Dear Diane and Shaded Viewers,
‘I wonder what she smells like’ were the first words of the person who stood behind me, early this morning, as Madonna walked on stage in pink tights highs, a pink body suit and pink opera gloves, to celebrate the release of her latest album, Confessions II, at Magazine London. The party was organised by Grindr, and the attire of the awestruck crowd largely reflected this: cropped tops, leather harnesses, and Madonna tour t-shirts: a staple in queer spaces even when she’s not present. The merch stand at the entrance was selling some, with the slogan DON’T BE A VIBE KILL from the opening track I feel so free, an EDM and deep house song that Madonna wrote and produced, like the rest of the album, alongside Stuart Price, who also joined her on stage. The entrance itself was framed by a pair of inflatable legs that we were going to walk through again, perhaps reborn, at the end of her DJ set. A fitting choice: ‘‘MOTHER!’ shouted the audience as she picked up the mic, pressed together too tightly to properly dance, but swaying like seaweeds to the rhythm of remixes of some of the Queen of Pop’s most beloved hits, holding up a sea of little screens multiplying her image. ‘Safety in numbers’ as I feel so free goes. The queer community is Madonna’s most loyal fanbase, and the album as a whole, an ode to freedom and strength as introspective yet universal as club music can be, and a spiritual sequel to Confessions on a Dance Floor, largely acknowledges this.
