Has Madonna passed the pop star baton to Sabrina Carpenter with 'Confessions II'?

When Madonna does something, she rarely does it subtly. With Confessions II: The Film, the visual companion to her upcoming album Confessions II, the pop icon has once again delivered a project packed with symbolism, celebrity cameos, nostalgia, and enough Internet discourse to last weeks. Premiering after months of anticipation, the short film serves as a sequel to her beloved 2005 dance record Confessions on a Dance Floor. It blends six interconnected tracks into a dreamlike, club-inspired narrative. 

And while Madonna remains firmly at the centre of the chaos, one person seems to emerge as the film’s most significant supporting player: Sabrina Carpenter. After their viral Coachella appearance and musical collaboration on Bring Your Love earlier this year, Carpenter appears throughout the film in a way that feels far more intentional than a standard celebrity cameo. So naturally, fans are asking: Is Madonna officially passing the baton to Carpenter?

Why is everyone talking about Sabrina Carpenter?

Confessions II is filled with famous faces, yet Carpenter enjoys some of the film’s most memorable moments and substantial screen time. She is not treated as a brief guest appearance but rather as a recurring presence woven into the video’s visual language. That alone feels significant coming from Madonna, an artist who has spent four decades redefining what female pop stardom looks like.

The symbolism is hard to ignore. Madonna has always had a knack for identifying cultural shifts before everyone else. From Britney Spears to Lady Gaga and countless others who followed in her wake, her influence on modern pop is impossible to separate from the genre itself. Carpenter currently occupies a space Madonna once owned: she is commercially dominant, Internet savvy, provocative without apology, and very much capable of turning every public appearance into a cultural conversation.

The cameos 

Part of the fun of Confessions II is spotting the familiar faces. The film features appearances from Kate Moss, Benedict Cumberbatch, Gwendoline Christie, Julia Garner, Odessa A’Zion, Richard E Grant, Debi Mazar, Lourdes Leon, footballers Cole Palmer and João Pedro, as well as musicians including Arca and Shygirl.

Julia Garner’s appearance is particularly notable given her connection to Madonna’s long-discussed biopic, while Lourdes Leon’s role adds another layer to the film’s exploration of legacy. In the final moments, Madonna’s daughter delivers the closing line, “Cut, bitch", creating what many viewers feel is a deliberate commentary on succession and the next generation.

The easter eggs

Long-time fans will find plenty to unpack. The video references Madonna’s early New York club years, recreates elements of the legendary Danceteria scene that helped launch her career, and includes nods to classics such as Express Yourself and Everybody. There are also tributes to important figures from her personal history, including her late friend Martin Burgoyne and dance mentor Christopher Flynn.

Confessions II often feels like Madonna looking back at everything she has built while simultaneously acknowledging the artists carrying pop culture into its next era.

So, is this really a baton pass?

Madonna is too self-aware to stage a literal coronation. She remains Madonna, after all. Yet Confessions II does feel like a rare public endorsement. By placing Sabrina Carpenter so prominently in a project deeply concerned with legacy, influence, and the future, Madonna appears to be signalling something important.

Not that her reign is over, but maybe that she knows exactly who might be commanding the dance floor next.

Lead Image: Getty Images

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