Hard Candy by Madonna (CD, Apr-2008, Warner Bros.)

Music Review: Hard Candy
The Entertainment Critic Music Review By James Myers
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HARD CANDY
Format: CD
Release Date: 04/29/2008
Label: WARNER BROS / WEA
Catalog No.: 421372
UPC: 093624988496
Sales Rank: 6

Album Credits
Performance Credits
Madonna: Primary Artist
Stevie Blacke: Strings
Wendy Melvoin: Guitar
Dan Warner: Guitar
Hannon B. Lane: Keyboards
Timbaland: Drums, DJ
Andrew Coleman: Guitar
Justin Timberlake: Guitar, Background Vocals
Monte Pittman: Guitar

Technical Credits
Madonna: Producer, Executive Producer
Chris Gehringer: Mastering
Mark "Spike" Stent: Engineer
Hannon B. Lane: Producer
Timbaland: Producer
Andrew Coleman: Engineer
The Neptunes: Producer
Justin Timberlake: Producer
Giovanni Bianco: Art Direction
Ron Taylor: Digital Editing
Alex Dromgoole: Engineer
Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica: Engineer

Hard Candy’s Tracks

1 Candy Shop 4:15
2 4 Minutes / Justin Timberlake 4:03
3 Give It 2 Me 4:47
4 Heartbeat 4:03
5 Miles Away 4:48
6 She's Not Me 6:04
7 Incredible 6:19
8 Beat Goes on / Kanye West 4:26
9 Dance 2night 5:03
10 Spanish Lesson 3:37
11 Devil Wouldn't Recognize You 5:08
12 Voices 3:39


REGARDED AS "ONE OF THE GREATEST POP ACTS OF ALL TIME", SHE HAS BEEN DUBBED THE "QUEEN OF POP" BY THE MEDIA

BEGINNING WITH THE RELEASE OF HER SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM IN 1983, MADONNA ROSE TO STARDOM PRODUCING THREE CONSECUTIVE NUMBER ONE STUDIO ALBUMS ON THE BILLBOARD 200; LIKE A VIRGIN (1984), TRUE BLUE (1986), AND LIKE A PRAYER (1989). THOUGH THE ENTERTAINER FACED COLDER CRITICAL RECEPTION AND MORE MODEST SALES ON SUBSEQUENT ALBUMS EROTICA (1992) AND BEDTIME STORIES (1994), SHE GARNERED CRITICAL ACCLAIM WITH THE RELEASE OF HER SEVENTH STUDIO ALBUM RAY OF LIGHT (1998), WHICH OPENED AT NUMBER TWO. MADONNA CONTINUED TO REMAIN IN THE FOREFRONT OF POP MUSIC WITH FOUR MORE CONSECUTIVE NUMBER ONE STUDIO ALBUMS; MUSIC (2000) AMERICAN LIFE (2003) CONFESSIONS ON A DANCE FLOOR (2005) AND HARD CANDY (2008).

MADONNA IS RANKED BY THE RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA AS THE "BEST SELLING FEMALE ROCK ARTIST OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY" AND THE SECOND TOP-SELLING FEMALE ARTIST IN THE UNITED STATES (BEHIND BARBRA STREISAND) WITH 63 MILLION CERTIFIED ALBUMS. ACCORDING TO GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS, SHE IS THE "WORLD’S MOST SUCCESSFUL FEMALE RECORDING ARTIST OF ALL TIME” AND THE TOP EARNING FEMALE SINGER IN THE WORLD WITH AN ESTIMATED NET WORTH OF OVER $400 MILLION, HAVING SOLD OVER 200 MILLION ALBUMS WORLDWIDE. BILLBOARD REPORTED THAT HER 2006 CONFESSIONS TOUR HOLDS THE RECORD FOR THE HIGHEST GROSSING CONCERT TOUR BY A FEMALE ARTIST. ON MARCH 10, 2008, SHE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME.

MADONNA MADE HER ACTING DEBUT WITH THE LOW-BUDGET FEATURE FILM A CERTAIN SACRIFICE (1979) AND WENT ON TO STAR IN THE 1985 BOX OFFICE HIT DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, HER FIRST STARRING ROLE. SHE THEN STARRED IN THE RELATIVELY UNSUCCESSFUL SHANGHAI SURPRISE (1986), BODY OF EVIDENCE (1993), THE NEXT BEST THING (2000) AND SWEPT AWAY (2002) — IN ADDITION TO NUMEROUS SUPPORTING ROLES AND CAMEO APPEARANCES. SHE ALSO STARRED IN THE BOX OFFICE HITS DICK TRACY (1990), A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (1992) AND EVITA (1996) — BASED ON THE MUSICAL OF THE SAME NAME, WHICH EARNED HER A GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS - MOTION PICTURE MUS

I absolutely love this album. They say it's suppose to be her last CD with WB. She's had a long career with WB and I guess it's time to move on. Every song is thumping and bumping and the grooves are all delicious and precise! Hooks and melodies that stick in your head like "She's Not Me." This is one of my favorite tracks on the CD. "Give It 2 Me" is infectious especially if you can obtain a copy of the remixes especially Eddie Amador and Paul Oakenfold's remixes! HOT! No matter how many times I listen to the album, I never seem to grow tired of this album. Beat Goes On, Miles Away, Heartbeat, Devil Wouldn't Recognize You, Candy Shop is one my other favs on the CD. 4 minutes is my least favorite. I know, sacriledge! But one can't always like everything. It's the concept I guess. However, the remixes for 4 minutes are much tastier than the original version. Especially the Peter Rauhofer Does New York remix fits the song unlike the original CD version which is lack luster. It's not so much the lyrics as the music. At any rate, Madonna made a good choice as to have Give It 2 Me as the next single. It's marvaleous. Overall you will not be disappointed. 5 Stars!

One single listening of this album is enough to fall in love with this new release from the pop diva Madonna. "Hard Candy" is a collection of twelve tracks consistent to all previous Madonna works since "Ray of Light", when she started adopting more of a pop-electronic-dance style hardly filled with slow ballads. Basically, there are no or very few connections to what she had done until "Bedtime Stories", the last album that followed a style she has begun with since her very first album in the 80s.

This album is very well produced, arrangements are well done and songs are captivating, to say the least. Those who normally follow Timbaland will certainly recognize his presence by the sound effects and producing style found on most of the tracks.

All songs from this album have a good beat, are enthusiastically played and very energizing from the rhythm standpoint. Lyrically speaking, "Miles Away" (probably about dealing with her relationship with Guy Ritchie when they are apart due to professional reasons), "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" and "Voices" are the most beautiful ones. "Give It 2 Me", "She's Not Me" (which talks about being replaced for someone else) and "Incredible" have a very provocative storyline on each. "Dance 2night" is also a beautiful song, both lyrically and musically.

So far, this is the best 2008 release in pop music.

Imagine my horror when I ran out on day one and bought this album, listened to it a couple times and just didn't get it. I thought, oh no, am I getting too old to "get" Madonna? How could this be?!!! The album has a very urban, edgy feel upon first listen. I didn't know if I could relate to it. However, I gave it a chance and listened a few more times, then voila! I GOT IT! Now I can't say enough about this album. It is catchy, groovy, has unique rhythms and very danceable, exerciseable tracks. If you've loved most of Madonna's other albums, you will love this one, too. She continues to get better with age and amaze at every pass. I highly recommend "Hard Candy." My picks for best track are "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" and "Miles Away." "Heartbeat" is a great dance track.

MMM. I don't see what the fuzz was all about. I thought the album was mediocre at best. There's a few songs that are good, I won't deny that. I love Madonna, but this album doesn't mail to disappoint all the hype.
The writing just seems so rushed to me. Like she was just trying to finish off this album to get out of her Warner contract.
I failed to hear much hip-hop in it, not that I was want to hear hip-hop. It's all so bubble gummy and for Madonna to put out music that sounds like should be done by a tween is a bit of a disappointment.
But like I said, there are some good tunes in it. "4 Minutes" is extremely catchy and you'll be humming it without even knowing it. "Give It 2 Me" is good aside from the kinda amateurish lyrics. "Heartbeat" is good as well, has that kinda cool 80's freestyle sound going on and the best song on the album by far, for me, is "Miles Away", the lyrics are smart and the music is really amazing.
All in all, it's a pretty average album, not her worst, but certainly not her best.
I usually enjoy hearing what Madonna has to say through her music, but this time around, I didn't much care for listening.

Oh yeah, and by the way, if you're thinking of getting the "Special Edition" box. Don't waste your cash. I'll spare you the disappointment. It's just a box with cd a liner booklet that probably has the same photos as the regular cd and a bag of those after dinner mint candies. They couldn't even through in a bag of Jolly Ranchers to make it look like you got something special. The bag isn't even marked. It's just a clear bag that probably came in a bundle bag of those candies that you get a Costco.