On September 19 2015, Madonna performed Ghosttown for the first time on tour during a sold out Rebel Heart Tour stop in Brooklyn.
Madonna had never intended to perform the single from Rebel Heart during the tour and she had not rehearsed it with the band. Watch the performance:
On September 16 2015, Amy Schumer was the Unapologetic Bitch during Madonna’s Rebel Heart concert at Madison Square Gardens in New York.
Amy was also the Special Guest opening act, performing her comedy in front of a sold-out crowd of just over 14,000 Madonna fans. Amy was the opening act for both Madison Square Gardens shows (September 16 and 17) and on September 19 at the Barclays Center.
On September 3 2015, Billboard announced the 50 Greatest Grammy Moments:
#2 – Love Is All Around: Macklemore (January 26, 2014): Macklemore, Ryan Lewis and Mary Lambert perform the gay-rights anthem Same Love with an assist from Madonna, while Queen Latifah makes history by performing a wedding ceremony for 33 diverse couples.
On August 25 2015, Madonna’s The Immaculate Collection re-entered the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart at #187 (143 weeks on the chart). The greatest hits collection also re-entered the Top Pop Catalog at #38 (427 weeks on the chart).
On August 19 2015, Madonna’s handsome and charming tour wardrobe/dresser, Tony Villanueva, had this to say about his role in the Rebel Heart Tour:
We are getting close. I have to be able to hear what’s happening on stage. Rehearsal is like a painting. You start with a blank canvas and we are adding the highlights now. It’s my turn. We will run quick changes at real time. We rehearse with the discipline of military maneuvers. Later I won’t be able to remember if it was a sold out performance or a closed rehearsal because the level of Madonna’s passion for her show is the same intensity. On opening night I won’t eat dinner, the butterflies will have taken up all the room. The bathroom sink will become an alter (because it’s important to ME). When the lights go out the roar of the audience collides with exhilaration like a freight train. There is nothing like opening night on earth. I will count the songs as we approach the first quick change. Pacing between the stage and quick change, double checking a millions times and checking every note I ever made. The music will wind down, my hands will start to sweat, anticipation builds, the curtain parts a presence rushes into the room…the second hand started 15 seconds ago…it’s like that, and that’s just the first Section…21 days. Madonna “Rebel Heart” Tour.
On July 30 2015, Billboard announced that Madonna’s single Bitch I’m Madonna would hit #1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart for the issue dated August 15 2015. It would become Madonna’s 46th #1 on the club chart and her third consecutive chart-topper from the Rebel Heart album.
Rebel Heart was Madonna’s second consecutive album to have all of its North American singles reach #1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. Aside from Rebel Heart and MDNA, her other studio albums that achieved this feat are Music, American Life (excluding promo-only chart makers Nobody Knows Me and Mother And Father which peaked at #4 and #9 respectively) and Confessions On A Dance Floor.
On July 24 2015, Hold Tight was released as a promotional single for the Rebel Heart album in Italy.
Hold Tight was written by Madonna, Thomas Wesley Pentz, Maureen McDonald, Toby Gad, Uzoechi Emenike and Philip Meckseper and produced by Madonna with backing vocals by MNEK.
Lyrics:
A million miles later
We walked through the valley of the darkest night
We made it through the fire
We’re scarred and we’re bruised but our hearts will guide us
Together
I know our love’s gonna last forever
We’re gonna be alright
Tonight
We’ll live with no limits
We’ll dance in the middle of the freezing rain
With you and I in it
Survive the eye of the hurricane
Together
We’re gonna make this better
We’re gonna be alright tonight
Hold tight
As long as you’re by my side
Hold tight
Everything’s gonna be alright
Only love, only love tonight
Lights off, we’re burning so bright
Hold tight
Everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna
Everything’s gonna
Everything’s gonna
A million miles later
We walked through the valley of the darkest night
We made it through the fire
We’re scarred and we’re bruised but our hearts will guide us
Together
I know our love’s gonna last forever
We’re gonna be alright
Tonight
Hold tight
As long as you’re by my side
Hold tight
Everything’s gonna be alright
Only love, only love tonight
Lights off, we’re burning so bright
Hold tight
Everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna
Everything’s gonna
Everything’s gonna
I don’t wanna breathe
Air that you’re not breathing
I don’t wanna hear
If your heart’s not beating
If you hurt then I
Wanna be the one that’s bleeding
Wanna be the one that’s bleeding
Hold tight
Everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna
Everything’s gonna
Only love, only love tonight
Lights off, we’re burning so bright
Everything’s gonna
Everything’s gonna
Today In Madonna History 