The China Mail - Madonna to release new album next year

The 67-year-old singer is returning to the Warner Records label, associated with her early hits such as "Like a Virgin" and "Holiday" in the 1980s.

She left Warner in 2007 after signing a huge contract with Live Nation records.

"I am happy to be reunited and look forward to the future, making music, doing the unexpected while perhaps provoking a few needed conversations," the seven-time Grammy winner said in a statement.

It will be her first studio record in seven years.

The album will be produced by Stuart Price, the DJ and songwriter with whom she released "Confessions on a Dance Floor" in 2005.

"We are honored to welcome Madonna back home to Warner Records. Madonna isn't just an artist -- she's the blueprint, the rule-breaker, the ultimate cultural juggernaut," said Tom Corson and Aaron Bay-Schuck, co-chairmen of Warner Records.

Among many other honors, Madonna was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. She has sold more than 400 million records worldwide.

C.Smith--ThChM