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. The album was 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 and recorded two tracks for the album. Madonna 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. Being tired of all the political diatribes she had included in her previous works, Madonna felt the need to relax and be in a happy mood. 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 tracklisting for the album 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. Madonna incorporated references of her older work as well. One of the tracks, "Isaac", was not well received by some Israeli rabbis who claimed that the song was about their noted sixteenth-century Kabbalah scholar Yitzhak Luria. Madonna explained that the song was named after Yitzhak Sinwani, who appeared as a featured vocalist for the song.
Contemporary critics lauded the album calling it a return to form for Madonna. They complimented the fact that Madonna chose to seek inspiration from the dance music which was reminiscent of her earlier work. Price's musical direction was also praised. Madonna was honored with a Grammy Award for "Best Dance/Electronic Album" in 2007, as well as "International Female Solo Artist" at the 2006 BRIT Awards. After its release, Confessions on a Dance Floor peaked at number one in 40 countries, earning a place in the 2007 Guinness Book of World Records as the album topping the charts in most countries. Released in mid-November 2005, the album's success was such that it still ranked as the sixth biggest-selling of the year. Worldwide sales of Confessions on a Dance Floor stand at 11 million copies.
Four singles were released from the album. "Hung Up", the first 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 successful on the dance charts. The album was promoted on the 2006 Confessions Tour, which became the highest grossing tour ever for a female artist at that time.
Read more about Confessions On A Dance Floor: Development, Recording, Music and Lyrics, Critical Reception, Commercial Response, Singles, Promotion, Track Listing, Credits and Personnel
Famous quotes containing the words confessions, dance and/or floor:
“My confessions are shameless. I confess, but do not repent. The fact is, my confessions are prompted, not by ethical motives, but intellectual. The confessions are to me the interesting records of a self-investigator.”
—W.N.P. Barbellion (1889–1919)
“Listen, sister. I don’t dance and I can’t take time out now to learn.”
—Frank W. Wead (1895?–1947)
“They seldom looked happy. They passed one another without a word in the elevator, like silent shades in hell, hell-bent on their next look from a handsome stranger. Their next rush from a popper. The next song that turned their bones to jelly and left them all on the dance floor with heads back, eyes nearly closed, in the ecstasy of saints receiving the stigmata.”
—Andrew Holleran (b. 1943)