The pop star Madonna has made an impression headlined by an album, but in an experiential way, throughout New York City. She was making her way there to celebrate ‘Confessions II’; the sequel to her iconic ‘Confessions on a Dance Floor,’ which debuted 20 years ago. The news of a sequel was like a nostalgic trip back to the days of pulsing dance music and layered electronic rhythms for an audience raised on that kind of low beats and high energy.
In the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of the visualizer for ‘Confessions II’, which will be released on July 3, Madonna revealed what motivates her new film. The short film is “really about connection,” says the seven-time Grammy winner, who has been talking about connection in her music for years and now feels that it has become more pertinent than ever. As the audience of fans and critics closed in to hear her speak, it was evident that she was seeking to go beyond the surface. She said, “I don’t want to make mindless music, I want to make music, that’s about something, dance music makes you move your body, you feel the pulse, that’s like, you’re connecting to the universe, you’re connecting to other humans”.
Her recent performances are what make this idea of feeling the pulse together as a crowd, as opposed to watching it on a screen, feel so special. Those who have been to concerts in the past five years are familiar with the sight: thousands of screens glowing in the dark as each individual lives out a moment he or she has captured on camera. Madonna has certainly noticed this change as well. She also said, “It’s just about connection in the movie. I come out of my solitude in this apartment, and then I go into a forest full of people with lasers coming out of their ass. It’s really about taking risks, being curious, being observant and just putting your fucking phones down and connecting”.
Her frustration is experienced. The Queen of Pop said “everybody had their phones up (and) I didn’t know what anybody looked like,” after her appearance at the Coachella festival in April, as Deadline reported. It was so hard for her to not see someone’s face and expression, a simple human action. It’s one of the reasons she recently requested fans to put their devices in pouches for a special screening. The aim was not to regulate but to provide a space for people to be able to see one another.
The short film is called ‘Confessions II’ and it’s 13 minutes long, directed by David Toro and Solomon Chase (aka TORSO). It’s a mix of the first six songs of Madonna’s upcoming 15th studio album due out this Monday on YouTube. The title ‘Confessions’ is a name that has a lot of weight with the ones who have listened to it for a long time. This original album is a textbook example of a seamless blend of continuous mixing, house music and lyrical themes of letting go. If you read the sequel, then there is almost a need for comparison. But, Madonna appears to be less interested in the past and more interested in present tense awareness via dance music.
What makes this position interesting from an editorial point of view is the tension it engenders. On one hand, Madonna is using new visual mediums such as YouTube to launch her album. At the same time she is calling on fans to boycott the culture of those phones that advertise them. Here, there’s an actual paradox, but maybe that’s the way to go. She hopes the fans will let technology be a gateway, not a goal. Yes, watch the video online but when you are in the room with real humans, set the device to the side and experience the bass in your chest.
The message is similar to her previous provocations, for those who have been watching her career since the 80s. Always she has encouraged people to look beneath the surface, to see more, to be less afraid of being stupid on the dance floor. The difference is that it’s no longer shyness or social judgment that’s the obstacle. The challenge is a little glowing rectangle that requires constant attention. All the positive things about her idea are apparent, more emotional, more enriched live experiences and returning to music as a shared ritual. The disadvantages are also a reality. A lot of fans use their phones for snapping photos and sharing moments with people that may not have been able to come out for the game, or simply to feel safe when they’re in a big crowd. It is asking too much to expect them to surrender their device to be locked up.
