Madonna makes Aretha Franklin’s death about herself

Madonna opened her heart and expressed herself about Aretha Franklin at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards on Monday night — but was promptly slammed for what turned into an egocentric tribute.

The Material Girl, clad in flowing black with flourishes of African jewelry and spiky headgear, gave the send-off to the late Queen of Soul before presenting the video of the year award to Camila Cabello.

She rambled on about how Franklin, who died Thursday of pancreatic cancer at age 76, helped her launch her own career, according to People.

“Aretha Louise Franklin changed the course of my life. I left Detroit when I was 18, $35 in my pocket. My dream was to make it as a professional dancer. After years of struggling and being broke, I decided to go to auditions for musical theater,” Madge said.

The 60-year-old continued discussing her early years as a struggling artist.

“I had no training or dreams of ever becoming a singer but I went for it. I got cut and rejected from every audition — not tall enough, not blend-in enough, not 12-octave-range enough, not pretty enough. Not enough,” she said.

“And then one day a French disco sensation was looking for backup singers and dancers for his world tour. I thought, ‘Why not? The worst that can happen is I can go back to getting robbed, held at gunpoint and being mistaken for a prostitute in my third-floor walk-up that was also a crackhouse.’ That’s right, I’m a Rebel Heart.”

“So I showed up for the audition and two very large French record producers sat in the empty theater, daring me to be amazing. The dance audition went well. Then they asked me if I had sheet music and a song prepared. I panicked. I had overlooked this important part of the audition process,” she continued.

“I had to think fast, my next meal was on the line. Fortunately one of my favorite albums was ‘Lady Soul’ by Aretha Franklin. I blurted out, ‘You Make Me Feel’ … silence. ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.’ Two French guys nodded at me. I said, ‘You know, by Aretha Franklin.’ ”

She was well into the groove.

“They looked over at the pianist, he shook his head. ‘I don’t need sheet music,’ I said, ‘I know every word. I know the song by heart, I will sing it a cappella.’ I could see that they did not take me seriously — and why should they? Some skinny-ass white girl is going to come up here and belt out a song by one of the greatest soul singers that ever lived? And a cappella … I said, ‘Bitch, I’m Madonna.’ No, I didn’t, I didn’t say that. ‘Cause I wasn’t Madonna yet. I don’t know who I was. I don’t know what I said, I don’t know what came over me.”

After wading deeper and deeper into the recesses of her life, she finally tied it all up.

“So you’re probably all wondering why I’m telling you this story. There’s a connection, because none of this would’ve happened — could’ve happened — without our lady of soul. She led me to where I am today and I know she influenced so many people in this house tonight, in this room tonight, and I want to thank you, Aretha, for empowering all of us. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Long live the queen.”

Reactions to her soliloquy were unkind.

“Does Madonna know Madonna didn’t die?” ESPN’s Katie Nolan tweeted.

Marc Snetiker of Entertainment Weekly described her speech as “Madonna presents an Aretha Franklin tribute by Madonna featuring Madonna with Madonna and Madonna as ‘Madonna.’ ”

The response struck parallels to that from some Prince fans when Madonna donned a “Purple Rain” suit to honor him at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards after his death.

The Madonna Twitter roasting included this from one incensed Franklin fan: “Only madonna would tell her life story while honoring a dead Black Woman lmaooo.”

With Post wires