substance there, too bad she can’t realize it and instead we’re all just labeled “haters”.
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