Madonna materialized in a spectacular veil of hot pink in Times Square late Thursday afternoon. As she tossed aside her cloak, the intro of her Confessions II single “I Feel So Free” declared, “I can be whoever I want to be,” and the star promptly instructed the crowd below to “come on, meet me on the dance floor.”
Of course, the fans packed shoulder-to-shoulder on the streets had already obliged and cheered as Madonna captivated them in the way only Madonna can. The pop icon sashayed in knee-high silver boots, satin blush stockings, and a matching corset across the elevated stage for the free Pride Month performance in partnership with the Grindr app.
Next, Madonna debuted “Love Sensation,” the eighth track from Confessions II, the hotly anticipated sequel to her 2005 LP Confessions on a Dance Floor, set to rollout July 3. Before launching into the blissful single, she reminded everyone of why they had congregated: “Are you ready? It’s Mother!”
“People think that dance music is superficial, but they’ve got it all wrong,” Madonna previously said when announcing the forthcoming album. “The dance floor is not just a place, it’s a threshold: A ritualistic space where movement replaces language.”
The 67-year-old star also offered fans another round of “Bring Your Love” and straddled a speaker box on a spinning platform flanked by backup dancers for the occasion. (Earlier this year, Madonna performed the song during Sabrina Carpenter’s stunning headlining set at Coachella, where the duo made history.)
Madonna also brought out Confessions on a Dance Floor tracks “Get Together” and, naturally, “I Love New York,” air-guitaring before a feverishly flashing red screen and as yellow taxi cabs zipped by. The singer closed out with “Hung Up,” the wildly popular dance track that samples ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!”
Before disappearing behind the stage doors, Madonna bid adieu and roared, “Thank you, New York City, I love you! Happy Pride!”
As Madonna continues to make historic appearances leading up to the release of Confessions II, the star is set to make a high-profile return to the Tribeca Festival this summer with a on-screen project tied to her new studio album. Described as a “cinematic experience” inspired by, and built around, the first six tracks of Confessions II, including “I Feel So Free” and “Bring Your Love,” Madonna will premiere the film Friday, June 5 at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.
