Madonna and Elton John reveal whether or not they’ve finally ‘buried the hatchet’

Well, would you look at that? Hell has officially frozen over. Madonna and Elton John, two of music’s most gloriously stubborn, sequin-adorned titans have finally decided to play nice.

While the rest of us were busy worrying about inflation and existential dread, these two decided to solve the real pressing issue: whether a Material Girl and a Rocket Man could share the same oxygen without spontaneously combusting.

The reunion took place backstage at SNL, where Elton was performing as a musical guest. Madonna, who had apparently been holding onto some very real hurt from Elton’s past comments, decided to confront him in person. According to Madonna, the moment they met, Elton wasted no time in saying, “Forgive me.” Just like that, the walls came down, and two pop culture titans shared a hug.

The 66-year-old Queen of Pop took to Instagram to share the momentous occasion with her followers. What makes this peace treaty particularly fascinating is Madonna’s admission that she’s been an Elton fan since her rebellious high school days. Apparently, young Madonna once snuck out of her house to catch Elton performing in Detroit — a concert she credits with showing her “the transformative power of music” and essentially changing the trajectory of her life.

For his part, Elton was gracious in his apology. On Instagram, he acknowledged Madonna’s groundbreaking contributions to music and her tireless activism, particularly her work during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. He admitted he wasn’t proud of his past remarks, calling his “big mouth” the culprit. And just like that, one of music’s most infamous feuds came to an end.

The origins of the Madonna-Elton drama trace back to the early 2000s, when Elton accused Madonna of lip-syncing during her “Re-Invention” tour. “Anyone who lip-syncs in public on stage when you pay $134 to see them should be shot,” he proclaimed at the Q Awards in 2004. 

Things escalated further in 2012 when Madonna’s song “Masterpiece” from her film W.E. won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song — beating out Elton’s “Hello, Hello” from Gnomeo & Juliet. Before the winner was announced, Elton John remarked that Madonna had “no f—ing chance” of winning. Let’s just say Elton did not take the loss gracefully. He accused Madonna of being undeserving, and his husband, David Furnish, even called her win a “flimsy excuse for a Golden Globe.” Yikes. 

Despite their differences, the two  actually have quite a lot in common. Both rose to prominence in the ’80s, both have reinvented themselves countless times, both are LGBTQ+ icons (though in different ways), and both have built careers on being unapologetically themselves. Perhaps that’s why they clashed so spectacularly — too similar in their regal status yet different enough in their approaches to drive each other absolutely bonkers. Still, I’ll take whatever glimmers of harmony I can get in this chaotic world.