Inside Madonna’s ‘Confessions II’: Producer Stuart Price Goes Deep on One of the Year’s Best Albums

Madonna has reunited with producer Stuart Price to make *Confessions II*, a follow-up to their 2005 dance album. Price says the record grew naturally from their renewed studio partnership and looks ahead rather than trying to recreate the original; its themes of confrontation, acceptance and vulnerability give the dance music a more personal dimension.

The album opens with “Good for the Soul”, written on their first day back in the studio, and draws on house music Price shared with Madonna through mixtapes, including a track that inspired “I Feel So Free”. It also features emotionally personal songs about her family, a duet with her daughter Lola, and pop collaborations including one with Sabrina Carpenter. The article says Madonna was named Artist of the Year at the VMAs, where she performed for the first time in 23 years.