Madonna – ‘Confessions II’ album review: Still some gas left in the tank
I was disappointed when I recently saw Madonna position herself as the next big Glastonbury headliner prospect. I’ve developed the view that in 2026, we are living in one of the most exciting times for contemporary music. Both pop and alternative have genuinely vital acts who co-exist and innovate in tandem, joining forces to eliminate the antiquated idea that a legacy act is needed for festival value. But when I listened to Madonna’s Confessions II, I found myself battling to keep a grip on that principle.
The Skinny: Because during its best moments, when Madonna’s record guides us through this trancey dancefloor odyssey, I couldn’t help but feel subtle pangs of excitement at the prospect of a Madonna field party en masse – and that’s without the setlist going into reverse gear.
Madonna’s celebrity and reputation strip away from the very first track, ‘I Feel So Free’, which plunges us into the hypnotic state of dancefloor disassociation. Saturated drum beats spiral into a sort of midnight blue darkness, alleviated by the whistling brightness of Madonna’s vocal hook, which clearly sets the tone.
Now the excitement of this surprising return hasn’t anaesthetised me to some of the record’s sharper, more misguided turns. One of which comes immediately, when the euphoric escapism of ‘I Feel Free’ turns into the confusion of ‘Good For The Soul’, which feels like the very kernel of the record’s idea, one that was embryonic and needed some serious development if it was to be included on the record.
‘One Step Away’ lifts it back into form. This is music made solely for the early hours of the morning, where Madonna’s vocals are less of a lead and more of a sample, serving the fragmented joy of this tilted dance track.
Not that there is any intention from Madonna on this record, but her collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter on ‘Bring Your Love’ feels like something of a torch passing. From one pop icon to the next, the pair entangle on a luscious pop track that proves exactly my point in the opening paragraph. Pop, whether you like it or not, has returned from the truly desperate days of the 2010s and returned to something with clarity and vision, and ‘Bring Your Love’ feeds off of that energy.
There’s a consistency to the record that makes a party from top to bottom, despite its shortcomings. ‘Danceteria’, ‘Read My Lips’ and ‘Everything’ definitely aren’t memorable tracks on the record; in fact, ‘Read My Lips’ feels like the rhythm and melody have no idea that the other actually exist, but generally it can be forgiven, because while something of a detour, it carries on the trajectory the record intends.
The B-side falls into confusion at times. Really, you don’t want Madonna to take her foot off the pedal at any point. ‘Love Without Words’ and ‘School’ keep you swimming in the trancey depths of the soundscape, while ‘Fragile’, ‘My Sins Are Savior’ and ‘The Test’ should have been left on the cutting room floor, where maybe a gentler compilation of offcuts could have awaited.
But generally, there is a boldness to this entire record that could have made it vulnerable. Tabloids, critics and the brutality of social media would have truly loved for this to be a clunky last-ditch attempt at pop relevancy from an artist who should have spent time compiling her greatest hits rather than trying to write new ones. But ultimately, the end result proves there was plenty of gas left in the tank.
Standout Track: ‘I Feel So Free’
The Verdict: While the vignettes of influence feel like a blazing return to 1990s glory, there’s something optimistic about it. It looks forward to a hopeful future, one we were told didn’t actually exist. Maybe Madonna isn’t the right Glastonbury headliner, and maybe she is, as I suspect, robbing someone worthy of the job. But at the end of the day, if this album is sprinkled on the setlist, it will be on a serious fucking party.
Release Date: July 3rd, 2026 | Producer: Stuart Price | Label: Boytoy via Warner
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