Madonna
Hard Candy

THE REVIEW

The wait is over. After the acclaimed Confessions On A Dance Floor, three years later Madonna delivers her 11th effort, Hard Candy. This album will be the last she produces under Warner, after which she will sign with Live Nation. They needed to end with a bang. 12 songs, conceived with the idea of entertaining, but also to make one reflect on the state of the world. Obviously, the goals of the album remain the same: to sell, to make people talk, and to amaze. At the queen's court are Pharrel Williams, Timbaland, Timberlake, the Neptunes, and Danja, the most popular producers.

The cover speaks for itself; more scandalous than this she couldn't find. Someone else takes care of bordering on pornography, beautiful. The first song is Candy Shop, produced with Pharrel Williams it presents with an accompaniment of tribal drums, decidedly energetic, M's voice is kept on fairly high registers. Then comes 4 Minutes, produced with Timbaland and sung in duet with Justin. This is the worst song on the album; the rhythm is catchy, but M's voice disappears, you hear only a distant echo. Timbaland serves her the usual fare and she has to make it acceptable. Luckily, Give It 2 Me follows, lifting the spirit substantially. High vocal register, sounds inspired by Britney's latest. It will probably be the next single. Heartbeat promises to be a song that will stick in your head; it is one of the most beautiful. Fantastic, the hip-hop rhythm continues along with new electronic sounds. Then come the slightly out-of-tune guitars of Miles Away. Another gem of this album. Madonna's professionalism and experience come to light, astounding you. The same goes for She's Not Me. At the beginning, you can clearly recognize sounds with strong references to Saturday Night Fever, then they merge with the main rhythm of the album. Incredible is the longest track (6:20). You can recognize a piano accompaniment, fused with bongos and synthesizer. The voice is kept on a slightly high register, keeping a rhythm parallel to the sound. Beat Goes On starts with a heartbeat, then arrives a xylophone and the usual synthesizer. In duet with Kanye West, it has a chorus that immediately sticks in your head. Dance 2night follows, with this song the album loses a bit. I check the credits and understand why, Timbaland added his touch. In the background, you can recognize a sample of Gimme More, which would be good, but the other sounds that come after ruin the product. The voice gets lost... yet it manages to stick in your head. The guitars of Spanish Lesson open the album's second part. A danceable return to La Isla Bonita. Guitar, castanets, bongos, and electronic sounds compose the melody. A melody that grabs you instantly. Madonna's voice follows the rhythm, without losing itself, remaining incisive and gritty. The piano opens Devil Wouldn't Recognize You, another stunning track. Slow, fluid, the wild dance we began with Candy Shop here takes a pause to transform into a sensual dance. A choir opens the last track of this album, Voices. The synthesizer returns, the rhythm is a bit faster than the previous song, but Madonna's voice maintains a slow and fluid flow.

In short. Hard Candy is an album to consume in the moment. 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. A work suitable for a beginner, to be consumed immediately; from her, one expects decidedly better.