Madonna will perform at the 2015 Grammy Awards. She is the first performer announced for the awards show that will air Sunday, February 8th on CBS. This is Madonna’s fifth time performing at the Grammys. Yesterday, the pop star tweeted a photo of a Grammy award wrapped in a black cord (the black cord represents the cover of her Rebel Heart album artwork). The photo was accompanied with the caption, “Rebel Hearts see you Feb 8th @TheGRAMMYs.” The tweet was posted one day before the news of her Grammy performance was made public. Madonna and Interscope Records announced in 2014 that Rebel Heart was going to be released in March 2015.
In November 2014, two songs from the album were leaked online. The songs, “Rebel Heart” and “Wash All Over Me” were immediately removed. Less than a month after the first leak, a total of thirteen songs were also illegally leaked online. Madonna referred to the leaks as “artist rape,” and the incident caught her, and her team, completely off-guard. The pop singer wanted to prepare a plan for the entire release, but that option was taken away from her. The label decided to make Rebel Heart available for pre-order on iTunes. On February 9th, more music will become available. The final album release will be available on March 10th.
The Rebel Heart leaks were not the only controversy connected to the project. Madonna also faced criticism for reposting images of Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela with black cords wrapped around their faces. Some people deemed this act as disrespectful and racist. Madonna defended her actions by stating that she did not create the photos. The images were created by her fans, and Madonna reposted the pictures on social media. She referred to Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela as “freedom fighters.” The entertainer also issued an apology to anyone she offended with the images. As of today, Madonna’s pre-orders for Rebel Heart were estimated at 50,000 to 60,000 copies. Madonna’s performance at the 57th Grammy Awards may help boost her album sales. The Grammy Awards committee is expected to announce the other performers for the awards show soon.