Madonna About To Record New LP, Irving Azoff Says
February 11, 2011 – Touring | Record Labels | Rock & Pop

By Ray Waddell, Nashville

It looks like Madonna is preparing to enter the studio to record a new album, the first under her $100 million multi-rights deal with Live Nation, which another lucrative tour seems likely as well.


"They tell me Madonna is about to record, so there could be another Madonna cycle coming," Live Nation Entertainment Chairman Irving Azoff told Billboard.biz during an interview earlier this week. Asked if the Madonna album would come through Live Nation, Azoff responded, "Yes," meaning Madonna's album could be the first recorded content overseen by Live Nation. The Zac Brown Band's LP "The Foundation" was initially geared to be a Live Nation project in 2008, but the company folded its label division with the exit of then-chairman Michael Cohl and the record ended up on Atlantic.


Azoff's news was echoed by Madonna manager Guy Oseary this week via Twitter: "The update is that Madonna can't wait to get into the recording studio. This will happen as soon as she finishes the movie she directed."



Live Nation signed a 10-year multi-rights deal with Madonna in 2007 said to be worth as much as $100 million, including her touring, merchandising and recording rights. Madonna left Warner Bros., her label home of 25 years, after the release of her 2008 album "Hard Candy." Her subsequent Live Nation-produced "Sticky & Sweet" tour grossed $408 million worldwide, according to Billboard Boxscore, highest ever for a female artist.


After the Madonna deal, Live Nation subsequently announced long term multi-rights deals with such artists as U2 (which does not include recorded content), Shakira, Jay-Z and others. Still, it is likely Live Nation would partner with some other entity in releasing the record, as executives at the firm have stated repeatedly that they don't intend to enter the record business full-tilt.


"Live Nation, prior to the merger, entered into some of these all-rights deals, so there are certain artists, Madonna being one of them, that there is a recorded music strategy," Azoff saod. "Once she gets the album recorded, we'll sit down with her and her manager Guy Oseary and figure out what's best for the record. It has to start with the music."


All of the artists with whom Live Nation has secured long-term deals are doing well, particularly U2, currently on their record-shattering "360" tour. which will end up as the highest grossing tour of all time. Still, when asked if Live Nation would be cutting similar deals in the future, Azoff said, "No, we're not going to do multi-rights deals. But look at what's going on with our partners at Roc Nation and the kind of year that Jay-Z had. Shakira's touring has been really well-planned and has been incredibly successful this past year."

Refreshingly direct real NEWS from people who would actually know.

hopefully this one isn't as phoned in as the last one.

errant said:

hopefully this one isn't as phoned in as the last one.

Amen. Hard Candy is a pox upon her career.

What producers do you think she should work with? What direction should she go in?

SoulAlive said:

What producers do you think she should work with? What direction should she go in?

She should just let the music speak through her instead of chasing trends. The last album I feel she really blended well with her own music was Ray of Light (not to say all shit after that was awful). She needs to start feelin' the groove again cuz lately it just sounds like any old song with Madonna vocals on it.

Spinlight said:

SoulAlive said:

What producers do you think she should work with? What direction should she go in?

She should just let the music speak through her instead of chasing trends. The last album I feel she really blended well with her own music was Ray of Light (not to say all shit after that was awful). She needs to start feelin' the groove again cuz lately it just sounds like any old song with Madonna vocals on it.

agree. and I think she needs to collaborate with real songwriters again instead of producers. gotta be a tune in there somewhere. and I think it would get her to work more on the lyrics. they've kind of gone downhill on the last few.

I think she should find Patrick Leonard & Stephen Bray, because I don't really like Eurodisco.

MickyDolenz said:

I think she should find Patrick Leonard & Stephen Bray, because I don't really like Eurodisco.

or nile rodgers? unfortunately, mr. rogers is dealing with cancer right now, sadly. but maybe she could ask him for ideas?

Spinlight said:

SoulAlive said:

What producers do you think she should work with? What direction should she go in?

She should just let the music speak through her instead of chasing trends. The last album I feel she really blended well with her own music was Ray of Light (not to say all shit after that was awful). She needs to start feelin' the groove again cuz lately it just sounds like any old song with Madonna vocals on it.

completely agree.

I agree I'd like to see her do something more song based and less electronic. But I don't think she should go back to old producers but work with someone new.

Like a lot of older artists she needs to find a way to be true to herself but still sound modern and not dated or stuck in the past, which is always a hard thing to do.

But even though that's what I want, unfortunately right now the music scene is all about electronics and dance/house music, so if she did something different it might have a hard time finding success.

But just me as a fan, I"d like to see her focus less on radio and more on making a great record. I just think even if she makes something radio friendly they won't play it because of her age.

Also, although I personally would like something less dance oriented, I've noticed in general a lot of fans and the general public tend to like her dance stuff more and reject her when it's less dance.

I loved American Life, which was one of her least dance inspired album, but it was mostly rejected by fans or the public.

So basically, I'm not sure what she should do!

I feel like american life was a step in a good direction, I loved that album

"Miles Away" is one of her best songs of recent years.I'd like more stuff like that

SoulAlive said:

"Miles Away" is one of her best songs of recent years.I'd like more stuff like that

ugh

SoulAlive said:

"Miles Away" is one of her best songs of recent years.I'd like more stuff like that

Lemme call vainandy...

alphastreet said:

I feel like american life was a step in a good direction, I loved that album

Me. too. But I don't like the title track too much. I think more casual fans just heard that song and it put them off of the whole album. But there is some great stuff on the rest of the album.

A lot of it is personal preference. I'm not that big on electronic remixes. I like more traditional rock style songwriting with a band and melodies. AL is the closest she's done to that.

SoulAlive said:

"Miles Away" is one of her best songs of recent years.I'd like more stuff like that

I don't know about that. I like Miles Away. It's pleasant enough but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's one of her best songs.

all my dreams they fade away,I'll never be the same...

SoulAlive said:

all my dreams they fade away,I'll never be the same...

SMH @ you.

Timmy84 said:

SoulAlive said:

all my dreams they fade away,I'll never be the same...

SMH @ you.

if you could see me the way you see yourself

I can't pretend to be someone else...

SoulAlive said:

Timmy84 said:

SMH @ you.

if you could see me the way you see yourself

I can't pretend to be someone else...

errant said:

SoulAlive said:

"Miles Away" is one of her best songs of recent years.I'd like more stuff like that

ugh

Double ugh.

'Ray of Light' was the last cd I enjoyed by her. Everything afterwards has been lacking something. Don't expect much from her new one. But ya never know, she could come with an innovative knock out.

legendofnothing said:

'Ray of Light' was the last cd I enjoyed by her. Everything afterwards has been lacking something. Don't expect much from her new one. But ya never know, she could come with an innovative knock out.

^^^ Agreed. The last Madonna LP I thought was cohesive and compelling was "Ray of Light." After that, I thought it was pretty forgettable standard stuff. I hope she does come back with a knock-out.

MickyDolenz said:

I think she should find Patrick Leonard & Stephen Bray, because I don't really like Eurodisco.

Those guys are great but I'm not too sure if working with them again would be a good idea.

She should work with Bjork again