Hard Candy - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Album Description
Japanese pressing of Madonna's 2008 full-length album includes one bonus track, 'Ring My Bell'. Hard Candy is a brilliant uptempo collection that adds a hip-hop beat to the cultural icon's club sensibilities, thanks to collaborations with Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, and Nate "Danja" Hills. Hard Candy punctuates the first 25 years of the album career of the most successful female artist in history with a musical exclamation point. 12 tracks..

Customer Reviews: Read 471 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

Full of flavor, though a bit bittersweet May 1, 2008
185 out of 218 found this review helpful

SUMMARY: Madonna's final album for Warner Brothers is by no means her best, but it's a fitting swan song for the artist who anchored the label for the past quarter-century. A lot of the reviews for this album are missing the mark, either overzealous in its defense, or obtusely critical in the hope of shining the spotlight on another artist. 'Hard Candy' is a mixed bag of true gems and questionable choices, but it's quintessentially Madonna.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: When Madonna hits the mark, no one does it better, and even her detractors would be hard-pressed to name another artist of her caliber. Despite what others have said, no two Madonna albums are the same, which is why she has remained one of the most relevant artists in the past twenty-five years. While a few of the songs here are reminiscent of earlier works (in a good way), they're also very much current and a part of her ever-evolving musicality. 'Hard Candy' is thus at once an homage and a contemporary statement. There's no shortage of danceable material here, and few artists are willing to take the chances in which Madonna revels.

WHY YOU WON'T: Several of the tracks are overproduced, and Madonna's vocals are all but lost in their delivery. Noticeably absent is the vocal maturation she has consistently displayed since Evita. Her voice is high and thin - as it was in the early days, and which is unfortunately drawing comparisons to Britney Spears (who really is nothing more but a poorly-conceived clone) - but she mostly makes it work for these tracks. 'Candy Shop' is truly an abysmal song, despite its irony, and was a poor choice to open the album. The less said about '4 Minutes', the better, but don't make the mistake of judging the entire CD by its lead single - the whole of 'Hard Candy' has a distinctly different flavor than this disposable track.

BOTTOM LINE: Madonna is not interested in repeating herself, so fans who are expecting 'Confessions II' will be vastly disappointed. Many are proclaiming that Madonna is simply reproducing the recent efforts of the bevy of pop songstresses (Mariah, Britney, Christina, Nelly, Gwen, etc.) currently populating the landscape. Not true. She was here long before them and, in the cases of many of them, will be here long after they fade away; it is they who owe a debt to her. Those who understand Madonna, however, and who get her sense of humor, her irony, her deliberateness, and who know enough to look beneath the deceptively simple lyrics, will be pleased to add this to their collection. Standout tracks include 'Heartbeat' (which should be the next single), 'Miles Away', 'She's Not Me', and 'Devil Wouldn't Recognize You'.

1 out of 5 stars

Flat and flavorless, Hard Candy evaporates while you're listening to it... May 3, 2008
159 out of 274 found this review helpful

Let's be blunt: this is the worst CD of Madonna's decades-long career - and trust me, I thought AMERICAN LIFE was the dregs, too. Flat, flavorless, boring, uninspiring, and shallow, this is the best krap money can buy. She hired a gauntlet of high-priced "hot" producers and hoped if they supplied "urban contemporary" beats, she'd just phone it in over the top from London. The typically cynical, played-out formula adds a little bit GWEN, a pinch of JUSTIN, and a whole lot of lazy, tired Timbaland/Pharrell beats - toss in a whiff of self-absorption and utter pretention, and you'll get a dose of HARD CANDY. That's just what she did - a desperate, cash-in, sell-out ploy to set up her next global tour/merchandising juggernaut. As you try in vain to listen to each track, you find yourself pressing FAST FORWARD as they each evaporate before your ears until you're left with nothing...except the receipt from buying this CD. Worse than embarrassing, wholly irrelevant and straight-up plain ol' BAD.

1 out of 5 stars

Madonna Sells Out May 18, 2008
56 out of 85 found this review helpful

Saying Madonna has 'sold out' is a bit ironic since she's spent 25 years cannily positioning herself in the ever-changing musical landscape. Yet despite that marketing savvy, Madonna would have faded away long ago but for her habit of consistently taking chances in content and sound.

For a pop star, Madonna has taken huge risks over her career. From brazenly embracing the pop slut image on Like A Virgin to the moral commentary of 'Papa Don't Preach' to the confessional content of Like a Prayer to the overt sexuality of Erotica to the techno/spirituality of Ray of Light to the darker sound and statements of American Life, Madonna has always challenged what pop can be and say. No matter what window dressing she's wrapped in, Madonna always came through in her music.

This is why Hard Candy is such a complete failure. You won't find Madonna making any statements - or saying anything much really - on Hard Candy, and she certainly doesn't push the envelop in sound or content. In fact, if you've bought anything the producers on Hard Candy have made in the last year, you have already heard this CD. But don't blame them; they regurgitated their 'sound' exactly as they were paid to do. Bottom line: Hard Candy could have come from any brainless pop tart with the cash to pay the prostitutes (ahem, sorry, producers) who work on this CD.

There's little point in discussing individual songs, since they all have the same generic sound. The title track has a wicked bump to it, but the lame lyrics render it strictly PG in terms of actual heat generated. 'Give It 2 Me' is admittedly a solid, and very catchy, dance song. However, 'Dance 2night' - with its pop groove and message of self-empowerment - is the only song that sounds like Madonna actually showed up. And this is ultimately the reason Hard Candy is vapid, dead between the ears, and frankly dull: for the first time in her career Madonna doesn't bring anything to the table.

Hard Candy's lack of personality and the way it blends into the miasma of the current music scene forces me to theorize about why it was made at all. It sounds like a marketing move by Madonna to fill the void left by Britney Spears being out of commission. Just a guess, but I honestly can't imagine any other reason the most compelling pop artist in history would tarnish her catalog with this embarrassing, unmitigated failure.

5 out of 5 stars

Madonnas new album Hard Candy is sweet music but no Ray of Light! April 29, 2008
39 out of 47 found this review helpful

Madonna brings us her latest album Hard Candy and it does not disappoint. The album is full of dance club hits with a splash of r and b mixed in. This is another good album from the biggest selling and Most Successful Female Recording Artist In History. I meant to give this album 4 out of 5 stars but I can not change it. If you are expecting a genius record like Ray of Light, Music, Confessions, or American Life (yes that was a great NOT political album at all) you will be disappointed, but if you are looking for fun care free music you will really enjoy this.

CANDY SHOP is a great song to start off the album. The song is a very energetic song that is similar to the version that was leaked months ago, but this one has more beats and layers added to it. She seems to be having a blast singing this and brings back lots sexual innuendos for this song. Madonna sings "All the suckers are not all we sell in the store. Chocolate kisses so good you'll be beggin' for more. Don't pretend you're not hungry I've got plenty to eat. Come on in to my store cause my sugar is sweet!" This is a great song that will get you in the mood for the dance club or for working out at the gym. I do wish the album would have opened with a stronger song though because this one is a bit weak for an opening song.

4 MINUTES was the first single from Madonna's Hard Candy album. The song is a very energetic radio friendly track that stays in your head. After being ignored by U.S. radio stations with her last 2 albums American Life, and Confessions on A Dance Floor, Madonna decided to take a different direction and work with hit makers Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. The result forced radio to no longer ignore Madonna and 4 Minutes became her most radio friendly hit in years. Madonna sings "I want somebody to speed it up for me then take it down slow there's enough room for both." The song peaked at 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Madonna's 37th top ten hit pushing her past Elvis Presley as the artist with the most top 10 hits in history. 4 Minutes hit 1 on the Hot 100 Digital Song charts and is expected to bring her total sales for the single to over 1 million in just 5 weeks out it being out.

GIVE IT TO ME is the next single to be released. The song also has a catchy beat that will sure get the dance floor crowd going. Once the chorus starts the club feel kicks in with the synths and Madonna sings "Give it to me, Yeah No one's gonna show me how. Give it to me, Yeah No one's gonna stop me now." This is a great choice as the second single and shows Madonna still can come out with one heck of a killer dance tune! The remix that is on the Hard Candy Deluxe edition from Itunes is a great remix, and makes me wish believe the remixes of some of these songs might just outshine their originals.

HEARTBEAT is one of my many favorite tracks on the new album. The song opens with a heartbeat sound and some synths, and has an amazing beat. The song has a great r and b/dance feel to it and is sure to heat up the charts and the clubs. Madonna sings "This complicated life I try to do my best. I always tell myself it's all just a test. For me it's an escape cause dancing makes you beautiful." Heartbeat is classic Madonna in top form and one of the best songs on the album! I wish Madonna would have stayed more in tune with songs like this on the new album.

MILES AWAY is the closet thing to a ballad on the album. It starts out with a guitar and then turns in to an upbeat song with some sad lyrics in which Madonna sings "When no one's around then I have you here. I begin to see the picture, it becomes so clear. You always have the biggest heart, when we're six thousand miles apart." This is one a beautiful slow songs Madonna, but lacks the power of her true ballads.

SHE'S NOT ME has a funky beat to it in which Madonna describes is about the ultimate jilted lover. Madonna sings "She started dying her hair and wearing the same perfume as me. She's started reading my books and stealing my looks and lingerie." This Madonna song brings us back to those Thief of Hearts Erotica days.

INCREDIBLE is another great song that I really dig. It has a very positive message and an amazing rhythm. Madonna sings "Remembering the very first time you caught that some ones' specials eye. And all of your care dropped, and all of the world just stopped." The song takes a interesting turn at the 3 minutes and 53 second mark when the synths once again kick in and the song gets a little more dancy. I think if the song jumps around a bit too much, and if it would have stayed more consistent or been shortened by a minute or two it would have made the song that much better.

THE BEAT GOES ON is a much better version than the song that was leaked a few months ago. This is a groovy song that seems to have a Marvin gay feel to it. Kanye West makes a special rap cameo on this track and it surprisingly works really well. Madonna sings "You don't have the luxury of time you've got to say what's on your mind. Your head lost in the stars, you'll never go far it's time for you to read the signs." This is another song I ended up enjoying even though it has a rap sequence in it.

DANCE 2NIGHT is a mellow song with a funky 80's retro beat to it is which Madonna once again sings with Justin Timberlake. Madonna sings "You don't have to be beautiful to be understood. You don't have to be rich and famous to be good. You just gotta give more more more than you ever have before." When the song reaches the 4 minute and 22 second mark it sounds like something off of Justin Timberlake's last album. Good song but something seems to be missing and it just seems to be a bit too bland for what we have come to expect from Madonna.

SPANISH LESSON has a very urban tribal beat to it. To me this is the albums weakest song and my least favorite song on the album. The beat is very interesting to say the least but the silly lyrics and the beat just don't seem to do it for me. Madonna sings "If you do your homework maybe I will give you more. When you do your homework get up on the dance floor." I think this song takes away from the quality of the album, and wish there would have been a better song put in its place.

THE DEVIL WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU is a song a lover who can fool everyone but their partner. The song has samples of thunderstorms and rain that add to the very dramatic beat of the song. Madonna sings "Waiting underneath the stars there's something you should know. The angels they surround my heart telling me to let you go." This is a song that takes close listening to the lyrics to really appreciate this gem. The song sounds very similar to Justin Timberlakes "Cry Me a River."

VOICES is a slow song about a person who seems to enjoy playing with others emotions. Very nice beat with Madonna singing in a monotone sort of voice. Madonna sings "First you say you love me. Then you wanna leave me. Then you say you're sorry you play the game so well. I bought your illusion you're the greatest salesman. How could I refuse you when you sold it to yourself?" To me this is one of the weaker songs on the album and one of my least favorites.

The album is very good, but it is no Ray of Light. By no means is this a bad album, but she has had better ones. After listening to it just seems like Madonna's voice is all over the place. I know the girl can sing, (think Ray of Light, Express Yourself, You'll See) but it seems like here her voice is not showcased to the best of its abilities, and comes across at times as very teeny bopper and a just plain weak. I love Madonna and really wanted to give the album five stars, but in all fairness she has done better albums and I expected more from her. I will say it's hard to believe Madonna has been with us forever changing and evolving for over 25 years. Very few artists have had the staying power this woman has had. It is nice to see someone who has not become a victim of celebrity, but a true survivor who leads a clean life and is one heck of a business woman. Even as she approaches 50 she still teaches us all that it's never too late to become a better version of yourself!!!

5 out of 5 stars

Review of Madonna's "Hard Candy" April 29, 2008
39 out of 55 found this review helpful

"Hard Candy" is not "Confessions on a Dance Floor" but it's just as good and appealing. Madonna strikes out again to conquer the dance floor with songs that have a more urban flavor to them but remains true to her pop roots. I'd say many of the songs keep with a disco/throw-back sound without the sound effects and overly-processed voices from her past few albums of the 2000s. Best yet, Madonna really does shine in this effort by offering a sampling of songs that are upbeat, fun, containing hidden gems and surprises that'll satisfy most listeners.

While I felt `4 Minutes' was a weak song (though catchy and entertaining) and featured Justin Timberlake more than it did her, the other songs on "Hard Candy" are far better and classic Madonna. The best songs are those produced by Pharrell and The Neptunes who really offer her a fresh sound with great dance beats. `Heartbeat' is a must listen with the great Madonna message of embracing dance as a way of salvation and ignoring the hang ups that come with age. It also contains a great breakdown section, something that's new for Madonna and adds a new edge to her songs produced by this group. `Give it 2 Me' is very pop and in-your-face, anthem-like with Madonna proclaiming she can't be stopped. `Miles Away' offers the album a great pop ballad, perhaps her best ballad since the "American Life" track `Love Profusion'.

The other tracks are fun and keep from being filler tracks. The only track that I'm not entirely sold on is `Spanish Lesson' though it contains a great breakdown with Madonna taking on the school-master persona and demanding we the listeners do our homework and she'll give us more work. The album begins to step away from the dance theme with the last two tracks, offering an odd but still entertaining serious view of Madonna. I thought `Voices' was a near epic song and good choice to close out this chapter of her career, with Madonna asking who really is in control and ending with church bells rather than the clicking clocks that run throughout "Confessions on a Dancefloor" and this album.

In all, this was definitely a pleasant surprise. If you're afraid this is Madonna mid-life crisis attempt to compete with big artist of right now, don't. Though she works with some big names in Hip-Hop, this is just as pop as "Confessions" and fun and dance-like, with Madonna being less preachy and simply giving us more to dance to than to think about. Some of the Timbaland/Justin Timberlake tracks do seem a bit tame and lacking the fun, light spirit Pharrell and The Neptunes injected into her songs, but in all, it's good. "Hard Candy" offers a little something for everyone, just as the lead song suggests. This is one cd you'll want to add to your collection and thus far one of the best to come out in 2008 thus far.

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