[Music] Madonna - Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)

Album: Confessions on a Dance Floor
Artist: Madonna
Release Date: 11 November 2005
Label: Warner Bros.
Producer(s): Madonna, Stuart Price, Mirwais Ahmadzaï, Bloodshy & Avant, Bagge & Peer
Photography: Steven Klein
Art Direction and Graphic Design: Giovanni Bianco



Track Listing:
01.Hung Up(Madonna, Price, Andersson, Ulvaeus)- 5:36-first single
02.Get Together (Madonna, Bagge, Åström, Price)- 5:30
03.Sorry (Madonna, Price)- 4:43 - second single
04.Future Lovers (Madonna, Ahmadzaï)- 4:51
05.I Love New York (Madonna, Price)- 4:11
06.Let It Will Be (Madonna, Ahmadzaï, Price)- 4:18
07.Forbidden Love (Madonna, Price)- 4:22-
08.Jump (Madonna, Henry, Price)- 3:46-third single
09.How High (Madonna, Karlsson, Winnberg, Jonback)- 4:40
10.Isaac (Madonna, Price)- 6:03
11.Push (Madonna, Price)- 3:57
12.Like It Or Not (Madonna, Karlsson, Winnberg, Jonback) - 4:31


Review:

Upon first listen, this album is a total trash and yes, it made me hung up on Madonna. I think it was after watching CSI:NY, Hanry Darius episode (where the song is featured) I started to pick up this album and listen to it again.

Fourth installment since Madonna's attempt for electro-dance pop for 1998's release Ray of Light, Confessions... is yet her strongest release since the critically acclaimed Ray of Light. Being her 10th studio album, Confessions... debuted at number one on the the US Billboard 200 and set a new record for Billboard magazine, becoming the tenth number one debut in a row in the year 2005, selling 350,606 copies in its first week. Her record label reported that it debuted at #1 in over 38 different countries, and shipped over 3 million copies that first week alone. The album sold over five million copies in just four weeks worldwide.

While back in 1998's Ray of Light was a self-indulgence and artistic release, Confessions... is more of an attempt to revive the 80's disco pop than has anything to do with Madonna's personal self. Singing "Baby, I'm fed up, I'm hanging up on you" is definetly not a great idea at the age of 47. I'd read this album to be more of a bold statement by Madonna being the pop diva claiming her spot back after the critical failure of 2003's Amercan Life

When an artist has decided to make a Disco dance album, the challenge lies within wheter the Dance tracks are successful or not. Kylie and Goldfrapp are perfect example of fine artists in this genre. If a dance album is poorly produced, it can be fairy awkward. Its at a point somewhere in the song where you don't know how to dance anymore, or wherther you should dance or not. That is the thing that Madonna have managed to avoid in Confessions.... There are no gaps between songs and the entire record flows seamlessly from one song into the next, to the point where you just can’t seem to tell what song’s what.

First single of Confessions..., Hung Up is easily the gay-anthem, and I believe it's going to played everywhere especially the gay clubs. Been to Family twice and the DJ just can stop remixing this song. This song begins with the sound of clock ticking, which reminds me of Gwen Stefani's What You Waiting For and then slowly feeds into heavy disco beats, a brilliant opening track for the album, and perhaps the song that best summarizes this album. Lyrically it's cheesy, good cheesy. "Ring ring ring goes the telephone, The lights are on but there's no-one home, Tick tick tock it's a quarter to two, And I'm done, I'm hanging up on you" rhyms prefectly and makes you want to sing along, even though it is very cheesy.

While the whole concept of the album was based on 80's disco dance pop, there are few tracks of good euphoric dance Daft-Punk style obviously in "Forbidden Love". Her closest follow up to her brilliant 1998's Frozen would probably be the heavy eastern sound of "Issac" which is probably her own statement for her devotion to Kaballah. "I Love New York" is perhaps my favourite lyrically. The words are hillarious: "I don't like cities, But I like New York, Other places make me feel like a dork...Los Angeles is for people who sleep, Paris and London, Baby you can keep... If you don't like my attitude, Then you can F off. Just go to Texas, Isn't there where they golf? ... New York is not for little pussies who scream, If you can't stand the heat, Then get off my street." It's a work of genius really.

Confession On A Dancefloor is neither an epic album or a pop trash. It falls between the two stools. I personally think that this album is overrated because most people are in love with the 'idea', but in general this is nevertheless a higly polished release. Who would've thought after great two decades, Madonna at age 47 still unashamedly returning to her dance roots singing to us that she's hanging up on somebody. I'd credit her for her courage, given her age and her attempt for trying different things.

So no, Madonna, I'm not hanging up on you yet.

Beaker's Verdict: B+