Cyndi Lauper finally reveals the truth about her ‘feud’ with Madonna
There has long been a belief that two pop stars who rose to superstardom in the ’80s are embroiled in a four-decade feud.
Each of the women dominated the charts in the ’80s and recorded some of the most beloved songs of that decade.
They have each won multiple Grammys and were pioneers in the early days of MTV.
And now Cyndi Lauper, 71, has said she has never had a fight with Madonna, 66.
“As soon as I saw her do Like a Prayer,” I was like, “Oh my God.” Oh, I love her!’ And I’ve loved her ever since,” said the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun singer – who had sound problems during her set at Glastonbury People.
There has long been a belief that two pop stars who rose to superstardom in the ’80s are embroiled in a four-decade feud. Pictured here in 1983
Each of the women dominated the charts in the ’80s and recorded some of the most beloved songs of that decade. Madonna seen here in 1990
The rumor started in 1983 when Madonna released her first album of the same name. Madge’s hits Holiday, Borderline and Dress You Up made her an instant superstar.
Lauper debuted that same year with her first album She’s So Unusual. Her hits Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, She-Bop and Time After Time made her a radio and MTV favorite.
The two women shared big, colorful personalities and a funky sartorial aesthetic. Their shared quirkiness led to rumors that the two were at odds.
“In the ’80s they started pitting women against each other,” she said. “It actually started in the 1960s, when women were pitted against each other and they wanted to get back to what they did before women’s liberalization or whatever,” she says.
But the Madonna beef, she says, was simply made up, citing her appreciation for Like a Prayer.
‘As if you can only have one woman who is successful. What the hell is that about?’ she said The Guardian earlier this year.
‘That woman has been entertaining us for years. She made great pop songs. I want to be competitive, but not against another woman. I don’t like that,” Lauper added.
They have each won multiple Grammys and were pioneers in the early days of MTV. Cyndi pictured here at the 2024 Glastonbury Music Festival
And now Cyndi Lauper, 71, has said she has never fought Madonna, 66. Seen here at the 2023 Grammy Awards
“As soon as I saw her do Like a Prayer,” I was like, “Oh my God.” Oh, I love her!’ And I’ve loved her ever since,” she said. Seen here in 1984
The rumor started in 1983 when Madonna released her first album of the same name. Pictured here in 1984
Lauper debuted that same year with her first album She’s So Unusual. Seen at the 2024 MTV Music Video Awards
The two women shared big, colorful personalities and a funky sartorial aesthetic. Their shared quirkiness led to rumors that the two were at odds. Seen here in 2022
As Cyndi prepares for her Girls Just Wanna Have Fun farewell tour, she shares the secrets of her long career in the music industry.
‘I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. It’s very boring,” she said, despite her wild childish aesthetic.
“But because I was a singer, I had to pay attention to my voice,” she explained.
She added that she was never attracted to drugs, saying: “When you sing, when everything goes well, you come to another planet anyway.”