It was a moment that captivated the nation, but what would it have been like if Madonna had picked different kissmates for her VMA performance? As it turns out, Pink was supposed to be there too.
“It was originally supposed to be different people involved,” Pink told MTV News Europe, “but I didn’t even know [what was going to happen during the performance]. The kiss wasn’t even talked about.”
Rumors had been rampant before the Video Music Awards that Madonna would be taking the stage with representatives of the younger pop generation, but talk had centered mostly on Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez. Pink escaped the rumor mill because she backed out before rehearsals began.
“I had one vacation all year,” Pink explained, “and I was not leaving my vacation to go into a rehearsal studio, which sounds ridiculous, but you know, I just said, ‘I can’t be at those rehearsals, but I can learn it for that day, and I’m sure that I’ll be more than capable of doing it.’ ”
That proposal, however, wasn’t acceptable, and Pink was taken out of the running. But since she was only apprised of the singing aspect of the performance, not the kissing, it begs the question: Had scheduling not been a problem, would she have been willing to make out with Madonna? She says yes and insists she’s amused that the same-sex liplock generated so many headlines.
“I’m very surprised that kisses, or girl-on-girl, or guy-on-guy, is that interesting still, to this day,” she laughed.