 | |
Madonna news - May 2007
← April 2007 | June 2007 →
Alternative version of Get Together video online
29 May 2007Check out an alternative but official version of Get Together, directed by Eugene Rockstar.
Hey You available on iTunes
27 May 2007After a week of free download on MSN, Madonna's latest charity single Hey You is available as a purchased download on iTunes, both in the US and Europe. If the song gets enough paid downloads, it could enter the charts in the US or UK, but it is highly unlikely because most people got it for free already...
Second Ariake commercial online
27 May 2007Head over to our video blog to check out Madonna's second commercial filmed for Japanese Ariake development, directed by Steven Klein again. She whispers the following: "Family is everything. Family comes first. It is not what I expected it to be, but nothing ever is. Just perfect, Brillia Mare Ariake."
Update on upcoming release schedule
25 May 2007Fansite MadonnaTribe broke the news: Warner Music's release schedule was updated with a Madonna "Best of Remixes" set tentatively scheduled for the end of 2007, while Madonna's next studio album is set for early 2008.
~ The early 2008 release coincides with the release pattern of Madonna's studio albums in the least 10 years: a 2 and a half year long span between records. Actually if the release schedule stays, then the new album will be out around the tenth anniversary of Ray Of Light...
Madonna's directorial debut
Source: ITV - 25 May 2007Madonna may have ruled out acting again but that hasn't stopped her getting behind the camera as she begins her directorial debut.
The Material Girl has been in London making her new short movie Filth and Wisdom, which is apparently based on her life experiences.
Madonna, 48, hopes filming will finish by July when she is due back in the recording studio.
Following in the footsteps of her filmmaker husband Guy Ritchie she will be hoping it's more successful than her last foray into the world of cinema.
The couple paired up to make the romantic comedy Swept Away in 2002, which was panned by critics and went straight to video.
Sorry wins Ivor Novello songwriting award
Source: U.TV - 24 May 2007The Arctic Monkeys, Amy Winehouse and Madonna were among the winners at the 52nd Ivor Novello Awards.
Singer Winehouse scooped Best Contemporary Song for her self-penned hit Rehab.
And the Sheffield-based Arctic Monkeys collected the Best Album Award for Whatever People Say I Am That`s What I`m Not.
But the band`s single, When The Sun Goes Down, written by frontman Alex Turner, missed out on the award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically - which was handed to songwriter Scott Matthews for his song Elusive.
Pop queen Madonna collected the accolade for International Hit of the Year for the song she co-wrote, Sorry.
It beat stiff competition from Robbie Williams, who was nominated for his single Rudebox, which he co-wrote.
Sir Elton John also won an award - the Scissor Sisters smash hit I Don`t Feel Like Dancin`, which he co-wrote, was named PRS (Performing Right Society) Most Performed Work.
The Feeling were named Song Writers of the Year, while the PRS Outstanding Contribution to Music Award went to DJ Norman Cook.
Hey You not eligible for US chart
20 May 2007From Fred Bronson's column in Billboard:
Hi Fred,
I hope you are enjoying all things Eurovision. I'm writing about Madonna's latest work - a song entitled Hey You which she wrote for the upcoming Live Earth series of worldwide concerts on July 7, 2007.
Madonna will perform Hey You at the London concert, and as of May 16, MSN is offering a free download of the song for one week. (As part of an environmental fundraising effort tied to the Live Earth concerts, MSN will donate 25 cents for each of the first million downloads).
Will Hey You be eligible to chart on the Hot 100, Hot Digital Downloads or other charts during the first week of downloads, which are free? Must a digital download be paid for to appear on any/all of Billboard single/song charts?
Or must we wait for the second week of release (which presumably will be of paid downloads, but at this point, it is unclear the price, etc.) for Madonna's latest song to chart?
Thanks,
Rob Craven
Berkeley, Calif.
P.S. I don't know Pablo Nelson, but a lot of us in Berkeley read your stellar Billboard columns.
Dear Rob,
I did have a great time at Eurovision and enjoyed my two weeks in Helsinki. My coverage will appear in the May 29 issue of Billboard magazine, along with photos from this year's contest. My report on the winner has already run on Billboard.com.
As for Madonna's Hey You, free downloads don't count for any Billboard charts. The song is not being promoted to radio, so airplay is unlikely. As a result, it's highly unlikely the song could chart after its first week of activity. We'll have to see how many sales the single can achieve in its second week of availability.
Punishment for false bomb threat at Madonna show
Source: Trouw.nl, translation by Mad-Eyes - 17 May 2007The man who is accused of calling a false bomb threat at Madonna's concert in the Amsterdam ArenA doesn't need to go to jail for this. The court in Amsterdam has given him a work punishment of 150 hours and 4 months of probational sentence.
Before the concert, the Dutch emergency service 112 received a call which asked for police, fire brigade and ambulances because during the performance of the cross scene there would be the explosion of five cluster bombs. "Nobody will survive that. Thank you!"
The police could quickly track the caller, which prevened the venue from having to be evacuated. When the police searched the man's home, they also found a gun, for which he was also convicted. The court speaks of a "serious fact" because the man is a preacher wwho has the function to give the right example.
The crucifixion act in Madonna's Confessions Tour caused quite a stir. During the song Live To Tell, Madonna wore a crown of thorns will hanging on cross of cristals. In Holland, members of the junior party SGP sued the popstar for blasphemy and insult of God. The court never opened a trial for i. Earlier protests in Germany had not led o cancellation of the act either.
Hey You lyrics
17 May 2007Mad-Eyes has written down the lyrics of Madonna new single Hey You; check them out here.
Madonna & Live Earth - Official Press Release
Source: Madonna.com - 17 May 2007MADONNA WRITES NEW SONG "HEY YOU" FOR UPCOMING LIVE EARTH CONCERT SERIES ON JULY 7TH
Song To Release at MSN May 16 in Downloadable MP3 Format
Microsoft Pledges Donation Making First Million Downloads Free to the Public
Warner Bros. Records to Release LIVE EARTH CD/DVD of Worldwide Shows
Inspired by the upcoming July 7th Live Earth series of concerts, Madonna has written a new song, Hey You, which will be available to be downloaded in the MP3 format on Microsoft's home page, http://liveearth.msn.com, on May 16. The first million downloads of Hey You will be free as Microsoft has pledged to donate $0.25 per download to the Alliance for Climate Protection for the first million downloads.
Madonna is scheduled to perform Hey You live at the Wembley Stadium Live Earth concert in London, it was confirmed by her record label, Warner Bros. Records, who have also announced that they will be releasing a live CD/DVD of the Live Earth Concert Series.
Madonna's new song, Hey You recorded in London, was produced by Pharrell Williams and Madonna. She is one of seventeen headliners that have been announced including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Genesis, Beastie Boys and others who will perform at Wembley as part of the 24-hour, 7-continent Live Earth Concert Series.
"On 7/7/07, Live Earth will inspire people from around the world to combat global warming with live performances from superstar artists like Madonna," Live Earth Founder Kevin Wall said. "The early release of Hey You is an incredible boost to our efforts to get people engaged in the environmental cause. We are thrilled that Madonna donated her art to Live Earth and is a part of this movement for us."
Live Earth is a monumental music event on 7/7/07 that will bring together more than 100 headlining music artists and 2 billion people to launch an ongoing, mass movement to combat the climate crisis. Concerts will take place in New York; London; Sydney; Tokyo; Shanghai; Johannesburg; Rio de Janeiro; and Hamburg.
Live Earth's 24 hours of music across 7 continents will deliver a call to action and the solutions needed to answer the call. Live Earth marks the beginning of a multi-year campaign led by The Alliance for Climate Protection to move individuals, corporations and governments to take action.
The concerts will be streamed live at LiveEarth.MSN.com and available on CD/DVD.
Hey You available on MSN
17 May 2007Madonna's single Hey You is now available for download on MSN.com. It has turned out as a nice ballad, not the expected hiphop track.
"Inspired by Live Earth, Madonna has written a new song titled Hey You, which is available exclusively on MSN, free of charge, for seven days. Hey You was produced by Pharrell Williams and Madonna and recorded in London.
Madonna will perform Hey You as one of the headliners for Live Earth U.K., joining the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Genesis, the Beastie Boys and other performers at Wembley Stadium in London on July 7, as part of the 24-hour, even-continent Live Earth concert series.
As the exclusive online destination for Live Earth, MSN is pleased to offer this song in conjunction with Madonna and is proud to donate 25 cents for each of the first 1 million downloads to the Alliance for Climate Protection, in support of Live Earth.
Madonna.com confirms Hey You
16 May 2007Madonna.com has confirmed the upcoming download single with a simple background image, displaying the title Hey You. No further details are given but will probably follow soon.
Hey You announced in the press
Source: NetMusicCountdown - 15 May 2007NME.com reports that Madonna has written a special song for her upcoming UK "Live Earth" appearance. The socially-conscious track is called Hey You, and will be available only as a download.
Sales from the song will benefit the environmental organization, www.liveearth.org. Madonna will play London's Wembley Stadium on 7/07/07, along with the Beastie Boys, Foo Fighters, Genesis and many more.
More details on Hey You
14 May 2007More details have emerged about the upcoming charity single Hey You. According to fansite DrownedMadonna the song will not be commercially released, nor will it be served to radio; it's just a download charity song for Live Earth.
The song was done in collaboration with hiphop star Pharrell but it's not a duet. It's an original and not a cover of the Pink Floyd song with the same name, as some rumours had suggested.
The lyrics are about making a difference, about loving yourself and others. It's a simple song with a mid tempo beat, very different from the style of Confessions. More info to follow...
Create your own Madonna branded t-shirt!
14 May 2007Madonna.com has announced the launch of a brand new service for all Madonna fans! Visit Madonna's page on StaGR now and start designing your own official Madonna branded t-shirt!
Pick your favourite t-shirt style, colour and size, choose from a huge selection of official Madonna images, logos and fonts (including artworks to her latest projects as well as vintage ones) and create a t-shirt your friends won't find in stores!
Play with styles and famous Madonna quotes, save your creations and get your t-shirt delivered to you quicker than a Ray Of Light! Ready to give it a try? Just click here!!
Madonna's & Pharrell's charity download single?
12 May 2007Fansite DrownedMadonna reveals that next week a charity download single would be out to support Live Earth. The track is called Hey You and it was done with Pharrell.
Madonna directing her very first short movie
Source: Madonna.com - 10 May 2007Musician, Singer, Dancer, Book Writer, Model, Actress... In addition to the many looks she has created for herself over the past 25 years, Madonna has also successfully tasted many variations of the artistic world by taking each of them as a personal challenge.
Earlier this year, she directed the tv ad for her 'M by Madonna' campaign with H&M. Today, we are happy to confirm that our girl is working hard on a brand new project, directing her very first short movie!
While we cannot tell you more about it for now, we are happy to officially reveal its title: Filth and Wisdom. Make sure to check Madonna.com on a regular basis for more facts and details!
Madonna got Björk's lyrics wrong
9 Source: Digital Spy - May 2007Bjork has revealed that Madonna sang the wrong lyrics on the 1995 single she wrote for the pop queen.
The Icelandic star penned lyrics for Bedtime Story, which Madonna took to number four in the [UK] charts in February 1995, at the request of producer Nellee Hooper.
However, she was surprised when she first heard Madonna's recording of the song.
She told Attitude: "She did her own version and wrote the lyrics wrong. I can't remember right now, but it was a really interesting mistake.
"It was something like "Let's say goodbye to logic and reason" and she got it wrong so that it actually meant the opposite....I was like, 'Okay...'"
~ Actually "Leaving logic and reason" is far from being the opposite of the supposed original lyric, but oh well...
Madonna invites Timberlake back to the studio
Source: ContactMusic - 8 May 2007Madonna was left so impressed with new songwriting partner Justin Timberlake, she has invited the SexyBack singer to spend the summer with her in London.
Timberlake recently spent a week with Madonna working on new tracks for her next album and admits they came up with some gems.
He says, "We ended up with five or six really good (songs) - some unfinished, some finished and we're gonna go back in July and work on some more stuff."
Timberlake admits he was impressed with the way Madonna works: "Her ethic is kinda infectious in the studio. I was like, 'I'm too slow, I'm too slow...' She's a workhorse and I'm just a fan... who tricked Madonna."
Madonna launches talent search initiative
Source: WENN - 8 May 2007Madonna is launching a new talent initiative in a bid to find the next cyberspace superstars
The pop superstar's production company, Maverick, has teamed with Madison Road Entertainment to develop talent search Big Shot, which will launch in September (07).
The idea of the project is to encourage wannabe actors, magicians, singers and entertainers to post video clips of themselves to the Big Shot website, while other visitors pick their favourites.
The winner of each week's video entry lottery will then be flown to Hollywood to audition in front of a talent scout.
For wannabe actors, the opportunity to appear in a Maverick produced TV show or movie could be their prize.
Madonna swaps sweet charity for lap dancing
Source: Daily Mail - 8 May 2007Three weeks after returning from Africa for a charity mission to help orphans, Madonna has moved her focus - to lap dancers.
The singer put saving the world on hold while she auditioned tabletop dancers for her latest project, rumoured to be a short film.
Visiting London club Secrets, the mother of three looked decidedly demure in baggy trousers, an open collared shirt and dark oversized glasses.
She briefly wandered around outside the premises with a giant coffee in hand, before heading in to meet the hopefuls.
She is said to have asked a number of girls to read from a script before taking to the stage to perform.
Madonna recently returned from Malawi where she spent six days with her daughter Lourdes and son David, 1, whom she is adopting.
Friends say Madonna is looking to adopt daughter from the country, although her publicist has denied this.
Justin Timberlake comments on working with Madonna
Source: MTV.com - 8 May 2007Justin Timberlake gave an interview for MTV.com and spilled the beans about his latest collaborations:
MTV: And you're working with Madonna?
Timberlake: We did work in the studio together, we came up with some really cool stuff. I don't know what else to tell you except that you'll hear it soon.
MTV: What's the name of the song?
Timberlake: I don't want to tell you that, because she'll either kill me or she'll have me kill you. And I think we have enough celebrities going to jail. [He laughs.]
Madonna turns down Diana concert
Source: Digital Spy - 3 May 2007Madonna has turned down the opportunity to perform at the Diana Memorial concert due to prior commitments.
The pop icon was reportedly approached by Andrew Lloyd Webber to perform on stage in her famous role as Eva Peron.
She was however forced reject the offer because of her scheduled rehearsals for the Live Earth concert.
The memorial concert, which marks the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana's death, is being held on July 1 - what would have been Diana's 46th birthday.
A source told the Mirror, "Live Earth approached Madonna first and she is committed to performing there. It would be extremely hard to rehearse for both gigs at the same time and she wouldn't want to give less than a 100 per cent to either.
"Andrew Lloyd Webber was very understanding when she felt she had to say no."
Cohen nearly missed out on Madonan video appearance
Source: ContactMusic - 3 May 2007Madonna got a nasty surprise when she begged Sacha Baron Cohen to appear in one of her music videos - she received a torrent of abuse from the Borat funnyman.
Cohen was asked to star in the promo for the song Music in 2000, but refused to believe the person on the other phone was really the Queen of Pop and began to scream obscenities at her.
He recalls, "I got a call from someone claiming to be Madonna. I thought it was a prank so I proceeded to totally insult the woman on the end of the line."
Luckily, Madonna forgave him and he appeared on the [Music] video as one of his characters Ali G.
Madonna on Annie Lennox's next album?
1 May 2007Music site Poolparty hints at Annie Lennox's new collaborators, including the Queen of Pop herself:
Truly a match made in diva heaven. Annie Lennox is collaborating with Madonna on her highly anticipated new album due out this fall.
Other guests will include Mary J. Blige, P!nk, and Kelis. Music veteran Glen Ballard is producing the album -- Annie's first in over four years. Get ready, because this one is going to be huge.
Timbaland protege Danja also on board
Source: MTV.com - 1 May 2007Timbaland's current production co-pilot gave an interview to MTV where he talks about how he ended up working with Timbaland and mentions the Madonna collaboration. He also co-produced 2006's biggest hit-albums 'Loose' & 'FutureSex / LoveSounds'.
"Me and Tim got a lot of the same phone calls once all of these hits started hitting," Danja said. "We'll call each other and be like, 'You trying to do this?' So we'll just do it together. Of course me and Tim are partners, and while he's on the road, I kind of just been holding down the studio.
We're teaming back up for Madonna. [And] we teamed up for Duran Duran. We did a 50 Cent [track] together. We did a T.I. joint together. So we were kind of back and forth. But he doesn't call me and hand me work that he doesn't want to do. That ain't our relationship. I think we both do things that are inspiring for the both of us. If the energy ain't right for him, it ain't right for me. That's how we work."
I went straight from Madonna to Duran Duran [in one day]. So I had to sit back, understand and realize where I am."
↑ Back to top of page