Madonna’s Pop Matriarchy

Confession: After several hours of sitting with Madonna’s new album on repeat, Sam isn’t sure he likes it…

To him, 'Confessions II' felt like a Madonna impersonation, stripped of a lot of the Madonna energy he’s loved for years. The album also raised some big questions: what even is Madonna anymore? What kind of music should we expect from a pop star who always seemed eternally young and new?

Sam breaks down these big feelings with musicology professor Louis Niebur, an expert on queer dance and music culture. He teaches at the University of Nevada, Reno. His book is called 'Menergy: San Francisco's Gay Disco Sound.'

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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.