Madonna Is a Free Agent After Decade-Long Deal With Interscope Records
Madonna’s contract with Interscope Records has expired making the artist a free agent after nearly 10 years with the label, Variety has learned.
In 2011, the pop superstar signed a three-album deal with the Universal Music Group company. She released “MDNA” in 2012, “Rebel Heart” in 2015 and, most recently, “Madame X” in 2019.
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Madonna has made no mention of a departure from the label on her social media, although she was may have been alluding to a new start on Friday when she posted an Instagram message about her humble career origins, writing: “No YouTube, No Vine, No The Voice, No American Idol, No Disney. Just $35 dollars and a dream.” (Subsequently, she also posted that she is spending her quarantine time working on a screenplay with Diablo Cody.)
Her first-ever music deal was back in 1982 with Sire Records, which is owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records. With the company, Madonna released her self-titled debut album in 1983, “Like a Virgin” (1984), “True Blue” (1986) and “Like a Prayer” (1989). “Erotica” (1992) and “Bedtime Stories” (1994) were co-released by Sire and Maverick, an entertainment company that was co-founded by Madonna, although she left in 2004 after a lawsuit between the company and WMG.
She went on to release several albums on the Warner Bros. label, including “Ray of Light” (1998), “Music” (2000), “American Life” (2003), “Confessions on a Dance Floor” (2005) and “Hard Candy” (2008).
In late 2007, she announced her split from Warner Music Group and revealed her new $120 million, 10-year deal with Interscope, which was part of a 360 deal with Live Nation. Her catalog and publishing remains at WMG prompting some speculation as to whether she might return to the company.
Madonna is known as one of the most influential people in pop culture and is recognized as the best-selling female musician of all time, having sold more than 300 million records worldwide.
Her “Madame X” album debuted at No. 1 with strong sales, boosted by ticket bundling for her theater tour, although it dropped out of the top 200 in its third week. It has sold 169,000 album adjusted units, according to Alpha Data.
Up next, Madonna makes a featured appearance, along with Missy Elliott, on Dua Lipa’s remixed version of her single “Levitating,” which is due to be released on Friday by her former label, Warner Records. The single is part of Lipa’s “Club Future Nostalgia: The Remix Album.”
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