Maps of Music

Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)

Where the lyrics of Confessions on a Dance Floor take you, and where it was really made.

Most of this record was made at a producer's home studio, and it went on to become one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century.

Key places

Stuart Price's home studio (2005)

Recording site Mayfair Studios — Most of the album was recorded at Stuart Price's home studio, where Madonna spent much of the recording period. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Confessions on a Dance Floor: tenth studio album by Madonna
• Released November 9, 2005 by Warner Bros. Records
• A departure from her previous album American Life (2003)
• Blends 1970s disco, 1980s electropop and 2000s club music
• Structured like a nightly DJ set, with tracks mixed into one another without gaps
• Title reflects a track listing that starts light and upbeat, then moves to darker melodies and lyrics about personal feelings and commitments

Background

• Madonna first worked with Mirwais Ahmadzaï but felt the collaboration was not moving in her desired direction
• She then began working with Stuart Price, who was overseeing her documentary I'm Going to Tell You a Secret
• Price had served as musical director on her two previous concert tours
• Madonna described the album as a reaction to the serious material of her documentary work, saying she wanted to have fun
• The Confessions Tour began in May 2006 and grossed over US$194.7 million, the highest-grossing tour ever for a female artist at that time

Recording

• Mainly recorded at Price's home studio, where Madonna spent much of the recording period
• The first three songs written for the album were "Hung Up", "Sorry" and "Future Lovers"
• Price often worked through the night on the songs, a habit his DJ background made easy
• Madonna said she and Price had opposite characteristics, which helped their collaboration

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

• Billboard's Keith Caulfield called it a "welcome return to form for the Queen of Pop"
• The BBC's Alan Braidwood called the album "magic" and named "Sorry", "Jump", "How High", "Push" and "Like it Or Not" as highlights
• The Guardian's Alexis Petridis said the album revels in the delights of wilfully plastic dance pop
• Stylus Magazine's Thomas Inskeep called it Madonna's most purely beat-driven album since her 1983 debut
• Metacritic gave a weighted average score of 80 based on 28 reviews

Reappraisal

• Vice ranked it third on "The 99 Greatest Dance Albums of All Time" in 2015
• VH1's Christopher Rosa called it her "best album to date"
• Attitude's David Hutchison said it was arguably the last time Madonna received near-universal acclaim for a body of work
• Slant Magazine placed it at number 38 on "The 100 Best Albums of the Aughts"

Records

• Debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 350,000 copies in its first week
• RIAA certified platinum on December 14, 2005 for one million shipments
• Debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 217,610 units
• Topped the chart in 40 countries, earning a Guinness World Records entry
• Won the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 2007 ceremony
• Worldwide sales stand at 10 million copies

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• "Hung Up" samples ABBA's "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!"; Madonna wrote a personal letter to the songwriters, who allowed the use of the track
• "Isaac" is named after featured vocalist Yitzhak Sinwani; Madonna first considered calling it "Fear of Flying"
• Israeli rabbis criticized "Isaac" as blasphemous, but Madonna said they had not heard the record
• "Sorry" includes its title word in ten different languages
• Madonna opened the 2006 Grammy Awards by performing with the animated band Gorillaz
• The Japanese edition's bonus DVD includes the music videos and behind-the-scenes footage for "Hung Up" and "Sorry"

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Maps of Ages ↗ (mapsofages.com)

Privacy · Contact