Madonna is breaking her silence on that disastrous MTV Video Music Awards “tribute” to Aretha Franklin. 
 
 After getting plenty of social media blowback over her Monday night speech apparently aimed at honoring the late music icon, the pop star took to Instagram to defend her convoluted remarks, which she made after taking the stage to present the award for Video of the Year. Viewers slammed the singer’s statement for being mostly about herself rather than Franklin, who passed away last week. 
 
 Michael Loccisano/Getty; David Redfern/Redferns 
 
 Madonna explained (and threw in props for her wild dreamcatcher dress while she was at it): “Just to clarify: I was asked to present video of the year by MTV! And then they asked me to share any anecdotes I had in my career connected to Aretha Franklin! I shared a part of my journey and thanked Aretha for inspiring me along the way. I did not intend to do a tribute to her! That would be impossible in 2 minutes with all the noise and tinsel of an award show. I could never do her justice in this context or environment. Unfortunately, most people have short attention spans, and are so quick to judge. I love Aretha! R.E.S.P.E.C.T. I Love [winner Camila Cabello]! Congrats! I LOVE my dress! AND. I love-L O V E!! ♥️ and there is nothing anyone can say or do that will change that.” 
 
 That Madonna’s speech wasn’t really a tribute to Franklin is something, at least, that she and her critics can agree on. 
 
 In EW’s review of the 35th VMAs, Darren Franich called the proceedings, “a reasonably satisfying awards show, not the boring trainwreck some VMAs have been, not the exciting trainwreck supernova some VMAs dare to be,” and called Madonna’s speech “a demonstrably failed effort to honor Aretha Franklin,” noting, “Her rambling suggested a sudden narrative tangent in an art movie you refuse to understand … It was a ludicrous moment that kept going and going. Surely there are a thousand better ways to honor Aretha Franklin. And yet somehow this moment was the first to feel definable VMA-ish. At long last, we had literally no idea what was going to happen next.” 

 Madonna presents a tribute to Aretha Franklin at the MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on Monday, Aug. 20, 2018, in New York. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) (Associated Press) 
 
 Madonna presents a tribute to Aretha Franklin at the MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on Monday, Aug. 20, 2018, in New York. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) (Associated Press) 
 
 NEW YORK (AP) — The backlash was swift for Madonna's rambling, egocentric tribute to Aretha Franklin at the MTV Video Music Awards, with media and Queen-of-Soul fans wondering why she got the gig in the first place. 
 
 Dressed in flowing black with grandiose flourishes of African jewelry, Madonna's send-off came before she presented the video of the year award to Camila Cabello on Monday night. She spoke at length about her own start in the business and her own career before thanking Franklin for "empowering all of us. R.E.S.P.E.C.T." 
 
 Cabello then collected the biggest award of the night for her "Havana" video with a bow to Madonna, dedicating the trophy to, you guessed it, Madonna. 
 
 There was a short video of early Franklin that played before Madonna said that the icon who died Thursday "changed the course of my life," and Franklin's "Respect" played as the night's closing credits rolled. But there was no live musical performance honoring the legend. 
 
 Some accused Madonna, in her spiky silver headpiece, heavy necklaces and beaded bracelets, of cultural appropriation. Far more accused her of making the show's only tribute to Franklin all about herself. 
 
 "I'm so lost," radio host Charlamagne Tha God tweeted. "I thought Madonna was supposed to be paying homage to Aretha but all I heard was her paying homage to herself." 
 
 After describing her teen exit from Detroit to make her name in show business, Madonna said at one point, "So, you are probably all wondering why I am telling you this story." 
 
 Why, yes. Before she got to the point (she sang "(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman" acapella at an audition of yore), Madonna meandered through references to Paris, poverty, guitar lessons and finally her backside hanging out at a VMAs show after breaking a stiletto. 
 
 "Does Madonna know Madonna didn't die?" ESPN's Katie Nolan tweeted. 
 
 Marc Snetiker of Entertainment Weekly described the speech on Twitter as "Madonna presents an Aretha Franklin tribute by Madonna featuring Madonna with Madonna and Madonna as 'Madonna'." 
 
 The response was not unlike that from some fans of Prince when Madonna donned a "Purple Rain" suit to honor him soon after his death, at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards. 
 
 The Madonna Twitter roasting included this from one angry Franklin fan: "Only madonna would tell her life story while honoring a dead Black Woman lmaooo."
– Madonna has responded to widespread criticism of the "tribute" she made to Aretha Franklin at Monday night's MTV Video Music Awards. Per Entertainment Weekly, Madge explained on Instagram that she was asked by the network to share an anecdote with the audience while presenting this year's video of the year award to Camila Cabello. As AP notes, many said Madonna's speech did more to honor herself than it did the Queen of Soul, who died last week at the age of 76. Others suggested her eye-catching outfit was a form of cultural appropriation. Not so, Madonna insisted. "I did not intend to do a tribute to her! That would be impossible in 2 minutes with all the noise and tinsel of an award show," she wrote. "I love Aretha! R.E.S.P.E.C.T. I love Camilla! Congrats! I LOVE my dress!"