Most successful female recording artist of all time. ✨ 💅🏻

After Confessions II, I have been on a kick where I have been listening to my top 5 favorite Madonna albums from start to finish in one sitting. Erotica, Ray of Light, Like A Prayer, Confessions II. I couldn't decide on #5 and I felt compelled to choose Bedtime Stories. And, after listening, I have now come to the conclusion that it's one of my favorite albums ever by her.

It's funny because I have been such a fan for over half my life but only listened to Bedtime Stories from start to finish just now. Idk why because I normally do the opposite. I already knew the majority of the songs, including the non-singles. I adore Secret and Take A Bow. Human Nature is a classic and Sanctuary has been one of my all-time favorite deep cuts of hers for years and years. But, I would always listen to the various songs individually (or Sanctuary+Bedtime Story for that sick transition). Immersing myself in the record like this has just been amazing.

The cool, lush R&B vibes of the first half are excellent. But, the second half - Forbidden Love to Take A Bow - just left me gutted. I can understand more now why journalists at the time kept asking her if she was depressed lol. But, there's such a beautiful and poetic sadness to the album. Heartbreak, loneliness, loving someone you can't be with, feeling a little lost in the chaos of life but somehow relishing that. I didn't know how much I needed to hear all of that right now and it had me crying quite a bit. I also loved the narrative arc of the album. It starts with Survival and it feels like the public face of strength that she was putting on (particularly after the Sex book backlash). That culminates with Human Nature. Then, the walls come down with the songs in the latter half and she lets herself be vulnerable. It's brilliant how she put it together.

I feel like I now need to switch Like A Prayer and Bedtime Stories in my ranking. LAP is an excellent album that is also quite moving but BS really has pulled at my heartstrings. So, now, my ranking is: 1)Erotica 2)Ray of Light 3)Bedtime Stories 4) Confessions II 5)Like A Prayer

I am completely in love with this photograph from the Bedtime Stories era, it is so beautiful. 🍓

It’s a bit of a difficult feeling to explain so bear with me.

Her most recent releases feel extremely classy and expensive and tasteful. Does that make sense?

Especially Confessions II. It just sounds very expensive for lack of a better word.

Also the aesthetic. The album cover feels so high end.

Do we get what I am saying?

My working assumption is her perfectionism comes out in the music.

It let you shoot it down. Beautiful Killer is the next song to go.

**Ranking:**

**16.** B-Day Song

**15.** Superstar

**14.** I Fucked Up

**13.** Best Friend

**12.**. Give Me All Your Luvin'

**11.** I Don't Give A

**10.** Turn Up The Radio

**9.** I'm A Sinner

**8.** Some Girls

**7.** Beautiful Killer

**Rules:** We will rank the songs by eliminating **one song each round.** The first song to be eliminated will get the last place in the ranking and so on.

The voting works like this; I will comment each song from the tracklist, **upvote** song(s) you want to **eliminate** (you are voting in favour of elimination), **downvote** the song(s) that you want to **stay in the game.** The song with the most **upvotes** will leave us in the next round. When we are done with all rounds, we'll have a full ranking for all the songs, as well as one last remaining song that becomes the winner. 

Fell free to share your thoughts in the comments, but only the up/down votes will contribute to the results. 

Let the battle begin!

I am so pumped School is on here!!! It is for sure my obsession!!!

I'm just now hearing Confessions II and it's so good, I'm so happy for her success with this album and hope a bunch of new youngsters discover the Queen's music.

To the point of my post: Did anyone else get teary when Madonna started the song she sings with Lourdes by saying"Little Star", like her song on Ray of Light which she wrote for Lourdes when she was a baby? 🥺 I thought that was so cute!

A week ago I was still criticizing Madame X without ever really giving it a fair chance. Now I’m realizing I didn’t just overlook an album… I overlooked an entire artistic world.

The more I listen, watch and read, the more I feel like I’m catching up on something I should have experienced years ago. It’s a strange mix of excitement and regret. Excitement because I’m finally seeing what Madonna was trying to create. Regret because I completely missed it while it was unfolding.

That journey has led me here with you guys and the Madame X Live Experience (yes, even tracking down the bootleg Blu-ray and CD). And today I somehow managed to find a brand-new, still wax-sealed mint and wrapped copy of the rare A Spy in the House of Love / X: The Detailed Profile of Madame X collector’s book.

I honestly never expected Madame X to become one of the eras that would move me the most. Yet here we are.

Haven’t felt this deeply affected by a Madonna era since Like a Prayer back in ‘89. Damn.

Would really love to have it without “talk about… talk about…”. Plus some remixes! The songs seems to have struck a nerve with fans both super and casual. Would love her to capitalize on the popularity and maybe give a full length version of the Danceteria section of the CII film. Anyone care to speculate or join me in manifesting this? 🪩 🩷💜

Following up on my previous post: I meant it. These arrived today. I also ordered the red Finally Enough Love vinyl to accompany the rainbow box.

It’s a strange feeling. Madonna has been part of my life since I was seven years old, and somewhere after Confessions I slowly drifted away. Looking back, I think I was so disappointed by some of the musical choices that I stopped giving her the artistic freedom I’d always admired in the first place.

Rediscovering Madame X now feels both exciting and bittersweet. Exciting because I finally hear what she was trying to do. Bittersweet because I completely missed that era while it was actually happening.

Madonna has been a surrogate mother to me since my childhood, in the absence of my own. Looking back, it almost feels as though I had to go through a delayed adolescence and push her away before I could find my way back to her.

Enfin… apparently the comeback wasn’t just hers.

Rescue Me
Thief of Hearts
Impressive Instant

I just noticed the color repress vinyl is now available on Rough Trade US.

Buy 3, get 10% off. If you’re in NYC, skip shipping and pick up in store for free.

Erotica - https://www.roughtrade.com/en-us/product/madonna/erotica-1?algolia_query_id=b0d5aeea893181fb5aa78b1a855e7ad5&algolia_object_id=57885742793035&algolia_index=shopify_prod_products&algolia_position=2#57885742793035

Ray of Light - https://www.roughtrade.com/en-us/product/madonna/ray-of-light-1?algolia_query_id=c0b9232520ffe2d9f6a6f87f62f683bf&algolia_object_id=57885786308939&algolia_index=shopify_prod_products&algolia_position=3#57885786308939

Music - https://www.roughtrade.com/en-us/product/madonna/music-2?algolia_query_id=d47efe6ab6ebe557a430ae3999d14a5d&algolia_object_id=57885758554443&algolia_index=shopify_prod_products&algolia_position=4#57885758554443

True Blue - https://www.roughtrade.com/en-us/product/madonna/true-blue?algolia_query_id=50b7839fdbd01594da5470997b01b44a&algolia_object_id=57885820846411&algolia_index=shopify_prod_products&algolia_position=5#57885820846411

Like A Prayer - https://www.roughtrade.com/en-us/product/madonna/like-a-prayer-6kynkl?algolia_query_id=8cfcaa76369ae91a5727fc84cd631078&algolia_object_id=57885806428491&algolia_index=shopify_prod_products&algolia_position=6#57885806428491

Like A Virgin - https://www.roughtrade.com/en-us/product/madonna/like-a-virgin?algolia_query_id=2244f96a1a8a7e367851fff2aa5267e0&algolia_object_id=57885776937291&algolia_index=shopify_prod_products&algolia_position=6#57885776937291

Im genuinely shocked with how the merch has not been restocked. I ordered too big of sizes for the hoodie and long sleeve shirt and wanted to return for a smaller size but now I dont think I'll be able to because of the 30 day return policy.

When do you think they will restock?

Musichead Gallery presents Madonna: The Rise of the Material Girl (1980–1985), a photography exhibition documenting the early years of the best-selling female artist of all time.

Featuring work from Deborah Feingold, Gary Heery, Jack Lue, Marc Canter, Mark Weiss, Mick Rock, and Richard Corman, the exhibition takes viewers from Madonna's early downtown New York days to the Like a Virgin tour, with candid behind-the-scenes moments, iconic stage performances, and stunning portraits that reveal the instincts that would define her career.

The evening will include:
Immersive photography exhibition

Limited-edition fine art photography prints available for purchase

Refreshments will be served

Opening reception on Saturday, August 1, 2026, from 6–8 pm. This is a must-see for Madonna fans, pop music lovers, and anyone fascinated by the making of a superstar.

Details here

Does anybody know if a high-quality, label-free version of the combined artwork and packaging image used for this edition of Confessions II exists?

Loving the post world cup half time show content that is appearing on the socials via football legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho accounts that in total have over 200 million followers combined and hearing Danceteria being used as the sound to document the behind-the-scenes footage is a genius distribution hack.

It's another masterclass in this highly successful campaign roll out for confessions 2 in using the biggest mainstream sporting event to cross-pollinate the success of the new album across different markets to using her historical hit Music as a Trojan horse.

Which 3 Confessions II songs would you take with you to an alternate universe where this album doesn't exist?

Important rule: these should not necessarily be your favorite tracks, but rather the ones most representative of Madonna's art.

I'd take Good for the Soul, One Step Away, and Bizarre because screw the rules; if I'm traveling all the way to a parallel universe, I'mma take the tracks I damn well please, thank you very much.

So I went to see if the other versions of C2 were 4.99, and the film and Grindr versions went up in price. The film one is 11.99 & the Grindr one is 14.99. The others are still at the low price. Does anybody know why they did this just to those two?

I finally received the 12 track LP (Grindr picture disc). Before I listened to only the full 16 track album, I have to admit- while it sucks to lose Love Sensation, it works extremely well as a 12 track record. It flows great and feels complete.

Do you guys understand how insane this is. She is 67 years old, just put out an acclaimed #1 album. I know to us she’s Madonna and it’s what we expect, but she’s also just a woman - that almost died a couple of years ago. And yet here she still is. Giving us amazing music and even doing promotion that most younger artists don’t do. If you stop and think about the optics it’s incredible. You realize how groundbreaking this truly is.

I can imagine other female artists looking at this and feeling inspired that even they can have some continued success into their older age.

Thank you Madonna for existing and pushing the limits like always.