Madonna’s concert in Rome was a huge hit, despite (or maybe because of) controversy surrounding her seeming determination to piss off the Catholic Church. According to TMZ

La ragazza materiale was hounded by fans outside her hotel and on the Via Condotti, according to the Italian dailies, and the fervor didn’t stop there – many of the 70,000 fans of the pop queen camped out for hours outside the Olympic Stadium to get their spot near the stage. Lenny Kravitz, film director Pedro Almodovar, and Italian soccer star Francesco Totti were just a few of the celebrities who came out to see the show.

All of this makes me think I know what happened to Britney Spears. Clearly, Madonna sucked out her pop-star’s soul when she gave her the french kiss of death on the MTV movie awards three long years ago. Luckily, Christina Aguilera was wearing her special protection against the succubus: the ability to sing.

(Image via Towleroad)