That’s why I like to go dancing: safety in numbers. Madonna is one of the most watched women alive, and she just released a whole album about finding somewhere to be a drop in the ocean. How does one begin Drawing the Curtains when her window’s curtain rod was ripped out? The answer is Confessions II: a dance-pop opera of a night out to put on a different identity. A lesson in letting go; a refusal of shame and seeing what emerges inside of you the longer you stay.
The desire to disappear into a persona unlike the one fit for public consumption. To engage with a more primal version of ourselves is not escapism, but an unfiltered celebration of a part of your identity that's not always on display. That, paired with an appetite to be on whatever the proverbial dance floor you choose with the individuals after the same feeling. This what creates safety in numbers. The vision of getting lost in the crowd Madonna is talking about in the opening track “I Feel So Free” is about unifying with the group around you. Joined together to dance. It’s taking all of who you are, leaving it all on the dance floor and allowing yourself to be one with the crowd. It’s an ancient ritual that teaches the body to talk.