New album: Confessions on a Dance Floor Part 2

[rebelheart]

Seems like the official recording of Celebration has also been forgotten about...

[KalamazooJay]

On 6/22/2025 at 12:01 PM, bardo said:

why the preoccupation with her birthday? does she typically make big announcements on her birthday or are we still desperately clinging to every holiday or anniversary as a potential time she'll announce the album/reissues/biopic? 

 

his song with gaga on chromatica was upbeat/dance. 

 

the pandemic obviously played a part but it's more likely the fact that all three of these women haven't been signed to a major record label for the first time. they're also older with children and time moves more quickly - not to mention they're aware that a "hit" is unlikely so it's not like they need to rush something out to hit the charts/radio. 

Bingo. 

The pandemic upended ALL of our lives and was probably THE most consequential and disruptive event for the vast majority of us, celebrity or not. So, yes, of course it probably changed their perspective on life. It CERTAINLY changed my own perspective on life. And we're nearly 20 years younger than Mariah, Janet, Madonna, etc. 

I actually do agree that it may have made them say 'fuck it' when it comes to achieving any kind of real chart success when the deck is stacked against them. 

ESPECIALLY Madonna. 

[Confessit II]

11 minutes ago, KalamazooJay said:

I actually do agree that it may have made them say 'fuck it' when it comes to achieving any kind of real chart success when the deck is stacked against them. 

ESPECIALLY Madonna. 

Exactly. 

And that resulted in Madame X.

[KalamazooJay]

29 minutes ago, Confessit said:

Exactly. 

And that resulted in Madame X.

......for better or for worse lol. 

[bard]

39 minutes ago, Confessit said:

Exactly. 

And that resulted in Madame X.

but yet the main singles were collabs with maluma and swae lee. so i think she obviously still cares about commercial success. even though it didn't pan out. 

[Confessit II]

9 minutes ago, KalamazooJay said:

......for better or for worse lol. 

It’s a great body of work.

I admire its ambition and it’s got some great stuff on it.

But it isn’t my favourite, but it’s still better than most of the pop albums released in 2019! 

[Confessit II]

2 minutes ago, bardo said:

but yet the main singles were collabs with maluma and swae lee. so i think she obviously still cares about commercial success. even though it didn't pan out. 

2 of the singles were yes. The rest were very much not mainstream.

And the album certainly isn’t.

So I don’t believe she had her eye on the mainstream that much really.

I think after RH, the fact she went out and worked quite an extensive promo campaign and nothing stuck, she threw caution to the wind.

I don’t blame her. MX is absolutely one of her most uncommercial albums. 

[KalamazooJay]

36 minutes ago, bardo said:

but yet the main singles were collabs with maluma and swae lee. so i think she obviously still cares about commercial success. even though it didn't pan out. 

But I wouldn't say that Medellin was very commercial by any means at all. It was kind of an oddball type of song. Just because it had Maluma doesn't mean she was looking for chart success. It was clear she had chemistry with him and liked him as a person. I don't believe she picked him for a hit song. 

Crave was more mainstream, sure. And the better song in my opinion. But I don't think she was looking for Swae Lee to deliver this SMASH of a song for her either.  The guy wasn't that big. Yeah, he had Sunflower which was huge, but it wasn't as if he had this string of huge songs that was going to give her another top 10. 

[bard]

24 minutes ago, KalamazooJay said:

But I wouldn't say that Medellin was very commercial by any means at all. It was kind of an oddball type of song. Just because it had Maluma doesn't mean she was looking for chart success. It was clear she had chemistry with him and liked him as a person. I don't believe she picked him for a hit song. 

Crave was more mainstream, sure. And the better song in my opinion. But I don't think she was looking for Swae Lee to deliver this SMASH of a song for her either.  The guy wasn't that big. Yeah, he had Sunflower which was huge, but it wasn't as if he had this string of huge songs that was going to give her another top 10. 

i don't believe for a solitary second that she chose "medellin" because it was her favorite song on the album. it was chosen because of maluma's massive following. ditto for "crave," the video for which had to be quickly shoehorned into the whole "madame x" concept. 

[KalamazooJay]

3 minutes ago, bardo said:

i don't believe for a solitary second that she chose "medellin" because it was her favorite song on the album. it was chosen because of maluma's massive following. ditto for "crave," the video for which had to be quickly shoehorned into the whole "madame x" concept. 

Oh wow? Seriously? And what song exactly do you think was her 'favorite' and that she wanted to release instead?

I don't believe for a solitary second, after Rebel Heart, she believed she was going to have ANY kind of 'hit' again, Muluma or not. As I stated, and as SHE herself clearly put out there, she genuinely liked working with him, liked the music they created, and obviously liked him as a person. So - yes - I DO believe Medellin was one of her obvious favorites from that album. And she went with that because she figured 't's not gonna be a hit anyway, might was well'.  

[bard]

3 minutes ago, KalamazooJay said:

Oh wow? Seriously? And what song exactly do you think was her 'favorite' and that she wanted to release instead?

I don't believe for a solitary second, after Rebel Heart, she believed she was going to have ANY kind of 'hit' again, Muluma or not. As I stated, and as SHE herself clearly put out there, she genuinely liked working with him, liked the music they created, and obviously liked him as a person. So - yes - I DO believe Medellin was one of her obvious favorites from that album. And she went with that because she figured 't's not gonna be a hit anyway, might was well'.  

aside from LFL, all of her lead singles since 2008 have been collabs for a reason. she knows that BIM was the most successful single from RH. and we know commercial success is important to her because she's told us over and over again. 

[Beastialg]

Medellin is no commercial at all, besides the use of Maluma who was hot back then (but didn't help at all). The production and structure of the song is weird as fuck. 

I would say the most commercially friendly songs in the album are Crave, Crazy, Faz Gostoso and Bitch I'm Loca and even some of those are debatable. Nothing in Madame X sounds instant hit (Faz Gostoso the closest, but would have worked only in certain markets).

[bard]

2 minutes ago, Beastialg said:

Medellin is no commercial at all, besides the use of Maluma who was hot back then (but didn't help at all). The production and structure of the song is weird as fuck. 

I would say the most commercially friendly songs in the album are Crave, Crazy, Faz Gostoso and Bitch I'm Loca and even some of those are debatable. Nothing in Madame X sounds instant hit (Faz Gostoso the closest, but would have worked only in certain markets).

i agree. my point isn't that it was smart or successful, but that someone obviously thought it would be. 

[Confessit II]

7 minutes ago, bardo said:

aside from LFL, all of her lead singles since 2008 have been collabs for a reason. she knows that BIM was the most successful single from RH. and we know commercial success is important to her because she's told us over and over again. 

I agree to a certain extent.

Madame X does not pack any commercial punch.

The only song that was very mainstream was Crave everything else wasn’t. Those songs were not going to fit into the charts.

So just by listening to MX you can tell by that point Madonna was not interested in commercial success.

At least not anywhere near as much as she was.

 

[KalamazooJay]

9 minutes ago, Confessit said:

I agree to a certain extent.

Madame X does not pack any commercial punch.

The only song that was very mainstream was Crave everything else wasn’t. Those songs were not going to fit into the charts.

So just by listening to MX you can tell by that point Madonna was not interested in commercial success.

At least not anywhere near as much as she was.

 

Thank you.

This was not an album for the masses. It wasn't an album she put out there for another 'hit'. Hell, it wasn't even album for her entire FAN base! It was her most polarizing release since American Life - another album she OBVIOUSLY released on her own accord without any obvious hit single. She was NOT seeking success with this album and that was apparent by the first single, Medellin. 

[Confessit II]

3 minutes ago, KalamazooJay said:

Thank you.

This was not an album for the masses. It wasn't an album she put out there for another 'hit'. Hell, it wasn't even album for her entire FAN base! It was her most polarizing release since American Life - another album she OBVIOUSLY released on her own accord without any obvious hit single. She was NOT seeking success with this album and that was apparent by the first single, Medellin. 

I totally agree with you that’s how I see it as well.

[peter]

I thought the point being made above was that the pandemic shifted everyone’s perspective … and that didn’t impact the MX album. It cut the tour short at the end, but it didn’t have any influence on the creative/recording process or the single choices. 

I mean, whatever … If she personally shifted her priorities before the pandemic, it doesn’t really matter all that much. As long as she is inspired to make music, I hope she will continue to share with us. 

(I kinda doubt she would have collaborated with Max Martin if she has totally given up on a possible hit — at least something very pop, accessible, radio-friendly. It’s a longshot, but … I doubt she went to him asking for something experimental and challenging pop conventions.)

[luizotaviobarros]

I (vaguely) remember reading somewhere that Interscope heard the album and was reluctant to release it. Apparently, they threw in a few more commercial/palatable tracks in the mix, and maybe that's how Crave, Faz Gostoso and maybe Medellin came about?

 

[Confessit II]

7 minutes ago, peter said:

(I kinda doubt she would have collaborated with Max Martin if she has totally given up on a possible hit — at least something very pop, accessible, radio-friendly. It’s a longshot, but … I doubt she went to him asking for something experimental and challenging pop conventions.)

Absolutely!

Let’s not forget after AL came COADF.

I think MX will be isolated as an uncommercial Madonna album.

She has hooked up with Stuart Price again for MX’s follow up ….. that tells us all something about where she is heading now.

[Beastialg]

About her last IG post, wasn't Arca rumored as one of the possible producers/collaborations for the new album? Before Stuart Price involment...

[peter]

1 minute ago, Beastialg said:

About her last IG post, wasn't Arca rumored as one of the possible producers/collaborations for the new album? Before Stuart Price involment...

I remember hearing the name Arca, yes … I am not sure why. This was around the time that Sickick and Honey Dijon were being rumored, too — however, there was confirmation (tweets and interviews) that indicated M worked on new/original music (not “just” remixes) with Sickick and Honey Dijon. But, yes, you are correct that Arca was also rumored at that time. (I just never heard why.)

There was conjecture about FKA Twigs and Nile Rodgers — just based on her being seen publicly with them, but there’s not any other reason to believe they have collaborated in the past couple years.

(And, of course, we know she worked with Max Martin — whether only for writing or also for producing we don’t know. And then the Weeknd and M seemed open to working together. And at the end of last year she confirmed she has been in the studio working with Stuart.)

[systemvalues]

19 minutes ago, peter said:

I remember hearing the name Arca, yes … I am not sure why. This was around the time that Sickick and Honey Dijon were being rumored, too — however, there was confirmation (tweets and interviews) that indicated M worked on new/original music (not “just” remixes) with Sickick and Honey Dijon. But, yes, you are correct that Arca was also rumored at that time. (I just never heard why.)

There was conjecture about FKA Twigs and Nile Rodgers — just based on her being seen publicly with them, but there’s not any other reason to believe they have collaborated in the past couple years.

(And, of course, we know she worked with Max Martin — whether only for writing or also for producing we don’t know. And then the Weeknd and M seemed open to working together. And at the end of last year she confirmed she has been in the studio working with Stuart.)

Accurate reconstruction of facts and events. Re Arca: She and M appeared together in posts on M's Instagram.

[peter]

11 minutes ago, systemvalues said:

Accurate reconstruction of facts and events. Re Arca: She and M appeared together in posts on M's Instagram.

Oh, thank you! I may have missed those posts back then (or maybe I just didn’t know who Arca was). Appreciate that background info!

[systemvalues]

8 minutes ago, peter said:

maybe I just didn’t know who Arca was

Me too, I found out who she was thanks to M. Lol

[bard]

1 hour ago, luizotaviobarros said:

I (vaguely) remember reading somewhere that Interscope heard the album and was reluctant to release it. Apparently, they threw in a few more commercial/palatable tracks in the mix, and maybe that's how Crave, Faz Gostoso and maybe Medellin came about?

 

correct. i believe "medellin" was one of the last songs. and "crave" was chosen as a single last minute. the video was rush-released (and made on the cheap) because medellin was under-performing. 

 

1 hour ago, KalamazooJay said:

Thank you.

This was not an album for the masses. It wasn't an album she put out there for another 'hit'. Hell, it wasn't even album for her entire FAN base! It was her most polarizing release since American Life - another album she OBVIOUSLY released on her own accord without any obvious hit single. She was NOT seeking success with this album and that was apparent by the first single, Medellin. 

i never said MX was an album for the masses. i said that the main singles were collabs with artists with big followings for a very obvious reason. at the end of the day, it's still a business, and madonna, interscope, and everyone else involved had one job: sell the album. 

[Cyber-Raga]

Love MX. it is in my Top 5 of M album. Fuck what all the haters say, it is an ambitious album, her best Interscope release. There I said it. And don’t come with the obligatory RH cue now. RH wishes it had the artistry and drive MX had to offer. 
Did it underperform? Newsflash all of the Interscope albums were commercially less than successful and/or underperformed. 
Now if Confessed Again has the same drive and ambition like MX but is a tad more coherent like Confessions, then I will be very intrigued. That is, if this album ever materializes - a question which applies to most of her projects these days. 

[Je5u5]

I don't get this whole "The pandemic changed her views on commercial success as seen with Madame X" when the album came out before and the tour took place right before, with just the last batch of dates being affected. 

[peter]

4 minutes ago, Je5u5 said:

I don't get this whole "The pandemic changed her views on commercial success as seen with Madame X" when the album came out before and the tour took place right before, with just the last batch of dates being affected. 

Yeah, that’s what I said above…

[Confessit II]

6 minutes ago, Je5u5 said:

I don't get this whole "The pandemic changed her views on commercial success as seen with Madame X" when the album came out before and the tour took place right before, with just the last batch of dates being affected. 

Absolutely.

The pandemic had nothing at all to do with it.

MX was her very last album with Interscope. There was no way she was going to sign with them again.

She had already started work on her BIO as well so the writing was on the wall that she was going to be breaking from album making for a while to concentrate on that. 

If the pandemic happened 20 years ago, she would have been straight back out to working on music as soon as she could.

But it happened when she was 60, and with 10 years of commercial decline behind her and no record contract to fulfil. 

The pandemic changed zero in her view of commercial success.

[Je5u5]

1 minute ago, peter said:

Yeah, that’s what I said above…

I replied before getting to your post but that's what I meant.

Afterwards she's collaborated with The Weeknd and Playboi Carti, Dua Lipa, Max Martin...