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Confessions II (2026)

Where the lyrics of Confessions II take you, and where it was really made.

The album started as a distraction: while two other projects stalled, Madonna made a dance record that became a sequel to Confessions on a Dance Floor.

Key places

Republic Studios, New York City (2026)

Recording site Republic Studios — According to the credits, tracks 3, 4, 7, 10, 12 and 15 of the album were recorded at Republic Studios in New York City. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Electric Lady Studios, New York City (2026)

Recording site Electric Lady Studios — According to the credits, track 4 of the album was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Taylor Studio, London (2026)

Recording site Taylor Studio — According to the credits, track 11 of the album was recorded at Taylor Studio in London. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Confessions II: fifteenth studio album by Madonna, also referred to as Confessions on a Dance Floor: Part II
• Released July 3, 2026 through Warner Records
• Conceived as a sequel to Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)
• Mainly an EDM record covering house, dance-pop, disco, trip hop and downtempo
• Structured like a continuous DJ mix, with several samples and interpolations
• Main themes: freedom, escapism, self-realization, grief and spirituality
• Also includes memories of Madonna's early life and troubled family relationships
• Partly a visual album, accompanied by a short musical film, also titled Confessions II
• Three singles: "Bring Your Love", "Love Sensation" and "Danceteria"
• Guest appearances by Sabrina Carpenter, Feid, Stromae and Lola Leon

Background

• Madonna released Confessions on a Dance Floor in 2005, recorded mainly with Stuart Price in his London flat
• After promotion ended, she did not speak with Price for about 15 years
• In 2023 she hired Price as musical director for the Celebration Tour, her retrospective concert series
• Her biographical film was scrapped by Universal Pictures due to budget constraints
• Netflix's planned television series based on her life took longer to develop while she searched for a showrunner
• She decided to make a dance album as a distraction while waiting for both projects
• She felt that the world was in a very dark place and people needed to dance
• Her brother Christopher Ciccone and stepmother Joan Ciccone both died in 2024, and their illnesses inspired the album
• In September 2024 she announced on Instagram that she was working on new music with Price
• In September 2025 she announced a reunion with Warner Records, her original label of over 25 years

Recording

• Recorded for about a year and a half
• Work began in Price's studio in Maida Vale, London
• The initial one-week London session produced "Good for the Soul"
• The sessions then moved to Bentley Studios in New York City, where "I Feel So Free" was recorded
• Madonna's daughter Lourdes Leon co-wrote "The Test", their first music collaboration
• Sabrina Carpenter was approached through an Instagram direct message and recorded "Bring Your Love"
• Martin Garrix collaborated on "Bizarre"; Stromae provided guest vocals on "My Sins Are My Savior"
• Eight additional songs were recorded but left off the album

Cover

• Cover and lead imagery photographed by Rafael Pavarotti, styled by Ib Kamara, with creative direction by Raw Materials
• Artwork and packaging designed by New York City studio Special Offer, Inc.
• Bright pink, red and purple color scheme echoes the Confessions on a Dance Floor art
• Cover shows Madonna perched on a platform of speakers in a lavender lace bodysuit with a pink veil

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Madonna Louise Ciccone, born August 16, 1958, in Bay City, Michigan, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress.
• Raised in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac and Avon Township; moved to New York City in 1978 to pursue dance.
• Performed as a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist in the rock bands Breakfast Club and Emmy before signing with Sire Records.
• Debut album Madonna (1983) brought her fame.

Career

• Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), and The Immaculate Collection (1990) are among the best-selling albums of all time.
• Rolling Stone ranked Like a Prayer (1989), Ray of Light (1998), and Music (2000) among the greatest albums of all time.
• Known for continual reinvention and for works addressing social, political, sexual, and religious themes.
• Acting credits include Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), A League of Their Own (1992), and Evita (1996), for which she won a Golden Globe.
• Founded the entertainment company Maverick (1992–2009), including Maverick Records.
• Is the best-selling female music artist of all time and the first female performer to accumulate US$1 billion from concerts.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, in her first year of eligibility.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Metacritic: universal acclaim, weighted average 82 out of 100 from eighteen critic scores
• AnyDecentMusic?: weighted average 7.4 out of 10 from twenty-one reviews
• BBC News' Mark Savage: said it 'really soars when it gets autobiographical'
• The Times' Will Hodgkinson: called it one of Madonna's most personal albums to date
• Slant Magazine's Eric Henderson: described it as Madonna's most focused and cohesive album in decades
• People's Jeff Nelson: deemed it Madonna's best album in decades
• The Irish Times' Ed Power: called it Madonna's most confident record in years
• AllMusic's Neil Z. Yeung: called it her best album in decades, praising the lyrical depth and production quality
• Consequence's Paolo Ragusa: wrote that it 'throws a great party, but has little to say'
• The Guardian's Alexis Petridis: called it a 'nostalgic dancefloor trip'
• PopMatters' Jeffrey Davies: gave it five out of ten
• Spectrum Culture's Thomas Britt: rated it 48 out of 100

Reappraisal

• Pitchfork placed the album on its ranking of the best music of 2026 so far in August 2026
• Multiple critics called it Madonna's best album since Confessions on a Dance Floor

Records

• Debuted at number one in 17 countries
• United States: number one on the Billboard 200 with 134,000 album-equivalent units in its first week
• United States: 59,000 vinyl albums sold in its first week
• United Kingdom: number one on the UK Albums Chart with 48,502 album-equivalent units in its first week
• France: number one on the SNEP Albums Chart with 25,491 album-equivalent units
• Spain: number one, certified gold
• Italy: number one on the FIMI Albums Chart, certified gold
• Canada: number one on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart, certified gold
• United Kingdom: certified silver by the BPI on July 24, 2026
• Won Best Album at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album's standard edition leaves out 'Love Sensation', 'Betrayal', 'The Test' and 'L.E.S. Girl'.
• Madonna recorded eight extra songs that were left off the album, including 'What Will Save Me' with Price and Arca.
• 'Fragile' was written right after a phone call with her brother Christopher Ciccone, and she called the experience 'cathartic'.
• Madonna and Price held a series of club parties called Club Confessions, where they played songs from the album.
• The first Club Confessions party took place on April 25, 2026, at the Abbey in West Hollywood, California.
• Madonna's cover pose and clothes were chosen to reference the artwork of Confessions on a Dance Floor.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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