Singer Madonna said she cried while writing “The Test” with her daughter, musician Lourdes “Lola” Leon. Their collaboration appears on the album “Confessions II”.
Mother and daughter discussed the song with host Bob the Drag Queen in an iHeartRadio Live episode posted on Thursday.
Leon proposed the collaboration as a way to express feelings they found difficult to discuss directly. She described unspoken affection alongside tension in their relationship and felt art could help them address both.
For Madonna, the writing sessions brought tears and moments of closeness. She acknowledged their disagreements but explained that creativity had always given them a way to connect.
“It was a very magical moment. And we both had to be vulnerable,” she said.
Leon described her mother as intimidating, adding that growing up with her made other people less daunting. However, she characterised asking to work together as a straightforward decision and the collaboration as natural.
Alongside this project, Leon has pursued her own music career as LOLAHOL.
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Official credits list Madonna, Leon and Stuart Price as the song’s writers. Madonna and Price produced the track, with additional production by Arca.
“Confessions II” arrived on July 3. Its 16-track edition includes collaborations with Sabrina Carpenter, Feid and Stromae.
