In 1983, at age 11, I saved up the appropriate funds, earned from doing chores around the house, to buy Madonna’s self-titled debut record. When I had first heard “Holiday” on the radio that previous summer, I was entranced. It sounded a little like the disco my aunts and uncles used to listen to and a little like the R&B songs that were popular at the time but overall it was dripping with a confidence and personality I had never heard before.
25 years later, I’m still a fan and throughout her career Madonna has continued to produce pop songs that entered uncharted territory. Snobbishly, Madonna has produced hit singles that go against the grain, popular opinion be damned. That’s exactly why her latest release, Hard Candy, is a puzzling collection of songs that shockingly plays it safe. Producers and collaborators like Pharrell, Timbaland, and Justin Timberlake are pros at churning out ditties that are annoyingly catchy and light on lyrical content, so it’s no surprise the results for Madonna are the same as they have been for Missy Elliot, Gwen Stefani, and Ashlee Simpson. And that’s not always a good thing.
First the bad news. The opening track “Candy Shop” is a springy, albeit trite, track tricked out with vocal layering, dated sexual innuendo (“My sugar is sweet”), and the requisite thumping drum machine beats. It’s sugary for sure but like a cheap butterscotch, it’s sucked on and then quickly forgotten. “Spanish Lesson,” “Incredible,” and “The Beat Goes On” will serve their purpose on tredclimbers around the globe but a closer listen is not recommended as the weak lyrics and cliche production value might very well drive you insane. Album closer “Voices” seems to be directly lifted from the Erotica recycling bin right down to the S&M references and tired 90’s house-beat. Even a hardcore fan like myself can acknowledge the fact nearly every Madonna record has a few songs that might have been better left on the cutting room floor but never have the missteps been so glaring obvious as they are on Hard Candy.
Article comments
1 - Jennifer
Outstanding disc, easily the best of her career. It's a little early to say probably but it seems obvious enough for me to say it. "Heartbeat" is the only track I don't care for (she looses me with the ridiculous cliche 'booty get down')and it's still a decent enough song. All the other 11 tracks are remarkable - they all stand out.
I read somewhere recently someone alluding to Madonna being "pop music's greatest showoff." Hard Candy is exactly that - Madonna showing off in spades why she is the greatest pop star of her generation and why she still commands the attention of a substantial segment of teenagers who find room for her new record on their shelves alongside Beyonce and Rihanna. They know, as Madonna proclaims on "She's Not Me" that she "can do it better."
2 - myreview
I'm sorry but i dont share your point of view. I think working with timbaland/williams was a mistake.
Those guys have talent but they are music factories that produce over and over the same music for years.
Take the songs, replace madonna by another singer the result will sound the same.
There's nothing original in this album. Too much noise not enough music. Take 4mn as an example, vocals are way behind the "music" and madonna is just featuring Timberlake.
It wont be reminded, in 6 months it will be over im pretty sure.
Too bad, i've always been a fan of madonna because she knew how to evolve.
Well at least, it's not her last album, let's hope the next one will be better
3 - sidan
yes the album is pretty boring… i hated the first listen. thought it grew on me on second listen but i haven’t had even the slightest desire to listen to it after that - something very unusual with me and a Madonna record. what a way to end her contract with Warners! and the saddest part is reading her interviews where she talks about the songwriting process on this album - i don't think it is worth talking about and this is coming from a 25-year-long fan. Music and American Life were great and Confessions had some gems. this is just so NOT her. big disappointment even if it ends up selling 10 million - the music on it will still sound the same. and she better get her moves going cause if the 40 minutes show she’s been pulling is anything remotely similar to what she plans for her next tour then it’s gonna be a major disappointment in that area too. still, i think she’s gonna bounce back with something so unbelievable and unexpected with her next album. till then - sorry…