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'Gummy Bears'. She's been there, done that - so many times. She was bored and had to make an album. I wonder what comes next. Madonna made 'Hard Candy' - it is nothing but a cheap lollipop. And she don't care really. Only those were better times.
My favorite songs on this cd are Candy Shop, Miles Away and of course 4 Minutes. I just purchased this cd and I absolutely love it. This is a great album to add to your collection.Reviewed by Kardia Williams
It's a song about how the man in her life seems more comfortable with their relationship when they're separated from one another ("you always have the biggest heart/when we're 6,000 miles apart"). Fun and forgettable."Spanish Lesson" is the worst thing Madonna has done in a long time, with its "I'm Madonna doing my Spanish shtick" repertoire that she has done more effectively in the past. Lyrically, it's a bit of a throwaway, but a fun song regardless.Madonna fans that were turned off by "4 Minutes" due to it's commercial viability will probably say "all is forgiven." after hearing "Give it 2 Me." Usually by track three Madonna takes her listeners to dance heaven and this is a great slice of it. However, pop stars working with big names is nothing new, even for Madonna. At first she doesn't know what to do ("can't get my head around it/I need to think about it") and by the end of the song (an unchained bit of dance euphoria reminiscent of the dance breaks in the "Erotica" album) she's proclaiming "I don't want this to end/ I'm missing my best friend"."sex with you is incredible." By the end of the song you hope that those crazy kids work it out after the drama of the two songs that preceded it. First, it's very similar to "Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake, and second, Timbaland had a very heavy hand on this song and it can sound a bit overproduced (particularly the rubbery/bubbly sound effect buried in the song). Kanye West doesn't add too much to the song, though he doesn't sound out of place either, which is a kind of victory in and of itself. A great ending to a deceptively powerful album.
One of the album's best moments."Heartbeat" is the most retro moment of the album. Thunderous and ominous, this song is a clear indictment of the male protagonist referenced in the other songs: "so you claim madness like it's convenient/you do it so often that you start to believe it/you have demons so no one can blame you/but who is the master and who is the slave." Madonna is in full diva mode, as she lacerates with sarcasm in a way we haven't heard since "Waiting" from the "Erotica" album. Sonically, the song has a fun disco vibe over a throbbing bassline. The question is, "is the music good." The tone gets set early with "Candy Shop," which recalls the sound of her first album, both in terms of production and lyrical content. One of the albums strongest tracks."Dance 2Night" is by far the loosest song on the album. Madonna has been known to bring out the best in her producers, and this song is proof of that.
It's not clear as to whom she is talking about, but sandwiched between "Miles Away" and "Incredible" the song gains more gravitas as a deft pop song about infidelity."Incredible" is the album's showstopper: it's a grandiose slab of pop that builds and builds into pop experimentation and lyrically goes from sad and fragile to fierce and determined. "Beat Goes On" brings Madonna back to familiar lyrical territory--life is short, live it--in the same vein as "Jump" off her last album. Don't be fooled by her choice of producers or the sauciness of the album cover, this is an album that, like its predecessors, is a fantastic balance of fun and depth. "She's Not Me" is actually a fun song, and she could be talking about her man cheating on her or her competition in the pop world (ie. Justin Timberlake and Madonna have great chemistry; they share the song without trying to overpower the other. Britney Spears).
"Miles Away" is another brilliant blend of acoustic pop akin to "Don't Tell Me." However, "Miles Away" hits much harder than it's predecessor. Lyrically, it's stunning: "The steps that edge along the ledge/It's much higher than it seems/That I've been on that ledge before/You can't hide yourself from me." Madonna sells it with a restrained vocal that matches the moodiness of the production. Here's looking forward to the next album. At times the bass threatens to drown out the singing, but it's a stylistic choice that works in this case. The tinkling bells sound in the song gives it a "Lucky Star" 2008/Sex and the City soundtrack kind of vibe and is a strong contender for being a single. "4 Minutes" is clearly meant to be the "Madonna's back." 1st single, with it's ominous horns trumpeting her arrival. It's a bit of cutting truth that we've come to expect from Madonna, with a beautifully atmospheric production to boot. These are minor quibbles though, as this song is still a strong ballad."Voices" ends this multifaceted album, and it takes no prisoners.
Almost 30 years into her career, Madonna hasn't lost her edge or talent. However, the production has a couple of problems that distract from the song's beauty. It's as though Justin and Madonna went into the studio and freestyled while the producer did his thing. "4 Minutes" is a blast of pure energy that we haven't heard from Timbaland in awhile. After "Incredible," the album loosens up for a few songs. All in all, Madonna delivers the goods yet again, going from fun and poppy to whistful and sarcastic often within the same song. Most of the negative reviews I've read about this album mostly focus on this particular aspect of the album, criticizing Madonna's choice to work with big names rather than unknowns like she has on previous albums (Music and Ray of Light).
Timbaland is still a bit heavy-handed on the bass, but it works here. Madonna sounds sexier than she has in years and Pharrell brings the song to life with a vibrant, uncluttered production that puts her voice front and center. Rollingstone magazine pointed out that the creative friction between Madonna and Pharrell worked for this album, and I believe that friction is most evident here, as the song blends Madonna's dance sensibility and Pharrell's hip-hop point of view to great effect. In it, she sings about how wonderful and exciting relationships are at the beginning and her desire to bring her relationship back into that territory. A glaring misstep on this otherwise great album."Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" is an intriguing ballad that again seems to reference Madonna's divorce.
On the surface it sounds like a fun throwaway song about feeling alive on the dancefloor, but there's a world-weariness that sneaks into the song, especially when she sings "it may feel old to you but to me it feels new." You sense that Madonna is thinking about her own relevance, a feeling brewing just under the surface of this simple song, thus elevating it's artistic complexity.The real meat and potatoes of this album comes in the following trio of songs, "Miles Away," "She's Not Me," and "Incredible." Madonna's divorce has been no secret in the press, and although she hasn't gone public about what went wrong, these songs seem the most inspired by it. At first glance, Hard Candy seems a bit contrived--a pop icon in her fifties trying to win over a younger audience by enlisting big names like Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and Pharrell. It sounds like a song that she wrote for her first album, brought to life by modern production. Definitely not the most memorable song on the album, but it's nice to hear a more relaxed moment on such a tightly-composed album.
Madonna's not your personal songstress, so don't expect her to produce music that only you like. wait, get them to stop stuttering. Be glad she has the versatility to produce something that you may not like, but with a different taste may. When you've done it all, sometimes you want to try something again- in a different way. Britney and all them other chicks are great, but try singing along. These are quality tracks, and I enjoy them. There's nothing wrong with her remembering the days of her youth with a couple vocals. So at least respect what she's doing both as an artist and a business woman, and a person for crying out loud.
especially the hardcore madonna fans rating her album a 1 star. first try figuring out what they're saying. "womanizer, you're a womanizer, womanizer." Okay, I get it. Sit back, enjoy the album, and know that there's something for everyone, though everything on it might not work for everyone. That's just how albums go. But let Madonna show that she can go into the studio and simply have fun just tossing down a few vocals.
Problem is many of them are well produced for the club and dance scene, so if you're not there, you wouldn't get it. that's how you bring people together. Hello. Nerve. These tracks aren't over produced, they're well produced.
I think Madonna did an amazing job, because just about every song makes you not only want to sing along, but feel like you can sing along. :-) Put in a Madonna album, and watch them all rock out to different tracks. I'm sorry, but there are some serious haters posting on here. And her voice lacking maturity- wrong.
At some point in your career, an artist doesn't have to work hard at being creative.
I am never disappointed after I listen to a Madonna album. Shes 50 years old and still has her voice.
Madonna is truly the Queen of Pop. The song Give it to me got me dancing.
And the songs are jumping. A mix of Pop, Electronica and Hip hop on this one.
Its true Madonna never fails. I just finished listening to this one and all I can say is WOW.
The song after it reminded me of her stuff from the 80s.
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