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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Madonna and Elton John’s public feud ran from 2002 to the early 2010s, built from repeated public remarks by John about Madonna’s work, and it ended with a reported backstage apology in April 2025. Madonna announced on April 7, 2025, that they had “buried the hatchet.” If you saw the phrase “this year” in the headline you may have come across it in 2025 coverage; as of October 2026 the reconciliation happened last year, not this year.
The short answer
The feud was not one argument. It was a series of public criticisms by Elton John, each aimed at a different piece of Madonna’s career, and Madonna’s reported explanation was that the criticism hurt because she had admired him since her youth. The available reporting documents the remarks and her reaction to them. It does not establish a single private cause for the rift, or John’s complete motives.
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Timeline of the public rift
| Year | What was reported | Main source |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Madonna and John performed together at a Rainforest Foundation benefit concert in New York, before the public dispute began | Official Charts |
| 2002 | John criticized Madonna’s James Bond theme “Die Another Day” | The Guardian; Official Charts |
| 2004 | At the Q Awards, John questioned her Best Live Act nomination and accused her of lip-syncing | The Guardian |
| 2012 | Both songs were nominated for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes; John later criticized her MDNA tour and musical direction | Official Charts |
| 2023 | John publicly praised Madonna’s advocacy during her Celebration Tour, which honored people affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic | Official Charts |
| April 5–7, 2025 | John performed on Saturday Night Live with Brandi Carlile; Madonna visited him backstage, and she announced the reconciliation on April 7 | The Guardian; Los Angeles Times |
The remarks behind the feud
2002: “Die Another Day”
The dispute is generally dated to John’s criticism of “Die Another Day,” Madonna’s theme for the James Bond film of the same name. The Guardian reports that he called it “the worst Bond tune ever.” Official Charts separately quotes another critical remark about the song. Because the feud was built on public comments rather than a documented private falling-out, this is the earliest point the reporting clearly establishes.
2004: The Q Awards and lip-syncing
At the 2004 Q Awards, John questioned Madonna’s nomination for Best Live Act. The Guardian records his remark, “Madonna, best live act? Fuck off,” and reports that he accused her of lip-syncing. This was the point at which the criticism turned from her recorded music to her performances, which made it harder to dismiss as a single bad review.
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2012: Golden Globes and the MDNA tour
In 2012 both artists had songs nominated for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes. Official Charts reports that John predicted Madonna’s “Masterpiece” would not win; Madonna won. John then criticized her MDNA tour and musical direction. The reporting describes this as continued public criticism of her later work rather than a new incident.
What Madonna said it did to her
Madonna’s reaction is the most consistent part of the record. As reproduced by The Guardian, she said: “Over the decades it hurt me to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist.” Her point was less about the individual remarks than about the gap between how she viewed John and how he viewed her. These are her own statements about her feelings, and they describe her reaction; they are not an independent account of what John intended.
The 2023 shift in tone
Official Charts reports that in 2023, during her Celebration Tour, John publicly praised Madonna’s advocacy for people affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. That reporting shows warmer public remarks. It does not show that the two had privately reconciled, and it should not be read as the turning point; the formal reconciliation came two years later.
The April 2025 reconciliation
The Saturday Night Live appearance and backstage meeting
John performed with Brandi Carlile on Saturday Night Live in early April 2025. Madonna said she visited him backstage, where he asked for forgiveness. She reported that they hugged and that he told her he had written a song for her and wanted to collaborate. Madonna announced the reconciliation publicly on April 7, 2025.
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John’s response
John thanked Madonna for forgiving “forgiving me and my big mouth,” as the Los Angeles Times quoted him, and said he was not proud of his remarks. The Guardian quotes him as saying: “I’m grateful we can move forward.”
Was the collaboration completed?
A collaboration was discussed at the time, but it was a proposal. The coverage from April 2025 does not establish that a joint recording was released, and readers should not assume a duet exists unless a later release is confirmed by the artists or a label.
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What is and is not established
- Established: the dated public remarks from 2002, 2004 and 2012; Madonna’s stated reaction; the 2025 backstage meeting and public announcement.
- Not established: any single private cause of the rift, John’s full motives, or whether a collaboration was ever released.
- Source strength: The Guardian, the Los Angeles Times and Official Charts are the main reporting here. Quotes are attributed as reproduced by those outlets, not from the artists’ own posts.
Why the headline’s “this year” is out of date
The “buried the hatchet” announcement was made on April 7, 2025. A reader searching in 2026 is looking at a reconciliation that is more than a year old, so references to it as recent should be dated to 2025.
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