Madonna has made a triumphant return to BBC Radio 1's playlist, 11 years after the station reportedly snubbed her for being 'too old'. The Queen of Pop, now 67, previously criticised the UK broadcaster for allegedly ignoring her 2015 single 'Living For Love', sparking an ageism controversy. Now, she is back on the airwaves with her latest track 'Bring Your Love', a collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter.
New Single and Album Announcement
'Bring Your Love' is set for release on Thursday, April 30, and will feature on Madonna's upcoming 15th studio album, 'Confessions II', due to drop on July 3. The collaboration follows their surprise performance at this year's Coachella Festival, where Madonna joined Sabrina on stage during her headline set.
Industry Insider Comments
A music insider told The Sun: 'Madonna has done everything in her power to ensure there's no denying her this time around. The music is fresh and exciting enough to compete with any young star.' Daily Mail has contacted BBC Radio 1 for comment.
The 2015 Ageism Row
Back in 2015, Madonna insisted she had been 'banned' from Radio 1 due to the station's focus on a younger audience, igniting an ageism debate. BBC Radio 1 Controller Ben Cooper later suggested the singer could return when she released a 'more relevant' song. He clarified that the station does not 'ban' individual artists, and playlist inclusion is based on the 'merit of the music'. At an official announcement for the UK Chart show, he stated: 'When it's a choice between her and a new up-and-coming artist, you say which is more relevant to a young audience? We do not ban artists. The playlist committee takes into account all different elements and information about what records feel relevant.'
Coachella Performance
This month, Madonna surprised fans by joining Sabrina Carpenter on stage at Coachella, held annually in California. She performed renditions of her classic hits 'Like A Prayer' and 'Vogue', originally released in 1989 and 1990 respectively. Madonna made her entrance towards the end of Carpenter's set, 20 years after her own historic 2006 Coachella performance. Emerging from beneath the stage, she sang duets of portions of the two songs while backing vocals played. Moving to a stage extension into the crowd, she said: 'Wow, thank you… Sabrina, thank you so much for inviting me on your show.' She also addressed the audience: 'Let's try to be together. Let's try to avoid disagreements. And to that point, the great thing about music is that it brings people together.'
