Madonna confirms new album's name

Madonna has sold about 200m records and CDs on Warner Bros

Madonna's final album for Warner Bros will be named Hard Candy and is to be released in Europe on 28 April, then in North America the following day.

It will be the star's first album since Confessions on a Dance Floor came out in 2005, and will be preceded by a single entitled Four Minutes.

Madonna is leaving Warner Bros, the record label on which she has been for the past 26 years.

She has signed a 10-year recording deal with concert promoter Live Nation.

The contract is considered ground-breaking because it is an "all-in-one" agreement which gives Live Nation rights to all her music-related projects, from albums and DVDs to tours and films.

She was the first major star to reach such a deal.

Hall of Fame

In December it was strongly rumoured that Madonna's new album would be called Licorice.

But the suggestion was dismissed at the time by Warner Bros, which also denied the April release date.

A Madonna fan site - Drowned Madonna - had also claimed the singer used a room decked out in a candy theme to play tracks to record company staff in New York.

It has also been announced the star will be inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York on 10 March.

She will be introduced by Justin Timberlake, who has been collaborating with her on the album.

The Dave Clark Five, Leonard Cohen, John Mellencamp, The Ventures and Little Walter will also be honoured at the ceremony.