Madonna Releases 6 Songs From New Album: "Consider These an Early Christmas Gift"

The queen of pop strikes back at demo leaks and announces "Rebel Heart"

One Madonna surprise follows another, as the Queen of Pop has dropped her forthcoming album, Rebel Heart — with six new songs immediately available for purchase — onto iTunes for preorder, well ahead of schedule.

The arrival of the preorder and its songs on Dec. 19 follows a flood of leaks earlier in the week, where over 10 demo tracks from the album's sessions found their way to the Internet.

"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," Madonna said in a statement. "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."

Among the six new tracks are "Bitch, I'm Madonna" (featuring Nicki Minaj), the reggae-ish "Unapologetic Bitch" and "Illuminati." Producers on the set include Diplo, Kanye West and Billboard. The diva has been working on the album for most of 2014, collaborating with an array of producers and songwriters.

Rebel Heart is scheduled for release on March 10 through Interscope Records and is Madonna's 13th studio album. It follows 2012's MDNA, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Listen to first single, "Living for Love," below:

Twitter: @keith_caulfield