More than a worthy continuation of Madonna’s starry career

At last the world level celebrity Madonna has finished her Confessions tour that has become the best sold concert tour of a female artist in history and found time for a new album. Twelve new songs that make up record Hard Candy, continue the world’s best career demonstrating the singer, actress and producer’s wish to keep up with the times and the awareness of what the contemporary audience’s tastes are like. Madonna invited the most successful producers and artists of today to collaborate on the album, that are Timbaland, The Neptunes and Justin Timberlake, and the work has resulted in what she expected it to be – danceable, stylish and utterly meeting the modern requirements of production. Songs’ arrangements hold the second position on Hard Candy, naturally after Madonna’s performance whose vocals still remain the most recognizable of all, and due to great pop melodies practically each track is a ready hit. Even if Hard Candy does not manage to outshine the singer’s most successful albums Like A Prayer, Ray Of Light and Music, it is definitely more than a worthy continuation of her starry career.

Light, melodious and very contagious tracks on Hard Candy

Paying a tribute to fashion Madonna still remains faithful to herself as the main topics on Hard Candy have once again become love and its different facets and of course dances which as is known from the singer’s previous works make her feel free. Light, melodious and very contagious tracks comprise most of the record and on each of them it is possible to hear the harmonious work of the singer and the inventive producers. Inviting us to taste her new creation on Candy Shop, Madonna opens the record with a luring summary of what she is going to treat us with and the first portion is single. This song performed with Justin Timberlake has already conquered the world charts and it is due to it that Madonna has surpassed Elvis Presly in the respect of successful hits number. Composition Give It 2 Me with a pretty bouncy beat and the incredibly contagious Heartbeat are sure to find themselves irreplaceable on any party, while a more serious track Miles Away has proved to be the only one that at least in a way is connected with the real events in the artist’s life telling of how hard it is to be far from the one you love. A song with a double meaning She's Not Me is on the one hand a bitchy rebuff to an ex lover who has found someone else and on the other it is a hint at her own uniqueness as an artist. Three more tracks, Beat Goes On, Dance 2night and Spanish Lesson are meant for hot dances and Devil Wouldn't Recognize You has become the only song somewhere close to a ballad on Hard Candy, a bit reminding Justin’s single Cry Me A River with its mood. For dessert Madonna offers the most deeply though composition Voices on which she arouses the worrisome question whether a man has power over his demons.

New music is younger than ever

Whenever we talk about style-makers, the world’s richest artists or the most scandalous celebrities Madonna’s name is always one of the first to come to the mind. No wonder that being of almost perfection in many respects this unique artist is constantly in the center of attention especially in the USA, a country where her vertiginous career was made. Unfortunately her previous creation although being welcomed with ovations in Europe has a bit disappointed the American audience that is why Hard Candy symbolizes her desire to win back her acknowledgement with it in a certain sense. Being known for working with less prominent producers this time Madonna has betrayed her habits and the game has proved to be worth the candle. On Hard Candy Madonna’s voice combines with the voices of Justin Timberlake, Pharell Williams, with tubes, with Timbaland’s favorite beat, and although this year the artist turns half a century her new music is younger than ever and already insanely popular as always.

Alexandra Zachernovskaya
29.04.2008