Source: Billboard

Madonna dominated the stage in Barcelona, Spain, over the weekend as she kicked off her first live tour in eight years. Nearly 18,000 fans sang along with the superstar at the Palau St. Jordi on Saturday and again Sunday before she moved on to Milan, Italy, as part of her Drowned World Tour. The 42 year-old Material Mom emerged onto the stage front wearing a short kilt with a slit on each side over long leather pants. During the show, she appeared as a geisha, a cowgirl, and a modern dancer. Always emphasizing sensuality, Madonna's dizzying movements and provocative swaying triggered screams of pleasure from fans. Besides performing songs from her recent Ray of Light and Music albums, Madonna also sang a Spanish version of the track What it Feels Like for a Girl, and older favorites such as La Isla Bonita and Holiday, the hit that propelled her to stardom almost 20 years ago. The artist will conclude the European leg of her tour July 12 with the last of six concerts in London. A sold-out three-month U.S. tour begins with two shows July 21 and 22 in Philadelphia.

Madonna kicks off her Drowned World Tour tomorrow, but you can get buy some of the Exclusvie tour merchandise online today!

Available only at the shows, or right here on Madonnamusic...

Drowned World Tour Whisper Trio T-Shirt
Be the first to have it and wear the shirt to the show! Red Whisper Trio T-shirt from Madonna's current Drowned World Tour.

Drowned World Tour Leaning T-Shirt
You've got to have this! This t-shirt is from Madonna's current Drowned World Tour and features Madonna in a leaning pose. Fabulous! White, 100% cotton.

Drowned World Tour Europe Itinerary T-Shirt
Be the first of your friends to own it...This black t-shirt is direct from Madonna's European Drowned World Tour. European tour dates featured on the back. 100% cotton.

Buy Them Now!

The BBC is to celebrate Madonna's forthcoming run of UK dates with a documentary called There's ONLY ONE MADONNA that will be screened on July 4. This coincides with Madonna's first UK gig on her Drowned World Tour, at London's Earl's Court Arena. A BBC spokesperson says the show, will chart her influence on style as well as her impact on girl power and her involvement with gender politics.

You can see Madonna *Star* in the Guy Ritchie directed BMW short film at www.bmwfilms.com.

Synopsis:
The Driver faces perhaps his most perplexing challenge: coming face-to-face with a hugely talented and successful rock star. But beneath her beauty lies a problem * she always gets what she wants. In the short, Madonna plays the role of a superstar diva on her way to a film premier. She is late, so she moans at him to drive faster. He steps on it and begins driving at such high speed that Madonna is thrown around all over the place in the back of the car. Guy Ritchie directs Clive Owen and Madonna in a battle of power against power.

Madonna is taking her Music to the masses -- HBO masses, that is. The cable network will air a live concert from the pop icon's latest tour, the first in eight years, called The Drowned World Tour. Airing Aug. 26, the concert will be broadcast from The Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit, Madonna's hometown.

It's a thrill for us to have Madonna back because we know it is going to be a spectacular show, with that combination of her amazing talent and extravagant style which only Madonna can bring, says Nancy Gellar, HBO's senior vice president of original programming.

HBO and Madonna last teamed for 1993's Madonna -- Live Down Under: The Girlie Show, which aired live from Sydney, Australia. The program was HBO's most-watched original program of the year. Madonna's first special on HBO, 1990's Madonna -- Live! Blond Ambition World Tour, premiered to record numbers and remains one of the highest-rated original programs in HBO history.

If it's not shocking, it's not rock 'n" roll - that's been true from the first thrust of Elvis" crotch to the falsified chirping of Milli Vanilli. However, sometimes rock can go too far, jolting the most jaded fan with its appetite for excess and real-life drama - remember how you felt when you heard about Kurt Cobain's last act with a shotgun? In an era when Janet Jackson's discovery of the F word barely raises an eyebrow, VH1 combed through the past to give you the 100 most shocking moments in rock 'n" roll. Parental guidance advised.

#87 - Madonna scandalizes with her Like a Prayer video (1989)

#11 - Madonna bares all in her racy Sex book (1992)

For More Information!

New York, NY (May 21, 200l) -- The U.S. leg of Madonna's DROWNED WORLD TOUR, continued to sell out performances in the final seven markets that went on sale this past weekend. The tour, promoted by SFX, promises to be the most extravagant stage spectacle of Madonna's career.

Over the past weekend, multiple performances sold out in New York, New Jersey, Washington, Miami, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Due to overwhelming demand, an additional three shows in New York and two shows in Los Angeles will go on sale to the public on Wednesday, May 30th. New York * Additional shows now added are: July 28, 30 & 31. In Los Angeles * Additional shows now added are: Sept. 13 & 14.

Beginning Wednesday, May 23, AOL is once again offering new and current members the opportunity to purchase advance tickets to these additional shows. Madonna fans can call Ticketmaster at 888-318-6646 (New York) or 888-303-2121 (Los Angeles) to join AOL and purchase up to two tickets on a first-come first-sold basis. Current AOL members will have the opportunity to purchase advance tickets at AOL Keyword: Madonna.

Check out all the tour dates!

(Source: PR-Newswire)

For the first time in eight years since The Girlie Show, Madonna promises to take the stage live in a extensive international concert tour this summer. The exhilarating itinerary promises to take her in a series of shows in Europe beginning in June and all across America starting in July. The
tour will be promoted by SFX. A complete schedule of these landmark events will be announced within weeks. Madonna is expected to perform material from her smash hit electrifying Cowboy Punk album Music as well as signature songs spanning the length of her incredible stunning career in a cutting edge concert setting that will continue the tradition of trend setting innovation that Madonna is famous and known for on the stage! Stay tuned to MadonnaMusic as more information and breaking details on this develops.

(Sources: World-Pop, Billboard)

Madonna's hit single don't Tell Me gets Gold Certified selling over 500,000 units worldwide. As for Madonna's Music album, it remains in the #26 position in the Official UK Album charts.

In honoring don't Tell Me being Gold Certified, the MadonnaMusic rounded up a list of all the Madonna songs that have hit Gold and Platinum Status, selling over 500,000 to 1,000,000 units respectfully. don't Tell Me is Madonna's 24th song to be Gold Certified with her Music single going Platinum just recently. Here are the list of the 24 Madonna songs that have hit Gold And Platinum status:

1 Borderline

2 Like a Virgin

3 Crazy for You

4 Angel/Into the Groove

5 Papa don't Preach

6 True Blue

7 Like a Prayer (Platinum)

8 Express Yourself

9 Keep it Together

10 Vogue (2x Platinum)

11 Hanky Panky

12 Justify My Love (Platinum)

13 Rescue Me

14 This Used to be My Playground

15 Erotica

16 I'll Remember

17 Secret

18 Take a Bow

19 you'll See

20 You Must Love Me

21 Frozen

22 Ray of Light

23 Music (Platinum)

24 don't Tell Me

According NME, Madonna's 17 year old classic 1980's Hit single Holiday is to appear on a new album by The Avalanches. Now, the classic celebration of life hit single will soon be sampled in an instrumental version on the album track Stay Another Season. A spokesman for The Avalanches said, When Madonna went into her office with the new CD, she listened to it and then said the band could use the sample. They never expected to use it but they were really pleased she let them do it. The new album by The Avalanches called Since I left You will be on sale in music stores everywhere on April 15th.