Watch Madonna & Stevie Wonder Cover Prince At The Billboard Music Awards

Madonna paid tribute to her friend and collaborator Prince to close out tonight's Billboard Music Awards. Questlove introduced the singer, who made her entrance on a huge purple throne and proceeded to perform a somber rendition of "Nothing Compares 2 U." Stevie Wonder then joined her on stage to sing "Purple Rain." Watch the performance below. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed] UPDATE: As expected there were plenty of gripes on social media about the performance, including this shady tweet from BET (who will stage a Prince tribute at their awards next month)...

#BETAwards #PrinceTribute pic.twitter.com/VTNYE0POvD

— BET (@BET) May 23, 2016

Questlove has chimed in to defend the Madonna performance and these tributes in general.

because of P's well known love for the *poof* vanishing act. A lot of us are left feeling incomplete in the act of saying goodbye.

— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016

For starters it's hard to accept him no longer being here. & in the upcoming award season for '17 there will be a gang of tributes

— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016

Naturally there will be folded arms & shade thrown because the Purple Standard is hard boots to fill & a lot of us don't wanna come 2 grips

— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016

---w the fact that Prince--(an on the surface) face of health & invincible agelessness subcomb to something so....friggin basic

— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016

So w mourning will come sadness & anger. 1st week I cried. 2nd week I tried to atone for his sins w gettin 8-10 hrs of sleep he didn't get

— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016

Now anger is in the air w who (in our eyes) is allowed to mourn & how they are allowed to mourn.---none of us were prepared for his death

— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016

So I know there is gonna be ALOT of "feel a certain ways" about who you want to see do his music justice---but you gotta put that aside yall

— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016

Every Prince rendition will not be a life changing orgasmic xperience. Just to SING his work is brave enough. Again feeling are on high

— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016

And EVERYBODY wants and deserves a chance to say goodbye in their own way. But remember: there will be AMAs, SoulTrain, NAACP, mtv, GRAMMYS

— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016

And a gazillion other tributes. But the point is let's not get ugly w playing the "Prince would and wouldn't approve" game.

— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016

....& this isn't *just about* the Madge/Stevie tribute btw

— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016

I've been gettin earfuls from in/outside the Purple Circle concerning inclu/exclusions of his estate/work/memorials/tributes who in who not.

— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 23, 2016

UPDATE 2: Madonna responds to the criticism.

Anyone who wants to do a tribute to Prince is welcome to. Whatever your age Gender or skin Color. If you loved him and he inspired you then show it!!!! I love Prince 4 ever 💜☔️👑🙏🏻 @beautyandessexlv

A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on May 23, 2016 at 7:22am PDT