Madonna appears to take a reflective look back at her turbulent marriage to Sean Penn in her upcoming album Confessions II, with new lyrics widely believed to reference the Hollywood star.
Bizarre
The 67-year-old music icon, who was married to Penn from 1985 to 1989, sings about a “movie star with deep blue eyes” in the track Bizarre, with fans quickly connecting the description to the Oscar-winning actor.
In the song, Madonna explores themes of love, fame and emotional distance, singing, “Love is the strangest thing. Just when you think you’ve finally let go, it comes back to you.”
She continues, “Movie star, deep blue eyes. In Hollywood, we’re a perfect prize. He drove way too fast, Shelby Cobra wasn’t meant to last.”
The lyric is also believed to reference a real-life gift Madonna gave Penn during their marriage, a 1968 Shelby GT500.
Elsewhere in the track, Madonna appears to reflect on the pressures of fame and the strain it placed on the relationship, singing, “Roll out the carpet for us, but you don’t share it. All ’cause you’re threatened by me, you won’t admit it.”
She adds, “The little things that you do don’t make me want you. Who knew love could be so bizarre?”
Later in the song, the lyrics take a more emotional turn, with Madonna singing, “I know I left you behind and you resent me. A thousand reasons why you could never have me. The thought of being with you is so indecent. I guess you’ll never know my dirty little secret.”
Parallels to Penn
While Madonna has not confirmed the subject of the track, the references to a Hollywood actor, a fast car and the emotional dynamics of fame have led fans to draw clear parallels to her highly publicized relationship with Penn.
The pair’s marriage in the 1980s was marked by intense media attention and reports of volatility, before ending in divorce in 1989. Despite this, Madonna has previously spoken fondly about Penn in later years.
In a 2016 speech at a charity gala, she surprised audiences by reflecting warmly on their past together.
She said at the time, “I loved you from the moment that I laid eyes on you. And I still love you just the same.”
Betrayal
Confessions II also features another emotionally charged track titled Betrayal, in which Madonna appears to address her late stepmother Joan, who died in 2024 while the album was in production.
In the song, she sings, “This is a story of betrayal. You couldn’t see your fall from grace. So take the hammer, hit the nail. You’ll never take my mother’s place.”
Madonna’s biological mother, Madonna Louise Fortin, died of breast cancer when the singer was just five years old. Her father later remarried three years after her death.
The lyrics continue with a stark emotional edge: “You betrayed me, you enslaved me.”
Confessions II is set for release this Friday, July 3rd.