In response to the devotees' angry messages, a spokesperson for the radio station notes that the 'Material Girl' hitmaker's Latin-infused track will get its airtime on BBC Radio 2.
- Apr 26, 2019
AceShowbiz - Madonna fans have angrily accused BBC Radio 1 bosses of ageism after they refused to play her new single "Medellin".
The 60-year-old pop legend's Latin-infused track, which features Colombian superstar Maluma, came out on Wednesday, April 24, but it will not be heard on the BBC's premier pop station after being omitted from their new playlist, which kicks in on Friday.
After hearing of the decision, furious Madge devotees took to social media to vent their anger at station chiefs, accusing them of being "ageist".
"Radio 1 is a mess. It's so age-led and snobbish when it comes to what music they play," one admirer of the Material Girl fumed. "They'll only play "cool" or on-trend music."
Another added: "@BBCR1 I love you but disapointed (sic) about your decision not to play the new single from one of the most influential artists (& women) of our time @Madonna. Target audience is 15 to 29, i'm 48! Why exclude older artists ?".
Some fans posted angry messages denouncing the BBC below her YouTube videos, while others threatened to bombard BBC DJs who take requests with calls demanding they play the track.
Defending the decision, a spokesperson for the radio station told WENN: "Individual stations make their own decisions on the songs they play, based on what the audience expects to hear, with no other criteria taken into consideration."
The representative also pointed out that the song will be played on BBC Radio 2, which is aimed at an older audience and plays a mix of old classics and songs from more mature artists.
Unlike the BBC, MTV bosses celebrated Madonna's return to music with a global premiere of "Medellin"'s video on Wednesday, as well as an interview with BBC Radio 2 and 1Xtra DJ Trevor Nelson.
Explaining the themes of her new song and upcoming album, "Madame X", she told Trevor: "I wanted to go back to that time in my life when I was just starting out in New York and I didn't care what people thought. And that was also during the time when I was 19 and given the name Madame X, and so it has all come full circle."
