Madonna nearly reaches the top of iTunes with “Human Nature (Howie Tee New Edit)” as she gears up to release Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter next month. LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 15: (Exclusive Coverage) Madonna performs during The Celebration Tour at The O2 Arena on October 15, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Live Nation)
WireImage for Live Nation
Madonna has been on a tear recently, sharing with fans quite a few recordings that most have never heard before. The pop superstar has spent the past year digging into her catalog for rare mixes, reworkings, and even a handful of productions that were never shared with the public.
As she prepares to drop another short project honoring one of her most celebrated albums, Madonna nearly hits No. 1 on iTunes in the United States at the outset of a brand new tracking frame, competing with some of the hottest stars in music today and once again proving that her fan base is committed to supporting anything she delivers.
Madonna Misses No. 1
As of the time of writing, Madonna sits in the runner-up space on the iTunes Top Songs chart, the roster that looks at the bestselling individual cuts on the download storefront. “Human Nature (Howie Tee New Edit)” arrives at No. 2, almost bringing the singer back to the highest rung — a position she has occupied many times before.
Who Beats Madonna to No. 1?
This Friday (October 24), only one other superstar beats Madonna to the top of the iTunes Top Songs tally: Megan Thee Stallion. The hip-hop powerhouse launches her single “Lover Girl” at No. 1. Several versions of the cut have been shared, and an additional take appears at No. 20 as well.
Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter Is Coming Soon
“Human Nature (Howie Tee New Edit)” serves as the second taste of Madonna’s upcoming EP Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter. The project is coming late in November and is meant to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of her full-length Bedtime Stories, which arrived in 1994 — so this retrospective is arriving a bit late. The EP is comprised of new mixes and demos of many of the tracks that made the original full-length so successful, as well as a completely new cut.
What Role Did Bedtime Stories Play in Madonna’s Career?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 05: Madonna attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/MG25/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Bedtime Stories dropped in October 1994, at which point Madonna was already one of the hottest stars in the global music business. The singer and dancer’s sixth album continued to center her in the top 40 pop space, but the superstar incorporated R&B and even the burgeoning hip-hop genre into her work.
Bedtime Stories, despite its name, saw Madonna toning things down slightly when it came to her sex appeal, which she had explored vigorously on previous efforts. The album produced a number of hits like “Secret,” “Take a Bow,” “Bedtime Story,” and “Human Nature.” The first two cuts broke into the top 10 on the Hot 100, with “Take a Bow” spending time at No. 1.
Madonna’s “Right on Time” Became a Fast Bestseller
Madonna began promoting Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter earlier this month when she delivered “Right on Time,” the lead single from the project. That tune was written and recorded during the original studio sessions for the album but was abandoned later, and fans quickly turned it into a bestseller on iTunes the moment it became available.
Madonna’s Veronica Electronica Drops on Vinyl
Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter will mark Madonna’s second release of 2025. In July, she delivered Veronica Electronica, a remix package of tunes from her Ray of Light era, which came just a few years after Bedtime Stories. That set became a minor bestseller on a handful of Billboard charts this summer, and interest in the title was recently reinvigorated thanks to a vinyl release — one which helps it return to multiple tallies around the world this frame, including in the U.S.
What Is Madonna’s Next Album?
Both of Madonna’s 2025 projects are leading up to a very exciting 2026. The chart-topper has confirmed that her next album of original material, which she’s currently calling Confessions 2 — apparently a sequel to her Grammy-winning Confessions on a Dance Floor — is slated to arrive sometime next year. So far, no music has been shared from the set, and there’s no proper release date, but it seems likely that 2026 will see her next era begin.