From:
Next Magazine
Madonna
Confessions on a Dance Floor
Madonna’s Confessions on a Dance Floor is more important for queers than any of her earlier work (Like a Virgin, Like a Prayer, True Blue, even Erotica) for the same reason that Cher’s Believe means more to us than any of Cher’s arguably more popular music from the ’70s. While Madonna’s ’80s hits made her an international pop star and cemented her place in the pop cultural pantheon, Confessions, with its disco influences and “get the fuck on that floor and move your ass right this minute” message, have made her a gay icon until the end of time. We’re still “hung up” on that record—and will be for a very long time. —MD
Confessions on a Dance Floor is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on November 11, 2005 by Warner Bros. Records. A complete departure from her previous studio album American Life (2003), the album includes influences of 1970s and 1980s disco, as well as modern-day club music. Initially, she began working with Mirwais Ahmadzaï for the album, but later felt that their collaboration was not going in the direction she desired. Madonna took her collaboration with Stuart Price who was overviewing her documentary I'm Going to Tell You a Secret. The album was mainly recorded at Price's home-studio where Madonna spent most of her time during the recordings.
Musically, the album is structured like a DJ's set. The songs are sequenced and blended together so that they are played continuously without any gaps. The title arrived from the fact that the album track listing consists of light-hearted and happy songs in the beginning, and progresses to much darker melodies and lyrics describing personal feelings and commitments. Songs on the album use samples and references of music by other dance-oriented artists like ABBA, Donna Summer, Pet Shop Boys, Bee Gees and Depeche Mode, as well as Madonna's earlier work in the 1980s.
Contemporary critics lauded the album calling it a return to form for Madonna, ranking it alongside her best albums. Madonna was honored with a Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album in 2007, as well as International Female Solo Artist at the 2006 BRIT Awards. Commercially, the album peaked at number one in 40 countries, earning a place in the 2007 Guinness Book of World Records for topping the record charts in the most countries. Despite being available for sale during the last one and a half months of 2005, the album's success was such that it still ranked as the world's sixth biggest-selling of the year. Confessions on a Dance Floor has sold an estimated 12 million copies worldwide.
Four singles were released from the album. "Hung Up", the lead single, became Madonna's most successful single worldwide by topping the charts in a total of 41 countries. It was followed by "Sorry" which was another chart topping success. It became Madonna's twelfth number-one single in the United Kingdom. "Get Together" and "Jump" were released as the third and fourth singles respectively, both becoming top-ten hits in several countries. To promote the album, Madonna embarked on a small promotional tour titled Hung Up Promo Tour. The album was further promoted on the 2006 Confessions Tour, which became the highest grossing tour ever for a female artist at that time.
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