Madonna Spanks Abbey Owner, Debuts New Single
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- Madonna made a surprise appearance at The Abbey around 1 a.m. Sunday, performing for about 30 minutes at the invite-only "Club Confessions Los Angeles" event that doubled as a birthday party for owner Tristan Schukraft.
- Madonna debuted her new single "I Feel So Free" from "Confessions II" (releasing July 3) alongside producer Stuart Price, who produced both of her "Confessions" albums.
- A viral moment unfolded when Addison Rae, wearing a black cat eye mask, tried to grab the mic to hype the crowd ("Put your hands up for Madonna"), prompting Madonna to reach for it back; Rae later posted on Instagram, "I was drunk. Love you Madonna."
- Madonna playfully spanked Schukraft on his fully clothed butt while leading the crowd in "Happy Birthday," asking the room, "Do we want to pull his pants down and spank him?"
- Notable attendees included Lily Allen, Julia Fox, Sam Asghari, Tori Spelling, "RuPaul's Drag Race" stars Symone and Eureka O'Hara, CAA's Kevin Huvane, and Madonna's boyfriend, soccer player Akeem Morris.
- The dance floor grew unruly with partygoers pushing, a woman pouring a drink on a man's head, and security escorting at least one guest out, though Madonna appeared not to notice any of the chaos.
- Madonna's manager Guy Oseary clarified that she would tour in support of "Confessions II," after initially telling the outlet he wasn't sure of her plans.
Why it matters: The surprise set served as an early promotional showcase for "Confessions II" ahead of its July 3 release, staged at an LGBTQ venue sponsored by PrEP company Mistr. The viral Addison Rae mic moment generated organic press for the album rollout, while Oseary's confirmation that Madonna will tour gives fans and promoters a concrete signal of what's next.
