Avicii Produced some of Madonna’s Songs in Rebel Heart
Most people don’t know that Avicii, recently found dead at 28, produced some of Madonna’s songs for Rebel Heart. In the end they were not released in the album because of the leaks that made Madonna change plans.
When Avicii was found dead on 20th April 2018, all his fans remembered Tim Bergling and the whole music industry mourned his loss. Madonna published in her social media a picture with him and a comment: So Sad… So Tragic. Good Bye Dear Sweet Tim. Gone too soon. #avicii
The photograph showed them both smiling at the camera during the Ultra Music Festival in Miami 2012, where she made a surprise appearance onstage. She joined Swedish DJ-producer to debut his remix of her then new track Girl Gone Wild.
Avicii producer of Madonna’s tracks
What many people don’t know is that apart from the remix of Girl Gone Wild, Avicii collaborated in quite a few tracks in Madonna’s album Rebel Heart. Most of them never released officially due to the leaks of numerous tracks prior to Rebel Heart’s release.
To make a long story short, months before the planned release of Rebel Heart, more than 14 demos leaked online, even the title of the album was yet unknown. Several of the demos that leaked were produced by Avicii.
Many critics think this might be the reason behind the fact that Rebel Heart has been Madonna’s worst selling album of her career, albeit one of her finest works. Critic Roger Friedman said in an article on his website, “Madonna’s leaked album may be her best”.
The 1st two leaks (November 27, 2014) were precisely Avicii’s produced early demos of Rebel Heart and Wash All Over Me. Finally, the two tracks included in the album, although still produced by Avicii and others, are not the initially intended. Rebel Heart is more acoustic and Wash All Over Me is considerably different from the demo versions.
Heartbreak City was then also rumoured to have been produced by Avicii however the version in the album isn’t.
The leaked Avicii’s produced tracks in Rebel Heart could have been also some of Madonna’s best songs overall. Rebel Heart and Wash All Over Me, certainly are.
Further demos produced by Avicii which didn’t make the cut
Borrowed Time
Devil Pray (different version included in the album)
Addicted
Alone With You
Such a shame because I’m sure that we all Madonna stans like all those songs very much. (Borrowed Time is in fact one of my favourite songs by Madonna).