Perhaps it's because Madge hasn't been in the spotlight much since her album, MDNA, topped the Billboard charts (and suffered a subsequent nosedive in sales), but she recently went out of her way to once again remind everyone that she is, in fact, older than Lady Gaga.
The queen of pop was performing "Express Yourself" at a rehearsal in Tel Aviv, Israel when she suddenly trotted out a cover of "Born This Way." Of course, the two tracks blended seamlessly. Though she stayed mum on Gaga's song for some time after its release, Madge eventually said she felt the single was "reductive" and undoubtedly influenced by her earlier work.
The whole affair had an air of condescension, as if Madonna was wielding the cover like Jay-Z did when he silenced Noel Gallagher and other critics by performing "Wonderwall" at Glastonbury. (The Oasis singer had taken great umbrage at the fact that a rapper had been chosen to headline the festival.)
So what say you, readers? Was Madonna rubbing some salt in Gaga's wound (the latter had recently canceled a show after she faced threats from conservative religious groups), or was she merely winking at the controversy while celebrating the younger performer?
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the Madonna footage was filmed at a concert. It was a rehearsal, and the error has been corrected above.