U.S. pop star Madonna, director of movie ''W.E.'', is helped as she leaves by speedboat at her hotel in Venice during the 68th Venice Film Festival
U.S. pop star Madonna, director of movie ''W.E.'', is helped as she leaves by speedboat at her hotel in Venice during the 68th Venice Film Festival September 2, 2011. Reuters

Madonna's latest cinematic effort, W.E., isn't exactly wowing the critics, but maybe the singer will have better luck with her return to music.

The Material Girl songbird announced during a recent interview that her next album -- the first since 2008's Hard Candy -- will be released in spring 2012.

Madonna made the reveal while promoting W.E. during an interview with Sweden's Sveriges Television in Venice, Italy. The singer noted that she's done a little bit of work on the new collection in the studio, but will pick the project back up in earnest when she returns to New York, recording until the end of the year.

According to the singer, the first single for the album will be released in February or March 2012, with the full album due in the spring.

As reported by Billboard, this will be Madonna's first album since parting ways with Warner Bros. in favor of a deal with Live Nation.

Hard Candy debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart; its single 4 Minutes, featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, reached No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

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