CD Review
Artist: Madonna
Album: Hard Candy
Label: Warner Brother Records 
Release Date: April 24^th 2008

Reviewed By: Monika Wierzbicki (Vancouver Correspondent - Canada)

Between "Candy Shop" by 50 Cent, and "Lollipop" by Lil John, I am getting just a little weary of all these not so subtle sweet innuendos and sticky (sorry) metaphors that have crept into pop music lately. Apparently connecting sex and candy is the cool thing to do but I really don't see the appeal; in fact it's getting a little stale. In any case with her new CD Hard Candy Madonna has jumped onto the candy band wagon and I must say the effect is a little disappointing.

Hard Candy is clearly meant to be a short and sweet collection of tunes to bounce around on the dance floor to; if you were expecting anything breakthrough or in-depth you will be sorely disappointed. Some of the most cringe-worthy lyrics can be found in the very first song called "Candy Shop." This song is determined to hammer home the message, using as many ridiculous candy metaphors as possible. For example, when Madonna informs the listener "I'll be your one stop (one stop) candy store (candy store) lollipop (lollipop) have some more (have some more)," not only are the lyrics inane and uninteresting they are also repetitive without being catchy. In that same vein there is also the advice "Don't pretend you're not hungry there's plenty to eat, come on into my store cuz my sugar is sweet". So just in case you still don't catch on to the endless innuendos in the song there is always one more there to clue you in, really by the end of it I felt as though someone was bashing me over the head with a giant Hershey bar!

Despite duets with huge names like Justin Timberlake and Kanye West there is nothing really exciting, or different, to be found in Hard Candy. The songs all tend to blend together and as I was writing this review I stopped noticing where one song ended and the next began. While we are on the candy metaphor kick I would like to add that buying this CD is a little like buying a pack of Skittles, although colorful, all in all pretty uninspired (in case you can't tell I do not like Skittles).  Most of the lyrics were insipid and in some cases just downright annoying. In short this sounds like any other CD lately recorded by the newest "flavor" of the week pop-tart which would be fine if that's what we were dealing with but I think we've come to expect better from Madge. It's typical synthesized over processed music and when compared to her previous releases this one just falls short; after all, Madonna doesn't follow trends she's the one who always made them.

Track List:

Candy Shop

02.   4 Minutes

03.   Give it 2 Me

04.   Heartbeat

05.   Miles Away

06.   She's Not Me

07.   Incredible

08.   Beat Goes On

09.   Dance 2Night

10.   Spanish Lesson

11.   Devil Wouldn't Recognize You

12.  Spanish Lesson