I went clubbing with Madonna in London last night, and as a life-long fan, it was everything I could have hoped for and then some.
'Club Confessions: London' - the hottest ticket in town - celebrated the launch of her highly anticipated 15th studio album, Confessions II (also known as Confessions on a Dance Floor: Part II). Unless you've been living in a dark room, you couldn't possibly have missed the insane promotional rollout for the record - already being hailed by critics as her best work in a decade.
The album is the official follow-up to her 2005 dance epic Confessions on a Dance Floor, reuniting her with electro dance mastermind Stuart Price - who was in attendance last night, spinning tracks and keeping the room in a state of pure euphoria.
HELLO! was invited to the exclusive club night and I loved every single, sweat-soaked second of it. Here's everything I learned...
This was less of an industry event and more of a full-blown rave
I can’t even begin to tell you how genuine the excitement was - alright, the free bar helped - but you could feel the love for Madge vibrating through the room.
Sometimes you attend soulless industry showcases where people just stand around checking their phones. This was different. Spanning 3,205 square meters, the venue, Magazine London, can host up to 3,000 guests, making it the ideal space for Madonna and her team to completely take over and create something special.
The minute you walked through the inflatable replica of her legendary legs at the entrance, you felt transported right into her personal playground - a modern-day Danceteria (sadly, without a Debi Mazar-operated elevator).
The crowd was beautifully diverse, though firmly anchored by her fiercely loyal gay fanbase - myself included. It was a purely joyous, collective experience, punctuated by massive singalongs to hits like Music and vibey DJ sets from Horse Meat Disco and Jodie Harsh.
Madonna can still out-party us all
A few people I know actually dropped out of attending because it was a "school night" and rumours were swirling that Madge wouldn't appear until late. The event ran from 9:30pm to 2am, with the Queen of Pop rocking up around half past midnight for a pumping 35-minute set alongside Stuart Price and Honey Dijon on the decks.
I must admit that at 43, my eyes watered slightly at the prospect of a 2am finish with work the next morning - but this is Madonna. If I can have her level of get-up-and-go at 67, I will be profoundly blessed.
She was full of radiant energy and in a playful, mischievous mood that was a total joy to witness. “Come on, let’s see you strike a pose!” she commanded the crowd. Naturally, we all obliged.
She's paving the way for her daughter
Lourdes Leon (Lola) also joined her mother at the buzzy party, marking a beautiful full-circle moment. The two have collaborated on a track for the new album, The Test, where they appear to be working through the unique complexities of their mother-daughter relationship.
It was stirring to see how deeply proud Madonna is of Lourdes, who has been steadily releasing her own impressive solo music under the moniker Lolahol.
Whether Madge is actively paving the way for her to become a major music star in her own right or simply sharing the spotlight, the pair seem closer and more aligned than ever.
She remains the ultimate marketing trailblazer
As the world has witnessed over the last few months, the rollout for this album has been masterclass-level execution.
While chatting with an industry insider at the party, I learned that it was actually Madonna and her team who directly approached the 'hook-up' app Grindr to orchestrate a brilliant cross-promotional campaign. It’s a genius demographic move that proves she is still the undisputed leader of the pop pack.
The incredible attention to detail extended across the entire venue - from the personalized cocktails (One titled, 'Into? The Groove Grindr Mule') to the bathrooms, which were wrapped in white tiles, seemingly a nostalgic nod to the Danceteria visuals.
She's embracing her back catalogue more than ever
There was a time when a notoriously forward-looking Madonna famously refused to perform Vogue while prepping her 2001 Drowned World tour. But these days, she is joyfully dipping deep into her vault.
To the absolute hysteria of the crowd, Stuart Price dropped Physical Attraction - marking the track’s first public outing since its original release on her self-titled debut album way back in 1983. Price also teased the crowd by weaving in iconic, euphoric clips of Vogue throughout the night, seamlessly marrying her history with her future.
© Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty ImDrag Race is her family now
While RuPaul might still be intent on throwing casual shade her way - most recently critiquing her for "chasing arena tours" - Madonna has essentially adopted his runway stars as her own chosen family. (And I'm firmly Team Madge on this one).
Drag Race icon Detox was in the crowd, and Bob the Drag Queen had filmed a brilliant live interview with Madonna before the event. Both drag artists were major fixtures on her recent Celebration world tour, and clubgoers on Thursday were thrilled to see Detox living it up.
Sorry RuPaul, we hope you don't mind, but maybe Madge can return the favour by appearing as a guest judge next season.
© Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty ImThe new album is an absolute masterpiece
Ultimately, the night was a celebration of the music itself, and I spent the night bus home, my subsequent Uber, and my urgent morning coffee run this morning digesting what I heard. From start to finish, Confessions II is spectacular. It is a one-hour, marathon dance epic that deftly balances club bangers with deeply vulnerable, tender moments.
A particular standout is Fragile, a tribute to her late brother Christopher, which is a devastating tear-jerker.
I am not ashamed to admit it made me cry a little while grabbing my large Americano. Then again, I was running on exactly two hours of sleep after clubbing with Madonna.
