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Madonna news - April 2015
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Tori Amos defends Madonna
Source: The Guardian - 26 April 2015Tori Amos has spoken up in defence of Madonna during an interview with The Guardian:
There seems to be a vilification of older women – Madonna took a lot of flak when she fell at the Brits.
Let me ask you: was there a lot of meanness about her?
There were a lot of unpleasant comments on Twitter.
Madonna is an entertainer. There are very few people who could’ve gotten up off that floor. It wasn’t because of her that she fell, but it was because of her that the performance carried on. Some of the vilification comes from women as much as men. She's making choices and she’s able to do things physically that a lot of people 25 years younger can't; she got up and refused to allow that to shame her. I think people want her to be shamed into a role that they find acceptable for her age. It makes me sad that we can't embrace Madonna and say, Wow, this is an artist who's expressing herself in a certain way.
Adam Lambert on his 'Ghost Town' vs. Madonna's 'Ghosttown': 'I thought, what are the chances?'
Source: Billboard - 24 April 2015Ghost towns are all the rage in pop these days: just a few weeks after Madonna announced that the power ballad "Ghosttown" would be the second single from her new Rebel Heart album, Adam Lambert released the trippy house tune "Ghost Town" as the lead single from his upcoming third album, The Original High . In a new interview with Billboard's Pop Shop Podcast , Lambert says that the similar titles of Madonna's single and his own new track are just a strange coincidence -- although that coincidence did make him panic when he initially realized that the Queen of Pop had her own "Ghosttown" to release.
When asked by Billboard's Keith Caulfield if he had thought about the clashing titles, Lambert replied, "Oh believe me, I thought about that for more than a second. When I found that out, my song was already finished, it had already been mixed, I had already kind of said, 'Hey, I think this is the first single,' and people were like, 'Yeah I think it is too.'
"And I'm on my laptop on a little four-day vacation in Mexico," Lambert continues, "and I open up my iTunes, I'm searching through, and I'm like, Oh, Madonna's music is out! I love Madonna! I've always loved Madonna -- she's an icon, she's an amazing entertainer. And I see on the track listing a song called 'Ghosttown.' And I thought, What are the chances? What is the hell is going on here?"
At first, Lambert panicked a little. "My reaction was so complicated," he says, "because I think I texted my management, like, 'Did you see this? Did you see this ? What are we gonna do?' And they said, 'You know, it's fine because the songs are so different.' Hers is like a post-apocalyptic love song, mid-tempo, and mine's like an existential dance goth rave thing. So they're two different songs -- they just share a title."
Released earlier this week, "Ghost Town" previews The Original High , Lambert's follow-up to 2012's Trespassing that's due out June 16. Madonna's "Ghosttown" music video was released Apr. 8 and co-stars Terrence Howard -- who will not appear in Lambert's upcoming "Ghost Town" clip. "Sorry, Empire fans!" Lambert says with a laugh.
The Making of Madonna's First Album cover
22 April 2015Carin Goldberg — the art director behind Madonna’s debut album cover — spoke to the Cut about her first experience with the then-unknown pop star.
It's the first question that anybody asks me, even today: What was it like to work with Madonna? People think that maybe something dramatic or interesting or kind of wild might have happened, based on, you know, Madonna's persona. But I would say that Madonna was probably the easiest job I ever had — the most cooperation from a recording artist I think I ever had. She was a true professional, even at that young age.
It was '83, and at that point I had my own small design firm. Warner Bros. called and asked me to do her cover as a freelance designer. When I got the call, I rolled my eyes, because it was another [musician with a] one-word name. At that time it had become cliché to have a one-word name, because of Cher, so I remember thinking, God, it's going to be one of those. So I really went into it with very little expectation. The fact of the matter is that nobody knew who she was. As far as I was concerned, she could have been a one-trick pony and we might never have heard of her again.
Because she wasn't famous, the budget was not huge at all. I asked her to come dressed in the kind of clothes she would normally wear. I said, “You've got your thing, just do it.” There was nothing particularly shocking about what she was wearing at the time. I think she just had a unique style. A lot of people did — Betsey Johnson, Cyndi Lauper, Diane Keaton. There was a lot going on then that was all about women wearing all kinds of weird combinations. We were all doing that kind of eclectic look, but Madonna did it with a much more audacious, sexual edge. It wasn't so much about trying to be a rock star — it was more just making something from something you had around. Taking some piece of fabric and wrapping it around your head, for example. Over the years her style has changed, given her independence and wealth and ability to have designers design for her, but there's still a kind of eclecticism to some degree.
My memory was that she wore some kind of cut shirt — there was definitely a lot of belly hanging out. And a balloon-y pant with the waist and legs rolled up. A lot of artists really didn't have very much taste — they don't always know who they are, and they need to be told — especially these days. Madonna walked in ready-made. She knew who she was. We didn't have to worry about styling her.
She came with a lot of bracelets on, and so I said, “I think we ought to focus on the bracelets, let's really try to get that in the picture.” That was the one iconic thing about her outfit, besides the rag in her hair. I thought she needed even more, so the girlfriend of the photographer went into her jewelry box and took as many bracelets as she could find, to give it a bit more boom.
We put on her music and I asked her to dance. There was not much else we needed to do, because she was a performer. It was short, it was sweet. She was prompt, she did everything we asked her to do, she said thank you. It could not have been more easy. I would not call her in any way warm and cuddly, but she was not unfriendly. She was just all business.
And who knew? In my wildest dreams, could I have ever imagined? I mean, I knew she had a little talent. She got there and danced, and sang “Holiday,” I think. I liked it, we could dance to it. But who the hell could have predicted after that? It totally exploded. That album was the moment.
I'm really glad we did a full-face portrait for the cover. I think it helped — even just incrementally. But it's hard to know. I did my job, it went out there, and life went on. And I will be forever the art director who did Madonna's first cover, which I suppose is not a bad thing.
New tour dates in London, Mannheim, Zurich and San Juan
Source: Madonna.com - 20 April 2015Madonna continues to add shows to her Rebel Heart Tour.
A second date has been added for San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 6th. Pre-sales started today, while public on sale date is on April 25th.
London also gets a second date on December 2nd.
And there are also two new cities added to the European tour leg: there will be a show at the SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany on November 29th, while a first Swiss date is added in the Hallenstadion in Zurich on December 12th.
Pre-sales for the new European dates start tomorrow and the general sales are on April 24th.
Rihanna gave Madonna permission to kiss Drake at concert
Source: Hollywood Life - 18 April 2015Madonna had every right to plant THAT kiss on Drake! The Coachella collaborators shared a rather aggressive smooch onstage during the music festival, and it was Rihanna who gave her Madgesty the green light, a source revealed EXCLUSIVELY to HollywoodLife.com.
Drake, 28, reacted like he locked lips with the Cryptkeeper when Madonna, 56, shocked him by swapping spit in front of revelers at the 2015 Coachella music festival. Whats more surprising is that the rapper's on-off fling Rihanna, 27, encouraged the whole thing. We've got the scoop!
Rihanna On Drake & Madonna Kiss: She Gave Permission At Coachella
Bad Girl RiRi certainly shares a number of similarities with Madonna. In fact, the source revealed that the ladies have grown incredibly close after working on a secret project together and discussing a joint tour.
Plus Madge even helped the couple to rekindle things between Drake and Rihanna.
And it seems their affection for each other is why she was more than willing to share her beau with her idol, an insider revealed. "Rihanna actually gave Madonna ‘permission' to make out with Drake during Coachella — but it was all a giant surprise to Drake," the source said.
Drake Wants Rihanna To Have Her Turn Kissing Madonna
At Coachella, Drake and Madge shocked the crowd with what looked like a spontaneous kiss. The mother-of-four held his face and bent over for an epic make out session, but Drake's horrified expression revealed that he wasn't prepared to get "Into The Groove" with a woman twice his age. But don't worry, he later explained it was just a visceral response to the surprise, writing on Instagram: "Don't misinterpret my shock!! I got to make out with the queen Madonna and I feel [100 emoji] about that forever."
After the smooch went down, Rihanna and Drake were buckled over in laughter about it, the source said. Yet, Drake admitted to his "FourFiveSeconds" singer squeeze that he would have been far more delighted if she was on the receiving end of a kiss from the Material Girl.
"They spent the night together in Los Angeles when Drake returned and he confessed that while he wasn't attracted to Madonna he wouldn't mind seeing Rihanna get the same kiss he got from her!" the insider revealed.
Hot stuff indeed!
Madonna's top 10 most headline-grabbing quotes
Source: NME - 18 April 2015The queen of pop has never been a stranger to controversy. Following her divisive comeback with 'Rebel Heart', we dug out the most inspiring and headline-worthy quotes of her career.
10. On her wildest ambition
"I'd love to be a memorable figure in the history of entertainment in some sexual, comic, tragic way. I'd like to leave the impression that Marilyn Monroe did, to be able to arouse so many different feelings in people."
As Madge geared up to release 'Like a Virgin', the album that catapulted her into pop royalty, she laid out her world takeover plan in this 1984 interview. In the decades since, she's matched the promise: her commitment in life and art to sex, comedy and tragedy has essentially made her the Shakespeare of pop. Seriously!
09. On Kanye
"Kanye is the new Madonna. Kanye is the black Madonna."
After Ye worked on three tracks from 'Rebel Heart', Madonna opened up about why her outspoken heir should be considered every bit the icon she is. "We're comrades in the envelope-pushing genre," she added, and hey, if she's piggybacking, she's earned the right.
08. On macho men
"People would say, 'You emasculate men in your videos.' Well, straight men need to be emasculated. I'm sorry. They all need to be slapped around. Women have been kept down for too long. Every straight guy should have a man's tongue in his mouth at least once."
Madonna has never downplayed her affinity with gay culture, but this righteous outburst, from an interview around her homoerotic 1991 tour doc 'Madonna: Truth or Dare', brilliantly illustrates her bullshit-free stance on gender roles.
07. On ambition
"People think they will wake up one day and I'll be gone. But I'm never going away. I won't be happy till I'm as famous as God."
When John Lennon said the Beatles were bigger than Jesus, he was speaking from the peak of the band's imperial phase, watching over an indisputable legacy. Madge, on the other hand, set her sights on the heavens a little earlier in her career. To quote the woman herself, "You have to ask for things rather than wait for them to happen."
06. On life-as-art
"I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art."
The philosophy of living life as if it were a work of art has been around since the Greeks, and gained traction in the late 20th century via postmodern philosophers like Michel Foucault. But for those of us who aren't buried in stuffy textbooks, it's always been on the pop stage that we've seen that theory play out for real.
05. On nudity
"Because I've taken my clothes off in public doesn't mean that I've revealed every inch of my soul."
A core contradiction of our culture is that it demands high standards of sexiness from women, then discriminates against the ones who capitalise. Few pop stars have rallied harder against that double-standard than Madonna, and this quote is a pithy last-word on the matter.
04. On self-belief
"I'm not going to let public opinion dictate my own feelings about myself. I'm not going to apologise for anything I've ever done."
At the height of her fame, Playboy and Penthouse leaked nude photos of Madonna taken seven years earlier. At the time she blasted naysayers without a second thought, and this quote, given to Rolling Stone decades later, elaborates her mindset.
03. On style
"The ultimate challenge is to have some kind of style and grace, even though you haven't got money, or standing in society, or formal education. I had a very middle, lower-middle class sort of upbringing, but I identify with people who've had, at some point in their lives, to struggle to survive."
Released in 1992, Madonna's coffee table book Sex intercut provocative pics with meditations on erotic fantasy and modern society. This quote gets to the heart of our fascination with cool, which has always been about giving voice to social outcasts.
02. On ageism
"Bitch, this is what my ass looks like - show me what your ass looks like when you're 56! I can show my ass when I'm 56, or 66, or 76. Who's to say when I can show my ass? It's sexism. It's ageism."
When her Grammy's show this year courted controversy, with snippy viewers put off by her revealing outfit, Madge surprised no one by speaking out against the implicit prejudice behind such comments.
01. On rebranding 'bitch'
"I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay."
A familiar sentiment, perhaps: in 2010, a video surfaced of Nicki Minaj highlighting sexist double-standards around women described as "bitches": "When I'm assertive, I'm a bitch," she said. "When a man is assertive, he's a boss." If it's positive to hear such wisdom knocking about the top of pop's food chain, it's also testament to Madonna's decades-spanning ass-kicking in the same field. Lucky for us, she doesn't look like stopping.
Diplo: Bitch, We Are All Madonna
Source: Huffington Post - 16 April 2015Madonna is moving swiftly through her "Rebel Heart" tracklist, releasing "Living for Love" and "Ghosttown" videos and performing "Joan of Arc," "Devil Pray" and, most recently, "Bitch I'm Madonna." She debuted the latter on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" last week, during which Diplo joined her for a rowdy performance that found Madonna and her dancers prancing through the entire studio.
"Bitch I'm Madonna," which Diplo produced alongside English electronic producer Sophie, is among the six songs Madonna rushed to release after "Rebel Heart" leaked online in December. When The Huffington Post sat down with her last month, we asked Madonna to recount an instance where she used the expression "bitch, I'm Madonna" -- but the singer insisted the thought hadn't entered her mind until Diplo introduced it to her. The song's title might sound like a puffed-up self-reference, but Diplo told us this week, while promoting Major Lazer's new self-titled animated series, that the expression isn't unique to Madonna. In other words, anyone who maintains his or her cool in the face of boundless criticism is, in effect, a Madonna.
Diplo couldn't recall the exact origins of the idea of "being Madonna," but he knows he heard it in a rap song, perhaps by Lil B, whose "Pretty Boy Anthem" includes the lyrics "I look like Madonna / Bitch, I'm a farmer." He took the idea to Madge herself, insisting they recruit Nicki Minaj, who collaborated on Madonna's "Give Me All Your Luvin'" and has long been vocal about idolizing the 56-year-old singer. Diplo said the song addresses naysayers who slam Madonna because she's been in the business for so long -- just like those who used her age as ridicule for making out with Drake during his recent Coachella set, a moment Diplo praised as "sick."
"We made this record about, 'Fuck it, bitch, we’re all Madonna,'" he said, which clarifies why the "Tonight Show" performance featured her son Rocco, a random guy dressed as a police officer and even Fallon himself saying the words "bitch, I'm Madonna." That means it can be your catchphrase, too.
But there's another twist: Because Madonna hurried to master the demos of the six "Rebel Heart" tracks she released to combat the leaks, the album version of the song isn't Diplo's final mix. He said he was "kind of done" with the track as we know it, so he's since posted his intended cut on SoundCloud.
New tour dates in Turin and Barcelona
Source: Madonna.com - 16 April 2015
Madonna has added a 3rd date for Turin, Italy on November 19th. Tickets go on sale today at 10am CET.
Barcelona, Spain gets a 2nd date on November 25th. Tickets go on sale on April 28th.
This brings the total so far at 26 shows in the US and Canada, and 22 shows in Europe. There's still no news on dates in Asia, Australia or South America.
Madonna: Hooray for refusing to turn your sexy off at 56!
Source: Hollywood Life - 16 April 2015Madonna — you’re absolutely right to stay and act as hot to trot as ever in your 50s. Who says that when a woman hits fifty she should shut off her sex appeal? Kiss Drake, show off your thighs, and ignore your age!
Madonna, pay no attention to anyone who tells you to act your age! When they say that, what they’re really telling you is that you should stop being sexy because you’re 56. That’s ridiculous!
Madonna: Sexy At Coachella At 56 Years Old
You’re a beautiful, brilliant, talented woman who’s in amazing shape. You can still dance your a** off and in fact, you can still dance circles around women and men half your age.
So why should you cover up, shut up and stop acting up, just because of old ideas about what women should be like over 50?
When you surprised Drake onstage with a kiss during your performance together at Coachella on April 12, the internet was abuzz and some commenters were aghast. This was partly because Drake himself was so surprised by your bold move, and his shock was misread as horror.
But Drake, 28, himself has set the record straight and Instagrammed on April 13:
"Don't misinterpret my shock!! I got to make out with the queen Madonna and I feel 💯 about that forever. Thank you @madonna."
I bet he does feel that way. Madonna is a groundbreaking legend and Drake gets that. She broke open so many doors for female and male popstars with her trendsetting, uninhibited style, behavior and hit records, that every musical star respects her and is in total awe of her.
Taylor Swift: Madonna's #1 Fan
Just take it from Taylor Swift, who dueted with Madonna at the 2015 iHeart Radio Awards and who effusively Instagrammed, "I might be okay but I'm NOT FINE AT ALL. #MyFangirlLife #MadonnaAndTaylor," after their performance together. Performing with Madonna was a dream come true for Taylor, just like kissing Madonna was for Drake, and getting to sit on the couch with Madonna at The Ellen Show was for Justin Bieber.
Madonna critics are most offended by her refusal to give up her sexy, racy behavior and outfits. They don't get why she's still wearing stockings that expose her thighs, and corsets that showcase her slim waist and shapely rear. They were horrified when she bared her butt, covered only by fishnet pantyhose, on the 2015 Grammy Awards red carpet.
Dissers don't get that Madonna still feels like a rebel at heart. That's why she named her new album, Rebel Heart. Just because she's 56 doesn't mean that she should stop pushing boundaries. Why should she?
Madonna works out hard to have those perfectly muscled legs and equally perfect behind — why should she cover them up, just because she's a certain age according to a man made calendar?
Rita Ora Stands Up To Madonna's Dissers On Instagram
Aren't you so glad that Rita Ora took to her Instagram to support her heroine, Madonna?! The singer posted on April 13:
"Thank you for fighting all these ageist battles, and paving a way, that just maybe one day, all of us "Younger" Artists won't have too in the future! @madonna #if*ckinlovethisbitch #thatswhatlegendsdo"
Rita is so right. The haters are ageist and they're also sexist. Would they be telling off George Clooney or Brad Pitt for kissing younger women as part of their work? I don't think so.
Women are held to another standard, and it needs to stop. Madonna has boldly called out her haters twice since critics blasted her for kissing Drake and just generally not acting her age: "If you don't like me and still watch everything I do…bitch, you're a fan," she posted on April 13. Then, on April 14, she pointed out on Instagram: "When you are a threat, you are always a target."
She gets that strong women are always a threat to those who believe in a traditional, conservative order. A strong, sexual woman who doesn't "behave" is even more threatening to those who think mature women should cover up and stop acting up.
Well, hooray for Madonna for pushing those boundaries and refusing to be defined by 50!
Madonna kisses younger man. Cue shock, horror and repulsion
Source: Herald Sun - 14 April 2015At the Coachella music festival on the weekend, a 60-year-old man wore a schoolboy’s uniform and jumped around on stage doing exactly what he’s loved doing for decades.
That man, Angus Young of AC/DC, received nothing but glowing praise. And rightfully so.
However when Madonna, 56, did her job on stage at Coachella she was called everything from a saggy old hag desperate for attention to a geriatric predator literally sucking the life out of youth.
She was the "creepy old woman" not acting her age to make a publicity stunt to appeal to a younger audience.
Yawn. Sure, Madonna attempted to (seemingly forcefully) remove Drake's tonsils with her tongue. And Drake looked awkward and stupid wiping his mouth afterwards suggesting she went off script — his excuse about lip gloss is lame, especially for a man who often sings about his skills with the ladies.
But you don't invite Madonna on stage with you and look surprised when she does something shocking. Madonna has form for being shocking. And for sucking face with fellow artists. And for stealing attention.
And yes there's a double standard — imagine if Angus Young had lap-danced Katy Perry and kissed her forcefully. He'd be crucified. Just like Madonna is being.
But most of it seems to concern her age, and daring to kiss someone younger.
One person oh so hilariously remarked online maybe Madonna's false teeth fell out in Drake's mouth, explaining the mouth wipe as though he'd had a lemon, not a tongue, in his mouth.
Some headlines say he looked "repulsed" by Madonna's advances, many (anonymous) online opinions quick to point out the age difference as a reason for the alleged repulsion.
Madonna has, shock horror, dated men younger than herself and gotten grief for it. She also got grief when she dated an older man in Warren Beatty.
She told the New York Daily News this year "Most men my age are married with children. They're not datable. I'm a very adventurous person and I also have a crazy life. People who are older, and more set in their ways, are probably not as adventurous as someone younger."
Madonna is having relentless fun, which has been her MO pretty much from day one. She’s being Madonna. She's turning Taylor Swift into her guitarist, performing Holiday with a kazoo, singing Dress You Up in matching robes with Ellen DeGeneres to doing stand-up about dating younger guys on Jimmy Fallon.
You don't like it, that's cool, she doesn’' care. But as she posted on Instagram, 'If you don't like me and still watch everything I do, bitch you're a fan'.
There's an array of beige, say-nothing pop stars now filling the charts with beige, say-nothing pop songs.
Say what you like about Madonna but she’s never not said what she thinks, regardless of whether it’ll cost her fans or radio play or TV exposure or advertising campaigns.
Madonna's been pensioned off (silently) by many radio stations despite her music being as modern as anything else they play — her album includes songs written with chart toppers Diplo and Avicii.
She's not the only woman who struggles to get radio play over 40 — ask Kylie Minogue about that. But male musicians, like David Guetta, aged 47, still continue to get massive commercial radio exposure.
Madonna's breaking new ground. There’s pretty much just her, Grace Jones (66) and Cher (68) navigating their way for how female pop stars can turn 50 and not turn to ballads (Annie Lennox), semiretirement (Tina Turner) or nostalgia (Lulu).
Hilariously there's been commentary post-Coachella that Madonna’s doing this to try and save her career. Her album Rebel Heart topped charts around the world. Yeah it hasn’t sold what she used to, but no one's selling what anyone used to these days.
Touring is where you make money and the Rebel Heart tour will outsell most of her contemporaries. And if Madonna's doing all this for free in promotion mode, imagine what surprises she'll have in store for the people who actually pay top dollar to see her in her element. Whatever it is, it won’t be boring.
Drake weighs in on his reaction to that Madonna kiss at Coachella
Source: Billboard - 14 April 2015Despite what it may have looked like, Drake is totally fine after that unforgettable Coachella kiss with Madonna.
The now-infamous smooch went down in California on Sunday night during the rapper's headline set. And while fans were surprised by the Queen of Pop's appearance at the show, it was Drake who looked more surprised when she planted a kiss on him. Sure the kiss was notable, but it was Drake's shocked reaction that had everyone buzzing. And now he's telling his side of he story.
"Don't misinterpret my shock!!" he wrote on Instagram on Apr. 13. "I got to make out with the queen Madonna and I feel [100] about that forever. Thank you @madonna."
Madonna makes surprise appearance at Coachella, smooches Drake
13 April 2015At the Coachella Festival in California yesterday, Madonna made a surprise appearance during the set of Drake. After Drake sang his new song titled "Madonna", she came out for an impromptu performance of Human Nature, mashed up with Hung Up.
At the end, she walked over to Drake, who was sitting on a chair on stage, and kissed him full-on the mouth. She then said "Bitch I'm Madonna!" and walked off stage. In the background, you can hear Drake laugh "What the fuck just happened?"
She posted a pic of the kiss afterwards:
But the media and ageist critics had a field day as Drake's reaction after the kiss seemed rather disapproving. He later explained he did love the kiss but reacted against Madonna's lipstick!
TMZ:
Drake was not grossed out when Madonna planted a prolonged lip-lock on him at Coachella Sunday night ... his reaction was all about lipstick aftertaste.
Sources close to Drake tell TMZ ... he loved the kiss. As for whether the kiss was prearranged, Drake says it wasn't ... the plan was for Madonna to dance around him while he sat in the chair.
Drake says he was not banking on a transfer of the glossy stuff and that's why he blanched.
Drake took to Instagram to describe the kiss as a "moment to write home about".
Ghosttown dress designed by Belgian label A.F. Vandevorst
Source: Nieuwsblad - 11 April 2015 
The gorgeous dress worn by Madonna in the Ghosttown video was designed by the Belgian designer duo A.F. Vandevorst. The long dark green silk dress dwas selected by stylist Bea Akerlund to give Madonna her dramatic look for the apocalyptic video. The dress is from the winter collection of 2012, a collection inspired by famous dancer Pina Bausch.
Madonna's 21 Top 10 albums: From 'Madonna' to 'Rebel Heart'
Source: Billboard - 11 April 2015When Madonna’s Rebel Heart album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 last month, it continued the diva’s hot streak in the top 10, which has been going strong since her self-titled debut hit the region in 1984. In total, Madonna has earned 21 top 10 albums, including all 13 of her studio efforts. Among women, only Barbra Streisand has more top 10s (with 33).
Let’s take a closer look at all 21 of Madonna’s top 10 albums -- from Madonna to Rebel Heart -- and dive into their chart histories:
Madonna
Billboard 200 Peak Date: Oct. 20, 1984
Billboard 200 Peak Position: No. 8
Madonna's self-titled debut album, released in 1983, continues to rule as the diva's longest-charting set, with 167 weeks on the tally. The set launched her first Billboard Hot 100 hit single, "Holiday," which peaked at No. 16 on Jan. 18, 1984. The album spun off the singles "Borderline" (her first Hot 100 top 10, reaching No. 10) and "Lucky Star" (No. 4). Madonna gave the artist her first No. 1 on any Billboard chart: the double-sided single "Holiday"/"Lucky Star," which hit the top of the Dance Club Songs chart on Sept. 24, 1983.
Madonna took a leisurely stroll to the top 10 on the Billboard 200 -- it debuted on the Sept. 3, 1983-dated list at No. 190, and didn't break into the top 100 until Dec. 3. It hit the top 40 on Feb. 18, 1984, only to slip back down the chart until it made a top 40 return on June 2, just as "Borderline" was working its way up the Hot 100. Madonna spent three weeks at its peak, No. 8, between Oct. 20-Nov. 3, 1984 (as "Lucky Star" was peaking at No. 4 on the Hot 100).
Like a Virgin
Peak Date: Feb. 9, 1985
Peak Position: No. 1 (three weeks)
Like a Virgin arrived at No. 70 on the Billboard 200 dated Dec. 1, 1984 and jumped 60 places to No. 10 the following week. That was the single-biggest rise into the top 10 during the entire decade of the 1980s. It was also the largest jump into the top 10 since the Jan. 6, 1979-dated chart, when Blues Brothers' Briefcase Full of Blues rose 63 spots (70-7).
Like a Virgin eventually rose to No. 1 on the list dated Feb. 9, 1985, the same week the album's second single, "Material Girl," debuted on the Billboard Hot 100. Like a Virgin spent 32 weeks in the top 10 on the Billboard 200, and saw its four singles all reach the top five on the Hot 100 chart (the title track was her first No. 1, spending six weeks in the penthouse; "Material Girl" reached No. 2, and "Angel" and "Dress You Up" both hit No. 5).
True Blue
Peak Date: Aug. 16, 1986
Peak Position: No. 1 (five weeks)
Madonna's third album, True Blue, flew to No. 1 in just its fifth week on the chart (a rapid ascent back in 1986, when most albums were slow to move up the list). It spent five straight weeks locked in the top slot, beginning Aug. 16, 1986 -- the same week that the album's single "Papa Don't Preach" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
True Blue notched additional hits with "Live To Tell" (No. 1), "True Blue" (No. 3), "Open Your Heart" (No. 1) and "La Isla Bonita" (No. 4). When "La Isla Bonita" became the album's fifth top five single, it made True Blue -- at the time -- only the third album to generate five top five singles, following Michael Jackson's Thriller and Janet Jackson's Control.
Who's That Girl (Soundtrack/Madonna and various artists)
Peak Date: Sept. 12, 1987
Peak Position: No. 7
Madonna's Who's That Girl film came with its own Madonna-filled soundtrack (as she performed four of its nine songs), including the title track (which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100) and "Causing a Commotion" (No. 2). In the week that the Who's That Girl album reached the top 10 (Sept. 5, 1987; climbing 12-8), it joined three other Madonna albums on the chart: True Blue (No. 49), Like a Virgin (No. 176) and Madonna (No. 185). (The most albums Madonna has concurrently charted is four: for three weeks between Aug. 22 and Sept. 8, 1987.)
Like a Prayer
Peak Date: April 22, 1989
Peak Position: No. 1 (six weeks)
Like a Prayer flew to No. 1 in just its third week on the Billboard 200, following its eye-popping No. 11 debut on April 8, 1989. After its No. 11 bow, it rose to No. 3 and then to No. 1. It spent six consecutive weeks atop the chart and remains Madonna's longest-running No. 1 album. For the first three of those weeks, Madonna concurrently ruled both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Hot 100 -- the latter with the album's title track. Like a Prayer would send four more singles to the Hot 100: "Express Yourself" (No. 2), "Cherish" (No. 2), "Oh Father" (No. 20) and "Keep It Together" (No. 8).
I'm Breathless
Peak Date: June 23, 1990
Peak Position: No. 2
I'm Breathless, which carried the subtitle Music From and Inspired by the Film Dick Tracy, wasn't quite a full-fledged soundtrack to the film (in which Madonna co-starred), but it was certainly a companion piece to the summer blockbuster. Three of the album's songs were heard in the movie, including the Academy Award-winning "Sooner Or Later (I Always Get My Man)." The set's first single, "Vogue," spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was followed by the album's cheeky No. 10 hit "Hanky Panky." I'm Breathless spent three nonconsecutive weeks in the No. 2 slot, stuck behind MC Hammer's Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em.
The Immaculate Collection
Peak Date: Jan. 26, 1991
Peak Position: No. 2
Madonna's first greatest-hits album, The Immaculate Collection, spent two weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, blocked by Vanilla Ice's To the Extreme. (Vanilla Ice would later turn up in Madonna's Sex book, released in 1992.) The album contained 15 previously-released hits and two newly recorded songs: "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me." The former spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1991. Two months later, "Rescue Me" debuted at No. 15 on the Hot 100. It was the then-highest bow on the chart by a woman and the highest debut among all acts since The Beatles' "Let It Be" launched at No. 6 on March 21, 1970. "Rescue Me" would peak at No. 9.
The Immaculate Collection would prove to be a sturdy performer on the Billboard 200, spending 142 weeks on the tally. (It's Madonna's second-longest chart run thus far.) The set was a regular presence on the list (save for a few weeks here and there) through September 1993.
Erotica
Peak Date: Nov. 7, 1992
Peak Position: No. 2
Erotica arrived at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, her then-highest debut ever on the list. Standing in Madonna's way on the chart that week was Garth Brooks, who was in his fifth week atop the chart with The Chase (and beat Erotica by less than 3,000 copies sold). Erotica spent only four weeks in the top 10, but spent just over a year (53 weeks) on the chart. It generated four top 40 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100: the title track (No. 3), "Deeper and Deeper" (No. 7), "Bad Girl" (No. 36) and "Rain" (No. 14).
Bedtime Stories
Peak Date: Nov. 12, 1994
Peak Position: No. 3
"But why can't I be No. 1?," Madonna jokingly said to MTV's Kurt Loder when discussing how Bedtime Stories debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Ahead of the album that week was the Snoop Dogg-led Murder Was the Case soundtrack at No. 1 and Boyz II Men's II at No. 2. (Watch Madonna talk about her chart debut in the video below, starting after the 3:00 mark.)
"Boyz II Men are always hogging the top position," Madonna mused. "Boyz II Men and that damn Bodyguard soundtrack. Is that still in the chart?" she added, laughing. (The former No. 1 was, indeed, still on the chart that week, at No. 117.) Loder then told Madonna that it was actually Snoop Dogg that was ahead of her at No. 1, with the Murder Was the Case album. "Well, he's good, so I have to give it up to the old Snoop man. But move over, Rover!"
Something to Remember
Peak Date: Nov. 25, 1995
Peak Position: No. 6
Madonna's first ballads collection, Something to Remember, wasn't a traditional greatest-hits compilation. While it did gather up all of her best-known ballads, it also was the first Madonna album to contain her singles "I'll Remember" (a No. 2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100) and "This Used to Be My Playground" (No. 1). Shortly before the album's release, Madonna told Billboard's then-editor-in-chief Timothy White that she wanted to put out the album "in a very simple way" and that "listening to this record took me on my own journey. Each song is like a map of my life." She continued, "The songs, they choke me up -- and I wrote them. Isn't that weird?" (Billboard magazine, Sept. 30, 1995)
Evita (Soundtrack)
Peak Date: Feb. 1, 1997
Peak Position: No. 2
Evita, starring Madonna, saw its soundtrack released on Nov. 12, 1996, in advance of the musical film's premiere in limited theatrical release on Dec. 25. The album, which featured Madonna on most of its tracks, bowed at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, but then fell out of the top 20 in its second week, sliding all the way down to No. 28.
However, the set's chart trajectory changed course once the movie reached theaters, and then expanded to a wide release on Jan. 10, 1997. The album climbed back up the tally, peaking at No. 2 for two weeks in February. (It was trapped behind No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom.)
The soundtrack launched two Billboard Hot 100 hit singles: the newly written "You Must Love Me" (peaking at No. 18, and later winning the Academy Award for best original song) and the film's most familiar song, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" (No. 8). The Evita film was based on the rock opera of the same name, which was released in 1976.
Shortly before the Evita soundtrack's release, Madonna told Billboard's then-dance music editor Larry Flick that "You Must Love Me" was her "favorite song for the movie, it's just so beautiful." (Billboard magazine, Oct. 26, 1996)
Ray of Light
Peak Date: March 21, 1998
Peak Position: No. 2
Ray of Light was so hot when it was released, the only thing that could stop it from hitting No. 1 was an album of titanic proportions … the Titanic soundtrack (powered by its No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit "My Heart Will Go On"). Ray of Light debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 371,000 copies sold in its first week (at the time, Madonna's largest sales week since Nielsen Music began tracking data in 1991) and spent two weeks locked in the No. 2 slot.
A month after Ray of Light was released, Madonna presented the Academy Award for best original song to the writers of "My Heart Will Go On."
Fun fact: The Ray of Light album was originally set to spawn a "compilation of single remixes and album outtakes" (as reported in the Feb. 21, 1998 issue of Billboard magazine), due in the fall of 1998. The set was to be named Veronica Electronica.
Music
Peak Date: Oct. 7, 2000
Peak Position: No. 1
"I can't lie; I care about whether or not this record sells a little or a lot," Madonna told Billboard's Larry Flick before the Music album was released (Billboardmagazine, Aug, 5, 2000). "Aside from selfish reasons -- all artists want their work to be heard and appreciated -- I want to bring this sound to a wide audience." Music certainly did reach a wide audience, as the set debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 -- her first album to bow atop the list and her first No. 1 since 1989's Like a Prayer.
Notably, the Music album -- like her recent album Rebel Heart -- was struck by an early leak to the Internet. A rough version of the album's title track (and first single) made its way to the Web in May 2000 via Napster -- well ahead of the song's official release on Aug. 1. (Essentially all of Rebel Heart, in demo form, leaked to the Internet in December 2014, well ahead of its March 2015 release. The mastered album leaked in early February.)
In Flick's interview, he noted how the "Music" leak was "a move that some have accused [Madonna] of doing herself."
"'Oh, please!," she shrieked at the suggestion. "If I was going to leak my record, I would've put a better mix of it out there. I practically had a nervous breakdown when the track got out there. I wasn't even finished with the record when it happened. I was wiggin' out. I still kinda am.'"
And in a bit of foreshadowing of what would happen to the Rebel Heart album, she said, "I don't want my whole album to be leaked. I don't care if you're my 83-year-old grandmother, you're not getting my record before I'm ready for you to have it."
"I like the idea of trading information on the Net," Madonna continued, "that you can sample bits and pieces and get sounds and ideas for songs. But to have a whole album online, and then say that it's your right to have it for free, is bullshit. I mean, pay for my record, thank you very much."
GHV2: Greatest Hits Volume 2
Peak Date: Dec. 1, 2001
Peak Position: No. 7
Madonna's second greatest-hits album recapped her career from 1992 through 2001 and was the follow-up to 1990's The Immaculate Collection. But, unlike The Immaculate Collection, GHV2 did not include any newly recorded or unreleased songs. So to promote the album, Warner Bros. Records commissioned multiple versions of a "Madonna Megamix," created by the likes of Thunderpuss, Tracy Young, Johnny Rocks and Mac Quayle. The megamixes blended GHV2 songs and were promoted to dance clubs but never commercially released. The "Madonna Megamix" rose to No. 5 on the Dance Club Songs chart based on its reported play in dance clubs.
American Life
Peak Date: May 10, 2003
Peak Position: No. 1
Madonna's American Life bounded in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 but found a short chart life, spending only 14 weeks on the Billboard 200 (her then-shortest run on the chart with a studio album). The set's first official single was its title track, which peaked at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The album also included the single "Die Another Day," the title track from the James Bond film of the same name (in which Madonna had a cameo role). It was released in 2002 and reached No. 7 on the Hot 100.
Confessions on a Dance Floor
Peak Date: Dec. 3, 2005
Peak Position: No. 1
The diva's sixth No. 1 album came with Confessions on a Dance Floor, which spent more than twice the amount of time on the Billboard 200 as her last album, American Life (37 weeks vs. 14 weeks). Confessions returned Madonna to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 as well, as its first single, the ABBA-sampling "Hung Up" dialed up a No. 7 peak. The Confessions on a Dance Floor album would win Madonna her sixth Grammy Award, for best electronic/dance album.
Hard Candy
Peak Date: May 17, 2008
Peak Position: No. 1
The Hard Candy era saw Madonna return to the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time since 2001, thanks to the set's lead single, "4 Minutes," featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. The track peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100, her highest-charting single since "Don't Tell Me" hit No. 4 in early 2001. "4 Minutes" also surpassed the peaks of the lead singles from Madonna's two previous albums. Confessions On a Dance Floor's "Hung Up" halted at No. 7, while American Life's title track stalled at No. 37.
Celebration
Peak Date: Oct. 17, 2009
Peak Position: No. 7
Madonna's third greatest-hits album, Celebration, debuted and peaked at No. 7, matching the peak of her second best-of, GHV2. Unlike her earlier greatest-hits albums, The Immaculate Collection and GHV2, the Celebration set was a retrospective covering her entire career (a daunting task, considering at the time, she had notched 48 top 40 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100). Celebrationincluded the new title track, which peaked at No. 71 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on Dance Club Songs. Deluxe versions of the album also boasted the new tracks "Revolver" (featuring Lil Wayne, at No. 4 hit on Dance Club Songs) and "It's So Cool."
Sticky & Sweet Tour
Peak Date: April 24, 2010
Peak Position: No. 10
Sticky & Sweet Tour chronicled the concert trek of the same name, which toured the globe in 2008 and 2009 in support of Madonna’s Hard Candy album. Sticky & Sweet Tour had a short (but sweet!) run on the Billboard 200, spending just four weeks on the tally.
MDNA
Peak Date: April 14, 2012
Peak Position: No. 1
Madonna took to the Super Bowl halftime stage to promote the release of her MDNA album, which became her eighth chart-topper in 2012. The diva was seen by 114 million U.S. TV viewers during the Feb. 5 game and performed a medley of hits with her then-new single "Give Me All Your Luvin'," featuring Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. The latter track reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Madonna's 38th top 10 hit -- extending her own record for the most top 10 singles in chart history.
Rebel Heart
Peak Date: March 28, 2015
Peak Position: No. 2
Last December, shortly after Rebel Heart leaked to the Web in demo form, Madonna told Billboard that "the Internet is as constructive and helpful in bringing people together as it is in doing dangerous things and hurting people. It's a double-edged sword."
The leak resulted in Madonna rush-releasing six songs from the album on Dec. 19, in conjunction with Rebel Heart's accelerated pre-order campaign. Those tracks included the album's first single, "Living for Love," which wasn't originally scheduled to debut until Feb. 14.
"The reason I wanted to call the record Rebel Heart was because I felt like it explored two very distinct sides of my personality," Madonna said. "The rebellious, renegade side of me, and the romantic side of me."
Rebel Heart debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, becoming Madonna's 21st top 10 album.
Ranking 30 years Of Madonna's Tours: Which one is the greatest?
Source: VH1 - 11 April 2015During this week in 1985, a fresh-faced pop star named Madonna embarked on her first-ever concert tour, aptly titled The Virgin Tour. Little did concertgoers know, they were in the presence of arguably pop’s most dynamic performer (next to Michael Jackson, of course). Since The Virgin Tour, Madge has embarked on a total of nine stage shows and will begin her 10th — The Rebel Heart Tour — later this year. There's no question her tours are both amazing and profitable — her 2008 Sticky & Sweet Tour is the highest-grossing solo artist trek in history — but which one reigns supreme? We're about to find out.
Picking the best Madonna tour is like picking the tastiest flavor of ice cream. They’re all good for different reasons, and you might instantly regret ranking one over the other. Nevertheless, we took on the challenge. We factored in setlists, special effects, choreography and iconic moments in making our final decision. Get ready for a lot of vogueing.
Check the complete ranking at VH1.
Do you agree? Discuss here
More videos from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Source: The Tonight Show - 11 April 2015Madonna makes her stand-up comedy debut
Madonna made out with Beastie Boys' Ad-Rock on tour
Madonna's kids keep her from being basic
Madonna performs 'Bitch I'm Madonna' at Jimmy Fallon
Source: NBC - 10 April 2015
Madonna surprised everyone by not performing her new single Ghosttown at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, but instead her song Bitch I'm Madonna!
Diplo joined her during the performance, and Rocco makes a cameo appearance as well.
Madonna and Jimmy Fallon sing 'Holiday' using classroom instruments
Source: People - 10 April 2015
Madonna was a very special guest on The Tonight Show on Thursday and she kicked off her appearance by performing a fun version of her 1983 hit "Holiday."
The 56-year-old was joined by Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, who used classroom instruments as their accompaniment.
Wearing sunglasses, the singer delivered a classic performance, complete with a whistle and cowbell.
"How cool is Madonna?" Fallon said after the clip aired.
"I kind of sucked though," Madonna said later. "I forgot the words."
For the next segment Madonna danced onto the stage wearing several gold chains and her gold grill for an interview with Fallon that included the Tonight Show host remembering a pelvic-thrusting dance move she taught him.
"I just want to apologize to my children for having seen that," he said.
Behind The Scenes of the Ghosttown video
10 April 2015 
The Behind The Scenes documentary of the Ghosttown video is now available on Tidal. Enjoy this Youtube version while it's still online:
10 important observations about Ghosttown video
Source: Hitfix - 10 April 2015Madonna's new video takes place in the apocalypse. Here's what we noticed.
1. It must be the apocalypse because Madonna looks exactly like Avril Lavigne.
2. That photo Madonna kisses is of her late mother Madonna Fortin Ciccone. This has to be the first ever music video featuring two Madonnas.
3. When Madonna sits at that vanity and looks into the mirror, it's like she's admitting she's at the Annie Lennox "Diva" stage of her career. Here's to more balladry about broken glass.
4. I'll say it: I like Madonna's grill. She's always made a habit of drawing attention to the gap in her teeth, and the grill indicates she's now interested in blinding you with her incisor situation.
5. It is inspirational that Madonna's recent stage mishaps have not hindered her love of capes.
6. That tango is pretty damn good. I'd applaud except I worry, fear, and dread that Madonna will do "Dancing with the Stars."
7. The apocalypse is, apparently, a lot like Madonna's recent Billboard fight with the "Empire" soundtrack. (The "Empire" soundtrack beat Madonna's "Rebel Heart" for the #1 spot on the Billboard 200.) Seriously, it's just Madonna and Terrence Howard after the world ends. The only person alive in the video to appreciate that irony is some little boy, who better be gay.
8. I guess the only way to express your anger after the world ends is by hitting things with a golf club. Is this Madonna's first-ever video shout-out to Michael Jackson?
9. This video needs way more dancing. All of Madonna's great music videos involve outrageous or intricate choreography (with the possible exception of "Oh Father"), and we get only a sliver of it here.
10. This song is fantastic. But this video is a little too P!nk to be one of the all-time great Madge moments.
Madonna survives destruction with Terrence Howard in 'Ghosttown' video
Source: Billboard - 10 April 2015 
We have yet to see a Madonna guest appearance on Fox's smash drama Empire, but the closest we have come thus far is the new music video for her latest Rebel Heart single, "Ghosttown." Yes, that's Terrence Howard, better known as Lucius Lyon, surviving the apocalypse and pointing a sniper rifle at the Queen of Pop before elegantly busting a move with her.
After waking up in the scourge of a nuked-out world, Madonna feels her way through the deserted society, I Am Legend-ing it up while Terrence Howard's brooding loner suspiciously looks on. Eventually the two humans come into contact, inching toward each other until clasping their hands and dancing the forbidden dance of the last man and woman on earth. "Ghosttown" makes for a fitting soundtrack to the impressive choreographed sequence, although the image of a weary Howard proudly grasping the hand of a boy at the end of the video makes one long for a few seconds of "Drip Drop" as well.
Jonas Åkerlund helmed the new music video after directing the clips for Madonna singles like "Ray of Light" and "Music," among others. "Ghosttown" is the second single from Madonna's Rebel Heart, which was released last month and was blocked from the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart by… the soundtrack to the first season of Empire.
A behind-the-scenes companion to the "Ghosttown" video is currently available of Tidal. Madonna kicks off her Rebel Heart World Tour on Aug. 29.
Madonna finds Terrence Howard in the 'Ghosttown' video's apocalyptic rubble
Source: Huffington Post - 8 April 2015Madonna has been quick to say that "Ghosttown" -- the second single from "Rebel Heart" -- is about the apocalypse, so it makes sense that the video finds the singer awakening to learn that nuclear detonation has wiped out the planet's chandeliers and left her alone with spiders and rats. Everything is ablaze, even the posters that advertise "Rebel Heart" on New York City walls.
So Madonna kisses loved ones' photos goodbye and seizes her Stevie Nicks moment, donning a top hat and cape as she saunters through the dilapidated streets. But wait! There's Terrence Howard with a gun! She's not alone anymore. They share a dance over the song's coda, emphasizing that they are "two souls in a ghost town." Or four, really, as they find a young boy and a dog before wandering off into the smoky abyss to start their new lives. At least Madge still has her mouth grill intact through it all.
The clip is directed by Jonas Åkerlund, who also helmed Madonna's "Ray of Light," "Music," "American Life," "Jump" and "Celebration" videos. Following two failed attempts to premiere it on the app Meerkat, Madonna did the sensible thing and released the video on Vevo.
See Madonna and Terrence Howard dance as world burns in 'Ghosttown' clip
Source: Rolling Stone - 8 April 2015Jonas Åkerlund-directed clip shows how singer copes with nuclear fallout
Madonna survives a nuclear explosion in the clip for "Ghosttown," her second single off Rebel Heart.
The better part of the video is a mostly harrowing scene for the pop star. She wanders out of her studio apartment into a fire-razed, post-apocalyptic landscape in the clip. The only survivors appear to be a tarantula, a rat and what looks like a wolf, so she lives out a Last Man on Earth–type fantasy (wearing a top hat while wrecking a pile of chairs with a golf club) until she encounters another human: actor Terrence Howard, who is focusing the sight of an assault rifle on her. They make friends and the clip works its way toward a happy ending, including the discovery of one more human. Longtime Madonna video collaborator Jonas Åkerlund helmed the clip.
Ironically, Madonna and Howard recently duked it out on the charts in a weird way. In mid-March, the soundtrack to the actor's TV show Empire earned the top spot on the Billboard 200, but it wouldn't have before the trade mag changed its charts metrics to include album-equivalent track sales. That week, Rebel Heart had sold 121,000 units, of which 116,000 were traditional album sales; Empire achieved the top spot with 130,000 units sold, of which 110,000 copies were traditional albums.
In other Madonna music-industry news, the Material Girl recently united with a jaw-dropping number of music megastars, including Jay Z, Beyonce, Rihanna, Kanye West and others, as co-owners of the music-streaming platform Tidal. The artists all appeared together recently at an event in New York to state their intent.
"We come together before you on this day...with one voice in unity in the hopes that today will be a moment that will forever change the course of music history," co-owner Alicia Keys told the crowd. "Our goal is simple: We want to create a better service and a better experience for both fans and artists, and that is our promise to the world."
Exclusive! Madonna's new look for "Ghosttown" video
Source: Vogue - 7 April 2015 How do you dress Madonna — that inveterate fashion changeling, that master of reinvention, that brightly burning star now on her third decade of pop icon-hood — for her next move? How about her next video, in which she busts many a move?
In the case of B. Akerlund, who styled the Queen of Pop for her video for "Ghosttown", premiering tomorrow from her March release Rebel Heart — which features such tracks as "Bitch I'm Madonna" (as if you needed reminding) — you take the runways' military-cum-bandleader-meets-Victoriana trend and you run long. Really long.
"The silhouette and feel is real rock 'n' roll," says Akerlund of the Chrome Hearts leather greatcoat replete with billowing train. (And top hat. And cane.) "It's always inspiring to work on a special project with an artist as creative as Madonna," said Laurie Lynn Stark, co-owner of Chrome Hearts, the line also behind the painstakingly crafted topper.
As for Her Madgesty? "It was magical," the musician said via email, "it perfectly represented the vibe that we wanted to bring to the video." And there you have it. When in doubt: Go for drama.
Behind the scenes of the Ellen von Unwerth photoshoot for Cosmopolitan
Source: Cosmopolitan - 7 April 2015Cosmopolitan, featuring Madonna on the cover, will hit news stands on April 14th.
The magazine posted a Behind The Scenes video of the photoshoot with Ellen von Unwerth, set to a Living For Love remix. Check it out:
Madonna covers Cosmopolitan 25 years later, says 'We still live in a very sexist society'
Source: E! Online - 7 April 2015Madonna is gracing the cover of Cosmopolitan once again!
Twenty-five years after the singer covered the magazine's May 1990 issue, the Queen of Pop was honored with their 50th anniversary issue (on stands April 14). The cover image features the "Living for Love" crooner biting on a giant strand of pearls while modeling a high fashion facemask. The 56-year-old strikes a sexy stare at the camera while posing in a black top and matching glove.
Inside the issue, Madonna gets provocative by posing with her hand near her crotch. She also strikes a super-sexy open-legged pose as she sits backwards in a chair.
In the accompanying interview, Madonna reflects on her long-lasting career and ageism in the entertainment industry.
"Don't be fooled, not much has changed—certainly not for women," she said. "We still live in a very sexist society that wants to limit people. Since I started, I've had people giving me a hard time because they didn't think you could be sexual or have sexuality or sensuality in your work and be intelligent at the same time. For me, the fight has never ended."
She also opened up about working with Kanye West on her new album Rebel Heart.
"It's a little bit of a bullfight, but we take turns," she dished. "He knows that he's walking into a room with a person with a strong point of view, and I do too. I listen to what he has to say, take it in, and he listens to what I say and takes it in. We didn't agree on everything, but he has good ideas."
Ghosttown video premiere postponed to tomorrow
7 April 2015Although the video for Ghosttown was supposed to premiere on the Meerkat video today, it seems it has been postponed to tomorrow, with Madonna posting this to her Facebook and Instagram accounts:
Full video and exclusive behind the scenes from "Ghosttown" coming tomorrow...
Instead she posted yet another teaser video:
Thenextweb wrote about the troublesome Meerkat premiere:
We're not saying Jay Z's Tidal crew was responsible… but it seemed just a little opportune that Madonna's scheduled premiere of her new music video on Meerkat miserably failed today.
Yesterday, Madonna teased that her "Ghosttown" video would debut in full on Meerkat at 10 a.m. PT. Her Meerkat page counted down the hours and minutes until the feed went live.
However, when users visited the page right before the premiere, they were met with either a blank or 500 error page.
We contacted Meerkat for details, but CEO Ben Rubin tells us he's not ready to comment just yet.
Madonna's Twitter account did not explain the error, but did say the full video would be premiering tomorrow. We're guessing this time, it'll just be available on YouTube, VEVO and wherever music can be found. Or perhaps she'll remember that thing she put her name on a week ago?
Madonna uses Meerkat to debut new Ghosttown music video
Source: The Guardian - 7 April 2015Promo will have its live premiere on star's official channel, with social app joining Snapchat, Instagram and Grindr in her promotional armoury
Soon, there won't be a social app left that Madonna hasn't used to promote her new album. Live video broadcasting app Meerkat is the latest, following the star's use of Instagram, Snapchat and Grindr in the campaign for Rebel Heart.
"Be here at 10am PST tomorrow for the world premiere of Madonna's Ghosttown video!" explained a message on Madonna's official Meerkat profile, which at the time of writing has just under 1,000 subscribers.
Meerkat launched in February as the latest app enabling people to broadcast video live from their smartphones to their followers on Twitter. It has since been joined by Periscope, an app owned by Twitter that fulfils the same function.
Madonna is the biggest star yet to use Meerkat, after a bruising few weeks for the app, which saw Twitter turn off Meerkat's access to its social graph, then saw it plummet down Apple's App Store chart following Periscope's release.
It is unclear how Madonna will use Meerkat to debut a music video as the app works by the broadcaster pointing their smartphone's camera at whatever they want to stream.
If Madonna is able to air pre-recorded footage it will be an interesting departure for Meerkat. Allowing users to stream pre-recorded video would give it different functionality in its battle with Periscope.
Already this year, Madonna has raised a rumpus on Instagram by posting doctored photos of Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, John Lennon and Bob Marley; premiered her last video Living for Love on Snapchat; and running a contest on Grindr encouraging fans to post their own altered images of the album artwork.
It’s a sign of the music industry’s keen interest in the popularity of social apps, even – and often, especially – those not specifically focused on music.
Another artist, Jason Derulo, recently premiered his new video within dating app Tinder, with fans discovering his profile able to swipe right – as they would for a dating match they approved of – to watch Want to Want Me. According to Forbes, more than 1.1 million fans swiped right during the three-day campaign.
Madonna’s decision to use Meerkat may come as a surprise to some fans, since she is now one of the 16 co-owners of streaming music service Tidal, which is planning to use similarly-exclusive video premieres to promote itself.
Fellow co-owners Beyoncé and Rihanna have already debuted videos on Tidal before other services, but Madonna chose to make a 16-second teaser of the Ghosttown video available on Tidal ahead of its full premiere on Meerkat.
While less than 1,000 subscribers is a very limited audience on the latter, the video premiere will surely be promoted on other social networks: Madonna has 639,000 followers on Twitter while more than 18 million fans have liked her Facebook page.
Madonna's sleeper hit 'Ghosttown' will get Tidal video premiere
Source: Inquisitr - 6 April 2015Madonna has done something very rare in today's music world. Usually, when a major artist releases a flop single ("Living for Love") off a new album (Rebel Heart), they and the album are finished for the time being. However, Madonna, once again, appears to bucking another trend as "Ghosttown" is on track to become her biggest hit in years.
Madonna's "Ghosttown" is already her biggest Adult Contemporary single since "The Power of Goodbye" in 1998, and it is starting to take off at Top 40 radio, a format which usually shuns any star who is over 40. According to The Pulse music boards, "Ghosttown" is receiving regular airplay for Madonna at New York's Z100 and Miami's Y100, two of the biggest Top 40 radio stations in the country. "Ghosttown" is also starting to make inroads at Top 40 radio stations in Boston, North Carolina, and Dallas.
The resurrection of Madonna's latest era with "Ghosttown" is very similar to how Christina Aguilera's Stripped album and era were resurrected with the song "Beautiful" in late 2002. Her first single from that album, "Dirty," was an absolute flop, but the negativity was forgotten when "Beautiful" became a generational anthem. Madonna will continue her promotion of "Ghosttown" this week when the video for the song premieres on Jay-Z's controversial new Tidal streaming service.
12 Headlines we'd read if Madonna were an older man
Source: Huffington Post - 4 April 2015 
Madonna gets a lot of heat for behaving in a way many believe is inappropriate for a woman over 50. Men who are also "of a certain age" often behave in rebel fashion, but are usually lauded for their actions. Here, the headlines we'd read if Madonna practiced what many older men preach.
1: Harrison Ford, Private Plane Pilot. On March 5, the 72-year-old actor crashed his World War II-era plane. The story made headlines around the world, all honoring how well he managed to handle the accident and hoping for his speedy recovery.
Madonna's Headline
No longer High, Flying or Adored, Madonna Crashes on the Runway and the Charts
2: Paul Newman, Racecar Driving. An avid racecar fan, at 70 years of age, the late actor became the oldest driver in a winning Daytona team.
Madonna's Headline
B*** on Wheels: Desperate Madonna Still Thinks She's in the Race
3: Iggy Pop, Shirtless. The 67-year-old rock icon is still posing shirtless, to the admiration of fans all over the world.
Madonna's Headline
Icky Pop: GrandMadonna's Topless Photo Looks Like a Map of the Old Stars Homes
4: Tom Cruise, Fencing. In addition to doing his own movie stunts, the 52-year-old actor is a huge fencing fan.
Madonna's Headline
Right of Light Saber: Madonna Learns How to, Literally, Stab Her Friends in the Back
5: Russell Crowe, Knitting. The 50-year-old bad boy likes to knit in his spare time. Even gladiators need to get in touch with their feminine side.
Madonna's Headline
Unapologetic Stitch: Will Madonna Knit Baby Booties for Her Next Boyfriend?
6: Brad Pitt, Motorcycle Riding. Everyone's favorite Hollywood Dad, Pitt is a serious motorcycle enthusiast, even at 51 years of age.
Madonna's Headline
Motorcycle Mama's Message to Her Children: Biking Is Fine!
7: Sean Penn, Surfing. The 54-year-old actor and ex-husband of Madge stays in magnificent shape, in part by surfing.
Madonna's Headline
Drowned World: Madonna Desperately Tries to Stay Afloat
8: Johnny Depp, Owning and Island. The 51-year-old American actor resides in France and owns an island in the Bahamas.
Madonna's Headline
From British to Bahamian, Madonna's Un-American Ambitions
9: Sting, Tantric Sex. Everyone's favorite ex-teacher, Sting, 63, has been practicing Tantric sex for years.
Madonna's Headline
Chanteuse on the Loose: Madonna's Sexual Stretch Marks
10: George Clooney, Sports. The "Sexiest Man Alive," 53-year-old Clooney's an avid baseball, basketball, and football fanatic.
Madonna's Headline
No Longer in a League of Her Own, Madonna Strikes Out on the Playing Field, Dribbles in Public, and Chases After Tight Ends
11: Denzel Washington, Boxing. At 60, the two-time Academy Award winner still boxes to keep in shape.
Madonna's Headline
Former Musical Heavyweight Madonna Now Hits Below the Belt
12: Kevin Costner, Horseback Riding. The 60-year-old star is an established equestrian and does his own riding in films. Here's hoping he's always careful.
Madonna's Headline
Madonna owns... wait, she fell off her horse in 2005, leaving her with a broken hand, busted collarbone and three cracked ribs. One very popular New York Newspaper wrote it..."Madonna Falls Off Her High Horse."
... If Madonna did it, you'd read all about it.
Rihanna conquers Madonna on iTunes Singles Chart
Source: Inquisitr - 4 April 2015 
It's quite ironic: Rihanna's latest single, which has received brutal reviews on social media, is — by far — selling more than Madonna's "Ghosttown," which has received universal praise on social media. Rihanna dropped her single last week, while Madonna's record company started heavily promoting her new single at the same time. Both artists performed at the iHeart Music Awards.
"B*tch Better Have My Money" is No. 1 at iTunes. "Ghosttown" is, well, in a ghost town on the iTunes chart (in other words, it's nowhere to be found). However, Madonna fans don't need to get angry and start leaving threatening comments; Madonna's new single is taking off in a big way and could easily be the sleeper hit of the year.
Last week, Billboard mentioned that "Ghosttown" entered the Adult Contemporary chart at No. 21. According to the Pulse Music Boards, Madonna's latest hit has since jumped up to No. 16. It's her biggest adult contemporary hit since "The Power of Goodbye" in 1998. But the news gets better for Madonna; "Ghosttown" is starting to take off at pop radio. Commenters on The Pulse have reported multiple plays on some of the country's biggest music stations: KIIS FM in Los Angeles, Y100 in Miami, Z100 in New York City, and many others. The steady increase in airplay proves the song is getting great call-out research. It is now time for sales to catch up and they possibly could when Madonna releases the video for her new single next week.
Meanwhile, Madonna's critics are having the time of their lives this week and jumping for joy over the fact that her album Rebel Heart is falling down Billboard's album chart. However, the widely-admired journalist, Robbie Daw from Idolator, explains the major reason for the drop in sales.
"But the not-so-fit-for-a-Queen sales of the record have less to do with the Material Girl's popularity (remember, this is the top grossing solo tour act and best-selling female artist of all time we're talking about, whose 13 studio albums have all landed in the Top 10) and probably much to do with a disastrous string of leaks that plagued the album months before it was officially released."
Madonna's critics are so eager to see her fail that they have even called her Rebel Heart World Tour a flop, with the New York Post leading the way, even suggesting the tour should be renamed to "Like a Has-Been." Of course, they never mentioned that several secondary dates have been added in New York City, Toronto, Miami, Edmonton, Paris, Amsterdam, etc. The year 2015 will be another very profitable year for Madonna, who will laugh her way all the way to the bank.
Ellen 'joins' performance of Madonna and Taylor Swift
Source: Ellentube - 4 April 2015
Even after Madonna Week, Ellen Degeneres continues her love for her gal pal Madonna.
In her latest show she "joined" the iHeartRadio Music Awards performance of Ghosttown by Madonna and Taylor Swift, which lead to this hilarious result.
Ghosttown video to be released next week
4 April 2015 Madonna has announced that the video for Ghosttown will be available next week.
She added a picture to the post which seems to be the cover of the single. The same picture has now been added to her official remix videos.
An official release date for the single has not yet been announced, but Amazon Germany is listing it for April 24th.
More Ghosttown remixes
Source: Youtube - 1 April 2015Madonna has premiered new Ghosttown remixes by THRILL, Mike Cruz, Don Diablo and Dirty Pop on her Youtube channel.
Jo Whiley talks to Madonna
Source: BBC - 1 April 2015In this exclusive interview The Queen of Pop opens up about motherhood, lie-ins, Sam Smith and 'that' fall at the Brits...
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