Madonna ‘burnt herself out’ trying to compete with younger stars like Taylor Swift: report

nypost.com:

Queen of Pop danced herself into an ICU hospitalization after trying to compete with younger stars like Taylor Swift and Pink.The 64-year-old legend had been pushing herself to her physical limit ahead of her much-anticipated “Celebration” tour, which led to her sudden collapse and multi-day intubation, insiders told the Sun.“The countdown was well and truly on.

Madonna had all her chips on one number, which was this tour,” the anonymous source told the outlet.“She was working overtime, but she clearly burnt herself out and people around her have been politely reminding her that she is not 45 anymore, let alone 25.“She needed to pace herself.

Pushing herself so hard was extremely risky.”Both Swift, 33, and Pink, 43, have been embarking on their own recent headline-grabbing tours, characterized by their jaw-dropping showmanship — Swift has been consistently playing four-hour shows, while Pink stuns fans with aerial stunts hundreds of feet above her audience’s heads.To compete, Madonna forced herself through hours of grueling rehearsals that slowly took a toll on her body.Those close to Madge noticed the physical strain she was withstanding and worried it could lead to a fate similar to Michael Jackson’s, who died in the lead-up to his “This Is It” tour in 2009.“Madonna was in good spirits before the incident, but some friends had encouraged her to take it easy and find time for rest because of the grueling schedule she had ahead of her,” a source told the Sun.“Many of us feel the constant remarks about her age have put pressure on her to compete, so we are relieved that she has been forced to take time out and put her health first.