Madonna is back with more confessions.
The pop icon at last released her 15th studio album, Confessions II, on Friday, marking her first album in seven years following 2019’s Madame X. Sharing a release date with what turned out to be America’s royal wedding is tough luck for any artist hoping to turn their album release into an all-encompassing, culture-devouring moment, though Madonna is still primed for one of the more notable releases of the year so far.
As the sequel to Confessions on a Dance Floor, Madonna’s last truly monumental album era, Confessions II quickly became her most-anticipated release in 20 years. Sonically, Madonna literally returns to the dance floor, a move that’s getting her early critical praise already as reviews hit Friday, calling this her best album in decades. speaking of returns, Confessions II also has Madonna back at her longtime label home of Warner Records after departing back in 2009. With all the buzz, the Material Girl gave her latest project a rollout befitting the album’s lofty ambitions.
Since announcing Confessions II back in April, Madge has been practically everywhere. She kicked off the era with a lauded surprise appearance during Sabrina Carpenter’s weekend two Coachella headlining set, coming out in the same outfit she wore 20 years prior when she played the festival during the original Confessions era. She and Carpenter performed the album’s lead single, “Bring Your Love,” introducing the song before millions of listeners on the biggest stage in live music.
