It's safe to say that the response to Madonna's so-called 'tribute' to Aretha Franklin at the MTV VMAs on Sunday night probably wasn't what she may have expected.
The pop star was asked by MTV to say a few words about Franklin before presenting the Video of the Year award, but her speech - which was largely focused on her own career and barely mentioned the soul legend - was described as 'self-indulgent' by many. One website calculated that she mentioned herself 72 times, and Franklin just 4 times.
Now, Madonna has taken to Instagram to defend herself, sharing a picture with 'Video of the Year' winner Camila Cabello and adding: "And 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."
She added: "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."
