Hard Candy - Madonna

Hard Candy is the eleventh studio album from the chameleon of pop colloquially known as Madonna and the follow up to her 2005's hugely successful Confessions On A Dancefloor album. Throughout her career, which spans three decades she has consistently proved to have her finger on the musical pulse and her ability to re-invent herself to capitalise on the trend of the moment is one of the most important factors that has contributed towards her phenomenal success. Another factor that has contributed towards the success of the world's biggest selling female artist is her ability to surround herself with the hottest people of the moment. Hard Candy ...  Read the complete review

I've never been that into Madonna. She's sleazy and seedy in all the wrong ways. For years now, she's shocked her way into relevance with lesbian kisses, bondage sessions on film, and unneccessary rants at kids concerts which involves far too many expletives. Nearing 50, Madonna still hasn't grasped the fact that you can be controversial without acting like a 12 year old who has just discovered the "f*ck" word. But every now and then, she comes up with a record that is just good enough to forgive her her stupid diversion antics and her thin voice. Her last album Confessions On A Dancefloor cleverly borrowed beats and sounds from a bygone era and minced ...  Read the complete review

A review of the standard twelve-track album that is available in physical or digital versions. A version with thirteen tracks was available on iTunes for a short period of time. For a lady who just clocked up her fiftieth year on the planet, you have to hand it to Madonna. As a recording artist and a celebrity, she is constantly in the limelight and has a staggering discography of singles and albums. The singer has now re-established herself as a recording artist so many times that associating the words 're-invention' and 'Madonna' is almost a cliché in itself. Largely produced by The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo for those unfamiliar ...  Read the complete review

If ever there was an artist that did not require an introduction it would be Madonna, the Maradona of the music industry and the most successful solo female artist in the world. 'Hard Candy' comes as Madonna's eleventh album spanning over a career that first began in 1982, and will be the last album of original material released from her on the current contract -- although you could say it is a certainity that she shall continue to be present in the studio despite being a few months over her 50th birthday. The butt of many jokes, it is undeniable that shall still looks in great condition as she jumps around in leotards, and doesn't exactly fit in with the half-dead, ...  Read the complete review

I didn't believe it was possible to release an entire album of 'growers'. Hard Candy has proved me wrong. To be fair, as someone who is not all that fond of hip hop, I may have been subconsciously willing myself to dislike it, given the Timbaland/Pharrell production. In truth, I found it less hip hop and more the kind of dance based retro-vision that only Madonna can quite pull off. It successfully incorporates inspirations from the 70s, 80s and 90s whilst giving it a contemporary edge that feels so on the cusp of being ahead of it's time that it appears to arrive at exactly the perfect point in time. Hard Candy consists of 12 tracks: CANDY ...  Read the complete review