GUY OSEARY TALKS ABOUT THE MADONNA’S DEVASTATING ALBUM LEAK

Madonna’s surprise pre-release of six songs from her upcoming album Rebel Heart on Dec. 20 was a hard-fought victory: the result of two sleepless nights to combat the widespread leaks of more than a dozen unfinished demos just three days prior. And it almost didn’t happen.

“We didn’t know until Friday night [December 19], 11:30 [Eastern] and 8:30 [Pacific] that it would even work,” Guy Oseary, Madonna’s longtime manager, said in a phone interview on Dec. 23. “There was a chance that technically it was not possible because it was so last-minute. Normally it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but because iTunes was shutting down [for the holiday] we were told that it would either go live at 11:30 East Coast time or January 5. We didn’t know — she was saying her prayers, we were all just hoping.”

The result? Pre-orders for the March 10, 2015 album topped the iTunes charts in more than 36 countries, with three of the album’s six finished songs entering this week’s Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. Lead single “Living For Love” was serviced to U.S. radio stations on Dec. 22 by Madonna’s label Interscope, with a bigger push coming in January. An official music video will be filmed next month as well, with a planned release for the “first week of February,” as Oseary revealed in a separate Twitter Q&A on Dec. 27.

But Madonna & co. aren’t coming up for air just yet. Just hours after Oseary spoke with Billboard on Dec. 23, 14 more tracks from the Rebel Heart sessions leaked, including the alleged Lady Gaga diss track “Two Steps Behind Me” (which Oseary has already denied is about Gaga or “anyone in particular”).

Below is an excerpt of Billboard’s conversation with Oseary last Tuesday (Dec. 23), including a detailed account of how Madonna and her team sprang into action to respond to the leaks. “If people knew what had to happen from Wednesday to get it it up for Friday, it was a circus show.”



It’s been six days since the leaks started spreading. Have you slept yet?

Last night I got some sleep. This ride was crazy. And what a crazy year. It’s been big.

So what happened, exactly?

I mean look, our music was stolen. And now it’s an ongoing investigation, so we’re taking it very, very seriously. Two songs came out a few weeks ago, and we were able to contain it. We did what we could to contain it. It’s hard to contain a leak online. And then it was Tuesday, last Tuesday — it feels like a year ago — but it was last Tuesday when I started seeing messages going a lot of the songs are leaking. [We were] trying to pull down as many leaks as we could, and then it got to Wednesday morning it was just unstoppable. It was all out there. You could not seal this leak. So, Madonna was pretty adamant that we should go immediately, that we should put out as much of the finished music as we could. And there was a lot of talk about the many reasons why it didn’t make sense – there was just a lot of chatter of having to hurry and all of the many, many reasons why it made no sense. But she was adamant that she didn’t want people to think those were the finished tracks. And she was devastated — I mean, devastated and sickened that someone would do this to her and not allow her the chance to share the finished product with people.

We were thinking about going with “Living For Love,” as you saw, as a Valentine’s Day song, and the album at the end of April. We’re talking all of April, so that’s four-and-a-half months early. You always hear about one week early, two weeks early… but this is crazy. So, [Interscope vice chairman] Steve Berman was really helpful, and he also knew all the many reasons why it may not make sense to do it. But he supported Madonna to do it and rallied all the troops together to pull this off. And then Robert Kondrk at Apple really helped us push this through.

When did you know you were good to go with the iTunes upload?

We didn’t know until Friday night, 11:30 her time and 8:30 my time, that it would even work. There was a chance that technically it was not possible because it was so last-minute. Normally it would be the end of the world, but because iTunes was shutting down we were told that it would either go live at 11:30 East Coast time or January 5. We didn’t know, so we get this phone call at 8:30 at night saying, “we are good.” She was saying her prayers, we were all just hoping.

When I got the message that [the release was working], it started happening slowly and surely. Then it finally rolled out around the world, and it took a full day, until Sunday, for the album to register. On Saturday, six songs were in the top 10 almost in every country around the world. On Sunday, when the album finally registered, it was number one in almost every country, along with the six songs. It was an exciting ride. We all wish the hacking or stealing of the music never happened, but we’re really grateful that everyone wanted the music to be heard. If people knew what had to happen from Wednesday to get it it up for Friday, it was a circus show.

Now that you’ve pulled off this feat, and moved up the album timeline by nearly two months, what’s next?

We have a video shoot at some point, things to go do, now we’ve gotta figure it out what happens next. She really wants to support this, and wants to make sure that — because it was so far out, we have to regroup. She did one or two interviews… there was no time to explain. I’ve learned a lot over the last few years, and it was important that the few songs we did release be understood because it was so rushed.

How is this being handled legally? Do you have any idea of the source?

We’re talking about a criminal. It was photos, videos, anything that feels like it shouldn’t be out there. She was posting them [on Instagram] saying, “Hey, I’m seeing this for the first time. Nice, thanks a lot.” You know, this is new days, we’ve learned a lot, we understand where the holes were. And we’re doing all of it. It’s real. It’s real stuff. A lot of pain, you know, seeing a lot of your private work just being thrown out there to the universe because someone can steal it and do that.

Was this a case of a fan feeling like they were “gifting” this unreleased material?

They weren’t gifting people. I don’t want to get too into it, but it will all be revealed at some point.

Source: Billboard

MADONNA SINGS ABOUT SNIFFING GLUE ON HER GREAT NEW ALBUM “REBEL HEART”

On paper, Madonna singing about the Illuminati sounds atrocious, but Rebel Heart is easily Madge’s best album in at least 16 years. The artist initially planned to drop the album in the spring, but after a series of tracks leaked, she decided to release the first six song on iTunes, three months before the whole album comes out in March.

When the songs premiered, gay Twitter naturally exploded—some people were literally downloading the tracks on their smartphones at gay bars—but many fans expected little from Madonna’s 13th album. Since her 1998 comeback Ray of Light, Madonna has released five full-lengths, but only two have been truly worthwhile: Music and Confessions on a Dance Floor. In recent years, instead of collaborating with relatively obscure producers as she did on classics like Erotica and Ray of Light, Madonna has hired major names like Timbaland and Benny Benassi. The results, 2008’s Hard Candy and 2012’s MDNA, sounded tepid. On “Give Me All Your Luvin’,” a 2012 song featuring Nicki Minaj and MIA, she sounded downright bland when placed next to the rappers’ swag, like the queen of pop was attempting to reclaim her title from female MCs who had never stolen her throne in the first place. Coupled with an awkward Super Bowl performance and a lackluster grinding session with Miley Cyrus, some fans believed Madonna had lost her creative way and become a vampire lusting after her competitors’ youth.



Rebel Heart takes this critique and uses it as gasoline for empowerment anthems and vulnerable confessions perfect for the surreal, tragic year known as 2014 . The lead single “Living for Love” discusses surviving after a breakup with a guy Madonna left herself vulnerable to. (The person could easily be her haters.) “I’m gonna carry on,” Madonna triumphantly sings. “Living for love / I’m not giving up.”

Against a throbbing Diplo beat on a later track called “Bitch, I’m Madonna,” her angriest song since 1994’s “Human Nature,” the pop star sings about “jumping in the pool and swimming with our clothes on” and then imitates the ageist critics who complain about her dressing like a twentysomething. “Who do you think you are?” she angrily asks, before answering herself: “Bitch, I’m Madonna.” Next, Nicki Minaj jumps on the track, embodying Madonna. “Ain’t got a thing left for me to prove / It’s that bottle service all night,” she raps. “Bitch, I’m Madonna. These hoes know.” Unlike her “Give Me All Your Luvin'” verse, Minaj’s vocal swagger compliments Madonna instead of overpowering her. Madonna’s anger gives her a charisma we haven’t seen since she danced alone in a dance studio to “Hung Up” nearly a decade ago.

On another Diplo joint, “Unapologetic Bitch,” she becomes an Anna Wintour–like boss, echoing “Human Nature”: “It might sound like I’m an unapologetic bitch / but sometimes, you know I’ve got to call it like it is,” she sings. “You know you never really knew how much you loved me ’til you lost me / Did you? / You know you never really knew how much your selfish bullshit cost me / Oh, fuck you.”

As she did on her recent tour, where she flashed her nipple while singing a ballad version of “Like a Virgin,” Madonna veers into the ridiculous on “Illuminati.” “Rihanna don’t know the new world order,” she sings. “It’s not Isis or the phoenix, cameras of Egypt.” The song starts as a vague, confusing meditation on the media, but the song’s chorus (“It’s like everybody in this party shining like Illuminati”) elevates the track from a piece of camp to a great dance banger. Few listeners can relate to a global superstar’s analysis of a celebrity-oriented conspiracy theory, but everyone can relate to feeling like a superstar at a club for a few fleeting minutes.

Madonna’s surprising relatability sounds like downright vulnerability on other tracks. “Devil Pray” opens with string sounds reminiscent of Madonna’s American Life singer-songwriter phase, but avoids the awkwardness of a pop star channeling her inner Liz Phair when a beat kicks in as Madonna sings, “We can do drugs and we can smoke weed and we can drink whiskey.” (She goes on to brag about how they could sniff glue and take E. Did I mention she’s 56?) Like “Illuminati,” the refrain seems absurd, but when Madonna admits she’s “getting weaker” and asks to “sing hallelujah” and save her “soul,” she sounds honest, even spiritual, and for the first time since Confessions on a Dance Floor, she finally fucking nails it.

The vulnerability crescendos on the standout track “Ghosttown,” one of those great dance songs that’s moving but not catchy enough to become a single. “Everything’s gone to hell,” Madonna sings. “All we’ve got is love.” Capturing the mood of the country, she asks how we’ve got to such an odd, terrible place. During the refrain she sounds like she’s painting herself as a savior, belting, “When it all falls down / I’ll be your fire when the lights go out.” But at the end of the chorus, she reveals she’s discussing a one-on-one relationship with the listener: “We’ll be two souls in a ghost town.”

The trick captures what made Madonna great in the 80s and 90s: her ability to sing cliches (“I am a material girl,” “we need a holiday,” “you’ve got to make him express himself”) and transform them into both personalized anthems and universal truths. And the slick, expensive production is catchy as hell this time around. What else can you ask for?

Source : Vice.com

Madonna: THERE ARE THOSE WHO WANT TO SHUT ME UP…BUT THEY CANNOT!!!

“There are those who want to shut me up but they cannot! We still live in a world that discriminates against women. There are People that are so hateful. they want to create feuds between strong women that do not exist! I do not wish ill will towards any other female artist and i never have! The World is big enough for all of us! I will fight for my rights as an artist and a human and a woman till the end if my days! Because i am a #rebelheart and i walk in the footsteps of giants and i will mot apologize for or defend my unpublished unfinished STOLEN work. If you don’t like who i am or what i have to say then why are you reading this? #unapologeticbitch” -Madonna

Madonna Debuts Three Tracks on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs Chart

Madonna catapults onto Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart with three tracks from her upcoming Rebel Heart album: “Bitch I’m Madonna” (No. 14), “Living for Love” (No. 16) and “Unapologetic Bitch” (No. 26).

The songs, available for instant download upon pre-ordering the album (due March 10) or as a la carte purchases, were made available digitally in a surprise move at midnight on Friday (Dec. 19), following massive demo leaks earlier in the week. (An additional 14 demos leaked on Dec. 23.) The songs soar onto the chart, therefore, on the strength of only a partial week of sales and with only small benefits from other metrics (streaming, radio airplay and club play).

The cuts mark Madonna’s first entries on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, which premiered on Jan. 26, 2013.

MADONNA’S NEXT ALBUM IS SHAPING UP TO BE HER BEST IN A DECADE

The singer’s surprise release of several new songs reveals that the Queen of Pop hasn’t lost her edge



When a handful of Madonna demos leaked last week — an event she called “artistic rape” and a “form of terrorism” — she decided to fight fire with fire by releasing the official versions of six songs cut from her upcoming thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart. The bundle of new tracks represent her first collection of new material since 2012’s MDNA, a lukewarm flirtation with contemporary club music. Thing is, though, there’s a joy to every new Madonna release that’s just separated from determining the quality of the actual music: at this point in her career she’s pop’s cockroach, resilient and hardy and shockingly adaptable. With each new record, there are lessons about the genre’s present and near future in the specific sounds and figures she chooses to help realize her vision.

Based on this first batch of Rebel Heart material, Madonna is looking to strike a balance. First, there’s are the figures at the centre of EDM and synth-pop, her chosen modes of operation — meaning writers and producers like Diplo, Avicii, and Savan Kotecha. Then, she ropes in artists working at the vanguard across a variety of genres, from superstars like Kanye West to relative nobodies like producers Ariel Rechtshaid and Sophie. This is a savvy move — what a surprise, a smart play from one of the canniest pop stars to ever roam an arena — because it allows her to play to the masses while still pushing boundaries.

The songs that lead off this first Rebel Heart blast, lead single “Living for Love” and “Devil Pray,” could fit in neatly on the radio beside this year’s British house-pop crossovers and Avicii’s own “Hey Brother.” The ones that close it, namely the abrasive half-rapped Kanye collaboration “Illuminati” and caffeine-drunk trap anthem/Nicki Minaj feature “Bitch I’m Madonna,” hew closer to the spirit of PC Music’s obscure SoundCloud accounts and the sharp edges of Yeezus.

And because Madonna exists in rarefied air, the kind reserved for luminaries like herself and Prince and very few others, each of her new releases is less of an independent statement than a response to everything she’s done before, another chapter tacked onto an epic novel with no definite end. The tones, themes, and imagery that make up her musical toolbox — the frank sensuality, the various methods of intoxication, the lapsed Catholicism, the uncompromising confidence — are gospel at this point, and they elevate some of the more forgettable Rebel Heart material to a base level of pleasure. It’s fun to hear Madonna deliver a line like, “It might sound like I’m an unapologetic bitch / but sometimes you know I gotta call I like it is” (and try on 2 Chainz’ flow, just for kicks) because she has three’ decades worth of unapologetic bitchiness in her back pocket. It’s an easy score, sure, but it’s effective. And if the complete version of Rebel Heart, due March 10th via Interscope, can deliver a few more of those easy scores alongside a bit more adventurous songwriting, the album could be Madonna’s finest in almost a decade.

Source : Time

Madonna's Q&A with Billboard

Billboard: How are you doing?
Madonna: I'm good. I'm good, I haven't slept in a week, but I'm good.

I can only imagine the week that you've had so far.
Yeah. It's been a very intense couple of weeks.

Are you OK right now? As OK as you can be considering what's been happening?
Yeah. I mean, you know, I'm not happy that unreleased demos are out there in the world for people to hear, listen, judge, etc. etc. Once that happened we went into overdrive. A) Trying to figure out where the leaks were coming from, and then B) Trying to combat that with putting out finished music that people could focus on versus demos that were never meant for anyone to hear. So, that led to no sleep.

Did at any point you turn to someone and say "Bitch, I'm Madonna," this shouldn't be happening to me?
No. I said, "Shit, this is the age that we're living in." It's crazy. I mean, look at what's going on with Sony Pictures. It's just the age that we're living in. It's crazy times. The Internet is as constructive and helpful in bringing to people together as it is in doing dangerous things and hurting people. It's a double-edged sword.


Since you said that they were stolen, has it changed how you are operating your day-to-day business? Obviously, you're trying to lock down more stuff, but I mean there's only so much you can do, considering everything is so virtual. Has it changed your day-to-day business with recording the album and making music?
Well, we don't put things up on servers anymore. Everything we work on, if we work on computers, we're not on WiFi, we're not on the Internet, we don't work in a way where anybody can access the information. Hard drives of music are hand-carried to people. We don't leave music laying around. We have photo shoots or video shoots, and everyone has to leave their phone at the door. I mean, unfortunately, it sucks, but that's the way it is. That's how leaks happen.

It's so sucky.
It is! Because I want to go to photo shoots and play my music really loud and dance to it, and celebrate it, and I can't.

We know crap leaks all the time, fine. But I mean, (this is) so much! You're so meticulous about how you plan things months in advance… Like you had in your head, "Alright, this how we're gonna roll out the single, this is how we'll roll out the album." And now, a huge wrench has been thrown into the proceedings. Has that pushed everything forward? Are you like, "Alright! Let's start promoting the single now!"
Well, it's thrown us all into overdrive. We're having to think outside the box. Think on our feet. I didn't plan to put my record out this way. I wanted to… plan everything in advance. Release the single, shoot a video, start talking about my record. And you know, prepare for the release of the entire album and have everything set up just so. I mean, that's the kind of person I am. I think that's the best way to do it. But we sort of were left with no choice.

But there's still going to be a music video?
Of course! I will do all of those things that I've planned to do. It's just, you know, people are now listening to six finished songs.

And they're great songs, by the way.
Thank you!

(The release of the music) was a wonderful surprise. You've been able to take a bunch of lemons that had been thrown at you, and I guess make a lemon drop, or lemonade. I don't know, take your pick.
Yeah. That's the stupid cliché that me and (her manager) Guy Oseary have been using. We got a lemon and we made lemonade. Kind of works!

There has to be a silver lining somewhere. And, there you go. So let's talk about the music. Did you think about releasing these six songs as an EP, and then doing another EP later? Or did you want to make sure that all of the songs stayed together as the full Rebel Heart album — as a piece of work?
Originally I wanted to put everything out together. I have an overabundance of songs, and actually, the reason I wanted to call the record Rebel Heart was because I felt like it explored two very distinct sides of my personality. The rebellious, renegade side of me, and the romantic side of me. In my mind, it was almost like I wanted to do a two-record set. So you get this chunk of songs, and that chunk of songs. That was my original goal. But then all the demos leaked and I can't really go down that road anymore, so I put out (the six songs) first and then, I think a few more songs are going to come out during the time of the Grammys. Then the rest of the album will just come out together (in March), and they'll just get my rebellious and romantic side all mixed in together.

You mention the Grammy Awards… I'm already picturing you on the Grammy Awards performing "Living For Love" with various guests…
Mmmhmm.

…I'm picturing how that would be wonderful performed on the Grammy Awards, perhaps.
Yes, that would be wonderful. That's possibly something that's gonna happen. (Laughs.)

Possibly?
Yes. Possibly.

Can't spill all the beans right now.
No.

I want to talk about the album’s first single, "Living For Love," specifically. We had Diplo on the cover of Billboard a few months ago. He was saying that (the song) had 20 different incarnations. Was he exaggerating by saying 20, or is that true?
Uhm… (long pause). Twenty might a little too high. But definitely more than 10. A lot of different versions. We knew we wanted to make a dance record. But you know, there's so many different levels of dance music and even different categories of house music. So, it was really like, what's the bass line gonna sound like? Is it gonna be really stripped down and sparse, or is it going to be loaded up? Is it gonna be Chicago house? Is it gonna be U.K. house? It's like, all over the place. Is it gonna be a little bit of one vocal line? Is it gonna be a whole choir singing? So we were experimenting and trying out different things. They all sounded good, but at the end of the day, we wanted it to sound timeless, also. Not just something of the moment.

Is that MNEK on the track as well?
The thing is, we did do a version where MNEK is singing. The original song, when we first started writing it, was with a singer that Diplo works with all the time…who sounds like MNEK. So, there will be remixes with MNEK's voice on it, but this particular one that's out right now (does not have MNEK). And then there's a female singer whose name is Annie, is from the U.K. as well, who sings with the (London Community Gospel Choir), and she also lended her voice to the record. And by the way, I'm a huge fan of MNEK.

I thought it Alicia Keys was singing on the song with you. But I was wrong, it's not Alicia Keys.
Oh no, Alicia Keys isn't singing on it, she's playing piano on it.

Oh! Okay. Geez, good grief. It's so hard to keep track.
I know! (Laughs.) Alicia plays the piano, and then the female voice is Annie… there are versions of "Living For Love" that MNEK is singing on, and those will be coming out, but just not yet.

It has that right balance of soul music meeting house music. It's the right blend of the two, where you were able find the right balance, where it doesn't sound jarring. It actually sounds like it's meant to go together.
It's kind of like the old me and the new me all mixed in together.

It's all you! It's all versions of you.
Yeah, exactly. Yeah!

"Ghosttown." It's such a cool song. It's so evocative. The lyrics are so beautiful. In my head, I'm picturing there's a ghost town, it's cold, there's two souls, they're the only people left. Was that a song that you wrote with Evan Bogart, Sean Douglas and Jason Evigan, or did it come to you already finished?…
Nope.

…How did that song come together?
We all get into a room together. They start playing their chords and then we just start thinking about… When I write with people, we always try to come up with a theme. What do we want to write about? So this one is about the city after armageddon. The burnt out city, the crumbling buildings, the smoke that's still lingering after the fire. You know what I mean? There's only a few people left. How do we pick up the pieces and go on from here? Kind of dramatic. (Laughs.) But not entirely impossible at this stage of the game.

Yeah, well, at the rate things are going, who knows?
Exactly. One must be realistic and be prepared for anything.

One must be realistic. Because you know in a few years, we could all just be in some burnt out ghost town together.
Yes, exactly! And we'll all be in our version of a "Ghosttown" or in a version of a "Ghosttown," and at the end of the day, all we're going to have left is each other. So that's really what that song is about.

You can see a music video already in your head.
Yeah! For sure.

It reminds me of when "Gang Bang" (on MDNA) came out. It was so cinematic…
Visual.

…you could see it. Let’s talk about "Unapologetic Bitch." Did someone call you that at some point…
Oh, no.

…and you're like, "Let me make a response (record)?"
No.

No one would ever call you that.
No, I've never heard anyone refer to me as that. That just came out of the ether.

When you were writing that in a writing session…
No, it's kind of like an extension of… at the beginning of my career, when all the pictures of me came out in Playboy and everybody expected me to cower in shame. And I just said "I'm not ashamed. I have nothing to hide, and I'm not sorry." So, it's my version of “Je Ne Regrette Rien.”'

Well, you have nothing to apologetic about, obviously.
Well, certainly not in that circumstance. (Laughs.)

Yes, we all understand, there are different things that one should be apologetic for, but certain artistic decisions…
Absolutely. Yes, one should be apologetic in certain circumstances. But not in that circumstance.

You've worked with a lot of people on this record. We've been following you on Instagram all year. A zillion people.
There's been a lot of cooks in the kitchen.

A lot of your albums tend to be (produced and written) with a core group of people. Was that hard when you have so many people to keep a through line?
Yes. Very hard. Very, very, very, very hard. It's extremely challenging for me working with a lot of young DJs who never can stay in one city for more than five days. So we never got to finish things. And so then I'd start things with one group of people, and then I'd start something with somebody else, and then they'd have to leave town and the other person would come back. It's a chaotic way to work. You get a lot of ideas, but there's a lot of confusion. It was challenging to keep cohesion with the sound and the direction of the record with people coming and going in a revolving door of creativity. So, I was just the person standing there with a clipboard on in the headlights, going "Ok!" (Laughs.) A little bit like a school teacher.

Diplo is super involved with the album, obviously. Is he sort of quasi-executive producing it?
No.

Is he involved on more than just the three songs (released so far)?
We did more than three songs. I wouldn't say he was an executive producer, but he has a very strong voice in the record. We collaborated on a lot of music. You know, he heard other songs and gave his input on what he liked and what he didn't like, but I wouldn't call him an executive producer.

Then I won't!
He's a badass DJ who has great ideas.

Are you actually done writing and recording the album?
Uhm… I am done writing. I'm almost done recording. Almost done. Got just few more little tweaks to do. But first I had to get those six songs out.

Madonna Returns To The Top Of The Charts Around The World

Madonna is currently #1 in 36 countries around the world with the release of six songs from her forthcoming album Rebel Heart. In virtually every country the songs were released, they held six of the ten slots on the Top 10 iTunes chart. In seven of those countries, she had multiple No. 1’s. The single Living for Love is currently No. 1 in 20 countries. The six songs – Living For Love, Devil Pray, Ghosttown, Unapologetic Bitch, Illuminati and Bitch I’m Madonna (featuring Nicki Minaj)

The news of the surprise drop came when Madonna posted a link late last night on Instagram announcing the release of the six songs as, “an early Christmas gift” to those that preordered the album. Fans immediately went to iTunes and drove the songs to #1 around the globe. Instantaneously Rebel Heart exploded on social media with the album topping the Billboard Trending 140 Chart. On Facebook #Madonna was the #1 trending topic and continues to trend there. Additionally, #Madonna and #RebelHeart have been trending on Twitter in the US all day.

Rebel Heart will be released in March 2015 on Interscope Records. Producers include Madonna, Diplo (Living For Love, Bitch I’m Madonna, Unapologetic Bitch), Kanye West (Illuminati), Billboard (Ghosttown), DJ Dahi and Blood Diamonds (Devil Pray). The album was recorded in London, Los Angeles and New York.

MADONNA RETURNS TO THE TOP OF THE CHARTS AROUND THE WORLD WITH SURPRISE RELEASE OF SIX SONGS FROM HER UPCOMING REBEL HEART ALBUM

NEW YORK, Dec. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Madonna is currently #1 in 36 countries around the world with the release of six songs from her forthcoming album Rebel Heart. In virtually every country the songs were released, they held six of the ten slots on the Top 10 iTunes chart. In seven of those countries, she had multiple No. 1’s. The single Living for Love is currently No. 1 in 20 countries. The six songs – Living For Love, Devil Pray, Ghosttown, Unapologetic Bitch, Illuminati and Bitch I’m Madonna (featuring Nicki Minaj) – are available HERE.

The news of the surprise drop came when Madonna posted a link late last night on Instagram announcing the release of the six songs as, “an early Christmas gift” to those that preordered the album. Fans immediately went to iTunes and drove the songs to #1 around the globe. Instantaneously Rebel Heart exploded on social media with the album topping the Billboard Trending 140 Chart. On Facebook #Madonna was the #1 trending topic and continues to trend there. Additionally, #Madonna and #RebelHeart have been trending on Twitter in the US all day.

Rebel Heart will be released in March 2015 on Interscope Records. Producers include Madonna, Diplo (Living For Love, Bitch I’m Madonna, Unapologetic Bitch), Kanye West (Illuminati), Billboard (Ghosttown), DJ Dahi and Blood Diamonds (Devil Pray). The album was recorded in London, Los Angeles and New York.

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Madonna “Rebel Heart” Album Press Release

MADONNA RELEASES SIX SONGS FROM NEW ‘REBEL HEART’ ALBUM AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW



Full Album Scheduled for Release in March

Pre-order the album on iTunes now: http://smarturl.it/RebelHeart

December 20, 2014. For immediate release….New York, NY…..Madonna has just released six songs from her new studio album ‘Rebel Heart’. The six songs are currently available for purchase now via preorder at iTunes and other music outlets with purchase of the album and a la carte as well. The music will also be available on all streaming services. Additional music will be released on Feb. 9th. The full album of “Rebel Heart” on Interscope Records is scheduled to be released the first week in March 2015.

Song titles that are currently available from the new album are Living For Love, Devil Pray, Ghosttown, Unapologetic Bitch, Illuminati and Bitch I’m Madonna which was recorded with Nicki Minaj. Producers include Madonna, Diplo, Kanye West, Billboard, was recorded in NY, LA and London.

The decision to release the songs much earlier than anticipated was due to the leaking of several work-in-progress demos earlier this week.

“I was hoping to release my new single ‘Living For Love’ on Valentine’s Day with the rest of the album coming in the Spring. I would prefer my fans to hear completed versions of some of the songs instead of the incomplete tracks that are circulating. Please consider these six songs as an early Christmas gift,” commented Madonna.

Madonna.com

MADONNA: JOIN ME ON MY JOURNEY TO CHANGE THE WORLD

“My commitment has never wavered. And here we are about to embark on our biggest project yet with the pediatric surgeryproject at Queen Elizabeth Hospital,” explained Madonna, as she discussed her latest effort to help the children of Malawi. In an interview following her recent visit to the country, we talked how she initially became involved in bringing attention and awareness to the plight of children in Africa, how the decision came about to build and donate a new pediatric intensive care unit in Malawi, her new Goodwill Ambassador position bestowed upon her by President Mutharika, and much more.

What was the moment or experience that led to your incredible passion and interest in making a difference in Malawi?

When I discovered that there were over a million children orphaned by AIDS, living in one of the poorest countries in Africa, I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility to get involved and do what I could to help bring awareness to the situation. I ended up making a documentary about Malawi called I Am Because We Are and adopted two children. Going on this journey made me more determined to use my platform in the world to do what I could to make a difference.


On your most recent trip, it was announced that you would be building and donating a two-story, pediatric intensive care unit at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital–the first of its kind in the country. How did that decision come about and why did you decide on pediatric care in particular?

I decided to do this most of all because of an amazing human being named Dr. Eric Borgstein. He is my hero. He is one of three pediatric surgeons in the entire country and he has devoted his life to saving the lives of children seven days a week, 365 days a year. I witnessed him make miracles happen with little support or financial backing. After spending time with him it became clear to me that many lives were lost because of the lack of an intensive care unit in the hospital. That, coupled with the fact that half of the population of Malawi is under the age of fifteen was all the incentive I needed to agree to building this much needed facility. The new pediatric surgery unit will serve more children and will provide a world-class training center for more pediatric doctors and nurses in Malawi.

Also on this trip, President Mutharika named you Malawi’s Goodwill Ambassador for Child Welfare. How will you use this newfound recognition and platform to further your work not only for the children of Malawi, but Africa more broadly?

It is an honor to be named Goodwill Ambassador by President Mutharika. I have been committed to helping Malawi for many years, so the President’s support of my work is extremely meaningful to me. There is a great deal of hardship in Malawi, but I also see great opportunity, resilience, and joy—even in the face of extreme poverty. As Goodwill Ambassador, I intend to make helping the children of Malawi a global priority. While there are already a number of generous donors and organizations working there, I welcome new partners to work with me in the “Warm Heart of Africa.”

What have been some of the challenges you’ve had to overcome over the years when it comes to advocacy and awareness on these issues, and how have you pushed through some of those barriers?

It is important to remember the expression “no good deed goes unpunished.” This saying has kept me going during the many challenges I have faced. I set out on this journey to helpchildren orphaned by AIDS, not to win a popularity contest. However, nothing prepared me for the level of doubt and suspicion aimed at my intentions. Nevertheless, seeing the results of Raising Malawi’s work and watching peoples’ lives change for the better haskept me going. When you believe passionately in a cause, you find a way to break through the noise to make an impact in other peoples’ lives, despite the criticism. I made many mistakes in the beginning, hiring people that were not effective and dealing with a lack of operational efficiency. However, I have learned from my mistakes and I have strengthened many long-standing relationships and programs that we started. My commitment has never wavered. And here we are about to embark on our biggest project yet with the pediatric surgeryproject at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

When it comes to philanthropy, what’s next for Madonna?

I am passionate about education in general but specifically for women and children. Knowledge is power! Access to education changes lives, especially for girls. Outside of Malawi, I have a foundation called Ray of Light, whichprovides this type of support in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Mali, Haiti, Palestine, and Detroit. I will continue to partner with brave individuals and organizations fighting to empower women and children around the world. I want to wake people up to what is happening outside of their comfort zone and inspire them to join me on my journey to change the world.

Source : RaisingMalawi

Madonna Speaks On Leaked Songs!

“LIKE A PRAYER” IS #2 IN THE 20 BEST POP SONGS IN HISTORY BY FEMALE ARTISTS

2. Madonna, “Like a Prayer”

Floating atop a Latin rhythm and funky synth bass, with a gospel choir providing the ethereal harmony, Madonna’s voice on “Like a Prayer” isn’t just confident, it’s downright heavenly. Supported by a chorus of angels in D minor, 1989’s “Like a Prayer” was the moment when Madonna went from being the voice of America’s teenagers to the worldwide high priestess of pop.

The song was Madonna’s great leap forward, and our first encounter with her unsettled Catholic soul, as opposed to her unbridled blond ambition. She sabotaged the wholesome Pepsi ad that premiered the song with a music video that featured her dancing in front of a row of burning crosses, seducing a black saint and receiving the stigmata. The Pope and Roman Catholics around the world denounced Madonna, Pepsi pulled the ad, and in the process, “Like a Prayer” became the most controversial video in the history of MTV. In one profoundly appealing and utterly danceable swoop, Madonna had orchestrated pop music’s greatest awakening.

DIPLO : I LOVE WORKING WITH MADONNA

Diplo has worked on production and mixtape projects with several popular pop artists, such as Britney Spears, Beyoncé, No Doubt, Justin Bieber, Usher and Snoop Lion among others. He adds, “For me each of those collaborations was a dream come true. My biggest collaboration so far would be with American singer and actress Ariana Grande’s All My Love for the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 soundtrack. One of the biggest challenges of working with very many artists is that I have to constantly adapt myself to the working styles of these musicians.”

Currently, he has been working with Queen of Pop Madonna for her upcoming album and has collaborated with Skrillex to create the group Jack Ü. “I loved working with Madonna. The tracks have come out great and crazy- sounding. She is one of those few artists who started the trend of reinventing themselves before anybody else. She kind of began that trend of actually coming back with a refreshingly new look, music style and fresh tunes; winning it and hitting the top of the charts. She was ready to experiment while collaborating with me and was very open-minded to my ideas.”

Source : AsianAge

Ryan Tedder is working on Madonna’s new album

Madonna has drafted in Simon Cowell’s favourite hit maker to pen tracks for her new album.

The pop maestro has been Cowell’s first port of call to compose songs for the label’s priority acts including One Direction and Ella Henderson, after he wrote and produced Bleeding Love for Leona Lewis. Ryan, 35, tells 3am Madge’s new music is “her best stuff in over a decade – it’s really strong”.

Keeping tight-lipped about his contribution, he says: “The tracks I’ve done with her are really hard to explain.” Clever way to keep a lid on things, Ryan. That’ll keep Madge happy.

It comes after the Material Girl teamed up with one of the world’s biggest DJs, Avicii, 25. Their track Rebel Heart, was leaked online along with another song, Wash Over Me, which the singer said “broke her heart”.

Ryan, who performed with his band at Capital FM’s Jingle Bell Ball at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, adds: “I was actually working on something with Madonna when her tracks leaked.

“So I panicked because I thought it was the song I was working on, but luckily it wasn’t.

“People have way too much time on their hands.”

MADONNA, 56, REPLACES LADY GAGA, 28, AS FACE OF VERSACE’S NEW FASHION CAMPAIGN

… with Donatella hailing singer as a “TRUE ICON“

Photographed in New York City by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott
Aims to focus on Madonna’s ‘unique and iconic image’
This is the Hung Up singer’s fourth campaign for the brand

Even after 30 years in the industry, Madonna is still in hot demand.
Indeed, Versace has snapped up the 56-year-old to be the face of its SS15 campaign.The iconic pop star replaces Lady Gaga, 28, to front the brand and was chosen because designer Donatella Versace believes she is a ‘true icon’.

The images, which were photographed in New York City by industry heavyweights Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, aim to focus on Madonna’s ‘unique and iconic image’.

The campaign was shot to capture the unapologetic and timeless power of Madonna today, according to the luxury fashion house.Of course, Madonna is dressed head-to-toe in pieces from the SS15 Versace collection and showcases her toned body in the imagery.

Speaking about her new role, Madonna said: ‘It’s always exciting to be dressed head-to-toe in Versace and experience first-hand Donatella’s vivid imagination and passion that she has created for this collection.

Designer Donatella added: ‘Madonna is one of the true icons of Versace. I am thrilled to have my friend and the most powerful and directional artist as the face of Versace for Spring 2015.’

This is the fourth time that Madonna has appeared in Versace’s advertising campaigns; her first was back in 1995.The singer has been causing quite a stir this week after posing topless in a cut-out corset for a magazine shoot.

The Interview cover shoot shows the mother-of-four at her raunchiest as she models a series of cut-away outfits while reclining on a bed.

dailymail.co.uk

OFFICIAL VERSACE ANNOUNCEMENT MADE BY MADONNA

Versace just announced that Madonna will be the face of their Spring/Summer 2015 campaign!

The campaign, which was photographed in New York City by Mert & Marcus captures the unapologetic power of Madonna wearing pieces from the new Versace collection.

“It’s always exciting to be dressed head to toe in Versace and experience first-hand Donatella’s vivid imagination and passion that she has created for this collection,” commented Madonna.

“Madonna is one of the true icons of Versace. I am thrilled to have my friend and the most powerful and directional artist as the face of Versace for Spring 2015,” said Donatella Versace.

It is the fourth time that Madonna has appeared in Versace’s advertising campaigns.

Madonna For Versace 2015!

Stay Tuned! More to come!

JUST BECAUSE SHE’S OVER 50 IT DOESN’T MEAN SHE SHOULD HIDE AWAY IN A CUPBOARD SOMEWHERE!

Madonna has posed topless for a photo shoot with Interview Magazine and the internet’s reaction has been largely, “Ermahgerd, but she’s 56. EW!”

The pictures, taken by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, see Madge in a variety of raunchy poses in gorgeous Alexander McQueen lingerie that we wouldn’t mind stealing for ourselves.

As well as a series of photos that show off her cleavage in a selection of sexy corsets and bras, another shot sees Madonna pose fully topless in stockings and a cardigan.

practically every mention of the pictures online is followed by a comment about how shocking it is, considering her age and all, and social media has seen countless people claim she is “too old” to be posing for sexy images like these.

Yes, she is 56, but she also looks AMAZING and whatever your views on women posing topless, her age and whether you personally find it sexy shouldn’t come into it.
Do you want to hit 50 and suddenly be seen as an “old lady” who is no longer desirable or able to express her sexuality? We doubt it.

And for everyone saying “No one wants to see Madonna topless,” it’s worth remembering that no one has to. Plus, MAYBE Madonna didn’t do it for everyone else. The assumption that every time a woman flashes flesh she’s doing it for someone else’s approval is just a bit tiresome, if you ask us.

As one Twitter user writes: “The way that I see it as long as ‘Madonna topless’ is going to be said in the same breath as her age, she should keep getting her boobs out.” Hear, hear!

Source : Cosmopolitan

Madonna's topless photos are a triumph for all women - whatever their age!!

Madonna, the 'Queen of Pop', has posed topless for a fashion magazine at - shock, horror - the age of 56. Claire Cohen applauds her decision and explains why it's a truly powerful statement for all women



Madonna has posed topless in Interview magazine Photo: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott/www.interviewmagazine.com

First came Keira Knightley’s breasts. Then Kim Kardashian’s bottom. And now? Madonna’s nipples.

There’s no denying it. The last few weeks have seen the cup of celebrity naked flesh runneth over. And I’m not even talking about that jungle reality show.
Today, it emerged that the ‘Queen of Pop’ has posed, topless, for a spread in the December issue of Interview magazine. Wearing a bustier and leather glove, she reclines on a satin cushion, her hand to her forehead, her boobs bared.

It’s styled as a romantic image – very different to the black and white Knightley shot (which appeared in the same publication back in September), where she stared confidently down the camera, hands on hips.

At the time, I wrote a piece defending Knightley’s right to be photographed topless. It was, I said, a feminist statement from a woman who’d been roundly criticised for having her modest cleavage digitally enhanced on film posters. Here she was, in all her natural glory. Hur-rah.

Her detractors didn’t agree. Who, they cried, wanted to see the actresses ‘fried eggs’? Some, unkind, commentators referred to her appearance in the Pirates of the Caribbean film ‘Dead Man’s Chest’.

Now, just weeks later, Madonna is under fire for committing the same offence.
How dare she? At 56, no less. I’d wager you won’t see a report today that doesn’t mention her age alongside her cup size.

‘Still got it!’ a few have already trilled.
Groan. They’ve utterly missed the point.

Madonna’s decision to pose topless has nothing to do with showing-off her wrinkle-free cleavage – nor male titillation. That she’s an older woman is powerful, yes. But, to me, it seems pretty clear that this is far from a pop star trying to prove that she’s ‘still hot’ in her fifties.

Madonna’s age is just a convenient stick to beat her with. It’s an easy reason for critics to cry ‘put ‘em away’ without, on the surface, seeming sexist.

Because there’s always something, isn’t there? Always a reason that a woman’s body isn’t deemed ‘suitable’. Breasts too small a la Knightley? No thanks. A middle-aged pop star? What the hell was she thinking?

Of course, Madonna is no stranger to nudity. Frankly, she’s been taking her clothes off for decades. Her decision to pose for Interview is, then, perhaps less surprising than Knightley’s. But it’s no less powerful a statement. Here is a woman still at the top of her industry, after almost 40 years. She’s weathered numerous musical trends and managed to stay relevant. Why shouldn’t she pose with her breasts exposed?
After all, she pretty much started it.

Indeed, just a couple of weeks ago, Madonna posted a censored topless picture of herself from the Nineties, in response to the images of Kim Kardashian’s oiled, nude backside in Paper magazine.

‘It’s confusing,’ she wrote. ‘Nipples are considered forbidden and provocative but exposing your ass is not. #flummoxed’ (sic).

Here is a clear indication that Madonna knew her latest photo shoot would shock. Let’s face it, she’s saying, topless pictures of famous women always have.
We might be used to seeing pictures of seeing flat chested models in fashion magazines (think Kate Moss on the beach, or backstage at a catwalk show).

But a model’s body is a commodity – it's the vehicle she’s using to sell products. For stars such as Madonna and Knightly, it’s different. They are selling their own image, not someone elses. Choosing to bear their breasts is a feminist statement, not a requirement. They are saying: ‘Here I am. Take me, or leave me’.

Of course, Madonna and Knightley both have exceptional body types compared to us mere mortals. But, the fact remains. When it all gets too ‘real', we simply can’t handle it.

There’s undeniably an element of desire wrapped-up in all this. Knightley was criticised for being ‘unfeminine’. Small boobs aren’t traditionally seen as covetable. Neither are those of an older woman.

So, isn’t it a blessing that we have these strong, famous women brave enough to turn unrealistic thinking on its head and show us that the female body comes in many forms?

Madonna is flying in the face of what the naked woman ‘should’ look like. She’s controlling her own image, just as she’s always done. Her attitude? Just because she’s in her fifties, why should she hide away?

The sugary pink cardigan that exposes her breasts in the Interview picture, says it all. ‘I’m not ready to button-up like a little old lady. Thanks all the same’.

We all should applaud her (preferably while wearing cut-off PVC gloves) for it.

The Telegraph

New Madonna Interview Magazine! The Art Issue!