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The Daily Dish Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Did Sheryl Crow Mean to Shade Madonna?

The Grammy winner set the record straight on her controversial interview on #WWHL.

By Laura Rosenfeld
Did Sheryl Crow Mean to Shade Madonna?

Many people thought Sheryl Crow was coming for Madonna after she made some comments about women's sexuality and female empowerment in the music industry during an appearance on AXS TV's The Big Interview with Dan Rather earlier this month. But Sheryl set the record straight during a visit to Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Thursday night.

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When Madonna accepted the "Woman of the Year" honor during the Billboard Women in Music 2016 celebration in December, she spoke about how women in the music business "have to play the game" in being what men and what other women are comfortable with them being, but they're not allowed to act too smart, share their own sexual fantasies, or age. Dan Rather asked Sheryl what she thought about Madonna's remarks in the context of her own career. "For the women that are out there now, I would always ask the question, 'Do you feel more empowered by using your body to draw attention to your art, or do you feel more empowered by wielding a talent that moves the molecules?' And to me, I choose the latter because I think that, I mean I wouldn't put it all on Madonna, but there's a certain part of me that says when you start exploring sex as a woman's power and you project that into art as a business form, you change the way women are forever looked at," Sheryl explained. "I  take offense at the fact that so many females out there have an opportunity to be powerful and strong and not have it be relying on the size of their butts or a particular kind of dancing that we've all seen through decades and that being construed as power. It isn't."


Though many people interpreted Sheryl's response to be critical of Madonna, the Grammy winner told one WWHL caller that wasn't her intention at all and her comments were "taken sort of out of context." "Yeah, that was a bummer," Sheryl said. "I did a Dan Rather interview, and he asked me about a quote from Madonna. I actually had not seen her speech." 

Sheryl went on to say that she would never do anything to insult the Material Girl. "Of course, I would never pick a fight with Madonna," she continued. "I have a lot of respect for her." 

Watch Sheryl dish on another music legend, the late Prince, below.

Sheryl Crow & Prince’s Jam Session
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