Lourdes Leon on the dream that changed everything while writing 'The Test' with Madonna

Lourdes Leon and Madonna collaborated on their first song together. "The Test" is a part of Madonna's most recent record, "Confessions II," which has received critical acclaim and some of the best reviews for Madonna's career over the past decade. The song proved to be an emotional experience. 

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In a joint appearance on iHeartRadio, Lourdes and Madonna discussed the "healing" process of writing and making the song. Lourdes also opened up about the key role that a dream had on the song's development.

"I remember having dreams where my grandmother, your mother," she said, pointing to Madonna. "She had come to me in those dreams. And it was kind of unclear what she said, but I just felt her presence."

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"And it left me wondering what kind of person I would be if she was alive, and what kind of person you would be if she was alive, and what our relationship would be like."

Madonna nodded along to her response, taking it all in soberly. "Those questions will always be unanswered, but I think it was a really good way to honor her and heal each other through her eyes," concluded Lourdes.

The painful loss of Madonna's mother

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Madonna's mom, who was also named Madonna, died when she was only 30 years old, after a breast cancer diagnosis. Madonna was only five years old. The loss of her mother has been one of the most defining experiences of her life, with her discussing it at different points in her life. 

In a 1991 interview with Rolling Stone, Madonna revealed that not having a mother pushed her to seek out fame and success. "I've turned my need on to the world and said, 'OK, I don't have a mother to love me, I’m going to make the world love me,'" she said.  

On Mother's Day, in 2023, Madonna shared a tribute for her mother, including a connection between her and her grandkids. 

"I miss my mother every day,” she wrote. “And have fantasized for decades of what it must be like to have a mother to: call on for help, guidance, care And wisdom."

"Dear Mother…wherever you are. I hope you are happy with your grandchildren!! I often imagine you singing and dancing with us in the kitchen !"

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