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 'Hard Candy' • album discussion, 11th album | 2008 |
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 Jul 13 2020, 02:29 PM
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#21
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 Mansonette
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 35,253 User: 54 
               
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I think that's a pretty accurate review tbh! I'd agree with most of what you have put and whilst I'd probably rank Give it 2 Me a bit higher, the others are largely in the same order that I would have them in.
I don't mind 4 Minutes, it's just that it is more of a Timbaland feat. Madonna track than something I feel Madonna plays a huge part in. |
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Jul 13 2020, 02:51 PM
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#22
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 BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 31 August 2010
Posts: 8,783 User: 11,763
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Timbaland said they wanted four minutes to be about sex and a relationship lyrically. Madonna had other ideas she def had a lot to do with the writing !
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Jul 13 2020, 03:54 PM
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#23
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Mansonette
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 35,253 User: 54
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Thank goodness it wasn't about sex. Madonna demanding it over in 4 minutes would not have been a good vibe.
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Jul 13 2020, 05:37 PM
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#24
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⬛
Joined: 17 February 2011
Posts: 56,198 User: 13,007
               
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QUOTE(Jonjo @ Jul 13 2020, 02:22 PM)  1. 4 Minutes (feat. Justin Timberlake and Timbaland) 2. Devil Wouldn't Recognize You 3. Miles Away 4. Heartbeat 5. Incredible 6. She's Not Me 7. Voices 8. Dance 2Night 9. Give It 2 Me 10. Ring My Bell 11. Spanish Lesson 12. Beat Goes On (feat. Kanye West) 13. Candy Shop Yeah there isn't too much that I would strongly disagree with here, except for 'Give It 2 Me' being so low! I also think 'Spanish Lesson' is far too high, given it's one of her absolute worst songs ever in my opinion  I am really happy to see your love for 'Devil...' and 'Miles Away' too. Both absolute beauties and I wish more of the album took notes from them and it was more laid back and less over-produced! The moments where "less is more" really stand out on this album.
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Jul 14 2020, 02:40 PM
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#25
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 31 August 2010
Posts: 8,783 User: 11,763
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The beat goes on is a banger and is def a highlight !!!
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Jul 23 2020, 09:02 PM
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#26
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 BuzzJack Idol
Joined: 8 December 2010
Posts: 50,917 User: 12,472
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I understand the criticisms aimed at this album but, for all its shortcomings, I do really enjoy it and think it's generally a well-produced, fun record. 'Give It 2 Me', 'She's Not Me', 'Beat Goes On' and 'Devil Wouldn't Recognise You' are particular highlights. Even the weaker moments aren't as bad as they once were: I genuinely like 'Candy Shop' now and think it's a good album opener, the first half of 'Incredible' is decent but is in need of considerable trimming, and 'Spanish Lesson', although one of Madonna's low-tier songs, has a habit of working its way into my head.
The main observation is that this was the first time a Madonna album used an already established, popular trend with little in the way of moving that sound forward and making it her own. I imagine for fans who experienced the album upon its release, this still leaves a bitter taste, especially off the back of a hugely successful album in which Madonna decided her own lane. There's also less depth to this album, although it does have a couple of moments, and I notice there's a lot of vocal pitch-shifting, possibly as a means to make Madonna sound 'younger'. It's not enough to spoil the enjoyment of the album for what it is though and I guess it just shows what a high standard Madonna has established for herself. I wish the era had stronger visuals. The green-screened candy shots and the ELLE photoshoot are pretty unexciting. I think more should have been done with the fitness theme - 'Give It 2 Me' could have had a really great music video with the Sticky & Sweet 'Die Another Day' backdrop as a blueprint and I quite like the tracksuit get-up she had during the Hard Candy promo tour/Big Weekend set. Rather like this Timberlake/Timbaland outtake: |
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Jul 23 2020, 10:23 PM
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#27
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 Break the tension
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 88,848 User: 51
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I hate this album so much, it's the absolute nadir in her discography as far as I'm concerned ('Incredible' is also the worst thing she's ever recorded - or maybe about level with that 'Autotune Baby' mess).
Having said that, the singles were VERY well chosen and 'Give It 2 Me' is my one takeaway Madonna classic. Aside from the singles I only like 'Devil Wouldn't Recognise You', and maybe 'Beat Goes On' at an absolute push. She really needs to get over 'Candy Shop' already too. |
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Jul 24 2020, 02:05 PM
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#28
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Joined: 17 February 2011
Posts: 56,198 User: 13,007
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The singles were chosen brilliantly I agree. 3 quite different songs, that each offer something unique and special. In a way, I am glad 'Devil' wasn't pushed as a single either because it makes it extra special as a hidden gem to find on the album.
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Jan 31 2021, 01:20 AM
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#29
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We're all Glitter and Tears in the Moonlight...
Joined: 24 September 2013
Posts: 10,021 User: 19,846
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I will be reviewing this album next & it will be coming very soon....
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Jan 31 2021, 04:35 PM
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#30
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We're all Glitter and Tears in the Moonlight...
Joined: 24 September 2013
Posts: 10,021 User: 19,846
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My review for Madonna's 11th studio album "Hard Candy"
 Candy Shop Opening this album is this light percussive track with sharp, crisp production & a catchy hook as her vocals dance over the top, and hits a higher range once the chorus kicks in. It has an almost tribal sound, which gives it more of a glossy sound than atmospheric. Madonna wanted this as the lead single & sorry but NOPE. While this is a fairly good indication of what’s to come, its an album track, nothing more. An example of Madonna’s questionable decisions, which would be more evident on her next album. 4 Minutes Next up is the mammoth lead single which features Justin Timberlake & Timbaland (who was everywhere at the time). Its loud, busy with catchy brass riffs, fantastic horn synthesisers & addictive melodies, all of which are perfectly layered. Okay Madonna may feel a little pushed to the side, but this track is still a hell of a lot of fun, as it bounces along at a solid pace. This was really the best song to not only showcase her more urban sound, but to kick off the campaign with an almighty flair. Give It 2 Me The second single is up next, and it picks up the pace with some brilliant snare drums, and a bouncy yet catchy melody from an upbeat synth. Madonna’s vocals also sound much stronger on here and reminiscent of some earlier hits. This punchy anthem number is far more pop than the previous 2 tracks, with some strong production by Pharrell Williams, this is just an all-round fantastic song & a worthy follow up choice. Heartbeat This starts off with a retro feel with some gently bleeping synths and then gives away to a heavily percussive beat. The cool minimalist style gives Madonna plenty of room to show of her vocal power and range, creating a nice stylish change of pace from the previous tracks. Miles Away Slowing things down with a nice acoustic vibe, opening with some lightly strummed guitars that harks back to her previous albums (namely ‘Music’ & ‘American Life’). Again, this offers a nice change of pace with its simplistic yet bittersweet sound with solid harmonies & marvellous production that shows another side to this album. This made for an interesting single choice that perhaps came a bit too soon. She’s Not Me Next up is this fantastic number, which is one of my firm faves from this album with its funky bass, hand clapped beats, synth string stabs and some occasional electric piano sounds that gives this a disco feel. This is one hell of a catchy track that really should have been a single. A total missed opportunity imagine what the music video could have looked like. Incredible A forgettable number that opens with some harder beats and piano, which gives it a rushed feel as Madonna’s vocals rattles over the stodgy production, until the verse arrives and then takes a harder rock guitar turn half-way through, which feels rather ill-paced. Overall, this track is too long and muddled to enjoy. Beat Goes On Next up is this catchy little pop song which features Kanye West, with some fun hooks which gives this a light and cheerful feel thanks to the thumping yet shimmering production, playful dance beats and cool funky rhythms which keeps the pace going along smoothly. Okay Kanye’s rap wasn’t entirely necessary, but it adds a decent flavour to the mix. Dance2Night Another pretty decent number with funky bass lines over layers of guitar and disco-inspired sounds. Madonna’s vocals sound good here, but despite that the song doesn’t really go anywhere and could have done with something to build up towards, instead it just kinda falters towards the end. Spanish Lesson This is a prime example of an album filler if I ever heard one & not a particularly good or interesting one. Obviously, the Spanish guitar is laid on thickly here with a ton of percussion added, making this rather noisy with too much going on. Skip this. Devil Wouldn’t Recognise You This feels like a breath of fresh air after the awful previous track. This starts off with a lovely lullaby-like vibe before dropping in some harder sounds, laden by piano, strings & some wonderful bubbling synths over the top of the slightly menacing yet interesting backing track. Madonna’s vocals sound strong on this great little number. Voices Not a strong track to end this album on. This has a 90’s throwback feel but comes across very mundane and disjointed to fully enjoy. There’s a somewhat nice sultry sound to it, but other than that, it fails to go anywhere interesting. This post has been edited by Nina West: Jan 31 2021, 04:36 PM |
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Jan 31 2021, 06:18 PM
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#31
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 18 October 2007
Posts: 1,071 User: 4,586 
 
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I truly like this album it's really good.
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Feb 9 2021, 01:14 PM
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#32
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 18 January 2021
Posts: 1,789 User: 122,015
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ALBUM RANKINGS:
9. HARD CANDY 10. REBEL HEART 11. MADONNA/THE FIRST ALBUM 12. AMERICAN LIFE 13. MDNA 14. MADAME X I know a lot of people say this is where Madonna started following trends rather than setting them, but I'm a huge fan of Justin Timberlake (especially his first two albums) and enjoy the Timbaland production, so this album was always going to be a bit of a winner for me. 4 minutes is an unbelievably good lead. The fact that Madonna was teaming up with Justin was perfect for me. The music video is so watchable (I love the walking dance on the checkouts) and that it became such a huge hit is so deserved. In comparison, Give It 2 Me and Miles Away pale as follow-up singles, but still set the bar reasonably high. One of my early faves was Incredible; so I always find it difficult to understand the often hate for it. I know it goes on a bit and is largely all over the place, but it's a bop. She's Not Me is fun (and surely an influence for Kylie's Real Groove all these years later) and I really like Candy Shop and fully understand Madonna's own obsession with it (it could have worked as a later single). The absolute missed opportunity here is Beat Goes On, which would have been an amazing follow up to 4 Minutes and should have at least been the third single (Miles Away could always have been fourth). If I remember correctly it did pretty well on radio in America and it was obvious they wanted it as a single but it never happened. Shame. But after that the tracks drop in quality quite a bit and I rarely listen any further (though Devil is the best of the final four) I didn't like the cover or the M-Dolla thing and it wasn't the look in any of the music videos either. I guess it carried over to the tour more and the Hard Candy gyms that were opened. Overall there's 8 brilliant tracks here out of a track listing of 12, and that's no bad thing. |
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Feb 9 2021, 08:48 PM
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#33
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We're all Glitter and Tears in the Moonlight...
Joined: 24 September 2013
Posts: 10,021 User: 19,846
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This would have been my run of singles from this era:
4 Minutes Give It 2 Me She's Not Me Miles Away |
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Feb 10 2021, 07:13 PM
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#34
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⬛
Joined: 17 February 2011
Posts: 56,198 User: 13,007
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I think they got the first 3 singles pretty spot on, but the missed opportunity on the album for me is definitely 'Devil Wouldn't Recognize You'! That could've been the LEAD single and i'd have been happy. One of her best album tracks easily
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Mar 31 2021, 01:31 PM
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#35
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BuzzJack Regular
Joined: 3 February 2021
Posts: 235 User: 122,900
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As many have already mentioned, coming hot off the back of Confessions, I expected and hoped for so much. I was disappointed. The Hard Candy album cover is her worst ever, it just looks wretched; part Reader's Wife and part Kathy Beale. It's overproduced and just doesn't feel like an authentic Madonna album for me. As per her latter albums, post-2005, it feels rushed. There are lots of filler tracks, and the sound of the album doesn't work for me (or for her). Jumping on the Timbaland bandwagon was not a good career move; it was the start of M not being in front of the curve, but following it, and too late. Yes, 4 Minutes gave her 4 weeks @ #1, but it's a little sad for me, that this will likely be her last UK #1 single. As always, the ballads save it for me but Give It 2 Me is a highlight.
1. Miles Away 2. Give It 2 Me 3. Beat Goes On (feat. Kanye West). 4 Devil Wouldn't Recognise You 5. Heartbeat 6 Incredible 7. Dance 2night 8. 4 Minutes 9. She's Not Me 10. Voices 11. Candy Shop 12. Ring My Bell 13. Spanish Lesson |
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Mar 31 2021, 01:40 PM
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#36
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 22 December 2009
Posts: 30,280 User: 10,275
 
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The singles were great (Miles Away is underated), but otherwise the album is a disaster.
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Apr 3 2021, 04:21 PM
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#37
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BuzzJack Regular
Joined: 25 March 2018
Posts: 393 User: 69,521
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Over the years, I've heard the criticism quite a lot that this was the first album where Madonna chased a trend rather than set it. I've never thought that was an accurate assessment. I think there's some similarity with Hard Candy and Bedtime Story. Similar to Hard Candy obviously being work by Timbaland and Pharrell, you clearly can tell that a lot of Bedtime Story is Dallas Austin and Babyface. Their sound had dominated 90s r'n'b for years by the time Bedtime Story came along. Most of Bedtime Story's tracks could have belonged to a lot of other 90s acts. Beyond that, some reviews at the time claimed Confessions on a Dance Floor fit into a particular dance sound that'd been around for years...and wasn't hugely dissimilar to some stuff by people like Kylie. Love Song obviously sounds more Prince than Madonna. Anyway. Point being, to me...Madonna's actually had a lot of eras that were informed by what was big at the moment, so I don't single out Hard Candy and fault it for that.
The album itself, I mostly like. Several big, catchy songs. 4 Minutes remains epic. The album derails a few times (hey Incredible). I put it somewhere in the middle of her discography. It's certainly more lightweight than her best albums. But in a way, I do feel her making an attempt to do a very of-the-time, radio friendly album was somewhat subversive for her age. It's an obvious attempt to be seen as a peer of the then-current class of pop stars. I don't find that desperate. I actually think it's a strike against ageism. |
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Apr 30 2023, 12:27 AM
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#38
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BuzzJack Idol
Joined: 8 December 2010
Posts: 50,917 User: 12,472
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Apr 30 2023, 06:16 AM
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#39
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 31 August 2010
Posts: 8,783 User: 11,763
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I dont return to this album very much. I really wish she stayed with the original album title ‘Give It 2 Me’. Why on earth the album cover wasnt scrapped because it is terrible!
Miles Away should have been a bigger success. The beat goes on had the potential to be huge and i think Devil could too!! Also love heartbeat and shes not me! The rest of the songs i could skip! |
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Mar 12 2024, 10:26 AM
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#40
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BuzzJack Idol
Joined: 8 December 2010
Posts: 50,917 User: 12,472
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