Madonna fans are not happy with Radio 1

The Sun newspaper has reported that Madonna fans are accusing BBC Radio 1 of ageism for not including her new song on their playlist.

Her new track Medellin was released last week and is a collaboration with reggaeton star Maluma. It has a contemporary, current vibe and sounds as relevant as other songs in the Top 40.

Because Radio 1 has decided not to add it to its weekly playlist, it won’t get any airplay on the station. This has angered Madonna fans, with many of them taking to social media to criticise the station, accusing it of ageism because Madge is 60 years old.

Some fans posted angry comments about the BBC below Madonna’s YouTube videos, while others threatened to keep sending requests to Radio 1 DJ’s to play the song.

A spokesperson for the station told the Sun that the decision was made: “based on what the audience expects to hear, with no other criteria taken into consideration.”

This isn’t unusual as it’s happened in the past with songs from the likes of Cliff Richard and Status Quo who are artists unlikely to appeal to Radio 1’s target audience of under 29 year olds. The difference with Madonna’s new song is that it features 25 year old Maluma, who is likely to appeal to their audience.

The song has been added to the BBC Radio 2 playlist, so it will get plenty of airplay, albeit to an older audience and if it makes it into the Top 40, perhaps Radio 1 might consider giving it a play on the Official Chart show!