Every now and then, an album comes along that I just know will become a point of reference for years to come between myself and my nerdy pop friends. The kind of record you point to and say, this is the kind of album that [insert pop star] should be making.
You guys, this Louise album is that album.
Yes, that’s right: there’s now yet another incredible album called Confessions going down in the annals of pop. (Pack it up, Madonna.)
Admittedly, the Louise of it all happened outside of my scope of pop standom growing up, and I was late to the party until only a few years ago. (This might be a little jarring to some of you I know, given that I can rattle off the government names and birth charts of former members of girl groups who had a #176 hit once in 2005, but here we are.)
Like most things that are good in this world, Louise is big across the pond, but never translated stateside. Originally a founding member of the R&B girl group Eternal in the early ’90s (1993’s “Stay” is their only song that found its way on the Billboard Hot 100), she’s since had 18 Top 20 hits in the UK (6 with the group, 12 of those her own), and sold over 15 million records worldwide. Big!
Nearly two decades after her initial string of solo albums, Louise returned with 2020’s Heavy Love (“Stretch” forever!) And five years on, she’s back with one hell of a dance-pop follow-up.
The collaborator list for this LP is truly nuts – a PopJustice forum wish list of Kylie Minogue, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Girls Aloud collaborators: Jon Shave, who just worked on Brat, Anya Jones, who’s been working with the Sugababes, the prolific Karen Poole, Tre Jean-Marie, king MNEK, Xenomania royalty Miranda Cooper, Hannah Robinson of Rachel Stevens and Annie fame, among many others. It’s legitimately so, so stacked.
“This album just happened. It had that momentum and I’ve worked with such great people. I’d have a pinch-me moment some days when I was in the studio, working with such great songwriters and producers, it’s been a dream team,” Louise says.
“The album is quite personal and I didn’t hold back. It’s something I’m not known for as I can be quite guarded. But here, I’ve brought the sassy part of Louise. It’s a good time for women to be coming out with music.”
Single after single, Louise delivered from the campaign, beginning with the breathy brilliance of the cheeky come-hither title track and lead single “Confession,” one of the best pop singles of the year. (“Only thing I wanna do is you!“) The playfully cocky “Love Me More” came next, followed by “Borderline,” an instantla-la-lay catchy stomper dedicated to an on-again, off-again romance.
As the singles run suggested, the 12-track set, out on Friday (May 23), is an all-killer, no-skips affair.
There are plenty of fun surprises thrown in throughout the record: the lush Body Language-era Kylie strut of “Manifesting,” the sparkling, Robyn-adjacent four-on-the-floor synth pulsations of “Only Dancer,” the homage to Janet Jackson “Throb” in “Get Into It” (!), the countdown chorus on the Parx-produced kiss-off “Follow Me,” and “L.U.V” with M.I.A. collaborator Ant Whiting, which balances an “Express Yourself”-esque strut with “Sexercise”/”Expertease”-style lyrical silliness (“When you’re touchin’ me, I go L-U-V / Don’t make no sense ’cause you got a sex-ability.”)
Confessions balances the art of unpretentious dance-pop with unexpectedly revelatory insights about Louise’s personal journey, from bouncing back from breakups to finding her self-confidence again.
“Don’t Kill My Vibe” is especially illuminating lyrically, which was done with Jon Shave, who has evidently has developed a knack for delivering vulnerability on the dance floor with his collaborators: “It wasn’t easy, but I got back on stage and felt like people liked me / And they liked me for me / One thing I can say with chest, I built a castle from that mess so I’m proud of myself.”
And then there’s “Just Like That,” a guarded banger from the perspective of someone who’s been burnt before and knows their worth. (“Heartbreak gave me superpowers and I snapped.“) Even the arguably “serious” final moment, “Diamonds,” keeps the energy up while providing one last round of earnest empowerment: “You can’t crush a diamond, I’m still alive.”
Confessions is banger after banger, armed with an assured, genuinely inspiring rose-from-the-ashes-and-now-I’m-better-than-ever attitude that makes this album a total pop triumph. Quite literally: get into it.
Confessions is available now in multiple formats and bundles.
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