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album review
All through her career, it has been impossible to divorce Madonna's music from her image, as they feed off each other to the point where it's hard to tell which came first, the concept or the songs. Glancing at the aggressively ugly cover to Hard Candy with its blistering pinks and assaultive leather, it's hard not to wish that this is the one time Madge broke from tradition, offering music that wasn't quite as garish as her graphics. But that is not the case, and Hard Candy is all hard edges and blaring primary colors, an utterly modern, steely sex album for the new millennium, the age of Cialis and an era when Top 40 has pretty much ceased to exist. A pop artist as sharp as Madonna knows this, so she has abandoned the idea of a big crossover hit and pitches Hard Candy directly toward her core audience of club-conscious, fashion-forward trendsetters. This is a smart play, as this is the audience that has always consisted of Madonna loyalists, and it's also is a savvy way to negotiate the explosion of niches in 2008. Madonna relies on the Neptunes and the pair of Timbaland and Justin Timberlake for most of her modern makeover -- a good idea in theory as they are some of the biggest hitmakers of the decade. Sometimes this can result in reasonably appealing grooves -- "Candy Shop" captures Pharrell Williams' flair for slim, sleek grooves; "Dance 2night" conjures Timberlake's Off the Wall obsession nicely; and the icy heartbreak of "Miles Away" is a worthy successor to "What Goes Around Comes Around." But this also points out a shortcoming of Hard Candy: the tracks take precedence over the songs. Madonna's greatness has always hinged on how she channeled dance trends into pop songs, placing equal emphasis on sound and melody, which provided a neat way to sneak underground club trends into the mainstream. Here, she cedes melodic hooks to rhythmic hooks, and sounds as if she handed the reins over to Pharrell and Timba-Lake, trusting them to provide the polish. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
more albums by this artist
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- Confessions On A Dance Floor
- Released 2005
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- Ray Of Light
- Released 1998
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- Something To Remember
- Released 1995
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- Hard Candy (With Bonus Tracks)
- Released 2009
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listener reviews
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Her best yet...
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- By Suzuki Luvr
- 9/22/2008 03:54:09
- Just when we all thought it couldn't get better than "Confessions On A Dancefloor" we get blown away yet again the songs "4 Minutes" "Give It 2 Me".The day it was released it sold more than 100,000 copies!! I wound up buying mine a few days after it's release.Not one bit disappointed.I loved every last song from "Candy Shop" to "Voices".I found a site on google that lead me to a store that lets you buy her bonus tracks to the album legally,like "Ring My Bell" and "Human Nature"(Bonus track for the Sticky&Sweet Tour) with Britney Spears.Type in HARD CANDY BONUS.It should lead you there,if it still exists.My rating:5 Stars.
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Not Hard to like her Candy!
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- By CABanks77
- 5/12/2008 20:36:59
- Madonna has done it again. This is going to be one of those albums that in 10-15 years I will still be playing and dancing around the house when I am alone! Hell, I'll do it even if people are watching! I love how she reinvents herself with every album yet still remains true to herself. Not many artists today can pull that off. Cheers Madge! Or should I say Word M'Dolla!
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Sticky and Sweet
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- By paulstorm
- 5/12/2008 16:10:28
- Dig this record! Madonna does it again...smashing collabos, addictive beats, haunting choruses...this album has it all! <br/>If at first listen, it doesn't stick... try it again. :) The first run through I gave of Hard Candy, I was confused. I was hoping/expecting a continuation of Confessions on a Dance Floor. The hip-hop infusion was unexpected. Brilliant all the same! Go take a lick of Hard Candy and just try not to like it! = ]
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Loveeeee
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- By danrh
- 5/6/2008 17:18:40
- Loveeeee this album, a fun pop/club collection with no religious nor political insinuations and a great collaboration.
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