It’s Gonna Be May
Is it seriously already May? Don’t worry, I’m not going to write about Justin Timberlake. I wouldn’t do that to you.
Nah, let’s do Madonna instead. The Queen of Pop played the game in a very savvy way this time when announcing the long-awaited sequel to her 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor. She released a 17-second teaser video that really gave nothing away, a Grindr promotional campaign (she knows who her fans are), the album art, and several photo shoots. She performed on stage with Sabrina Carpenter at Coachella. She announced the title of the album: Confessions II.
Then, she released the first song, “I Feel So Free,” on April 17. On its first day of release, the song was exclusive to Pride Radio online through iHeartRadio, played every hour on the hour. I caught it at 11:00 p.m. The next day, she released it on streaming platforms.
It’s a deep house song produced by Arca, who I have more respect for than pretty much anyone in the industry, but I haven’t yet gotten into her music. She deserves a deeper dive than I’ve given her so far. That song, and apparently the whole album, was co-written by Stuart Price, the prolific Brit known by many names: Jacques Lu Cont, Thin White Duke, Paper Faces, Man with Guitar, and Les Rythmes Digitales (yes, those are all the same person!). Price also wrote the original Confessions on a Dance Floor album 20 years ago.
“I Feel So Free” isn’t the first single, however. That single was released today, and it’s called “Bring Your Love.”
Madonna was very smart in bringing in Sabrina Carpenter as a co-conspirator and co-star. Sabrina is definitely the it-girl right now, and for good reason. They obviously share a certain visual aesthetic. I really love Sabrina’s voice and she sings a full half of the song. I remember when Madonna released “Give Me All Your Luvin’” with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. and gave each of her guests like 20 seconds of self-contained time in the song; Sabrina is a true equal in this song. She brings the sass and the energy and the sexy. Honestly, it makes a strong case for Sabrina Carpenter helming the flying saucer that is pop music, if she isn’t already.
The production makes it feel like a Thunderpuss Remix—and I can’t give a higher compliment than that one. Those two could turn a dirge into a dance floor banger. Lyrically, “Bring Your Love” is a lighthearted exploration of being in control in a relationship. Every gay club in the world will be playing this song over the weekend, probably at least through the summer. Can’t wait to hear it at Heaven in London, which I assuredly will this summer.
It’s not every day that Madonna releases a good new song. In fact, it’s been quite some time. Part of constantly reinventing yourself is swinging and missing. “Bring Your Love” gives me immense hope that our beloved Queen of Pop will actually make this album work. She has the most impressive Rolodex in the industry (except maybe Dolly Parton) and can work with essentially anyone she wants to work with. No one turns down Madonna, bitch. But, yeah, I’m trying to wrap up this post, but I feel compelled to continue listening to this song, so I guess I like it. I’m just going to keep writing, for at least one more play-through. I got something I want to talk about.
Madonna has had some of the highest highs and lowest lows of any musician alive. But this fact is why so many of us still root for her. The woman is 67 years old and still surprising her longtime fans and making history in an industry and genre that cycles through young people 40+ years younger than she. She shows no signs of slowing down. I was hoping for a 30-year anniversary tour of Ray of Light next year, which is not only my favorite Madonna album, but one of the albums that made me fall in love with music. But, instead, it seems we’ll get the Confessions II tour, which will likely be even better. If she’s smart, she’ll throw in a healthy dash of Ray of Light too, because it’s just so damn good.
I don’t know how else to end this post, so I’ll leave you with the best Madonna tribute song ever: “I’m Not Madonna” (2011) by Hi Fashion. My drag friends and I obsessed over this song when it came out. There’s only one Madonna.