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Rating:
THE REVIEW
Madonna plays it safe this time. She rounds up the hottest producer of the moment, Timbaland, accompanied by trusty sidekick Justin Timberlake, and brings back Pharrell Williams, who has been a bit lackluster lately.
The album is a theme park of hip-hop sounds that dangerously flirt with dance and you can't help but be swept away by this album conceived almost like a party mixtape, full of inventions and ideas. The games begin in the "Candy Shop" and it's a digital tribalism that immediately shows how Pharrell is back in great shape this time. The now-popular "4 Minutes" wins listeners instead of boring them, and this is a miracle typical of Timbo's productions. Heads spin a bit on the amazing tempo shift of the next single "Give It 2 Me", which starts with a playful Lily Allen-like rhythm and then shoots up to high speeds. The rhythms and sounds remain the absolute stars of the album, but there's also room for melodies in pure '80s style, such as "Heartbeat" and "She's Not Me", which will bring a tear to the nostalgic. The chorus of "Miles Away" gets stuck in your head and won't leave, and "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" may be Timbaland's umpteenth variation of "Cry Me A River", but it still manages to enchant.
As always, Madonna succeeds in capturing the sound of the moment and perhaps the only flaw of the album is then her vocal interpretation, good but not always up to the level of truly monstrous productions.
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Summary by Bot
Madonna’s Hard Candy is a dynamic album blending hip-hop production from Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, and Justin Timberlake with catchy dance and '80s-inspired melodies. The album feels like a lively party mixtape with inventive sound play, memorable choruses, and varied tempos. While the beats and rhythms shine, Madonna's vocals occasionally fall short of the powerful production. Overall, it successfully captures the sound of the moment with energetic innovation.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Madonna
Madonna (born Madonna Louise Ciccone, August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and cultural icon who rose to prominence in the 1980s and has had a multi-decade career marked by stylistic reinventions.55 Reviews
Other reviews
By The_dull_flame
"Hard Candy should therefore be yet another turning point for Veronica Louise Ciccone, but it seems like a flop: instead of leading as she did before, now she follows the trend."
"The days of 'Ray Of Light' are long gone, but the trauma of 'Confessions On A Dancefloor' is overcome."
By Alex84
Madonna manages to dignify even the smartest pop, conveying an exaltation that many other pop singers can only dream of.
Closing an album with dignity with a song that goes straight to the ears and heart means encouraging the listener to start the album from the beginning again.
By isaac20
Madonna doesn’t revolutionize but rather involves us in a journey that is interesting, at the very least.
'Devil wouldn’t recognize you is absolutely the most authentic track on the album... It would be a first-degree crime not to release it as a single.'
By FabiettoPrayer
Confessions On A Dance Floor will be remembered as one of her most ingenious and perfect works; this one will certainly sell, it is already first, but saying the name Madonna, this album will not come to mind.
Hard Candy is an album to consume in the moment... from her, one expects decidedly better.
By tetsuoironman
"Where is the Madonna I knew? The Madonna that predicted trends without hesitation?"
"Madonna has become a funny caricature of herself, fallen at the smelly feet of any Rihanna."
