Undoubtedly affected by the decision to no longer treat instant gratification downloads as single sales, Madonna’s new singles earned rather modest first weekend download marks.
“Bitch I’m Madonna (featuring Nicki Minaj),” the pop icon’s best-selling new track, commanded 12,000 paid downloads during its first Saturday and Sunday of release. Per the aforementioned rule change, that number only accounts for direct single buys. It does not reflect the many additional buyers who received “Bitch I’m Madonna” upon pre-ordering the “Rebel Heart” album.
“Living for Love,” the first official single from the new Madonna album, commanded 10,000 paid downloads.
— While the portrait could change once “Living” formally goes for radio adds in early 2015, Billboard notes that the song has thus far faced a cool reception from radio programmers.
Serviced to radio first thing Monday morning, the song, says Billboard, commanded only ten pop radio plays in its first two days of release.
A true assessment of the song’s radio viability is best reserved until it receives a formal push on a programmer community not in its customary year-end state of inertia, but the miniscule airplay suggests pop was not chomping at the bit to play new Madonna.
An Interscope source tells Billboard the song will be re-serviced to radio in January. An official adds date and campaign will subsequently be implemented.