If you think Jay Z’s new Tidal streaming service comes from the Illuminati, Madonna will take that as the “highest of compliments.”
As Gossip Cop reported, Jay Z and a slew of other top stars, including Madonna, Beyoncé, Kanye West, and Chris Martin, announced on Monday that they are now co-owners of Tidal, which offers subscribers exclusive digital music while compensating artists more fairly than Spotify and other streaming programs. The group, which also includes Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Usher, Alicia Keys, Jason Aldean, Daft Punk, and more, argued that the service is the “wave” of the future, though the concept has gotten mixed reviews so far.
One of the responses making the rounds online is that Tidal is a project of the Illuminati, and that all involved are Illuminati members. Madonna took to Instagram on Tuesday to address the claim, writing, “If you refer to Tidal as Illuminati, you are paying us the highest of compliments.” She explained, “As I’ve stated before it is another name for ‘The Enlightened Ones’ a group of scientists, philosophers and artists that emerged after the dark ages. They changed and shaped the world for the better! Do the research and find out for yourself!” The singer added, “#knowlwdge is power.”
Illuminati rumors have followed Jay Z for quite some time, as well as Madonna, who has a track with West called “Illuminati” on her new album, Rebel Heart. She was asked about it in her recent Rolling Stone cover story, and explained that she wrote the song last year. “People are always using the word Illuminati but they’re always referencing it in an incorrect way. People often accuse me of being a member of the Illuminati and I think in today’s pop culture the Illuminati is perceived as a group of powerful, successful people who are working behind the scenes to control the universe. Not people with consciousness, not people who are enlightened,” she said.
Madonna continued, “So people were accusing me of being a member of the Illuminati, and I kept going, wait – so first I had to figure out what that meant.” She referred to celebrated minds like Shakespeare and Da Vinci, and told the magazine, “To go to the root of the word, they were illuminating people. It had nothing to do with money and power. Of course they were powerful, because they influenced people. But their goal was to inspire and enlighten. So when people refer to me as a member of the Illuminati, I always want to say thank you. Thank you for putting me in that category. But before I can say thank you, I feel like I had to write a song about what I believe the Illuminati to be, and what it isn’t.”
Secret society claims aside, Madonna also used Instagram to hit back at some other complaints about Tidal, insisting it’s “not about consumption and greed,” but “protecting an art-form that is beloved to all of us.” She further wrote, “Everything will be explained and revealed in time! Have Faith! And remember nothing is for free! This is a universal LAW. Somewhere-Somehow-Someone has to pay. There is always an exchange. #truth.” TELL US: What do you think of Madonna’s comments?