Music <\/p>\n
In an interview with British Vogue<\/a> last week, Charli XCX declared that \u201cthe dance floor is dead\u201d as she readies the launch of her new rock era. This statement incited a firestorm of reaction online. DJ John Summit took offense to it, writing a message<\/a> to Charli on his IG stories.<\/p>\n The timing is also curious because just as Charli is putting dance to bed, we have the emergence of the true dance queen, Madonna. M is the artist with the most #1 singles on any Billboard chart with a whopping FIFTY number one hits on the Billboard Dance\/Club Play charts, and it looks like she\u2019s on her way to earning another with the first release from her next album. This week sees the release of her new single \u201cI Feel So Free\u201d, the first official track from her upcoming album Confessions II <\/em>which happens to be the sequel to one of her crowning jewels, the 2005 classic album Confessions on a Dance Floor. <\/em>So Charli may think that the dance floor is dead but the way I see it, Madonna is the ONLY artist who can dictate its state and, according to her, the dance floor is alive and well.<\/p>\n Dance music and Madonna will forever be intertwined. There\u2019s a reason that she has the most dance #1s, she understands the genre and its origins in ways other artists are still catching up to. From bringing vogue-ing to the mainstream to working with EDM producers like Sickick<\/a> and BLOND:ISH<\/a>, she\u2019s always been on the cutting edge of what\u2019s about to hit the speakers. In addition to the sound itself is Madonna\u2019s knack for storytelling \u2013 hence the \u201cconfessions\u201d aspect of it all, and M has a ton to confess. It\u2019s been seven years since her last official studio album and in that time she has suffered the loss of two brothers, her own near death experience, a (for now) shelved biopic and constant ageist and misogynistic comments from the general public. As a fan, I look forward to hearing more \u201cconfessions\u201d in music form and for her to remind people who the f-ck she is.<\/p>\n Next week, we\u2019ve got Kehlani\u2019s self-titled project finally coming out after over a year of teases. She just announced the list of features for the project including Brandy, Leon Thomas, Usher, Missy Elliott, Cardi B, T-Pain and more. R&B heads, this is your time. This week, Madonna isn\u2019t the only one with some dancefloor confessions. We\u2019ve got new tunes from Tyla and Zara Larsson, Demi Lovato, 6LACK with 2 Chainz, and Olivia Rodrigo. Plus, Bieber Fever is still going strong post-Coachella for this week\u2019s viral pick.<\/p>\n Listen on\u2026<\/p>\n MC\u2019s PICKS OF THE WEEK<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI Feel So Free\u201d by Madonna<\/strong><\/p>\n This deep house song is the first taste of what the confessions sequel will sound like. The track opens with a spoken word soliloquy about creating a new persona on the dance floor and allowing your inhibitions to run free. Dancing is an introspective experience for many and can be a gateway to finding new versions of yourself you didn\u2019t know existed. The song samples a spoken word portion from the 1989 house song \u201cFrench Kiss\u201d<\/a> by Lil Louis while also drawing comparisons to the work of both Donna Summer and Madonna herself. The 2005 album track \u201cFuture Lovers\u201d<\/a> from the first Confessions <\/em>album sampled \u201cI Feel Love\u201d<\/a> by Donna Summer, and the spirit of both of those songs live on in \u201cI Feel So Free\u201d. The entire song feels like a love letter to the lights, escapism, and action of Studio 54. There isn\u2019t even a traditional chorus in this song, just a hypnotic beat and continuous melody. It\u2019s the perfect track for listeners who are familiar with the structure of a house song but still crave the comfort of Madonna\u2019s instantly recognizable pop voice. This is a song I need to be making out with someone to, in a very dark room with flashing strobe lights at 2am. It was written and produced by Madonna and Stuart Price with additional production by Venezuelan producer Arca who has made a name for herself in the underground dance community for her experimental avant-garde type dance music.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n