Madonna’s “Love Won’t Wait,” from her upcoming Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter EP, shoots to No. 1 on the iTunes chart, years after she gave it to Gary Barlow. American singer & actress Madonna attends a Martha Graham dance event at the City Center, New York, New York, October 2, 1990. (Photo by Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images)
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In a little less than a week, Madonna will release a new EP titled Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter. The project centers around the music she made during her Bedtime Stories album era that the public is largely unfamiliar with.
To hype her adoring fans for the short set’s release, Madonna has spent the fall doling out tunes from the upcoming effort, which is set to become available in full next Friday (November 28). The latest of the bunch, “Love Won’t Wait,” immediately becomes a bestseller around the world, and especially in the United Kingdom, when it was released on Friday (November 21). It’s immediate adoption by fans demonstrates that there is a lot of excitement around Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter.
Madonna’s “Love Won’t Wait” Becomes a Bestseller
“Love Won’t Wait” – which is officially titled “Love Won’t Wait (Original Demo Edit)” – is the biggest new release at the outset of this tracking frame in the U.K. Madonna’s latest promotional single lives at No. 1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart across the Atlantic, standing out as the bestselling tune on the most important sales platform for downloads.
Madonna Beats Wicked and Stray Kids
Madonna claims the top-selling launch this Friday, and one of only four new tracks that quickly break into the top 10 on the iTunes Top Songs chart in the U.K. She is joined by Bastille’s “Save My Soul” (No. 6, as of the time of writing), “For Good” by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande — the big cut from the second Wicked film — (No. 7), and “Do It,” the latest single by South Korean boy band Stray Kids (No. 9).
Madonna Revisits a Lost Demo From the ’90s
Madonna wrote “Love Won’t Wait” with her longtime collaborator Shep Pettibone, who is known for penning a number of generation-defining smashes from the ’80s, including fellow Madonna cuts “Deeper and Deeper,” “Erotica,” “Express Yourself,” “Into the Groove,” “Like a Prayer,” and perhaps most famously “Vogue,” as well as tracks for artists like Janet Jackson, George Michael, and Paul McCartney, among others.
While “Love Won’t Wait” was recorded as a demo for Madonna’s Bedtime Stories, it was left off the final product. A decade later, Gary Barlow, an English singer best known as one of the members of Take That, chose it as a single from his debut solo album Open Road. His version of “Love Won’t Wait” reached No. 1 on the U.K. songs tally, as clearly the combination of Madonna and Pettibone is a winning one, whether she’s singing the composition or not.
What Is Featured on Madonna’s Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter?
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)
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The superstar singer began hyping Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter in early October, when she released “Right On Time.” That track was written during the original studio sessions with Dallas Austin, but it was also not released as part of Bedtime Stories. Later in October, a new mix of “Human Nature” arrived as well.
Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter is meant to honor the thirtieth anniversary of Bedtime Stories, though it actually comes a year late. The eight-song set features a blend of new mixes, demos, and songs that only diehard Madonna supporters will even be familiar with, as they were either never shared with the world or only offered as B-sides or on compilations instead of traditional Madonna albums.
Madonna Keeps Busy With Confessions on a Dance Floor
As she works on her next collection — reportedly a sequel to her Grammy-winning Confessions on a Dance Floor — Madonna has been busy mining her back catalog to continually release music. Earlier this month, Confessions on a Dance Floor: 20 Years Edition became a top seller in the U.K., and now it seems like she’s headed for another strong performer with her Bedtime Stories EP.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/11/21/madonnas-new-no-1-song-has-already-become-a-chart-topper-for-another-musician/
