CONFESSIONS II - Madonna
BY COLE LAMPE
After a string of three all-time flops, it should come as a surprise that Madonna is back with her most critically acclaimed work since the mid-2000s. Against all odds, CONFESSIONS II is a strong — albeit inconsistent — comeback for the queen of pop.
A thematic sequel to 2005’s Confessions on a Dance Floor, on II Madonna continues to frame the dance floor as a sacred place to find oneself through freedom of expression. But while II is successful in executing this concept in a more palatable way than the first, it often lacks the kitschy experimentation of the original Confessions that made it one of the most celebrated dance pop works.
That isn’t to say that II is without great songs — in fact, it’s full of them. Album opener and lead single “I Feel So Free” sets the tone for the album well, both thematically and sonically. On tracks such as “Danceteria” and “School,” Madonna consistently couples the carefree attitude of her enduring hits with the most captivating pop music trends of the 2020s (Charli XCX’s cluttered vocal delivery on “Girl, so confusing” appears to be a key influence). “Bring Your Love,” her collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter, has enough incredible hooks in it to distract listeners from how tryhard it is, and album centerpiece “My Sins Are My Savior” may just be the best 3:21 of pop music this year through its callbacks to sleazy 90s R&B.
However, the album is bogged down by cuts where Madonna chases after current pop trends, stumbling in the process. “Read My Lips” sees the Material Girl indignantly mumble over a half-assed latin pop beat, which is immediately followed by the laughably vapid social critique of the digital generation on “Everything.” And while these tracks aren’t exactly terrible, they don’t do much to aid the already sluggishly-paced middle portion of the album.
Lyrically, II is littered with references to ancient Madonna lore for diehard fans to pick up on. “Danceteria” details Madonna’s experiences in the New York club scene in the early 80s. “The Test,” a duet between Madonna and her daughter Lola Leon, is not only a contemporary account of how fame strained their relationship, but it is also fascinating when compared to Ray of Light’s “Little Star,” a pseudo-lullaby Madonna wrote for her daughter before she was born. The schmaltzy “L.E.S. Girl” depicts Madonna’s life in New York’s no-wave scene before she found her liberation through the dance floor. Conceptually, it is the perfect way to close the album.
CONFESSIONS II is not a revolutionary record. If you’ve listened to any dance pop in the past 30 years, it won’t blow you away by any means. But despite its imperfections, it is a damn good record — and a surprisingly profound statement from a pop icon well into her fifth decade as a recording artist.
SCORE: 7,348/10,000