Madonna has this morning released Confessions II, a rapid-fire, 10-minute short film showcasing half a dozen songs from the upcoming album of the same name, released on July 3.
The pop star suggested at a recent premiere for the short film in New York that it would replace traditional music videos for this new era of her music, saying the thought of making a music video felt “cheap.”
The film opens with the new song Good For The Soul, perhaps destined to be its most controversial scene, thanks to the unusual poses her dancers strike. Madonna struts through a misty, swampy nightscape, while all around her, scantily-clad dancers pose with their legs spread and green lasers shooting out of their private parts.
The film doesn’t linger too long in laser-land though, before it’s on to the next set-up and song. Sabrina Carpenter makes a brief appearance as the pair perform their recently released duet Bring Your Love together, before it’s on to what feels like the film’s centrepiece.
Danceteria, a spoken word dance track that serves as a tribute to the iconic New York club Madonna called home in the early 80s before she got famous.
Set in a crowded club bathroom, the scene sees Madonna mingle with an ever-increasing roll call of celebs: She bumps ino Marty Supreme star Odessa A’zion, knocking a drink out of her hand. Richard E. Grant parties in a bathroom stall with two women, as Gwendoline Christie peers over the partition.
“Get on the elevator, I run into Debi Mazar,” Madonna purrs, emerging from a stall and bumping into Mazar herself, a close friend since their pre-fame days at Dancetaria.
Perhaps the funniest cameo: “He’s a DJ? Hide the cocaine,” Madonna sings as suddenly, supermodel Kate Moss lifts her head into view. What a coincidence.
Then, suddenly, English actor Benedict Cumberbatch joins the party, imploring us to “get up a and dance” as he busts a move by the urinals. Earlier, there’s a neat shot where Madonna turns her head on the dance floor and suddenly morphs into Julia Garner, the actress who was earmarked to play her in the recent biopic that never got off the ground.
It’s certainly a step up from the last time Madonna tried to stuff a music video with celeb cameos, for the 2015 single Bitch, I’m Madonna, and stars like Beyonce and Miley Cyrus simply dialled in for their brief appearances via pre-recorded videos shown on a TV.
The film closes with another celebrity reveal: A mysterious masked woman who’s been present throughout is revealed to be Madonna’s eldest daughter, Lourdes (who Madonna recently revealed actually co-wrote one song on the new album).
The short film’s release comes after a busy few days for Madonna, with promotion for Confessions II ramping up less than a month out from its release.
On Friday, she performed a huge free concert in Times Square, premiering songs from the new album alongside three classics from its 2005 predecessor, Confessions on a Dance Floor.
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