Soundcheck with Ethan

By: Ethan Barrocas

Note: These are my interpretations of each track, so my opinions and ideas may differ from what you or Madonna may think. 

Sequels are unfamiliar territory for Madonna. Which is ironic, given that she’s been in the industry for almost 50 years and never likes to do the same thing twice. Reinvention is her greatest strength, with each era introducing a new sound, genre, and aesthetic. Yet on her newest record in 9 years, she revisits one of her most celebrated and acclaimed records that revolutionized what dance music truly is, reimagining the language of the dancefloor.

The original Confessions On A Dance Floor was released in 2005, following the rocky American Life era, which received mixed critical reactions for its folktronic approach to the political climate of the time. Looking for a new creative direction, Madonna eventually crossed paths with Stuart Price, an English musician and DJ who would become the driving force behind her next record. Together, they created a dance magnum opus. A nonstop, thrilling experience of pop perfection that combined disco and electronic sounds, creating a blissful escapism that made the dance floor feel less like a space and more like a state of mind.  

The original Confessions vibrantly celebrated the freedom that comes with dance music at the peak of the 2000s dance revival; CONFESSIONS II continues that narrative, bringing back Price to illuminate what Madonna and dance music look like two decades later. It was an exciting premise but one that made me proceed with caution. The releases that followed after the original Confessions saw Madonna chasing the trends of the time, eventually resulting in uneven bodies of work. MDNA saw her following the EDM craze of the early 2010s, but it ultimately felt generic and vapid. The next two releases, Rebel Heart and Madame X, were the same, with Rebel Heart unfortunately my least favorite Madonna album due to its bloated tracklist and uneven mix of EDM, ballads, and hip-hop. Even so, Madonna still manages to captivate me regardless of the music, so I couldn’t help but be intrigued. 

CONFESSIONS II isn’t Madonna trying to have a nostalgic resurgence; instead, it’s reassuring listeners of her place in the pop landscape and reminding listeners that, nearly five decades into her career, she is still capable of releasing something fresh and invigorating. It’s an exceptional record that runs for one hour and three minutes, feeling like a single song, with each track transitioning seamlessly into the next.

“I Feel So Free” starts our journey, opening with a spoken-word monologue about personas and how the dance floor gives people the power to be whoever they want to be–similar to the philosophy that has defined Madonna for her entire career: constant reinvention of herself within her music. It feels like the first moments of entering the club, welcoming you into this sacred space only someone of her caliber can create. When the chorus hits, it instantly reminds me of this clip of Carrie Bradshaw dancing to “Bad Girls” by Donna Summer in an episode of Sex And The City. It evokes the same feeling of surrendering to the music and fully allowing yourself to feel the freedom of the dance floor.

“Good For The Soul” follows up next and continues to use the same metaphors as “I Feel So Free.” It feels meditative, relying on metaphors about the cosmos and astrology to describe the effects of the dance floor. Over synth-driven production, Madonna highlights the importance of dancing and how it keeps the human spirit intact. The lyricism recalls the spirituality of the Ray Of Light era, in which self-discovery and transcendence become part of the music itself.

“One Step Away” introduces the album’s thesis: “People think that dance music is superficial/But they’ve got it all wrong/The dance floor is not just a place, it’s a threshold/A ritualistic space where movement replaces language.” It carries the same themes of freedom as the previous two tracks; everything feels more meaningful, especially in light of Madonna’s near-death experience in 2023, which seems to have given her a newfound sense of freedom. Her vocals remain remarkably intact, hitting impressive notes that contrast beautifully with the house-trance production. It’s hypnotic in the best way possible, feeling sexy yet empowering.

“Bring Your Love” sees Madonna collaborate with pop music’s current princess, Sabrina Carpenter. First teased at Sabrina’s headlining Coachella set, it samples Inner City’s 1998 house track “Good Life,” and interpolates Rochelle Jordan’s “Doing It Too.” Exploring themes of resilience and pushing back against criticism, it’s a perfect moment for the two who have been scrutinized for most of their careers. At first, I found the track too generic, but it recently got a new mix that makes it boom even more. 

“Danceteria” is fucking delicious. Named after the 1980s New York nightclub, it was the birthplace of the Queen of Pop. A full history lesson in song form, she reconstructs its ecosystem, singing about friends and other personalities, but most importantly, how she was first discovered by DJ Mark Kamins and played the tape with her debut single “Everybody.” Mixing French house, electroclash, and an interpretation of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side,” the production feels unpredictable but perfectly 80s-inspired. “Danceteria” groovily transforms the dance floor into a temple of memories, celebrating the moments and people that have shaped Madonna into who she is now. 

“Read My Lips” takes Latin influences and reggaeton, fusing them with sleek electronics. A sharp defiance permeates the track, with Feid adding depth through his Spanish verses. The guitar hooks on the chorus are addictive and are definitely my highlight of the track. However, it remains my least favorite on the album due to certain vocal choices and layering that occasionally make Madonna’s voice feel robotic and monotonous. 

“Everything” dives headfirst into acid house, using its bouncy, hypnotic rhythm for Madonna to sing about isolation and how everyone is attached to their screens, refusing to live in the moment. I love the metaphor in the pre-chorus, where she likens devices to crystallized screens that take over everyone and everything, keeping them from going outside. It builds and builds before exploding into a drop that echoes Madonna’s own frustration with the digital age. On the outro, she urges the listener to be fully present and step outside into the light. 

Over a shimmering blend of disco and house, “Love Sensation” emphasizes how love is the antidote to adversity in life, something that is repeated on the post-chorus, “There’s nothing that we cannot do.” Its message is simple yet powerful, a romantic powerhouse that’s tailored to liberate people on the dance floor.

The instrumentation does the heavy lifting on “Love Without Words.” It’s the most immersive moment on the album, mixing glittering synths, dazzling house beats, and vocal loops that will guarantee a trance. It takes the disco sounds of the 2005 Confessions On A Dance Floor and fuses them with the funk-infused rhythms of Music, creating a sound that feels familiar yet still its own. It’s very easy to imagine this track slipping into a DJ set at two in the morning.

“Bizarre” showcases Martin Garrix’s skills, creating a dramatic, theatrical atmosphere set against distorted synths. The overall distortion mimics the failed relationship between Madonna and Sean Penn. The refrain has multiple references to their relationship, and the first verse dissects how fame impacted them as a couple. She says, “The fire was so intense,” alluding to how their passion for each other was once there, but was ultimately destroyed by the heights of their fame. It has a push-and-pull nature to it, with Madonna explaining the oddities of love on the chorus, and bits of desire on the post-chorus. 

Madonna takes on the roles of both the teacher and the student on “School.” It’s pure lust, sex, and the quirkiest moment on the record. She’s confident in her ability to please herself and others romantically and sexually. The track bends and runs like a river, its smoothness carrying the listener down its stream up until each drop, where it’s just ecstasy. 

“Fragile” marks a contemplative shift in the record and carries throughout the rest of the album. She opens the song by speaking about how someone’s energy never dies, but it’s still hard to let go once they are gone. The song is dedicated to her late brother Christopher and explores themes of grief and forgiveness. It’s one of the most vulnerable moments on the record as Madonna reflects on their fragile bond over drifty drum-n-bass production. She wishes him the best and is confident that they will see each other on the other side. 

“My Sins Are My Savior” draws on the Erotica era, with sensual spoken-word verses delivered in French by both Madonna and Stromae. Throughout the track, Madonna reflects on the scrutiny she has always faced in her career, ultimately reframing it as something that has made her stronger and built her up. With God as her witness, she suggests that her sins have made her more resilient. It’s my favorite track off the album because it reminds me a lot of Madonna’s work in the 90s, with its tranquil, downtempo stylings. 

“Betrayal” continues with the Erotica influences–sampling “Gnossienne No. 1” by Erik Satie and fusing it with trip-hop elements. On multiple occasions, Madonna has expressed how it was difficult for her to accept her stepmother, Joan Ciconne, taking her mother’s place after her death. She touches on her resentment toward herself that has carried with her throughout her life, eventually using water imagery to highlight her forgiveness: “Open the dam/Let the water crash in/ Let it go, go go.” She then says she can dance with her, letting the waters of forgiveness fully consume them and finally allowing them to move on.

“The Test” marks the second collaboration between Madonna and her daughter Lola Leon. It speaks to the divide they’ve had with one another due to Madonna’s intense fame. Arca’s melancholic production and contribution pair perfectly with Madonna’s taking accountability for her faults, using the song to heal their relationship. Lola’s verse attests to the way her mother’s life has influenced her and how she’s applied those lessons to her own life. It’s a beautiful and vulnerable moment for the two, and Arca’s production is absolutely stunning, acknowledging their vulnerability and letting them both blossom on the track.  

“L.E.S Girl,” or Lower East Side Girl, takes us back to Madonna’s beginning stages before she was the Queen of Pop. Heavily leaning into the Ray of Light sound, it’s a tale of lost love where Madonna nostalgically reminisces over a delicate, contemplative guitar. She paints a beautiful portrait of her past, with direct details about her life at the time. She ends on a wistful note: “Everything fades away,” recognizing that this love is gone, but her past is still carried with her. 

CONFESSIONS II doesn’t repeat the formula used on Confessions On A Dance Floor; it rewrites it. While the sequel may not have its hits like “Hung Up,” “Get Together,” or “Sorry,” it feels more consistent as a record. Madonna proves, after fifty years in her career, that she is still capable of creating an amazing body of work. While most legacy artists look backward, Madonna looks both backward and forward, validating her past while continuing the iconic reinvention she’s known for. CONFESSIONS II isn’t just a sequel; it’s a celebration of an icon at her apex and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.