Jean.Francois
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Hello,
Twenty years after the huge success of Confessions on a Dance Floor, Madonna makes her long-awaited return with Confessions II, her fifteenth studio album. Released on July 3, 2026, this new record reunites her with producer Stuart Price, the architect behind the electro-dance sound that helped make the original album a worldwide success.
Blending house, disco, and contemporary pop, Madonna delivers an energetic project designed as a true celebration of the dance floor. The album also features collaborations with Sabrina Carpenter, Lourdes Leon, and Feid. Beneath its infectious rhythms, Confessions II explores more personal themes, touching on family, life’s challenges, and resilience.
With Confessions II, the Queen of Pop once again proves that she remains one of the most influential figures in international music.
For this review, you will find 2 versions tested:
The waveform of the Tidal MAX – 2026 version shows a extremely low dynamic range confirmed with DR5. As is often the case today, the master used for the vinyl pressing was most likely derived from the same heavily compressed source as the digital version. The perceived increase in dynamic range is therefore not the result of a dedicated vinyl mastering, but rather a consequence of the characteristics of the analog format, which naturally mitigates the effects of brickwall digital compression, as explained in the following article: “Does analog media force a dynamic on music? or Does Analog Media increase the dynamics?“.
The digital version of Madonna's new album unfortunately does not escape the loudness war, a trend that continues to shape many modern productions. On listening, the vinyl record proves to be the most enjoyable, thanks to a less compressed presentation and a more natural dynamic range.
However, the absence of a Dolby Atmos version is somewhat surprising. It is hard to imagine this being a budget issue for an artist of Madonna s stature. There remains the hope that a future deluxe edition could offer a Dolby Atmos mix, possibly alongside a Blu-ray Audio release in the coming weeks or months.
You can find all of the measurements, graphics and explanations for these two versions here (link).
Enjoy listening,
Jean-François
Twenty years after the huge success of Confessions on a Dance Floor, Madonna makes her long-awaited return with Confessions II, her fifteenth studio album. Released on July 3, 2026, this new record reunites her with producer Stuart Price, the architect behind the electro-dance sound that helped make the original album a worldwide success.
Blending house, disco, and contemporary pop, Madonna delivers an energetic project designed as a true celebration of the dance floor. The album also features collaborations with Sabrina Carpenter, Lourdes Leon, and Feid. Beneath its infectious rhythms, Confessions II explores more personal themes, touching on family, life’s challenges, and resilience.
With Confessions II, the Queen of Pop once again proves that she remains one of the most influential figures in international music.
For this review, you will find 2 versions tested:
- Ed 1: Tidal MAX – 2026
- Ed 2: Clear pink vinyl record – 2026
The waveform of the Tidal MAX – 2026 version shows a extremely low dynamic range confirmed with DR5. As is often the case today, the master used for the vinyl pressing was most likely derived from the same heavily compressed source as the digital version. The perceived increase in dynamic range is therefore not the result of a dedicated vinyl mastering, but rather a consequence of the characteristics of the analog format, which naturally mitigates the effects of brickwall digital compression, as explained in the following article: “Does analog media force a dynamic on music? or Does Analog Media increase the dynamics?“.
The digital version of Madonna's new album unfortunately does not escape the loudness war, a trend that continues to shape many modern productions. On listening, the vinyl record proves to be the most enjoyable, thanks to a less compressed presentation and a more natural dynamic range.
However, the absence of a Dolby Atmos version is somewhat surprising. It is hard to imagine this being a budget issue for an artist of Madonna s stature. There remains the hope that a future deluxe edition could offer a Dolby Atmos mix, possibly alongside a Blu-ray Audio release in the coming weeks or months.
You can find all of the measurements, graphics and explanations for these two versions here (link).
Enjoy listening,
Jean-François
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