from this weeks Ask Billboard column.... on the lack of success of Get Together, Confessions sales and a 4th single.


http://www.billboard.com/.../index.jsp


MADONNA'S SINGLE

Hello Keith.

I was wondering about the status of Madonna's third single from "Confessions on a Dance Floor." I heard that "Get Together" was her last commercial single from the album, although it seems that it contains a handful of other tracks that are single-worthy.

Also, is "Get Together" getting any attention at radio? It seems to have missed the Billboard Hot 100. Finally, how is "Confessions on a Dance Floor" doing sales-wise? Is it becoming a huge seller like "Ray of Light" or is it stalling in sales?

Thanks. I love reading your column every Thursday.

Nathan Gil
Sarasota, Fla.


Hello Nathan,

Don't worry, "Get Together" is not the final single from Madonna's "Confessions on a Dance Floor." The fourth single will be "Jump."

"Get Together" has pretty much stalled out on American radio. A handful of dance stations are spinning the track a lot, but the vast majority of outlets have ignored the song. (Unsurprisingly, "Get Together" is doing well on the radio in many countries outside of America.)

So far, the single has yet to enter the Billboard Hot 100. Even though the U.S. radio picture is bleak, the song could still chart based on its digital and retail sales. Perhaps if the psychedelic animated music video for the song starts to get some serious screen time on the video networks, consumers will be motivated to buy the track via digital download services.

If it gets enough sales, it could enter the Billboard Hot 100 and become Madonna's 53rd chart hit.

So far, "Confessions on a Dance Floor" has sold 1.5 million in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan. That's more than twice what her last studio album, 2003's "American Life," has sold (666,000). It's still a long way from catching up to "Ray of Light," which has sold 3.8 million in America.

Although I love "Jump",my feeling is "let's move on to the next album"

get back into the studio with Stuart Price and start working on the follow-up!

What do you guys think? What should the next CD be like? Who should she work with? Should it be another dance album? A rock album?


Rumor has it that Madonna is gonna call Mary J.Blige after the tour to discuss a possible collaboration and Joe Henry (Madonna's brother-in-law and frequent collaborator) has recently said that he and Maddy are working on a "soul record" (but then again,he also said a few years ago that they were working on a musical and that never materialized,so who knows?)

So 1.5 million copies of COADF sold in the U.S....not bad. Way ahead of 3121, that's for sure!

I was wondering the other day what she'll do next...I guess there haven't even been any good rumors! Well, other than the Mary J. Blige one, which I just read here! Actually, I'm still busy keeping up with the tour (and wondering if I'll make it to a show myself!), so I haven't given it much thought.

The biggest question in my mind is, will she (ever) do another tour like this one? With all the elaborate staging and production and a big cast, and most of all one that's as demanding of her personally?

DavidEye said:

it should be something a bit deeper. like a mix between the sound of
the new albums (ray of light.music.americanlife.coadf) and the more
thoroughly worked out lyrical themes song like Mer Girl.

i would like to see something personal, yet dark and brooding with a
bit of an electronic pulse and some tweeking left and right but with
a thorough basis of drums, bass and some guitar.

Wha? That's the end? Confessions is still good for a fifth or sixth single! "Like It Or Not" should be the last one.

I don't feel like having a new madge album on the horizon.

BlueNote

IstenSzek said:

I'd like to see another album that's similar to 'COADF' (dance/pop) but like you say....make it a little darker and deeper...maybe throw a few haunting ballads on the album this time.I like the "dance album" concept,but this time,let's take it even further.Have the uptempo songs segue into each other again.Let Stuart produce most of the album (6 songs) but then bring in a few other producers and a surprise "guest"...maybe a superstar duet?

BlueNote said:

Don't worry,we're still months away from a new album.In all likelihood,a new album wont' be released until late 2007 (she usually keeps a 2-year gap between albums).

CandaceS said:

There haven't been too many rumors lately,other than the Mary J.Blige story.Mary was quoted as saying she wants to work with Madonna and then a few weeks later,one media source claimed that Maddy is interested and will call Mary when her tour is finished.

BlueNote said:

If there was gonna be a fifth single,I would choose "Push".That's the most commercial track on the album.It has an R&B flavor too,which would help it get alot of airplay.Most diehard fans don't like this song though.I got crucified on the Madonna boards for suggesting that it should be a single

i hope madge calls up patrick leonard and donna and nikki to do backing...

create an old school album but then let modern folks remix the shit out of them, pick the best remixes for each song and release it as an album...

and madge, dont forget to call up AMERICAN house masters like David Harness.

thank you, goodbye...godbless.

"Jump" is the best. I hope it gets released!

"Jump" is definitely a radio-friendly song, so I'm not surprised it got chosen. Nice chose, at that.

'Tis a shame that "Get Together" never got it's due.

UndercovaBrotha said:

American pop radio just doesnt play "dance" music and it blows. Hung Up got fairly good radio support here in the States going to #7 . But the fact that Sorry only made to #58 and Get Together didnt chart does not bode well for any chart success for "Jump"


Its a great song and will has usual tear it up in other countries .

I'd love to see "Push" get pushed as a potential single, for some reason...

DavidEye said:

I would totally dig this.

IstenSzek said:

thant was called AMerican Life

I am glad Jump is making it out as a single. It's worthy. I think if Jump had been the last one and it didn't do well, we would not have seen get together. Then again if it HAD done well, we may have gotten 2 more singles.

I do agree that if the video was to get more play, people would buy the song, the video is great. Then again it was a fan favorite...which doesn't translate to "single".

I regards to what to do next...she's gonna wait until 2007 for the next one. Maybe 2008. Henever Madge feels successful, she seems to take her time comeing out with the next thing. I feel as though perhaps she doesn't want to move on iuntil the last project is well past. I think COnfessions came out so shortly after AL is because she needed to make good with her fans which were waning. I know MANY MANY old fans fell back in love with her for this last album and tour. SHe may just bask in that some more before making her next move.

Not really sure what that should be. If she wants to do another dance album, it would be the last one she could do with out people making fun of her. I wouldn't mind a slower effort that was sultry...I think she does that best. I love Paradise Not for me, and I think a direction like THAT would be cool.

superspaceboy said:

Actually, all of her last 4 records have been even spaced apart.

Ray of Light (March 1998) - Music (September 2000): 2 and a half years
Music (September 2000) - American Life (April 2003): 2 and a half years
American Life (April 2003) - Confessions (November 2005): 2 and a half years

She seems to have a pattern going.

GangstaFam said:

I didn't know the months. I stand corrected. It just seemed like she was coming out with COAFD sooner to make up for AL. Surely the remix album was trying to make good on it.

superspaceboy said:

She was releasing 6 "singles" from American Life which took almost two years which is why the time between albums seemed short.
[Edited 7/13/06 10:53am]

newpower99 said:

Did 6 get released...I only recall 4 (Die another Day I suppose counts) Did the other 2 (I am guessing Nobody Knows me and Nothing Fails were the other 2) get thier release with the remix album then? Were there even videos?

superspaceboy said:

I wasnt even counting Die Another Day, so I guess technically there was 7.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...na_singles


Die Another Day - #1 Billboard Dance Chart
American Life- # 1
Hollywood - # 1
Love Profussion - # 1
Nobody Knows Me - # 4
Nothing Fails - # 1
Mother & Father (remix) - # 9


>>>

"Hollywood", "Love Profusion" and "Nothing Fails" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100 but entered the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Chart at positions 3, 6, and 10 in that order.


"Love Profusion" was originally released in Australia, Italy and the United Kingdom on November 21, 2003. It was later also released in North America and in France on March 16, 2004.


Remix track from the album; Rauhofer live@roxy 4, released April 2005. "Mother and Father" charted in August 2005. <<<<<
[Edited 7/13/06 11:27am]

I want 2 things:

1.Madonna & Joe Henry album
2.Madonna ditches the Wedding/Bar Mitzvah karaoke ensemble
& hires a real band 4 the next tour

GangstaFam said:

She said in an interview in 2003 that she is 'contractually obligated' to put out an album every 2 and 1/2 years. It seems like now she's going to be touring every 2-3 years until she's 60 like Cher.

badujunkie said:

What is her contract like? Does she own her masters? Does WB still have thier finger on her? I though she was no longer under contract for anything.

Rumor mill says Madonna is moving back to LA after tour and quiting Kabbalah

badujunkie said:

Make that money!

ehuffnsd said:

Guy?

"Jump" should have been single number 3.

Moonbeam said:

I'm actually really happy with the single choices for this one. They picked my 4 favorite songs.