Singer counteracts leak with “early Christmas gift.”

Earlier this week, Madonna’s new album was leaked under the title Iconic. The 13 tracks that appeared online were quickly dismissed by Madge as “unfinished demos stolen long ago.”

In a seeming effort to counteract the effect of the leak, Madonna surprise released six songs from her “real” new album, which is actually titled Rebel Heart. The tracks were released via iTunes during the night from Friday to Saturday. The album is due for release on March 10, 2015.

The released tracks include ‘Bitch I’m Madonna’ which now features a guest verse from Nicki Minaj. The track has long been rumoured to involve Diplo and SOPHIE on production. Another track, ‘Illuminati’, sees Madonna rap references to Beyonce and Jay Z among others. Also included is the Diplo-produced ‘Living For Love’, which you can hear below.

Speaking to her fans via her official website, the singer said of the release: “I was hoping to release my new single ‘Living For Love’ on Valentine’s Day with the rest of the album coming in the Spring. I would prefer my fans to hear completed versions of some of the songs instead of the incomplete tracks that are circulating. Please consider these six songs as an early Christmas gift.”

You can preview and purchase the six tracks via iTunes. The page indicates that the album will feature 19 tracks, including one called ‘Joan of Arc’. See the official artwork below. [Via SPIN]