14/07/2026

LYFE TUESDAY | JULY 14, 2026

/thesuntelegram FOLLOW / Malaysian Paper

ON TELEGRAM m RAM

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Queen of Pop returns with 15th album to reclaim her throne M ADONNA has released her 15th album Confessions II , with many critics calling the 16 tracks of feel-good club vibes and classic dance music her best release in decades. The Queen of Pop, 67, has reunited with British producer Stuart Price, whom she worked with for Confessions on a Dance Floor in 2005, which was a global success driven by the hits Sorry and Hung Up . o Critics say latest 16 track-record may be artiste’s best work compared with recent ones Many music critics from Rolling Stone , Variety to The Guardian agreed the Confessions follow-up was her best work compared with her most recent releases Rebel Heart or Madame X – which received lacklustre responses from fans.

Rolling Stone called the latest release a “64-minute nonstop groove that flows like a club-DJ set, each song fading into the next, drawing from all over the history of dance music”. The Guardian said even though it was “not quite as good as Confessions on a Dance Floor ”, it was unequivocally Madonna’s best album since. “Everyone was expecting an album of ballads, something Broadway-inspired, but not at all,” said Patrick Thevenin, a journalist at French music magazine Les Inrockuptibles and an expert on the artiste. Madonna x Sabrina Released by record major Warner, the album is more than a string of potential dancefloor fillers. It occasionally shifts towards pop, includes folk influences and ventures briefly into reggae with Colombian singer Feid. It also features a collaboration with Dutch DJ Martin Garrix, a duet in which Belgian star Stromae delivers a spoken-word performance and a track recorded with her daughter Lola Leon. The most-talked about collaboration is with Sabrina Carpenter, who joins Madonna on Bring Your Love, a song the pair performed together at Coachella festival in April in a performance that quickly went viral. The song Danceteria pays tribute to the legendary club where Madonna once worked in 1980s New York. She is also due to perform at the half-time show of the Football World Cup final on July 19 alongside Shakira and K-pop sensation BTS. “There is a genuinely aggressive strategy compared with the last album – a whole battle plan has been orchestrated. She’s leaving nothing to chance,” Benoit Clerc, an author whose book analysing her 305 songs will appear in October, told AFP.

Indie R&B artiste Yel returns with Just A Dream Yel is a defining voice in the next generation of R&B and pop. – PIC BY JOHNNY NGUYEN INDIE R&B artiste Yel has returned with her new single Just A Dream , a nostalgic city pop-inspired release that blends dreamy melodies with heartfelt storytelling. Drawing inspiration from the vibrant city pop and R&B sounds of the 1980s and 1990s, Just A Dream explores the lingering emotions of a relationship that feels almost too surreal to have been real. Through shimmering production and Yel’s signature emotive vocals, the track captures the bittersweet feeling of looking back on a love that now feels like nothing more than a distant dream. Written following the release of her previous collaboration Surprise Party with longtime creative partner Jesse, Yel intentionally set out to create something that contrasted its uplifting energy. The result is a deeply reflective record that transforms heartbreak into a dreamlike narrative. “I suggested we write a bittersweet song. As someone who dreams often, I wanted to use that feeling to express waking up heartbroken from an unpleasant dream,” Yel shared. While rooted in the nostalgic charm of classic city pop, Just A Dream brings a fresh, contemporary perspective through Yel’s distinctive songwriting and modern R&B sensibilities. The track effortlessly bridges eras, pairing retro-inspired textures with honest lyricism that resonates with listeners navigating love, loss and longing. Just A Dream has gained significant traction on TikTok and Instagram, amassing more than 10 million views across both platforms, positioning the single to become the biggest release of Yel’s career to date.

Madonna is crowned the ‘Queen of Pop’ for rewriting the pop music scene. – AFPPIC

Ateez’s fifth Golden Hour

K-POP powerhouse Ateez has returned with its new mini album Golden Hour: Part.5 , marking the next chapter in the group’s ongoing Golden Hour series that further showcases its ability to blend powerful performance-driven music with genre-crossing artistry. Led by its opening track Bad , Part.5 delivers a catchy and addictive new sound with its five tracks that each bring distinct colours and genres to the project, from explosive hip-hop and sleek dance production to moody alternative pop and rhythmic Latin-inspired influences. Alongside Bad , the album includes Mamacita , Toxin , Fallin and Body to encompass a dynamic listening experience that not only highlights Ateez’s members’ individual versatility but also its evolving musical identity. The official music video for Bad , which features Hollywood actress Chase Infiniti, further expands that immersive world through Ateez’s choreography, cinematic visuals and high-energy performance sequences. Members Hongjoon and Mingi were also

From left: Ateez members Wooyoung, Seonghwa, Mingo, Yunho, Jongho, Yeosang, San and Hongjoong. – HANDOUT PIC

involved in writing the lyrics for all five tracks of the EP. Ahead of Part.5 ’s release, Ateez released a cinematic trailer and teaser campaign to get its fans talking across the globe.

With the new EP and what is to come, Ateez is looking towards continually pushing boundaries creatively while delivering the explosive performances and ambitious artistry that have defined its rise on the global stage.