Rebel Heart by Madonna

Rebel Heart is the thirteenth studio album by the American singer and songwriter Madonna. Interscope Records released it on March 6, 2015. Following the completion of her MDNA album and its promotion, Madonna worked on Rebel Heart throughout 2014, co-writing and co-producing it with various musicians, including Diplo, Avicii, and Kanye West. Unlike her previous endeavors, working with many 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 ideas 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, while using acoustic guitars and a 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. However, after a flurry of unexpected album content leaks, Madonna released Rebel Heart for pre-order on the iTunes Store on December 20, 2014, with six songs made 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 album's artwork became popular on social media, leading to numerous memes being created. To promote Rebel Heart, Madonna gave several performances on television and embarked on the Rebel Heart Tour which visited North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, from September 2015 to March 2016. "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 Madonna's 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. Rebel Heart peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 while reaching number one in major music markets such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. It also attained certifications in seven countries.