Madonna returns to the dancefloor

The queen of white heat, rock star Madonna, returns to the clubs with a vengeance in her latest installment "Confessions on the Dancefloor".

With early roots of her career as a dance artist and a reputation firmly planted in the "future sound of disco", the one time Material Girl has been busy sampling the original royalty of dancing, Abba, for her latest music foray. "Hung Up", culled from her "Confessions" album is now working its way into the top of the charts. The track features a distinguishing clash of Abba's "Gimme Gimme Gimme (a man after midnight)," one of the Swedish combo's hit disco infrared numbers.

Recorded earlier this year in London, "Confessions" was primarily co-produced and co-written by Madonna and Stuart Price (a.k.a. Les Rythm Digitales/Jacques Le Cont).

Price, who initially made a creative partnership with Madonna in her 2001 Drowned World Tour and 2004's Reinvention Tour, is one of UK's most electrifying young DJs and remix wizard.

Collaborating with her album are the likes of Mirwais Ahmadzai, redeeming himself from the musical tandem's lowest album sales in Madonna history - tongue-in-cheek "Music" session leftover "American Life"; the Grammy award-winning duo of Bloodshy and Avant; Anders Bagge and Peer Astrome of the Murlyn Music Collective; and Joe Henry, whose previous Madonna credits include "Don't Tell Me".

"Hung Up" optimistically looks forward to continue in the same way that made Madonna a global phenomenon with international sales of over 200 million albums. She has notched up 33 no.1 dance hits, 5 chart-topping albums, 46 top 10 singles and 20 MTV Music Awards.

The 47-yr.-old queen of pop opened in this year's MTV Europe Music Awards with the 1st live telecast performance of her new single, emerging from a giant glitter ball wearing purple leather boots and matching leotard.

"After I fell off my horse, it was amazing to be able to get up and dance," she disclosed, referring to a riding accident in August when she cracked three ribs and broke her collarbone and one hand.

"Confessions" is less opinionated than her prior album (American Life) which focuses purely on disco, no ballads that distract. It is an effervescent celebration of disco, reflected in the exhiliration and exuberance of some of her biggest hits "Music" and "Vogue".

On the heels of her 2004 Reinvention Tour which grossed P125 million, Madonna is mulling another round of live dates next summer - an all-out disco with lots of disco balls. This would focus on dance music and her latest record, a visual departure from the stuff she did before.