Madonna's upcoming fifteenth studio album, Confessions II, is a nonstop dance mix inspired by the death of her brother Christopher and the liberating dancefloors of her youth. The follow-up to 2005's Confessions on a Dance Floor will be released on July 3 via Warner Music.
Inspiration from Loss and Liberation
In a BBC special with Graham Norton, Madonna, now 67, explained how her brother Christopher Ciccone's death from cancer in October 2024 at age 63 deeply affected her. The track Fragile was written in a single day after a painful phone call with her brother. “I knew that it was close to the end. Then I went upstairs and wrote a song,” she said, calling the process “cathartic” and “like an exorcism.”
Madonna also credited her first ballet teacher for taking her to Detroit's gay club Manjos in the 1970s, where she witnessed freedom on the dancefloor. “Girls were dancing with girls, and boys were dancing with boys, and some people were just whirling around by themselves. I was like ‘Wow, so amazing, everybody's so free’,” she recalled, linking the experience to her new single I Feel So Free.
Collaborations with Stuart Price and Family
Producer Stuart Price, who worked on the original Confessions on a Dance Floor, returns for Confessions II. The pair have already released tracks I Feel Free and Freedom during a surprise set at Los Angeles club The Abbey. Price praised Madonna as a “great storyteller” and noted that the song One Step Away came together in a “flash of light” after Madonna improvised lyrics in one stream of consciousness.
The album also features a duet with Madonna's daughter Lourdes Leon on The Test. Madonna said Lourdes approached her after struggling with feelings about their relationship, and they wrote the song together with a 50-50 approach. “She has a much, much better voice than I do,” Madonna admitted.
Guest Appearances by Sabrina Carpenter and Kylie Minogue
Sabrina Carpenter appears on the track Bring Your Love after Madonna DM'd her directly. “I said I'm making a new record, and I would love to collaborate with you on something. It ended up being Bring Your Love, and it worked perfectly,” Madonna said. Kylie Minogue's collaboration is not officially confirmed, but she served drinks during Madonna's BBC interview, fueling speculation. Both artists praised each other's music.
Album Format and Track Selection
Confessions II contains 16 tracks in a continuous mix, designed to mimic a club experience. Madonna explained she selected songs based on whether they made her want to move: “Does this make me want to get up and move? Just drive me, just inspire me? Does this give me an incentive, make me want to sweat? Yeah! And if it didn't, I was like ‘off the record’.” Eight additional tracks were cut for not maintaining the energy.
Live Performances and Future Plans
Madonna's last tour ended in May 2024, and she confirmed she will do “promo tours” in the coming months, but full-length shows are unlikely until summer 2027. She hinted at a “bigger” event in the UK, possibly Glastonbury Festival, though her publicist told the Mirror that tour plans are “all speculation.” Madonna will perform a mini-set at the World Cup final halftime.
