Last night (November 14), Madonna gave a six-minute heartfelt speech, followed by a performance of her classic song "Like A Prayer" in mourning of the victims of the recent Paris terrorist attacks at the hands of ISIS that left 129 dead.
In the wake of the heinous Paris terrorist attacks, one of which took place at the Bataclan Café (a concert hall hosting an Eagles Of Death Metal concert Friday night), musicians from around the world have been voicing their condolences and concerns alike, paying tribute in every way possible. U2, as well as Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys) were less than three miles away at the time of the attacks, U2 paying a solemn visit to the site of the attacks in its aftermath. Coldplay, as well as a local French musician, dedicated their own versions of John Lennon's "Imagine" to the victims as well.
During her set in Stockholm, Madonna elaborated on her decision to go on with the show as planned, despite her reservations. "This whole show is about celebrating life and standing up for your rights, fighting for what you believe in," the pop singer stated. "It's been very hard for me to get through this show up to this point and not forget about what happened last night so I need to take this moment to acknowledge the tragic killings, assassinations, and the senseless endings of precious life that occurred last night in Paris."
She then voiced her opinion on why she feels it is important to go on with our daily lives. "That is exactly what these people want to do. They want to shut us up. They want to silence us. And we won't let them. We will never let them. Because there is power in unity and I do believe that as much chaos, and pain, and senseless violence and terrorism that occurs around this world - not just in Paris - as much of that does occur, there is more goodness in this world. We are here to prove it."
After her lengthy speech, the songstress initiated a moment of silence for the victims, one of which was a regular merchandise table guy who had worked with many bands before. She then launched into an emotional rendition of "Like A Prayer," exclaiming "No more war!" as the song started to hit its stride.
