2026 is shaping up to be the year when legacy artists decided not to gracefully vanish. Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones released some of their best late-era albums. Bruce Springsteen barnstormed the country, fired up on his anti-Trump Land of Hope and Dreams tour. And now Madonna has released Confessions II, her best album in two decades.
Madonna has never been an artist to look backward. Until 2023’s The Celebration Tour, the singer most often used concerts to play new material, only occasionally reaching into her quiver of hits to please crowds. She also constantly looked beneath the surface for trends, whether it be New York’s underground balls (“Vogue”) or electronica (Ray of Light) to inform her music. Confessions II might be Madonna’s first record on which she is taking stock, diving into the past.
More from Spin:
After a trio of poorly received albums, Madonna was primed to do something good. Now 67 years old, the singer’s star had faded, and in an industry that feeds off youth, Madonna seemed headed for obsolescence. Rather than flail about for a new trend to adopt, Madonna crafted a sequel to Confessions on a Dance Floor, her back-to-basics dance album that was a massive hit, spawning perhaps her last great single in “Hung Up.”
Working again with producer Stuart Price, Madonna doesn’t replicate Confessions on a Dance Floor beyond its spirit. Instead, Confessions II feels like a Madonna entry in the DJ-Kicks series where, instead of a series of identifiable songs, the 16 tracks here play like a one-hour dance party. In many instances, Madonna cedes the dance floor to Price, her voice floating over his ecstatic music.
Madonna is in a reflective mood on this album, including biographical information in many of the songs. On the infectious “Danceteria,” Madonna narrates her pre-fame days, name-checking folks from the miasma of New York past, including Basquiat, Maripol, and Debi Mazar. Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter’s feature on “Bring Your Love” feels like a throne-sharing moment more than a passing of the proverbial torch.
For buyers of physical media, the CD version of Confessions II contains all 16 tracks, but all single-LP iterations clip four of the record’s better songs. You’re better off seeking out the double LP deluxe edition for the complete experience. Otherwise, you will be missing the trip-hop fury of “Betrayal” and “The Test,” the latter featuring Madonna’s daughter Lola Leon, whom her mother addresses as “Little Star.”
Most of all, you would be missing out on “L.E.S. Girl,” the emotional comedown from the party that precedes it. Combining drum machine and soft guitar, “L.E.S. Girl” is the garish ray of light, reality for those who played too hard and died too young. “Everything fades away,” Madonna intones at the song’s end. Without “L.E.S. Girl,” you would forever be stuck in the rapture. Imagine missing out on a moment as poignant as that.
To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
