Rebel Heart (Madonna album), Bits N' Bobs (Live) Album by Madonna

Bits N' Bobs (Live)

Album by Madonna

Release date: March 14, 2016

 

Hot Broadcast (Doxy Collection, Remastered, Live)

 

The Legendary Broadcasts (Remastered, Live)

Release date: April 20, 2016

Rebel Heart is the thirteenth studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on March 6, 2015, by Interscope Records. Following the completion of the MDNA release and promotion, Madonna worked on the album throughout 2014, co-writing and co-producing it with various musicians, including Diplo, Avicii, and Kanye West. She regularly uploaded pictures of her recording sessions on her Instagram account. Unlike her previous efforts, which involved only a few people, working with a large number of collaborators posed problems for Madonna in keeping a cohesive sound and creative direction for the album.

Thematically, Rebel Heart represents the singer's romantic and rebellious sides. The themes grew organically during the writing and recording sessions. Musically, it is a pop record which merges an array of genres such as 1990s house, trap, and reggae, as well as the use of acoustic guitars and gospel choir. Some of the songs are autobiographical in nature while others talk about love and Madonna's career. Rebel Heart features guest appearances by boxer Mike Tyson and rappers Nicki Minaj, Nas and Chance the Rapper.

The record had been set for a March 2015 release, with the first single to be released on Valentine's Day. But after a flurry of unexpected album content leaks, Madonna released the album for pre-order on the iTunes Store on December 20, 2014, with six songs being available immediately for download. A police investigation led to an Israeli man being arrested and charged with hacking into Madonna's computer and leaking the songs. The leaked cover art for the deluxe edition of the album became popular, leading to numerous memes being created on Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter. To promote the album, Madonna made several television appearances and performances, including the 57th Annual Grammy Awards and the 2015 Brit Awards. It was further promoted by the Rebel Heart Tour which started in September 2015, and concluded in March 2016, visiting North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. "Living for Love", "Ghosttown", "Bitch I'm Madonna", and "Hold Tight" were released as singles from the album.

Rebel Heart received predominantly positive reviews from music critics; multiple reviewers called it her best effort in a decade. They found that unlike her two previous studio efforts, Hard Candy (2008) and MDNA (2012), the album's sound was progressive. It peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States and the UK Albums Chart. Rebel Heart also peaked at number one in various countries across the world, including major music markets such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland, while reaching the top ten on charts in France, Ireland, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, and Sweden, and attaining Gold certifications in some of the regions.

Released March 6, 2015

    "Living for Love"
    Released: December 20, 2014
    "Ghosttown"
    Released: March 13, 2015
    "Bitch I'm Madonna"
    Released: June 15, 2015
    "Hold Tight"
    Released: July 24, 2015