go2theMax said:

Yeah,that song is pretty terrible.

CrozzaUK said:

As someone who has already pre-ordered multiple copies of this album (the vinyl set,the Special edition,and the iTunes version with "Ring My Bell"),I didn't feel any guilt in downloading this album now.Madonna's getting her money anyway,lol.




Agreed."Give It To Me" is pure 80s Madonna.It's reminiscent of her first album.



You know what,I too feel that this should be the second single.From a commercial standpoint,I think it would fare better than "Give It To Me" here in America.On the various Madonna forums that I visit,this song is a fan favorite.



I went crazy over this song the first time I heard that Japanese clip where it's playing in the background.It's a gorgeous,melodic masterpiece,with the best lyrics on the album.I also like the stripped down,uncluttered feel of this track.It gives her vocals a chance to shine.



I played this song several times today,and I think I'm beginning to love it.



I agree,this album is a logical progression from Confessions.She expanded on that concept of that album,without repeating herself completely.



Have you heard those songs yet?

CrozzaUK said:

Yeah,I noticed that too.I guess we'll have to wait to see the credits.

SoulAlive

how are you liking the album so far?

stand out tracks yet?

PricelessHo said:

If I had to grade the album,I'd give it a B+.I'm enjoying it ALOT...it's gonna be part of my summer of 2008 soundtrack

Standout tracks:

"Heartbeat"
"Miles Away"
"Dance 2Night"
"She's Not Me"
"Devil Wouldn't Recognize You"


Have you heard it yet? I'd like to know what you think.

wow B+ is awesome for a start! glad it was worth the wait for you.

ok i listened to the album 3 times so far, i'll go one bye one:

Dance Tonight - love it. i'm guessing it's Timbo/Danja? coz it's very Night Runner. Stand out.
Voices - didn't stick with me yet so i'll wait on it.
Devil - superb. another stand out.
4 Minutes - i don't care what anybody says. Love it
Beat Goes On - the rework seriously transfered this track. Love it. Def. a stand out.
Incredible - aside from its length, i'm on the fence with this one. Reminds me of when i 1st heard American Life but that ended up as one of my faves so i'll wait on this one too.
Give It To Me - Hell yes. (Q: Rick James sample?)
Heartbeat - sounds about cool so far.
Miles Away - my Love Profusion of this record. Stand out.
She's Not Me - i wish i could get past the subject matter there lol. but hell, still makes me pop my head. love it.
Candy Shop - what can i say, sticky and sweet lol
Spanish Lesson - not even if she paid me

Still haven't heard anything, but great to see the different reactions and different favourites. Only Madonna can do this with each of her releases!

PricelessHo said:

Rick James sample? any1 verify that? what song?

xperience319 said:

Super Freak.

have only listened to the album a few times but i
really like about 8 songs off it which for me is more than
enough. I don´t like the production much and i think
it will get dated really fast but there are some great
melodies to enljoy here and the lyrics and ligther and less
self-centered and pretentious

I really love Heartbeat, I think it´s my favourite so far
[Edited 4/22/08 2:01am]

PricelessHo said:

Yeah,"Dance 2Night" is a Timbaland production.It reminds me of Justin's "Rock Your Body"...has that same kinda early 80s R&B retro vibe.

"Voices" puts me to sleep Why didn't she close the album with another wild,funky Timbaland jam?

Rick James sample on "Give It To Me"? I didn't even notice.I'll have to go back and listen...

OK Ive still only downloaded these first 6 tracks that have leaked and have been playing them overnight. She's not Me has really grown on me - i love the fade about 1 min before the end - very Confessions like.

Incerdible - wow what a way to ruin a good song. I love the song portion of it - i think its a really nice melody and some quite touching lyrics - but she goes and messes it all up with that outro. That screeching of "Incredible" is awful - I may have to make a fade out version of this song because the actual song portion is too good to be ruined by something so stupid.

My favourite bit of the album so far?....."Get Down.....Beep beep, gotta get up outta your seat" - amazing. love it. I'm actually thinking Beat Goes On
Should be a single.

Dont mean to keep going on about her voice - but I can't help but think how Madonna from 25 years ago would have belted the hell outta these songs. Maybe thats whats different - shes not really done many "belting out" songs in the vein of Borderline, Express Yourself or Deeper & Deeper for some time. Shes really working her upper register on this which is maybe why she sounds so different - but im not sure she quite pulls it off. Her Ray Of Light singing style certainly wouldnt have suited it but its strange how its changed gradually since that album.

NEW YORK MAGAZINE REVIEW OF HARD CANDY

For the past decade,Madonna's been impressing her own ideas on Mirwais Ahmadzai,Stuart Price and other dance producers that most of her fans had never heard of previously;on Hard Candy-which leaked in part over the weekend and in full this morning-she bends to the will of Pharrell Williams,Timbaland,and Justin Timberland,three guys that everyone has been sick of for years.The results? Not bad!

Crotchy album cover and creepy video aside,Candy sounds less like a midlife crisis (than,say,Confessions On A Dancefloor) and more like something you'd actually listen to (than,say,Confessions On A Dancefloor).A couple Timbaland/Timberlake tracks can grate ("Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" is practically a note-for-note rewrite of Justin's "What Goes Around...Comes Around") but Pharrell's contributions are uniformly inspired,with his "Candy Shop","Heartbeat" and the cowbell-enhanced "Give It 2 Me" being the album's most immediate highlights.On a first listen,this is way better than we expected.

CrozzaUK said:

I agree,the first part of "Incredible" is great.The second part is a mess.I gotta admit,though,I like when Madonna says "Welcome to my party" and Pharell keeps saying "I'm coming to your party,girl"...lol...Pharrell sounds like he's really having fun on this record.



It's amazing how many potential singles are on this album.If they wanted to,Warners could easily release five strong singles from this project."Beat Goes On" could easily be a single,with a Kanye West appearance in the video.

garganta said:

It's my favorite,too This has got to be a single!! It boasts the album's strongest chorus...


You know I feel it in my heartbeat
It may feel old to you,but to me it feels new
You know I feel it in my heartbeat
Don't you know,can't you see
when I dance,I feel free
which makes me feel like the only one (the only one)
that the light shines on

SoulAlive said:

This is the feeling across the board - every site i go on the fnas are giving this song the most love. I just love the way Pharrells backing vox flow - and that chorus is perfect. Itll be this albums Jump (which to my mind was the obvious single on Confessions). She'll rush record a video while on tour that'll be a pile of crap and no promotion will be given to it at all.

I think the best we can hope for with this is an Amazing live performance. That intro could shake the house - i think she should have it as an encore. Which reminds me - she damn well needs to bring back encores for this tour.

yeah,on the Madonna forums,this track is getting the most love.

Not sure how reliable this info is,but on one of the Madonna forums,someone claims that the promo tour setlist has been revealed.


European promo tour

4 Minutes
Give It To Me
Heartbeat
Miles Away
Holiday
Borderline

USA promo tour

4 Minutes
Give It To Me
Heartbeat
Miles Away
Beat Goes On
Holiday
Borderline


Didn't Maddy recently say that she wouldn't perform "Holiday" anymore?

MADONNA SONG OF THE DAY:CANDY SHOP


stic...stick...stick....stick....sticky and sweet (DANCE!)
my sugar is raw
sticky and sweet
my sugar is raw
sticky and sweet
my sugar is raw
sticky and sweet
my sugar is raw

SoulAlive said:

Hmm i think this is made up - however im sure shes gonna perform Borderline at some point - be it on the coming tour or for the promo gigs. She was asked in an interview whether she could perform Like A Virgin, Holiday or Borderline again - and she said she couldnt perform Holiday or LAV - purposely missing off Borderline. She also chose Borderline as a track to play when she called in for a different radio interview.

Justin's love of the first album must have clearly rubbed off on her. I truly hopes she digs Borderline out - in fact im convinced she will.

I hope her live sound develops a little from before. I cant see how she can go on tour without a percussionist again - not with the kind of music on the new record. Its all beat driven. She needs a real bass player too if shes gonna do Dance 2 Night, Shes Not Me etc.....

When i heard that dirty bass on Dance 2 Night i was soooo pleased as I knew she'd have to rejig her band in order to recreate this music on stage. Ive been praying for this since DWT in 2001.

CrozzaUK said:

She really should put together a new band for this tour....a funky bassplayer....a percussionist...like the excellent band she had for the Girlie Show.Those guys could play! They took the songs to a whole new level.

I'm sure,for this tour,there will be the obligatory acoustic segment,with Madonna sitting on a stool,playing guitar."Miles Away" is an obvious choice for this part of the show.I think that's actually her playing guitar at the beginning of the song.

SoulAlive said:

I think she'll have to though. I just cant see them being able to recreate the sound of this record with the old band. I think she'll keep Monte as hes her guitar teacher - and she's mentioned him already in a radio interview. We know Stuart aint involved - so she'll need a new music director - i think who she chooses for this will largely determine who makes up the rest of the band.

I too would love to see her hook up with the Girlie show band again. They were the best she's had.

The song Hard Candy sounds like Sexyback
another song sounds like that one song with timbiland The Way I are/I aint got no money
the entire album unapologieticly sounds like a continuation of Justin Timberlakes Futuresex/Lovesounds album.

horatio said:

A song named "hard candy"!

Duh!
there's not song called hard candy on the album!

Nice try...go back to mariah!

Miserablism...what are your favorite songs from the album? What songs do you dislike? What would you pick as the singles?

Miserablism said:

oops, my bad, I ment candy shop

whiteheat said:

Has this song leaked yet? Where have you heard it?!

This CD has leaked already? Damn, would someone help me out in hearing this? Please???

horatio said:

Well it is kind of unaplogetic. She said she simply sat down and thought about who was making music she liked right now - and then enlisted them as producers. I personally feel Timabalands contributions are poor compared to his work on Justin & Nelly F's albums (and his own), and Pharrell's contribs which really surprised me as i thought Pharrell didnt have it in him anymore.

I've heard people say its a poor imitation of the Justin T & Nelly F records - but i think it does sound uniquely Madonna in terms of melody and lyrics.

Im most disappointed with Devil wouldnt Recognise You as it bears such a resemblence to What Goes Around by Justin, yet isnt as good. Considering her song was written in 2005 it surprised me they made it sound so similar. She described it before as a torch ballad which i think would suit it more.

I think Timbaland's productions are "safe" but that's probably because Madonna rejected his more experimental stuff (such as "La La").His five songs are good though,for the most part."Miles Away" is one of the album's highlights.It's interesting that Madonna allowed him to produce the three mellowest songs on the album: "Miles Away","Voices" and "Devil".Perhaps she prefers his melodic,slower beats? As opposed to his faster,uptempo music?

Pharrell's tracks are EXCELLENT.On the Madonna forums,that's what most fans are saying.He really brought some killer jams to the sessions and Madonna seems really impressed with his work.She pretty much allowed his songs to dominate the album.