Ask Billboard: Is Madonna Ready To 'Turn Up The Radio'?

Madonna is featured in this week's edition of Ask Billboard:

Hi Gary,

To bring up a recent hot "Ask Billboard" topic once again ... what happened to Madonna's album "MDNA"? It's not even on the Billboard 200 anymore. And: no Billboard Hot 100 singles after "Give Me All Your Luvin'."

Does her new label deal not include marketing for radio and/or club promotion? I mean, "Turn Up the Radio" is an out-of-the-box smash. And, as for "I F****ed Up," just change the title to a cleaner version (like P!nk and Cee Lo Green did with "Perfect" and "Forget You," respectively) and it could be a hit. "Masterpiece" should also go straight to radio.
I'm just stunned by the album's performance. Any additional light to shed on this? Madonna being on Interscope Records seemed, to me, a sure recipe for success but maybe her Live Nation affiliation has thrown off promotion?

I hope for a resurrection but if it hasn't happened by now, I don't know ...

Thanks,

Michael Hamby
Modesto, California


Hi Michael,

First, the bad news. "MDNA" has indeed fallen off the Billboard 200 after nine weeks. That's the quickest stay for a Madonna studio set since "American Life" logged 14 frames in 2003. Her self-titled debut album granted her her longest Billboard 200 residence (168 weeks). Her 1990 best-of release "The Immaculate Collection" ranks second (141), followed by "Like a Virgin" (108).

Some good news, however: With sales of 477,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan, "MDNA" is the 12th-best-selling album of 2012. Just two albums, in fact, released by female artists since Jan. 1 have sold more:Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away" (545,000) and Nicki Minaj's "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded" (522,000).

And, more good news: Madonna's manager, Guy Oseary, Tweeted this teaser on June 18: "Video shoot right now in Florence 'Turn Up The Radio'."

With "MDNA" marking Madonna's first Live Nation/Interscope album following her departure from Warner Bros., Interscope has promoted the first two singles from the album. With "Luvin' " having reached No. 24 on the Pop Songs airplay chart and follow-up "Girl Gone Wild," No. 38, "MDNA" became Madonna's first album to yield multiple entries on the chart since "Music" in 2000-01 (the title cut, "Don't Tell Me" and "What It Feels Like for a Girl"). "Luvin' " and "Wild" also reached No. 1 on Dance/Club Play Songs, extending her record to 42 leaders on the chart.

As fans await the song's video, Interscope has not yet made an official announcement as to whether it will promote "Radio" (or any other song) to pop, dance and/or adult formats.

From Billboard.com