Tori Amos believes people want to "shame" Madonna.
The star has been making music since the late 80s and her sound is recognisable thanks to her unique lyrics and impressive piano skills.
While she may not be in the same genre as popstar Madonna, they share an age bracket and icon status. And Tori has leapt to the 56-year-old's defence, following criticisms after Madonna fell at the Brit awards earlier this year while performing Living For Love.
"Madonna is an entertainer. There are very few people who could’ve gotten up off that floor. It wasn’t because of her that she fell, but it was because of her that the performance carried on. Some of the vilification comes from women as much as men," Tori, 51, sighed to British newspaper The Guardian.
"She’s making choices and she’s able to do things physically that a lot of people 25 years younger can’t; she got up and refused to allow that to shame her. I think people want her to be shamed into a role that they find acceptable for her age. It makes me sad that we can’t embrace Madonna and say, 'Wow, this is an artist who’s expressing herself in a certain way.'"
Tori has had her fair share of malfunctions on stage, falling off her piano stool many times in her 20s and even performing on her knees due to a mic stand not staying up. She believes it takes something special to carry on after a blip and that people should admire Madonna's agility, even if they don't agree with her "sexuality".
