Hard Candy Review

A very good opener. An invitation to her new sound as well as an invitation to her whole new imagery for the album release. Cheesy lyrics over a Pharell-beat. The way she shouts "Dance! Dance!" over her Sticky and Sweet lyrics makes this record both very new and very much like her first albums in the 80's. The mood is set. +++++



The first single, accompanied by her most extended and produced video in years. This duet between M and Justin Timberlake is filled with so many sounds, so many lines which took me some time to seperate all these layers, but now I managed to do that, it all sounds logical. The voices work together and the tick-tocking is nothing like the same lines by Gwen Stefani some years ago (thank god for that!). +++++



The second single. Starting with an 80's sound it soon makes room for the electronic elements that we heard on the previous two tracks. The lyrics are an inventation to dance and remind me again of her early 80's hits. Simple and effective. Then a very nice Pharell/Madonna break kicks in... "Get Stupid, get stupid, get stupid, don't stop". These breaks are what make most of the songs on this album more interesting than many of her other work. +++++



Starting with a heartbeat (ofcourse) followed by another Pharell sound. Nice clear voice kicks in. Midtempo and reaching some high notes. "See my Booty get down like" may sound weird for a 49 y/o woman these days, but followed by her "Down, GET down", it works for me. It ends with the words on her belt she wears on the cover of the album; M-Dolla. Although I like the song it feels like a filler to me. +++++



This song produced by Timbaland starts with guitars very similar to Love Profusion. These simple guitar lines always promise live-performances where she takes out her guitar. I find it a very nice song, very easy on the ears and the lyrics suit her situation at the moment. A lot of speculation on why Guy is never with her at major events last year. Screw the press, love won't die if you're miles away from each other. +++++



To me this is the highlight of the album. Clap, clap over a 70's discosound. When her voice kicks in I instantly get thrown back to the late 80's. Very Supernatural to me. I like the theme as well, the lyrics are very simple and in your face, more storytelling than her anthems to dance.
Then the song takes a new direction, getting all funky and comes to rest again. Another verse and back in yet another direction with Pharell coming up again. I really like his voice, so to me it's very okay. Then a distorted xylophone and silence. Music getting back again and in yet another direction all the way to the end, which takes a long time and introduces sound after sound. Yeah, I really, really love this song! +++++



This song was a surprise to me and although I hear a lot of people not liking this song, the second half of it makes this song very special to me. She starts with her simple lyrics about how she longs back to the time when everything was beautiful and incredible. She does some nice tricks with her voice.
Then the music takes another direction and starts to rmind me of the rock-opera's in the 70's, a sound I also heard on previous Pharell-albums. Guitars, rock and a very good voice. Back to the original sound again and then the third part of the song. Pharell meeting Madonna, both singing to each other, completing each other musically. Sex with you is... Incredible. A new twist to the title, very different from the original theme of the song. +++++



Very different to the leaked version that surfaced online last summer. Hardly recognizable and that is a good thing. It's very good this way. Nice production by Pharell. Get down, Beep Beep, again Madonna in her element. The rap by Kanye West doesn't do the trick for me. I just don't like this whole rap-thing. Then again the end of the song, very nice production with Madonna pushed back to the background and the music taking over. +++++



Another Justin/Madonna duet. It's nothing special to me. One of my least favourite tracks on the album. Too simple, too smooth and nothing surprising. +++++



Guitars on a beat that is off. Madonna translating simple spanish phrases into english. I really like this song. It's very cheesy because of it's simple Erotica-like phrases, but musically it's very very good. The break is delicious... especially the way she repeats "work" when she says homework. +++++



Yeah, this sounds like Cry me a River, but ads so much more to this classic Justin Timberlake song. beautifully produced, great classic lyrics (thanks again Joe Henry). The title has been surfacing for years now so finally it's being released and I am very happy with the result. The part with the rain in the middle is another reminder of Cry me a River and in my head I'm already directing the video for this jewel of a song. +++++



"Who is the master and who is the slave?" Justin asks at the beginning of the song. A very nice closer for this album. Totally different sound than the first track. Her voice sounds so different than on any oth the other tracks. Only problem I have is the distortion in the sound. When I downloaded the track I thought I downloaded a bad version, but the version on the cd is the same, like a bad taping from a car-radio. I don't get that and it ruins the song a bit for me. I love the clear piano and violins.... why not treat the other parts the same way. +++++