Some are calling it her most ambitious project yet, some have called it not ambitious enough, so will Madonna's new album turn out to be as sweet and sure as its title? Let's see...
Having brought the Midas touch of hot shot producer Timbaland on board as well as collaborating with a whole raft of ace musicians like Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake and Kanye West, it looks as though Madonna has set her sights on a new urban groove.
In a recent interview Timbaland described Hard Candy as "kinda like Holiday but with an R&B groove", while Justin Timberlake, who sings on her first single 4 Minutes and coproduced several other tracks said, "It's an R&B/pop/dance record, but it's still Madonna.
"A couple of times I pushed her in a direction where it took a minute before we saw eye to eye," continues Justin. "Her approach was, ‘Well, I just haven't done that' and I was like, ‘Yeah, that's why you should do it.'"
Track one, Candy Shop, was produced by and features vocals from Pharrell Williams. According to one website that managed to get a sneaky listen to the album, it's a mid-tempo track with a very catchy beat.
Track three, Give It To Me, is the second single and according to one mystery reviewer it sounds a little bit like Sugababes' Push The Button.
Track five, Miles Away, is said to have an ethereal quality with a jaunty acoustic guitar rhythm. Go to www.madonna.com to listen to a short sample.
Track six, She's Not Me, is rumoured to be a funky disco number with old skool football whistles and hand claps.
Track eight, The Beat Goes On, is the Kanye West collab that was leaked last year but is said to have been reworked into something totally unrecognisable. One of the album's purported highlights, the word on the street is that The Beat Goes On is a little like listening to a Shalamar record, sounds quite '80s, and goes techno in places.
Track 10, Spanish Lesson, sees Madonna go bilingual and sounds a tad flamenco.
Track 11, Devil, is understood to be quite a dark little number.
Saving the best 'til last, track 12 - Voices - is thought to be the most original of the bunch, although some have said it sounds like an early Serge Gainsbourg number.
Although sparse reviews are beginning to pop up in places, opinion seems to be mixed as to how good Hard Candy actually is. One thing is for certain though and that is Madonna's everlasting appeal. Since pictures first appeared of the album artwork, Swiss jewellers Chopard have been overwhelmed with requests for replicas of the £500,000 knuckleduster rings that Madonna sports on the cover.
Track listing:
1. Candy Store (Feat. Pharell Williams)
2. 4 Minutes (Feat Timbaland and Timberlake)
3. Give It 2 Me
4. Heartbeat
5. Miles Away
6. She's Not Me
7. Incredible
8. Beat Goes On (Feat Kanye West)
9. Dance Tonight
10. Spanish Lesson
11. Devil
12. Voices
Hard Candy will be release date on 28 April. Pre-order your copy here.
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