MC's Music Lounge: Confessions II is the gift Madonna fans have been waiting for since the mid-2000s

What a treat to be able to experience the musical comeback of a true pop idol. Forty-four years into her incredible career, Madonna has stepped back into the spotlight with her FIFTEENTH studio album, Confessions II. We’ve been covering the album’s roll out on the site, but it was all leading up to this moment of whether the record will be any good. I am pleased to confirm that the album an absolute f-cking masterpiece, her best album since the original Confessions On A Dance Floor which was released in 2005.

And the excitement surrounding the album release is all thanks to Madonna’s vision. She brought back the fun album rollout with this project. We got performances at Coachella, in Times Square, and multiple “Club Confessions” club nights with her main producer Stuart Price in the DJ booth. She got interactive with the fans, even commanding one to look at her and “not your phone” at last week’s Club Confessions event in London. When mother is standing in front of you, you gag and awe, you don’t hide behind a screen. She also partnered up with Grindr and Absolut vodka. Both partnerships included their own respective editions of the album with bonus tracks and alternate artwork. Absolut has long had a thriving relationship with the queer community, you can’t go to a Pride anywhere without there being a rainbow Absolut logo somewhere, so working with Madonna makes sense. She even took over the Grindr app itself with the notification sound being her voice saying “thanks for coming” taken directly from “I Feel So Free”.

I have to say, planning a hookup has never been so festive – mother knows that her fans are horny, LOL. My point is, this type of rollout that prioritizes connection with her fans and the community that has always supported her has resulted in strong physical album sales, something that many of today’s artists can’t do. Madonna may not be the biggest streaming force, but she knows how to sell a f-cking physical album. And yes, I bought three of my very own. Early chart projections are expecting Madonna to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 with sales of 100-110k in the first week, which is already more than her previous album. These are impressive numbers for an artist whose been around as long as she has; for reference, Mariah’s last album debuted with 47k.

With such a loud album campaign, there’s always the fear that the music wouldn’t match but that is not the case here. This is the first time in any of my columns where I feature three songs from the same album, I generally try to keep it to one, maybe two for bigger releases. In this case, an exception had to be made. This release is an MC event, so you are all getting full MC treatment this week. Confessions II is the gift that Madonna fans have been waiting for since the mid-2000s. Lyrically, it’s raw and personal. There’s even a song with her daughter Lola that they both say helped heal their relationship. And Sean Penn catches a stray on the song “Bizarre”, while she brings it all the way back to the early 80s on “Danceteria”. There are so many different pieces that make up who she is on this album, and it’s expressed with precision and care.

Next week, The Rolling Stones return with a new album, and in the vein of sequel albums, The Dream is releasing Love/Hate II. There’s some speculation that there will be a Mariah duet on there, so I have my butterfly wings spread. This week, Madonna is joined by Sienna Spiro, Snow Patrol, Kylie Minogue and a viral hit from Robyn. Fitting mix, don’t you think?

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“Danceteria” by Madonna

This is the clear hit of the album. The lyrical content is the closest thing we’ve ever gotten to a memoir, with everyone from Debi Mazar to her late friend Martin Burgoyne getting mentions. She name drops Keith Haring, Basquiat, The B-52’s, Maripol, and pretty much any prominent figure in the early-80s New York dance scene as she tells the story of a night at the Danceteria, the real-life club where Madonna handed her demo tape of “Everybody” to DJ Mark Kamins in 1982… and the rest is queen of pop history. But even more appealing about the song is the actual music, the beat, it’s f-cking infectious. It commands energy and sweaty dancing, twirling around in circles until you’re dizzy. That beat drop in the chorus is nasty. I would go so far as to say that this is her best song since “Hung Up”. Just imagine hearing Madonna blasted through the speakers singing “everybody get up and dance!” – I have tears just thinking about it. I’m ready to experience this music in a club, and from the looks of social media it hits just as hard as I imagine. “Danceteria” has the potential to do some great things for her - it’s already off to a promising start. The song is the highest streamed off the album, and is on track to become her 74^th Top 40 single in the UK.

“School” by Madonna

Dedication to my fellow pop weirdos out there who also always are attracted to the out of left field songs on the album. “School” is that one on Confessions II, with Madonna taking the role as teacher literally, but also begging for someone to teach HER something in the song’s lyrics, both romantically and sexually. In the chorus she brags “I can make moves on the dance floor, I can make love on a man’s floor”. It’s all very Erotica, and I stand on business when I say that Erotica walked so this album and the previous Confessions could run. Paired with Stuart Price’s visionary dance production that sounds like the child of “Erotica” and “Justify My Love”, it’s one of the most intriguing songs I’ve heard in a while. It has me in a trance with every listen, which in five days is a lot more than one should ever admit to. The muffled voice singing in the pre-chorus along with the hypnotizing beat can make you feel like you’re drunk in the basement of an after-hours spot. Madge, you’ve outdone yourself.

“One Step Away” by Madonna

Her vocals are the strongest they’ve been in years on this song that was featured in her short film Confessions II – The Film. It’s one of the richest and most sophisticated productions on the album, and she is singing her heart out on it. She sounds like 1998 Ray of Light Madonna, I honestly was amazed. I love my queen, but I haven’t heard her voice so clear and crisp in so long, it brought a tear to my eye. There’s a hilarious viral video of people doing some kind if “macarena” inspired dance to the bouncy beat on it because it does fit quite well. Lyrically, she sings about dance music being more than just a genre, but a step towards freedom. A way to find community and a way to get through the storm. Like “School”, it’s a lesson except here she’s teaching us to use the music to help speak for us, to push us to that next step. It’s my favourite song on the album, and while that might change on my 56^th listen, I’m confident to be here now.

“Great Expectation” by SIENNA SPRIO

The internet told me that I needed to care about SIENNA SPIRO, and against my judgement I did – and I’m so glad. She’s got this 60s look going on and it fits her gritty vocals and live instrumentation. In other words, she’s a breath of fresh air. It’s hard to believe she was born in 2005, because she is bringing back that good old fashioned music. The music that doesn’t give you a headache the minute you put it on. Oh, and she can SANG. The high notes she hits in the final chorus are dramatic and her natural broken tone makes it somehow even more perfect. Sienna released her debut album The Visitor this week but she already has a massive social media following, quickly becoming a frontrunner for Best New Artist at next year’s Grammy’s, even though with the new rule change, all arrows are pointing towards a win for Ella Langley. Regardless, Sienna following in the footsteps of Olivia Dean by giving us Adele-like bluesy-pop with their own respective signature flairs. Sienna’s husky and raspy voice is what sets her apart from everyone else, and she’s doing the damn thing. I haven’t gotten a chance to check out the entire album as it has been quite the week as a Madonna fan, but just this song has already gotten me to save it. If there’s one thing my bubble baths love, it’s a bluesy pop girl. It might be the right time to give RAYE a break.

“These Alarms” by Snow Patrol, Kylie Minogue

So we didn’t get that Kylie Minogue collaboration on Confessions II that was alluded to by both ladies last week. Fans online are speculating that the collaboration will live on a future remix album since Madonna did mention there were eight songs that didn’t make the first cut. But Kylie did manage to give us some new music this week and it was with Grey’s Anatomy’s finest – Snow Patrol. She even performed it with the guys during their London show at Crystal Palace Park last week. Definitely an unexpected collaboration at this stage in Kylie’s career given how much she’s embraced dance. It is however reminiscent of her 90s “indie Kylie” days, which is enough of a reason for any Kylie fan to find the beauty in the song. It’s a welcomed return to a sound that only the biggest of Kylie fans appreciate. Her 1997 album Impossible Princess has remained a cult classic amongst the fandom, and holds some of her more experimental and personal work. “These Alarms” took me right back to songs like “Did It Again”, and it’s awesome. Could this signify a change in direction for her? Likely not, as she is just the featured artist but Kylie loves to take risks and dip her toes into many musical avenues. Whether this is just a one-off or plans for a bigger project, I’m seated.

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“Dancing On My Own” by Robyn

It’s only fitting that during Madonna week there would be another pop icon having a major moment online. Following the recent trend of classic songs gaining newfound popularity after a feature in a streaming series a la “On The Floor”, Robyn is now getting a nostalgia streaming spike as well – except hers is courtesy of a film. Voicemails for Isabelle uses the song to thread through the entire story, and audiences are in love with it. “Dancing On My Own” is a classic 2010s banger, but it never actually got any chart success in the USA. It never even reached the Hot 100 – which is wild to believe, especially given its importance within both the queer community and the electronic pop sound of that time. Robyn has always been that girl, but maybe a little underappreciated. Now is finally her time, because “Dancing On My Own” recently earned its highest daily streaming numbers ever - passing one million. The 70s disco-inspired anthem is a staple for any pop music lover, and it’s about time that younger listeners are exposed to its greatness.

Like anything with Gen Z (and maybe now Alpha), users are recreating the dance from the film. It’s spreading both joy and emotion given the film themes of grief and sisterhood. It’s Jill and Isabelle’s favourite song (the characters in the film), so now it’s also a million teenagers all over America’s favourite song too. I love this for Robyn.

@thejimmyjensen I can’t stop!! 😭 #voicemailsforisabelle #relatable #dancingonmyown #fypシ #foryoupage ♬ Dancing On My Own - Robyn

@george_goodjohn Just watched “Voicemails for Isabelle” ♥️ #voicemailsforisabelle #dancingonmyown #robyn #netflix #dancetrend ♬ original sound - hihi_sandy_