Madonna-"Confessions on a Dance Floor" Review

Since 2003’s political tirade “American Life” was given its just desserts, Madonna was going to have to re-think her priorities with her music. In 2005, after the drama of her musical stumble, she returns to where she began, mainly the Euro-disco and club cultures that made her a star. Drawing direct influences from ABBA into the lead single “Hung Up”, it’s clear that Madonna has learned her lesson and has returned to the style and flair presented in the club-ready “Music”.

In fact, she’s ready to deliver what “American Life” promised: an expansion of her sound while retaining lyrical depth. Her ambition works this time around, as “Let It Will Be”, with bad grammar aside, benefits from her introspection and is what “American Life” should have sounded like. “Get Together” is a cool, sleek number that returns Madonna to the dance-pop of the eighties, while “Future Lovers” is a fast-paced modern track that emphasizes her presence as a creature of the club culture. “Forbidden Love” is reminiscent of the disco-trends she picked up on in her debut, and “Push” is her most explicit attempt at expanding her pop empire by incorporating world influences from the Middle East (a decision in which only Madonna could get away with in the modern day). Basically, what “American Life” lacked “Confessions on a Dance Floor” delivers, not only with purpose, but with consistency. Each track is structured to flow right into the next without any gaps, causing for an enormous sense of unity between all songs involved. And the transitions are clever, as no one could really come up with a way to make “Jump” and “How High”, two songs that have completely distinct moods and sounds, connect without the help of expert studio-craft. And that’s exactly what Madonna has brought in: Stuart Price delivers the underlying beats and the indelible (yet slow-burning) hooks. The only track not produced by Price, the closing track “Like It or Not”, is an exceptional Bloodshy & Avant production that should take its place as a stand for self-acceptance within the next few months. Quite frankly, it’s just refreshing to hear Madonna so refreshed and able to deliver her message with clarity. Even better is that “Confessions” isn’t so heavily reliant on just its music (as “Music” was back in 2000). It lives up to its title, as she expresses her concerns and the pitfalls of fame in a more eloquent fashion than any other album of the 2000s. Yet she doesn’t wallow in her personal struggles, as she works her pop magic to create songs like “Like it or not” that are personal, but extremely relatable. Given the fact that she’s taken the dramatics down and is ready to once again let her music do the talking, “Confessions on a Dance Floor” is her most restrained album. But unlike “Ray of Light”, it’s a feat that is instantly impressive, and is her first record in sixteen years that rivals “Like a Prayer”. Absent of grit, depression, or pretention, Madonna has crafted her most laid-back and infectious album to date.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:

1. Hung Up               2. Get Together       3. Sorry
4. Future Lovers        5. I Love New York    6. Let It Will Be
7. Forbidden Love    8. Jump                     9. How High?
10. Isaac                    11. Push                 12. Like it or Not