Madonna and Maluma Release 'Medellin'

A serendiptious meeting backstage at the VMAs last year pair Madonna and Maluma for their single, "Medellin," on Wednesday (April 17) after teasing it a day earlier with a picture in which Madonna sported an elaborate wedding dress and glittery eyepatch while seated behind the "Clandestino" singer, who wore regal red.   

The mid-tempo Spanglish pop track opens with Madonna doing a countdown and singing coquettishly, "I took a pill and had a dream (yo tambien)/ I went back to my 17 year/ Allowed myself to be naive (dime)/ To be someone I'd never be," as the tempo begins to pick up and Maluma steps up to sing in a raspy voice. With a skittery, electric cha-cha beat pulling up and back underneath, the pair flirt with each other, with Maluma promising to be Madonna's king if she'll be his queen, singing, "Excuse me, I know you are Madonna/ But I'm going to show you how this perro (dog) will make you fall in love." 

Near the end, as the sensual dance heats up, Madonna asks her partner to, "slow down papi."

Back in February, both superstars surprised their fans by sharing photos of themselves together in the recording studio. "I met Madonna during the VMAs in New York," Maluma previously told Billboard. "After that, I had the opportunity to spend some time with her in Los Angeles. She was in the studio and I joined her."


Madonna's 14th studio album, Madame X, will be released on June 14, according to a statement from her label, with MTV slated to premiere the "Medellin" video on April 24 during "MTV Presents Madonna Live & Exclusive: 'Medellin Video World Premiere" at 4 p.m. ET. According to the release, the singer will be joined by British DJ Trevor Nelson and fans for a live event from London in which she'll discuss the influences on the new album, with Maluma joining in from Miami and additional events taking place in New York, Milan and Sao Paulo. 

The 15-track album was inspired by Madonna's experience living in Lisbon, Portugal, over the past few years and feautures her singing in Portuguese, English and Spanish. Tracks include the "anthemic," "I Rise" as well as the "Jamaican dancehall vibes"-infused, Diplo-co-produced duet with Migos' Quavo, "Future" and the Mirwais-produced "Dark Ballet." The follow-up to 2015's Rebel Heart was recorded over 18 months in New York, London, Los Angeles and Portugal.
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"Lisbon is where my record was born," Madonna says in a statement. "I found my tribe there and a magical world of incredible musicians that reinforced my belief that music across the world is truly all connected and is the soul of the universe." The album title refers to a persona the singer adopted for the sessions, described as "a dancer. A professor. A head of state. A housekeeper. An equestrian. A prisoner. A student. A mother. A child. A teacher. A nun. A singer. A saint. A whore. A spy in the house of love.”

The singer will perform a new song at the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv. Pre-order Madame X here.

Listen to "Medellin" and see the full Madame X track listing below.