Revue: "Hard Candy" par AP.


Music Review: Madonna's 'Hard Candy' aims for urban dance
By SOLVEJ SCHOU, Associated Press Writer

Madonna, "Hard Candy," (Warner Bros.) 

Madonna may be a 49-year-old working mom pushing 50, but she still loves her dance floor, her catsuits and her pop hooks.
She's also an expert chameleon, co-opting current musical tastes for her own pleasure. In the case of "Hard Candy," her final studio album for Warner Bros. following a landmark deal with concert promoter Live Nation, Madonna aims high, enlisting two of music's heavyweight producers — Timbaland and the Neptunes.
The album jumps off the disco of 2005's "Confession on a Dancefloor" with thunderous, uptempo club grinds but also some surprisingly dark moments. The Neptunes — the production duo of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo — add retro-synth beats while Timbaland punches up the power R&B, along with Justin Timberlake and Nate (Danja) Hills.
Madonna co-wrote and co-produced the album's 12 tracks, which swerve from the psychedelic-horn blitz of the Timbaland-produced hit "4 Minutes" to the swooping drama of "Voices."
The album's sound is not original: After all, the Neptunes and Timbaland are arguably the most ubiquitous hitmakers in the business, and have done the urban dance pop treatment for the likes of Gwen Stefani and Nelly Furtado (Chad Hugo and Timbaland are even on the new Ashlee Simpson record — enough said). But while the tunes are not edgy, they still make your booty shake.
"My sugar is raw/ Sticky and sweet," Madonna intones on the Neptunes-produced intro "Candy Shop," fusing heavy beats with "Like A Virgin" coy sex appeal and a later falsetto reminiscent of Britney Spears.
"4 Minutes," one of the album's best tunes, explodes with Timbaland's repetition of "fricke-fricke-four minutes!" as Madonna and Timberlake exchange shout-outs. Their voices, oozed through thick production, complement each other nicely (although their sexual repartee can feel a bit forced).
On "Confessions on a Dancefloor," Madonna delved into her religious beliefs with a song about Kabbalah; on 2003's "American Life," she jumped into political commentary. Here, she steers clear of family, religion and politics, sticking to mainstream fodder: sex, dancing, relationships. But there are three tunes that shed the party vibe and reveal some necessary vulnerability.
"Miles Away" laments being far away from a love, while "Voices" focuses on demons plaguing a romance. "The Devil Wouldn't Recognize You," made theatric by an interlude of thunder and rain, recalls Timberlake's bitter hit "Cry Me A River" (produced by Timbaland). Touching on manipulation following a dead relationship, Madonna croons over a dark pop refrain, "I've been on that ledge before, you can't hide yourself from me."
However, there's still a tendency on "Hard Candy" toward too many throwaway dance cliches. "Get stupid, get stupid, don't stop," she proclaims teen-style on "Give It To Me," a catchy synth jam with sputtering riffs sure to be another single.
The lyrics pick up on anthem "She's Not Me." In feisty form, over funky bass and guitar lines and electro claps, Madonna let's her diva flag fly: "She started reading my books and stealing my looks and lingerie... she's not me and she never will be," she sings, slamming a gal trying to cop her style and take her man.
Disappointingly, "Beat Goes On," Madonna's outing with Kanye West, recedes into retro disco territory with a tired callout: "Get down, beep beep, gotta get up out of your seat." Yawn.
Still, the beats boom out loud and clear. Madonna may be strutting her way into AARP-teritory but she still belongs on that forever shimmering dance floor.
___

CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: Save for its overly dramatic "Phantom of the Opera" swell of violins, "Voices" closes out "Hard Candy" with a catchy yet philosophical slant. "Who is the master? Who is the slave?" Timberlake trills to his Material Girl maestro. We wonder that too.

Source: AP.

"Hard Candy" confirme le flair de Madonna pour la musique... et les affaires.


by Paul Ricard
Thu Apr 24, 2:17 AM ET

PARIS (AFP) - Madonna takes music stores worldwide by storm in the next few days with a new hip hop-influenced album "Hard Candy", her last on the Warner label before taking up her astronomical contract with US concert promoter Live Nation.
The record hits shelves in Europe on Friday, the artist's native United States on April 29, and the rest of the world on April 28.
Announcing "Hard Candy", Madonna described the title as "a juxtaposition of tough and sweetness."
The oxymoron sums up her undeniable artistic flair on the sweet side and hard-nosed businesswoman's acumen on the other.
In her 11th studio album, Madonna, who turns 50 on August 16, shows both she can adapt to the times and get the right people on board.
After using Britain's Stuart Price for her last album, neo-disco "Confessions on a dance floor", this time round former N-Sync singer Justin Timberlake, as well as hip hop stars Timbaland and Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes, wrote and produced the 12 tracks.
All three are tops in hip hop and R'n'B urban music, and as producers Timbaland and Pharrell Williams have made one of the best sounds yet over the last few years.
The Material Girl's last album offers little surprises. Though the lyrics are run-of-the-mill, the tracks work due to remarkably good production and a contemporary feel marked by a Timbaland/Neptunes sound.
Her single "Four Minutes" this week set a record by topping the British singles charts as her 13th number one single -- the most by any female solo artist. The next closest female solo artist is Kylie Minogue, who has seven.
The clip, which features Justin Timberlake, was made by France's Jonas & Francois, who produced electro duo Justice's well-known "D.A.N.C.E."
Warner hopes "Hard Candy" will do as well as the 2005 "Confessions" which sold 8.5 million worldwide. To help the launch, Madonna is giving three private concerts, in New York on April 30, Paris on May 6 and London on May 11.
Her next studio records will be with Live Nation after a ground-breaking 120-million-dollar (78-million-euro) deal with the concert promoter to handle all her artistic output over 10 years.
The deal, the first of its kind involving a major artist, is expected to see the 49-year-old pop culture icon cement her status as the world's highest paid female singer, giving her a lucrative mix of cash and stock.
In return, Live Nation will be granted the rights to studio albums as well as the right to promote concert tours, sell merchandise and license Madonna's name.
Traditional record labels are keen to sign stars on similar deals as the music industry adjusts to the new realities of the digital download revolution, which has caused plunging CD sales.
Increasingly, music industry players are seeking to secure wide-ranging deals that allow them to tap into multiple revenue streams, such as endorsements, concert ticketing and merchandising.
"The paradigm in the music business has shifted and as an artist and a business woman, I have to move with that shift," Madonna said last October when the deal ws announced.
"For the first time in my career, the way that my music can reach my fans is unlimited. I've never wanted to think in a limited way and with this new partnership, the possibilities are endless."

Source: AFP.

"Hard Candy" en avant-première: 30 sec de l'intro de chaque chanson sur VH-M.com.


Click the pic below. Cliquez sur l'image ci-dessous.


Note: the clips are different from the previous ones from here:
Listen to a part of each song of Madonna's new album ''Hard Candy''


Note: les extraits sont différents des précédents d'ici:
Ecoutez une partie de chaque chanson du nouvel album de Madonna "Hard Candy".

 

Ecoutez une partie de chaque chanson du nouvel album de Madonna "Hard Candy".

Click the pic below. Cliquez sur l'image ci-dessous.

 

Revue: "Hard Candy" de Madonna par The Independent.


Album: Madonna, Hard Candy (Warner Brothers)
Reviewed by Andy Gill
Friday, 11 April 2008

Hard Candy: we're supposed to read the title as a self-congratulatory pun on Madonna herself, a sweet soft centre in a crisp hardbody shell; but there's another, more telling pun here, reflecting how a once diverse talent has ossified into simply satisfying the sweet tooth of functional dance-pop.
Why else would she turn to off-the-peg hit-machines The Neptunes, Timbaland and Justin Timberlake, after such success with more adventurous producers like Mirwais, William Orbit and Stuart Price? There are a few ear-catching moments – a flamenco guitar flourish, a Twin Peaks-flavoured synth pad, a section of chiming bells – but they're only tantalising glimpses of a world beyond the perfunctory duties suggested by titles like "Dance 2night" and "Beat Goes On".
The album's ultimately saved by its most ambitious offerings: the Mardi Gras marching-band bumping rumbustiously along in "4 Minutes", and "Devil Wouldn't Recognise You", which contains a glorious Beach Boys-style harmony cascade and the most intriguing melody on the disc, full of the enticing shadows and mystery absent in the other glitterball disco-stompers.
Pick of the album: 'Devil Wouldn't Recognise You', '4 Minutes', 'Give It 2 Me'.

Revue: "Hard Candy" de Madonna par la radio de Londres 'Capital 95.8'.


First Listen: Madonna - Hard Candy
This afternoon we went to a brilliantly decorated room in East London to hear the new Madonna album while sipping champagne & eating jelly beans. Sounds good huh? Well it was! Anyone fearing a full on urban attack - don't worry. 'Hard Candy' is full of long disco pop songs - it just has some heavy beats! Here's our track by track rundown:

1. Candy Shop: Here we go! Madonna wants to be our '1-stop candy shop - your lollipop'. Yum! This is produced by The Neptunes and is filled with bleeps and swirls. It ends with a 'sticky but sweet' rap by Pharrell.

2. Four Minutes To Save The World: You all know this one!

3. Give It To me: Not a Furtado/Timbo cover but a Pharrell track that's going to be the 2nd single. Let us tell you now - it's mindblowingly amazing. There's cowbells, twinkles and a funny vocoder you might have heard on 'Music'. Think old school pop Madonna but fired up at 300 mph. There's a funky break near the end where Madonna shouts 'don't stop!', the music stops and a male voice sings 'left to the right'

4. Heartbeat: 'Probably the 3rd single', Heartbeat has a synthy 80s sounding intro. Madge tells us that 'when I dance I feel free!'. There's something about the melody when she sings 'you know I feel it in my Heartbeat' that's really cute!.

5. Miles Away: This starts deceptively with guitar that reminds us of 'Don't Tell Me'. Is it going to be a ballad? Course not silly! 5 seconds in and here comes a pounding bassline. 'I just woke up from a fuzzy dream, you won't believe the things I've seen.' This is the first song that doesn't hold our attention all the way but it's got a dreamy ending.

6. She's Not Me: It starts with 4 claps and then all hell breaks loose. This is the tale of a jilted lover and has about 7 different elements. It sounds kind of like a sequel to 'Deeper and Deeper' with the passion, the fastness and the twirls. Totally hypnotic - it's a Timberlake/land production but it could come straight from the disco house of Nile Rodgers. Oh and it would mix into Anita Ward's 'Ring My Bell' perfectly. Also it's REALLY LONG.

7. Incredible: The slowest track so far, but it's full of strange noises. It's kind of what 'Cherish' might sound like if it was looped and scratched up by a DJ. A sweet solo piano maintains the sweetness under the nasty dirty bass that's everywhere else, but that bass is totally needed to stop it being smaltzy. It ends with a drum breakdown, that we're sure wil be replaced with a beatboxer on tour, and lots of sexy 'OOH's.

8. Beat Goes On: Featuring Mr Kanye West, this is a full on party disco song. 'On and on, the beat goes - you don't have the luxury of time - say what's on your mind'. It has a 'BEEP BEEP' bit that totally reminds us of Donna Summer "Bad Girl" (youtube it - it's awesome!). Then there's some dreamy sounding chords and up pops Kanye for a rap with some 'Like A Prayer' HEY!s going on underneath him.

9. Dance 2night: Not a Paul McCartney cover! This is a bit downbeat sounding, but it's still not a ballad. It's just a bit dark. Wise ol' Madonna tells us all that 'You don't have to be beautiful to be understood. You don't have to be rich & famous to be good'.

10. Spanish Lessons: She's always loved throwing a bit of Spanish into her songs and now here's a full on Spanish assault! Think matador trumpets and bullfighting. Plus learn her language and you might get lucky - "You're so loco & you drive me crazy. If you do your homework maybe I will give it up"

11. Devil Wouldn't Recognize You: The 2nd best song on the album, this is 'Cry Me A River' 5 years later, and sung by Madonna. It's got a gorgeous sad, synth opener which is suddenly compounded by hynotizing bleeps. Queen Madge sings 'Over and over you're pushing me onto the floor and I keep coming back for more'. It's still not a ballad though. Hooray!

12. Voices: And we're at the end. Boo hoo.  It's a creepy sounding ending though and it's almost as if a song off 'Erotica' has been brought up to date with lyrics like 'Who is the master, who is the slave' and 'Are you walking the dog or is that dog walking you'.

So there we have it. Course when we listen to it all again we'll probably completely change our mind about our favourite tracks!
As massive Madonna fans we're very happy that she hasn't gone off the rails as feared. It's simply a Madonna pop album for 2008 which starts out having a full on party and ends in that dark corner Ms Ciccone knows so well.
Are you excited?

Revue: "Hard Candy" de Madonna par Dean Piper.


Madonna’s Hard and Delicious Candy: My review….
Hard Candy drops on April 28th but I have already been fortunate to have a sneak listen to the record at an exclusive playback in London today. A handful of journos piled into 3 Rooms in Shoreditch to hear it.
The decor was totally fab - giant candy emblazoned with Madge pictures and a lovely little goddie bag featuring all M’s latest pictorials.
So the album. Overall it’s easily as good as Confessions…..if not better. It’s a dancefloor filler from start to finish. At times I’d say there’s a bit too much going on with some of the tracks but it’s a fun album that I reckon could exceed the last album in global success. I only had one little listen but here’s my initial thoughts on the album! And a picture of me and my Madonna branded lolly! I got a D for….Dean! Ha ha.

1. Candy Shop - “Come into my store, we got candy galore,” Madge purrs. It’s a little less frantic as 4 Minutes but a good single if it were to be released - definitely catchy.

2. 4 Minutes - A killer tune that we already know and love.

3. Give it 2 Me - She’s just filmed the video for this track, the second single. It starts off with an Abba twinge and it’s almost circusy. It gets almost techno and rave style towards the end and there’s some enjoyable heavy mechanical voice work towards the end. It’s a definite radio hit.

4. Heartbeat - starts off with the sound of a beating heart. This track sticks in your head - it feels like an ace track from the Bedtime Stories era.

5. Miles Away - An acoustic guitar starts at the beginning. It’s vocally very Madonna and possibly a little Ray Of Lightish! It’s all over the internet on You Tube if you fancy a listen…..

6. She’s Not Me - This song feels very personal - is she yelling and screeching at hubby Guy’s ex Tania Strecker (who Madonna pushed out the way to get Guy) when she squeals: “She’s not me and she never will be!” There’s anger and it’s great.

7. Incredible - It’s very happy as a record. Has a furious ending that goes on and on. It’s fairly dark and gets very NERD-ish towards the end.

8. Beat Goes On - Disco number and very fun. It’s electro with a hip hop edge and has a great orchestral bit. One of my favourite tracks.

9. Dance Tonight - It feels like the ‘Forbidden Love’ track of the album. It’s smooth and sexier than most tracks on the album. Dancy towards the end and feels like proper old school Madge.

10. Spanish Lessons - The gypsy guitar is out and proud. I wanted to walk around the room click my fingers and slamming my feet on the floor.

11. Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You - I really wanted to listen to this one again big time! Stand out track for me - that’s what I wrote down but I was mingling around at the time and have memory loss annoyingly!

12. Voices - “Who is the master and who is the slave,” Madge asks. It’s dramatic with strings and slightly more laid back and chilled. A good end to a fab new album.

Two versions of Madonna's "Hard Candy" are available to pre-order on most iTunes stores from today.

"Hard Candy":
- Bonus track: "Ring My Bell" (Exclusive pre-order)
- Digital booklet

"Hard Candy - Deluxe Version":
- includes 2 remixes of "4 Minutes"
- Secret Bonus (Remix)
- Bonus Track: "Ring My Bell" (Exclusive pre-order)
- Digital booklet


"Hard Candy" disponible en pré-achat sur iTunes.

Deus versions de "Hard Candy" de Madonna sont disponibles en pré-commande sur la plupart des iTunes à partir d'aujourd'hui.

"Hard Candy":
- Bonus track: "Ring My Bell" (Exclusif en pré-achat)
- Digital booklet

"Hard Candy - Deluxe Version":
- 2 remixes de "4 Minutes" inclus
- Secret Bonus (Remix)
- Bonus Track: "Ring My Bell" (Exclusif en pré-achat)
- Digital booklet

The French group of mobile phones SFR is not part of operators of the group Vodafone who will offer from April 21st to their customers the possibility to download in preview seven titles from Madonna's new album "Hard Candy", clarified on Wednesday Vodafone.
Are concerned: UK, Greece, India, Italy, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, Portugal, Rumania, Hungary and Belgium.

Madonna ne chantera pas sur les téléphones SFR.

Le groupe de téléphonie mobile français SFR ne fait pas partie des opérateurs du groupe Vodafone qui offriront à partir du 21 avril à leur clientèle la possibilité de télécharger en avant-première sept titres du nouvel album de Madonna "Hard Candy", a précisé mercredi Vodafone.
Mardi, le géant britannique de la téléphonie mobile, qui a plus de 250 millions de clients dans le monde, avait annoncé que sept des douze titres du nouvel album de Madonna, "Hard Candy", qui sortira à partir du 28 avril, seraient disponibles progressivement dès le 21 avril pour "ses clients dans le monde", via le service Vodafone Live!
Cette annonce avait été faite en association avec Warner Music et la chanteuse elle-même.
Sont concernés en fait les clients au Royaume-Uni, en Grèce, en Inde, en Italie, en Afrique du Sud, en Espagne, en Turquie, au Portugal, en Roumanie, en Hongrie et en Belgique, a détaillé Vodafone mercredi.

Source: Jean-Marc Morandini.

Vodafone, Warner Music International and Madonna Announce Global Mobile Launch of 'Hard Candy' in New Deal
18 March 2008

Vodafone, the world’s largest mobile operator by revenue, and Warner Music International (WMI) have completed an agreement allowing new music and mobile content from Madonna’s highly anticipated new “Hard Candy” album to be distributed and promoted exclusively to Vodafone customers around the world, prior to the April 28th global release of Madonna’s 11th studio album for Warner Bros. Records.
Starting on April 21st, a total of seven tracks from “Hard Candy”, with songs by the multi-platinum, Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and video visionary, will be released at a rate of one a day counting down the week before the album is available. Each track will remain live for 24 hours for download before being replaced by the next one.
In addition, Vodafone customers in selected markets including Spain, Portugal, Germany and Belgium will get exclusive mobile access to the newly released single “4 Minutes”, effective immediately.
As part of this unique music experience, Vodafone customers in all participating territories will have access to Madonna’s mini site on Vodafone live! which will include one week of exclusive, associated mobile content, including ringtones, ringback tones and SMS tones.
“As the number one digital music service provider in the mobile telecommunications industry in Europe, Vodafone has revolutionised the way people experience music on their mobiles and the collaboration with Warner Music builds on this heritage,” said Frank Rovekamp, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Vodafone Group. “Through our unique insight into what our customers want and how they prefer to listen to music this is yet another example of delivering superior music experience to customers.”
John Reid, Vice Chairman WMI and President, Warner Music Europe, said, “We are delighted to be able to debut such a rich menu of content from ‘Hard Candy’ through Vodafone live! This is an innovative way to reach millions of Madonna fans around the world, building anticipation and excitement around this landmark release and helping to create a real event for Vodafone customers.”
Vodafone is the number one digital music service provider in the mobile telecommunications industry in Europe and number two digital music service provider overall in Europe. Leading the mobile music industry the company uses music to build the Vodafone brand and awareness of products and services across its 250 million+ customer base globally.
Madonna, the multi-Grammy-award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, cultural icon, world renowned stage performer, video visionary, children's book author, director and documentary film maker has sold over 200 million albums in the course of her unprecedented two decade plus career and has just been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
About Vodafone
Vodafone is the world's leading international mobile communications group with over 252 million proportionate customers as at 31st December 2007. Vodafone currently has equity interests in 25 countries across five continents and a further 40 partner networks worldwide. For more information, please visit www.vodafone.com.

Source: Vodafone.
 

Les clients de Vodafone peuvent avoir 7 morceaux de "Hard Candy" de Madonna une semaine avant!
 
Commençant le 21 avril, un total de sept morceaux de "Hard Candy" sortiront à un rythme de un par jour déclenchant le compte à rebours la semaine avant que l'album ne soit disponible. Chaque morceau restera disponible pendant 24 heures en téléchargement avant d'être remplacé par le suivant.
John Reid, le Vice-président WMI et le Président, Warner Music Europe, a dit, "Nous sommes enchantés d'être capables de débuter un menu si riche de contenu de "Hard Candy" par Vodafone en direct! C'est une façon innovante d'atteindre des millions de fans Madonna dans le monde entier, construisant l'attente et l'excitation autour de cette sortie de référence et aidant pour créer un réel événement pour des clients de Vodafone."