Madonna has described recording her first song with her eldest daughter, Lourdes Leon, as a “very healing experience.” The 67-year-old US pop star made the comments during an interview with Graham Norton for an exclusive BBC programme, reflecting on the creative process behind her upcoming album, Confessions II.
Healing Through Music With Her Daughter
Madonna revealed that her daughter, who performs as Lolahol, initially kept her distance to forge her own career. “She doesn’t want to be perceived as my daughter taking advantage of her privilege,” Madonna said. “She’s been very stand-offish and working at her own pace – and I respect that deeply.”
Eventually, Leon approached her mother about collaborating. “She came to me and said, ‘Let’s write a song together. I think it will be a very healing experience.’ You say exactly what you want to say, and I’ll say exactly what I want to say. And I was like, ‘Okay, you’re on, let’s do it’ – I was so happy,” Madonna recounted.
A Song for Her Late Brother
Madonna also spoke about a new track dedicated to her brother Christopher, who died in 2024 at age 63 after battling cancer. “I was affected deeply by the death of my brother Christopher,” she said. “I came to the studio and I spoke to my brother who was in a lot of pain on the phone. He was not in a good place, and I knew that it was close to the end. Then I went upstairs and wrote a song – so it was all connected to what was happening in my life.”
She described the process as cathartic. “It’s like a kind of therapy, to let go of somebody that you love. The best way to do it is to write about it… It’s like an exorcism.” She called the track “beautiful” and plans to play it for her father, though she doesn’t want to “push him over the edge.”
Madonna’s Career and Upcoming Album
Madonna described all her songs as “very specific” and inspired by her life. “I’ve been very open and – I wouldn’t say confessional – but talking about my feelings, my desires, my fears for decades,” she said.
Her upcoming record, Confessions II, is set for release on July 3 and serves as a follow-up to her Grammy-winning 2005 album Confessions On A Dancefloor. During the BBC programme, Madonna was joined by Australian singer Kylie Minogue, and the two addressed speculation about a collaboration. When Norton pressed them, Madonna quipped, “Why do you have to know everything?”
The programme also highlighted Madonna’s career, which launched in the 1980s and includes 13 UK number one singles, 12 number one albums, seven Grammys, and two Brit Awards. Madonna & Graham is available on BBC iPlayer.
