Confessions II

2026 is a return to the Confessions era for Madonna, as she released a new album, Confessions II, on 3rd July. The album — on vinyl, CD, and (neon pink) cassette — is a sequel to her critically-acclaimed, disco-inspired Confessions on a Dance Floor from 2005.

The first single from the new album, I Feel So Free, begins with a spoken introduction, like Future Lovers from Confessions on a Dance Floor but with better lyrics: Madonna describes how she wants to “create a new persona, a different identity.” Another single, Bring Your Love — a duet with Sabrina Carpenter, on 7" vinyl — was followed by Love Sensation, which will also be released on CD single as a duet with Kylie Minogue.

The standard edition of Confessions II has twelve tracks: I Feel So Free, Good for the Soul, One Step Away, Bring Your Love, Danceteria (about her early days in New York), Read My Lips, Every Thing, Love Without Words, Bizarre (which references Sean Penn), School, Fragile (about the death of her brother Christopher Ciccone), and My Sins Are My Savior. Deluxe editions have four additional tracks: Love Sensation, Betrayal, The Test (a duet with her daughter Lola Leon), and LES Girls.

For some unknown reason, gatefold LP editions (which feature all sixteen tracks) have no printed track listing, either on the album sleeve, the inner sleeves, or even the record labels. They come with a lyric sheet poster, though — again, inexplicably — this features lyrics for only nine songs, and only half of the poster image is included.

There are various other vinyl editions, in a variety of different colours, and some picture discs. A bonus track, Hot Sauce, is exclusive to the digital ‘Icon edition’. Each song fades into the next in a continuous mix, as on Madonna’s You Can Dance album.

Confessions on a Dance Floor was also released as a continuous mix on CD, though its original vinyl release was a more traditional format with individual tracks. The continuous version of Confessions on a Dance Floor was finally issued on vinyl earlier this year, followed by a vinyl edition of the Confessions Tour (previously available on CD), which was issued as a Record Store Day release.

Confessions II is Madonna’s first studio album since Madame X, which came out seven years ago. The decision to revisit Confessions could be seen as a return to form after the failed experiment of Madame X, though it also feels regressive, especially as Madonna’s other recent releases — EPs based on Ray of Light and Bedtime Stories — have also harked back to her earlier albums.

Thai Hood

Thai rap artist 3Bone released his new single Thai Hood on 16th June. A state-of-the-nation song similar to Bigboat’s This Is Thailand (ที่นี่ประเทศไทย), Thai Hood’s lyrics call out illegal gambling, inequality, and corruption.

The music video features dozens of news clips, including the 2006 and 2014 coup announcements, ‘Black May’, Thaksin Shinawatra, the 2010 crackdown on protesters, the 2011 floods, water cannon being deployed against protesters in 2020, people who died on the street during the coronavirus pandemic, bodies found in the Mekong river, and the collapse of the State Audit Office building in 2025. It also includes the famous Neal Ulevich photograph taken on 6th October 1976. All of this is ironically intercut with promotional footage of traditional Thai dancers.

3Bone has previously rapped about contemporary politics in his single Sunflower (ดอกทานตะวัน), and about modern political history in สาดสี (‘splashing colour’). He is a member of RapCon, a collective of six rappers who produce music about social and political issues. The group was set up earlier this year, to campaign for a new constitution drafted by an elected committee. (The ‘Con’ in RapCon stands for ‘constitution’.)

Fenian

Fenian, the new album from Irish band Kneecap, will be released on vinyl, CD, and cassette on 24th April. In an Instagram post on 28th January, the band explained that the album’s title is a reappropriation of a word that has become an anti-Irish pejorative: “Now we’re using it to name everyone speaking truth to power.” The first single from the album, Liar’s Tale, features a blistering putdown of the UK Prime Minister: “fuck Keir Starmer... Better off as compost for farmers”.

A terrorism charge against Kneecap member Mo Chara was dropped last year, due to a legal technicality. Carnival, a track on the new album, is performed as a mock trial, with Mo Chara pleading innocent and fellow band member Móglaí Bap as his defence witness. (The song was presumably inspired by NWA’s Fuck tha Police.)

The charge related to a Kneecap concert in London on 21st November 2024, at the O2 Forum Kentish Town during the band’s final show on their Fine Art Tour, when Chara appeared on stage draped in the Hezbollah flag saying: “Up Hamas! Up Hezbollah!” Hezbollah is classified as a terrorist group under UK law, and the Metropolitan Police charged Chara with displaying the flag “in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation”.

Police also investigated Kneecap’s performance at last year’s Glastonbury Festival, after Bap called for fans to “start a riot” outside court when Chara’s trial began. After realising that his comments could be construed as an incitement to violence, Bap explained that he wasn’t literally asking people to riot, and Avon and Somerset Police dropped their investigation into the incident.

Spirit

Last year, Liberate P released a digital EP titled Spirit. The EP included two new tracks, The State-mandated Smile (เผด็จการที่มีธรรมาภิบาล) and Oppression (เอาให้ตาย), both of which begin with the same lyrics condemning state violence against political protesters. The State-mandated Smile criticises the military for ‘tearing the constitution into shreds’ (“ฉีกรัฐธรรมนูญเป็นขี้ผง”), and Oppression accuses the authorities of treating people’s lives ‘like fish or vegetables’ (“ชีวิตคนไม่ใช่ผักปลา”).

Today, the music video for Oppression was released. Directed by Teeraphan Ngowjeenanan (known as Teeraphanny, who made A Teeraphanny Joint last year), it features a man being beaten up and hit with a folding chair, in an echo of the infamous Neal Ulevich photograph from 6th October 1976.

The Spirit EP also featured two older tracks, สิ่งที่ประเทศกูไม่มี (‘what my country doesn’t have’) and Oc(t)ygen. สิ่งที่ประเทศกูไม่มี comments on the arrests of student protesters for three-finger salutes and other symbolic anti-government actions: “แค่กูชูสามกูแดกแซนวิชก็ติดคุก” (‘holding up three fingers or eating sandwiches can land you in jail’). Oc(t)ygen is a response to 6th October 1976.

คุณหนูประเทศไท้ย กับกกต.ทั้งเจ็ด (‘little miss Thailand and the ECT members’)

Rap Against Dictatorship released singles in the days before Thailand’s two most recent elections: 250 Bootlickers (250 สอพลอ) dropped two days before the 2019 election, and I’m the One Who Gets to Decide (คนที่ตัดสินใจคือฉันเอง) came out six days ahead of the 2023 election. Thailand held another election this year, on 8th February, and Rap Against Dictatorship have again released a new single, this time in the aftermath of the vote.

The band’s new song, คุณหนูประเทศไท้ย กับกกต.ทั้งเจ็ด (‘little miss Thailand and the ECT members’), criticises the Election Commission of Thailand, after allegations of irregularities in the election process. (Even two weeks after the election, only 94% of the votes have been officially counted by the ECT, and there have been protests over the use of QR codes and barcodes on ballot papers.)

The song’s animated video was designed by PrachathipaType, with a hand motif (also available as a t-shirt) inspired by the Saul Bass film poster for The Man with the Golden Arm. This is the band’s fourth collaboration with PrachathipaType, after Homeland (บ้านเกิดเมืองนอน), กอ เอ๋ย กอ กราบ (‘k is for krap’), and Budget (งบประมาณ).

The ECT were previously criticised over their apparent mismanagement of the 2014 election, when polling stations were understaffed. In fact, an ECT member was even quoted saying that the 2014 election should be cancelled, as it may lead to a coup (although admittedly his prediction was accurate). The 2006 election was invalidated by the Constitutional Court, which ruled that the ECT was biased in favour of the winning party, Thai Rak Thai.

Rap Against Dictatorship’s most famous single is the anthemic My Country Has (ประเทศกูมี). Their other tracks include Sunflower (ดอกทานตะวัน), Burning Sky (ไฟไหม้ฟ้า), Reform (ปฏิรูป), Ta Lu Fah (ทะลุฟ้า), and 16 ปีแล้วไอ้สัส (‘it’s been 16 years, ai sat’).

Scum of the Nation

Bangkok Execution released their debut single, Scum of the Nation, last month. The song is available in two different versions, English and Thai. The English title is perhaps inspired by the notorious propaganda song หนักแผ่นดิน, whose title roughly translates as ‘scum of the earth’. Bangkok Execution’s song aims that insult back at those who have previously deployed it against left-wing students.

The song’s Thai title, ขอนิ้วกลาง, translates as ‘show the middle finger’, the band’s more contemptuous version of the three-finger salute used by recent student protest groups. Both versions of the song have music videos featuring footage of riot police confronting student protesters.

Scum of the Nation is one of several music videos to feature footage of riot police and student protesters. Others include Lookchin’s ภาษีกู (‘my taxes’), Bigboat’s This Is Thailand (ที่นี่ประเทศไทย), t_047’s ไม่มีคนบนฟ้า (‘no one in the sky’), and Milli and Youngohm’s อนาคตคือ (‘the future is...’), along with three tracks by Elevenfinger: Free My Friends (ปล่อยเพื่อนกู), Land of Compromise, and Thalugaz (ทะลุเเก๊ซ).

La bambola(‘the doll’)

Madonna has released a cover version of La bambola (‘the doll’), which was originally a hit for the Italian singer Patty Pravo. The digital single — Madonna’s first new solo track since 2019 — is part of a promotional campaign for a Dolce and Gabbana perfume.

The song has also been released as a 12" single, in a limited edition of 1,915 copies. This vinyl release is distributed by Dolce and Gabbana as an official promotional item, though it has no catalogue number or record label. D&G also issued a musical card that plays an edited version of the song.

This is the first time Madonna has recorded a song in Italian, though she has occasionally performed in other languages. She sang a cover version of the French classic La vie en rose (‘life in pink’) on her Rebel Heart Tour, and she ended her MDNA à l’Olympia (‘MDNA at the Olympia’) show with a cover version of Je t’aime... moi non plus (‘I love you... me neither’). She has recorded Spanish versions of two of her singles: Verás (You’ll See) and Lo Que Sienta la Mujer (What It Feels Like for a Girl). She has also released two Sanskrit-language songs: Shanti/Ashtangi and Cyber-Raga.

Bob Vylan

The punk duo Bob Vylan are suing RTÉ for defamation, after the broadcaster described their Glastonbury Festival performance as antisemitic. Bob Vylan appeared at Glastonbury on 28th June alongside Irish band Kneecap, and both groups were under criminal investigation for their performances.

Bobby Vylan led the Glastonbury crowd in a chant of “death, death to the IDF”, a reference to the Israel Defense Forces. On the same day, Kneecap member Móglaí Bap urged the crowd to “start a riot”, though he retracted the comment a few minutes later.

On 30th June, RTÉ News reported: “The lead singer of British band Bob Vylan led antisemitic chants from the stage.” The band sued RTÉ for libel on 9th December, and announced the lawsuit in an Instagram post on 11th December: “We have decided to take legal action against RTÉ after they recklessly labelled us and our actions at Glastonbury antisemitic.”

The police investigation into Kneecap’s performance was dropped on 18th July, after less than a month. On 23rd December, Avon and Somerset Police announced that no charges would be brought against Bob Vylan, “on the basis there is insufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction.”

Swastika Eyes

The Scottish band Primal Scream have been reported to the Metropolitan Police following a gig at the Roundhouse in London on 8th December. Their live performance of Swastika Eyes included a video backdrop featuring a swastika inside a Star of David, and the two combined symbols were positioned over the eyes of politicians including Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a statement posted on their Instagram account yesterday, the band defended the video: “It is meant to provoke debate, not hate.” The Community Security Trust, which made a complaint to the Met yesterday, also issued a statement: “Entwining a Star of David with a swastika implies that Jews are Nazis and risks encouraging hatred of Jews. There needs to be an urgent investigation by the venue and the promoter about how this happened, and we have reported this to the police.”

Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter

Just a few months after Veronica Electronica, Madonna will release another remix EP, Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter, on 28th November. On CD and 12" vinyl, it will include two previously unreleased demo tracks: Love Won’t Wait (co-written by Shep Pettibone, who produced Madonna’s greatest material) and Right on Time.

Other highlights include an edit of Freedom — a song that previously appeared on the charity album Carnival! — and a remix of the B-side Let Down Your Guard. The other tracks are alternate versions of Don’t Stop, Survival, Secret, and Human Nature, all songs from the original Bedtime Stories album.

Thai Political Milestones, no. 3:6th October 1976

On 6th October 1976, forty-six people, most of whom were students, were killed in a military massacre at Thammasat University in Bangkok. The bodies of the victims were desecrated by baying mobs, and the incident remains one of the most shocking moments in Thailand’s modern history.

The Thammasat students had been protesting against the return from exile of Thanom Kittikachorn, the coup leader who had fled into exile in 1973. The circumstances surrounding Thanom’s arrival back in Thailand in September 1976 remain unclear: was his return orchestrated to provoke a demonstration and justify another coup?

Thanom had previously returned in December 1974, against the wishes of the prime minister. On that occasion, 10,000 Thammasat students protested against him, and he left the country again two days later. But in 1976, he remained in the country, and ordained as a monk in a performative, and provocative, gesture of repentance.

On 25th September 1976, two anti-Thanom activists (Choomporn Thummai and Vichai Kasripongsa) were hanged by the police, and on 4th October 1976 a group of Thammasat students staged a reenactment of the hanging. One of the students who posed as a victim, Apinan Buahapakdee, coincidentally bore a passing resemblance to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn (who is now King Rama X).

On its front page on 6th October 1976, the nationalist Dao Siam (ดาวสยาม) newspaper printed Apinan’s photograph and its headline accused the students of hanging the Prince in effigy. Again, the circumstances are unclear, and there are rumours that the photo was retouched to accentuate the royal resemblance.

The political atmosphere reached boiling point following the Dao Siam headline, which sparked an invasion of the Thammasat campus by right-wing militia groups and vigilantes. But tensions had been simmering for several months, after an interview with Kittivuddho Bhikku, an influential monk, appeared to give nationalist paramilitary groups a licence to kill.

The monk was quoted by จัตุรัส (‘square’) magazine on 29th June 1976 saying that, for Buddhists, killing a communist would bring more merit than disgrace. His temple later published a booklet titled ฆ่าคอมมิวนิสต์ไม่บาป (‘killing communists is not a sin’), which expressed the same incendiary statement more succinctly.

Another issue of จัตุรัส magazine, featuring a cover photograph of Thanom in his monk’s robes, was published on 5th October 1976. In 2021, a ‘museum in a box’ — called ฟ้าใหม่ ใกล้มา (‘dawn of victory’) — was produced to commemorate the atmosphere of that day, the eve of the masssacre.

Thai Political Milestones:

• no. 1: ‘Black May’
• no. 2: 14th October 1973

Thai Political Milestones, no. 2:14th October 1973

The events of 14th October 1973 led to the collapse of a dictatorship, followed by three years of democratic government in Thailand. The roots of the revolution can be traced back six months earlier, when a helicopter crashed in the Thung Yai wildlife sanctuary. The crash caused a national scandal, as the helicopter was part of an illegal poaching expedition organised by senior military figures.

Students from Ramkhanhaeng University published a dossier about the controversy, บันทึกลับจากทุ่งใหญ่ (‘secret notes on Thung Yai’). They were suspended from their courses, triggering protests at Democracy Monument calling for their reinstatement. Student activism increased, developing into a wider campaign against the military government led by Thanom Kittikachorn.

By 11th October 1973, around 50,000 protesters demonstrated at Thammasat University. Two days later, they marched to Democracy Monument, and the number of demonstrators swelled to 500,000. On 14th October 1973, the military opened fire on the students — killing seventy-seven people — and there were rumours that Thanom’s son Narong shot protesters from a military helicopter.

To appease the protesters, the government agreed to begin drafting a new constitution, and protest leader Seksan Prasertkul sought assurances from King Rama IX that this promise would be kept. Just as in May 1992, Bhumibol’s actions resolved the conflict, sending Thanom, Narong, and Praphas Charusathien (known as the three tyrants or สามทรราชย์) into exile.

A brief period of civilian democratic rule followed, though Thanom returned to the country three years later, and protests against his presence led to a violent coup that took place on 6th October 1976. 14th October 1973 is known in Thai as วันมหาวิปโยค (‘the day of great sorrow’).

Thai Political Milestones:

• no. 1: ‘Black May’

Thai Political Milestones, no. 1:‘Black May’

Army commander Suchinda Kraprayoon led a coup in 1991, and his junta installed Anand Panyarachun as a civilian prime minister. But after an election in 1992, Suchinda replaced Anand as PM, leading to anti-military demonstrations in Bangkok.

The first protest took place on 20th April 1992, when 50,000 people assembled at the Royal Plaza. There were further demonstrations there between 4th and 7th May 1992, attended by up to 100,000 protesters. (The demonstrators were characterised as a ‘mobile phone mob’, as they were primarily middle-class Bangkokians with cellphones.)

Chamlong Srimuang led a crowd of more than 200,000 protesters at Sanam Luang on 17th May 1992. The following morning, the army fired live rounds into the crowd, and Chamlong was arrested. The protest spread to Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue, and the nearby Royal Hotel became a field hospital for the injured.

After two more days of clashes — and fifty-two deaths — King Rama IX held a televised meeting with Chamlong and Suchinda. Soon afterwards, Suchinda resigned as prime minister and the protesters dispersed.

‘Black May’ is known in Thai as พฤษภาทมิฬ (‘cruel May’). Although he had campaigned for democracy in 1992, Chamlong later became a core leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy, which — despite its name — was not a pro-democracy organisation.

“The proceedings were instituted unlawfully...”

A terrorism charge against Kneecap member Mo Chara has been dropped due to a legal technicality. Paul Goldspring, chief magistrate for England and Wales, dismissed the case on 26th September, noting that his written ruling “is not about the defendant’s innocence or guilt rather only whether this court has jurisdiction to hear the case.” He concluded that the court had no such jurisdiction, as the charge had been filed one day after the six-month statute of limitations had expired: “As such, the proceedings were instituted unlawfully and are null.”

The charge related to a Kneecap concert in London on 21st November last year, at the O2 Forum Kentish Town during the band’s final show on their Fine Art Tour, when Chara appeared on stage draped in the Hezbollah flag saying: “Up Hamas! Up Hezbollah!” Hezbollah is classified as a terrorist group under UK law, and the Metropolitan Police charged Chara with displaying the flag “in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation”.

Police also investigated Kneecap’s performance at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, after another band member, Móglaí Bap, called for fans to “start a riot” outside court when Chara’s trial began. After realising that his comments could be construed as an incitement to violence, Bap explained that he wasn’t literally asking people to riot, and Avon and Somerset Police dropped their investigation into the incident.

Kneecap

A criminal investigation into Kneecap’s performance at this year’s Glastonbury Festival has been dropped. Avon and Somerset Police announced yesterday that there was “insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.

During their Glastonbury set, Móglaí Bap called for fans to “start a riot” outside court when his fellow band member Mo Chara’s trial on terrorism charges begins. But a few minutes later, after realising that his comments could be construed as an incitement to violence, he explained that he wasn’t literally asking people to riot.

The investigation into another Glastonbury performance, by Bob Vylan, is continuing. Bobby Vylan, the group’s front man, led the crowd in a chant of “death, death to the IDF”, a reference to the Israel Defense Forces.

Glastonbury Festival 2025

In the UK, Avon and Somerset Police are investigating the punk duo Bob Vylan after their performance at the Glastonbury Festival yesterday. Bobby Vylan, the group’s front man, led the crowd in a chant of “death, death to the IDF”, a reference to the Israel Defense Forces. The police issued a statement on social media: “Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.”

Police are also examining video of the Irish rap group Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury on the same day. On stage, Móglaí Bap called for fans to “start a riot” outside court when his fellow band member Mo Chara’s trial on terrorism charges begins. (A few minutes later, after realising that his comments could be construed as an incitement to violence, he explained that he wasn’t literally asking people to riot.)

Serving...

Miriana Conte’s song Kant was selected as Malta’s entry for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, though the singer was forced to change the title and lyrics, as ‘kant’ (the Maltese word for ‘singing’) was deemed too phonetically close to ‘cunt’. The song was a pun on the c-word, with its chorus of “Serving kant” sounding almost exactly like ‘serving cunt’. For the Eurovision TV broadcast, its title was changed to Serving, and the word ‘kant’ was dropped from the lyrics.

The c-word is becoming increasingly common in contemporary pop lyrics, thanks to the influence of ballroom drag culture. RuPaul’s Drag Race popularised ballroom terms such as ‘serving’, and used ‘cunt’ as an acronym for ‘charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent’, to describe drag queen qualities. Drag artist Kevin Aviance’s single Cunty was sampled by Beyoncé on her song Pure/Honey in 2022, and this year Marina released her single Cuntissimo, a feminist anthem from her album Princess of Power.

Veronica Electronica

Madonna will release a collection of remixes, Veronica Electronica, on 25th July. The new 12" vinyl EP is named after her alter ego from the Ray of Light era, and it contains remixes of songs from that critically acclaimed album. It will be released on CD on 10th October.

Veronica Electronica also includes one previously unreleased song, Gone, Gone, Gone (in a demo version). But it’s easy to see why the song was originally rejected: it’s a ballad (with simplistic lyrics) set to an inappropriate drum and bass track.

Veronica Electronica is one of several named alter egos Madonna has used at various stages of her career. Erotica begins with the line “My name is Dita”, a persona she also adopted in her book Sex. She performed Material Girl on her Blond Ambition tour as Gladys, wearing a bathrobe, and she played a character called Louise Oriole in the video for her single Bad Girl. She appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1985 as Marika, performing a cover version of A-ha’s Take on Me. She used the alias Lulu Smith when she performed backing vocals on the Peter Cetera song Scheherazade. She styled herself Madame X — complete with an eyepatch — for her most recent studio album.

Veronica Electronica features seven remixed tracks: Drowned World/Substitute for Love, Ray of Light, Skin, Nothing Really Matters, Sky Fits Heaven, Frozen, and The Power of Good-Bye. But unfortunately, most of them are edited versions, like those on her dance remix albums Finally Enough Love and 50 Number Ones.

“Salacious and defamatory accusations...”

Music producer Russell Simmons has filed a defamation lawsuit against HBO and the makers of the documentary On the Record, which features interviews with women who have accused him of sexual assault. He is seeking $20 million in damages.

On the Record (directed by Kirby Dick and Amy Zieling) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 25th January 2020, and was released on the HBO Max streaming platform later that year (on 27th May). The lawsuit describes the documentary as “a film that tremendously disparaged and damaged Mr. Simmons with salacious and defamatory accusations”.

Simmons is one of three disgraced figures from the music industry currently suing filmmakers who have exposed accusations of sexual misconduct, and all three men stand very little chance of winning their libel cases. Chris Brown filed a libel lawsuit in January, as did Sean Combs. Combs, better known as Diddy and Puff Daddy, has since filed another libel lawsuit: he is seeking $100 million in damages over allegations of sexual assault in the documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy, which was released on NBC’s Peacock streaming service on 14th January.

“This is a carnival of distraction...”

Mo Chara, a member of the Irish rap group Kneecap, has been charged with a terrorism offence, and will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court in London on 18th June. The charge relates to a concert in London on 21st November last year, at the O2 Forum Kentish Town during the band’s final show on their Fine Art Tour, when Chara appeared on stage draped in the Hezbollah flag. Hezbollah is classified as a terrorist group under UK law, and yesterday the Metropolitan Police charged Chara with displaying the flag “in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation”.

Kneecap published a collective written statement via their Instagram account today, saying: “We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves.” The band also accused the Met of political bias: “This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction.” Their new single The Recap begins with a clip of a newsreader announcing that “counter-terrorism police will investigate the rap trio Kneecap”.