Last Friday, Madonna unveiled her new album, Confessions II, a follow-up to the acclaimed, seminal 2005 release Confessions on a Dance Floor. Whilst this is not her first album since the original instalment, it does mark a return to form, bringing back a dance era that has influenced countless artists since.
Every summer has a record that soundtracks months of abandon and fun. Between beach holidays, busy city beer gardens and hedonistic festivals, there is always one album I associate with a particular time. In 2018, it was Robyn's Honey; in 2022, Beyoncé's Renaissance; and, following its 2024 release, Charli XCX's BRAT has dominated every summer since. In 2005, of course, it was Confessions on a Dance Floor. I was only 10 years old, but I still remember "Hung Up" creating a cultural zeitgeist. The video was on every music channel, seemingly at all times; I'd play it on repeat, and the pink leotard etched itself into my mind's fashion mood board forever.
