I really like all of Madonna's albums but if I'm honest this is my least favourite. It just didn't feel as revolutionary as her other albums, which were all trendsetters and ahead of their time. While this is still a fantastic album and better than alot of the recent pop albums created, it just felt a little lacking. When listening to it there were some really good stand-out tracks, but then there were others which felt as though they could have just as easily belonged to Britney Spears, Katy Perry or other more modern pop stars. I don't think it deserves the reputation it has, because it's still an excellent album, but I don't get that same 'wow' factor with it as I do with her other albums.
You could look it at that way or you could say that Britney and Katy owe a debt to Madonna and are greatly influenced by her and so even when Madonna is being herself now, some people may see it as she's copying younger modern pop stars.
Yeah I'm glad that she didn't team up with Stuart Price again for Hard Candy, Because people would have criticised her for doing a Confession Part 2 instead of doing something different.
The thing I like about Madonna is that each album is very different from the last, rather than each album sounding exactly the same. That's why she is knows as "The Queen of Reinvention"
But yeah, I loved the Hard Candy Era, and the whole hype and anticipation after 4 Minutes was released was awesome. And after Radio 1's big weekend, I couldn't wait to see her on the Sticky and Sweet tour.
My top tracks from Hard Candy are -
4 Minutes
Give it 2 Me
Miles Away
She's Not Me
Beat Goes On
Dance 2night
Devil Wouldn't Recognise You
However I do wish she had released maybe a deluxe version to the album that included -
Yeah I'm glad that she didn't team up with Stuart Price again for Hard Candy, Because people would have criticised her for doing a Confession Part 2 instead of doing something different.
The thing I like about Madonna is that each album is very different from the last, rather than each album sounding exactly the same. That's why she is knows as "The Queen of Reinvention"
But yeah, I loved the Hard Candy Era, and the whole hype and anticipation after 4 Minutes was released was awesome. And after Radio 1's big weekend, I couldn't wait to see her on the Sticky and Sweet tour.
My top tracks from Hard Candy are -
4 Minutes
Give it 2 Me
Miles Away
She's Not Me
Beat Goes On
Dance 2night
Devil Wouldn't Recognise You
However I do wish she had released maybe a deluxe version to the album that included -
True and to think at the time it was her "least promoted album" i would happily have something like that done again than the MDNA stuff...crazy!
But yeah i i do love all three of the demos there too has to be said...and a gambler (see what i did there) is also what i love Madonna for to .
As for singles artist in the UK...i think the term "singles artist" is a bit silly when ARTISTS by definition focus more on the album quality, the consistency, the cohesiveness and shape of the material rather than commerciality first and foremost....so personally i dont think Madonna has finished having successful singles...when we all know her albums do so so very well anyway (MDNA still went Platinum for its shipments last year in the UK) Luvin would have been a top 10 had it not been for the itunes shake up meaning sales were discounted mid week and only had a few days to catch up on....and if it didnt happen MDNA would have fared better for its singles across the UK and Europe really which is the main killer for the era really
But I reckon Madonna could ensure great singles commercial success if she wanted to ...but it is evident she wasnt concerned really about that the last album but personally with Bieber, Katy Perry, RIhanna, LMFAO, Psy etc etc dominating the airwaves/singles chart...i am not too fussed
Hey guys, Madonna's 11th album Hard Candy turns 5 years old this month! Time has flown by! I know a lot of you can't stand this album for various different reasons and compare it to the previous album before it, Confessions... But I personally think that it was a great album, not her best, but still a great album. I liked how she didn't stay in the "safe" zone and do a sequel to Confessions, but instead did something different and added that Urban and R&B feel to the album. Also the album includes one of my ultimate favourite Madonna tunes - 4 MINUTES! What a tune!
Four years before she was waving her pom-poms onstage next to Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. at the Super Bowl (the most-watched halftime show in history, for the record), Madonna was already working up a sweat (and flaunting her vascularity) in the middle of a boxing ring to the tune of her crunchy, workout-ready collection of electro-pop treats: Hard Candy, originally released in April 2008.
Five years later, the record still holds as a mixed candy jar. Some confections have become a bit less tasty, while others prove to be far stickier, sweeter and far more fresh than their expected shelf life.
So I'm listening through the album again and rediscovering the rawness of Madonna’s sugar.
So what did you guys think to the Sticky and Sweet album Hard Candy!? Hurry, you only got 4 minutes!
Take your time, and leave a comment below with your thoughts on Hard Candy....
After the Confessions era with infectious pop songs and sampled ABBA also an era where she did a tour coming out of a disco ball. I was on a Madonna high! She left me breathless live and I couldn't wait to get the next album and see the next tour. She left me transfixed! I was a massive fan. So when I heard that she was working on another album I was excited. Then 4 minutes came out and I was like oh its a bit different. It took a while but it grew on me.
I think thats why I have mixed feelings towards Hard Candy, I wanted to be excited about her like I was in the Confessions era.
It used to be one of the albums that when I brought I listened to it a couple of times but never really ended up wearing the disc out like I did with Ray of Light, Confessions or Music. Not only musically wise but I didn't like the whole Hard Candy title and cover. It felt like such a weak concept.
I used to think that her MDNA album was better than Hard Candy but I have just recently realised that the tracks from Hard Candy stand out more so Hard Candy also has my favourite track - Devil Wouldn't Recognise You the only tracks I skip are Spanish Lessons and Candy Shop (that "my sugar is rawww" makes me cringe).
I do feel that the follow up of Sticky and Sweet Tour was disappointing - in a way I think her MDNA tour is what Sticky and Sweet tour should of been.
Its obvious that the break down in her relationship with Guy was happening whilst she was doing Hard Candy album and the S&S tour with songs like Miles Away and She's Not Me.
Not one of my favourites but it is an album that I've recently discovered liking a lot more than I did before.
After the Confessions era with infectious pop songs and sampled ABBA also an era where she did a tour coming out of a disco ball. I was on a Madonna high! She left me breathless live and I couldn't wait to get the next album and see the next tour. She left me transfixed! I was a massive fan. So when I heard that she was working on another album I was excited. Then 4 minutes came out and I was like oh its a bit different. It took a while but it grew on me.
I think thats why I have mixed feelings towards Hard Candy, I wanted to be excited about her like I was in the Confessions era.
It used to be one of the albums that when I brought I listened to it a couple of times but never really ended up wearing the disc out like I did with Ray of Light, Confessions or Music. Not only musically wise but I didn't like the whole Hard Candy title and cover. It felt like such a weak concept.
I used to think that her MDNA album was better than Hard Candy but I have just recently realised that the tracks from Hard Candy stand out more so Hard Candy also has my favourite track - Devil Wouldn't Recognise You the only tracks I skip are Spanish Lessons and Candy Shop (that "my sugar is rawww" makes me cringe).
I do feel that the follow up of Sticky and Sweet Tour was disappointing - in a way I think her MDNA tour is what Sticky and Sweet tour should of been.
Its obvious that the break down in her relationship with Guy was happening whilst she was doing Hard Candy album and the S&S tour with songs like Miles Away and She's Not Me.
Not one of my favourites but it is an album that I've recently discovered liking a lot more than I did before.
I do agree with a lot here...so many aspects which made it all seem a bit unsettled and incoherent in comparison to the Confessions era before it really. And yeah her divorce, personal issues behind the scenes made it a very uncomfortable atmosphere and you could tell....and in the MDNA era...while promo was limited, you could tell across 2012 she got happier and happier and more at one with herself than we have seen in a while...which can only mean great things ahead
The candy aspect and the bright and tacky marketing was such a shallow sounding and looking concept that I immediately lost interest in this album.
And I was right to. The songs feel disjointed and the use of numbers instead of words really cheapened the songs from the off.
But look at Miles Away. Such a gem, almost a classic. It makes it all very sour, having such a high quality sound on a subpar album.
I will maintain my same views on MDNA, if another artist had realised it, it would have been a good album, but Madonna is a trendsetting gamechanger, who is head and shoulders above the rest, so releasing a generally fickle album like this was why it ultimately got panned by most.
A guilty pleasure of mine though is She's Not Me, so fiery and raw, love it. If she had followed a theme of keeping in the top spot and fighting off the imitators for this whole album, it could have been great.
The Black Madonna theme is one I am shocked has not been used, and one I would love to see sometime in the future.
The candy aspect and the bright and tacky marketing was such a shallow sounding and looking concept that I immediately lost interest in this album.
And I was right to. The songs feel disjointed and the use of numbers instead of words really cheapened the songs from the off.
But look at Miles Away. Such a gem, almost a classic. It makes it all very sour, having such a high quality sound on a subpar album.
I will maintain my same views on MDNA, if another artist had realised it, it would have been a good album, but Madonna is a trendsetting gamechanger, who is head and shoulders above the rest, so releasing a generally fickle album like this was why it ultimately got panned by most.
A guilty pleasure of mine though is She's Not Me, so fiery and raw, love it. If she had followed a theme of keeping in the top spot and fighting off the imitators for this whole album, it could have been great.
The Black Madonna theme is one I am shocked has not been used, and one I would love to see sometime in the future.
I do hope the next era doesn't disappoint.
Agreed I do think if the era had a strong concise image and a more cohesive direction maybe it would have been the follow up to Confessions everyone wanted rather than be an album of "it could/should have been this..." definitely.
And yeah there is still room to really ush the concept of what may have been...i mean look at the fuss of MDNA used as the title when she announced it on Norton...it went everywhere immediately and the episode hadnt aired yet...it is just how to utilise that attention well for the album which she used to do so very well...it just kinda bypassed by the time it came to singles releases and album release for some reason.
But album 13 i reckon may and will see her shake things up a bit...i hope.
And woofwoof ido find it interesting fans fave and least favourite albums too...some peoples least favourite are others most acclaimed/higher regarded....fascinating!
Comments
You could look it at that way or you could say that Britney and Katy owe a debt to Madonna and are greatly influenced by her and so even when Madonna is being herself now, some people may see it as she's copying younger modern pop stars.
The thing I like about Madonna is that each album is very different from the last, rather than each album sounding exactly the same. That's why she is knows as "The Queen of Reinvention"
But yeah, I loved the Hard Candy Era, and the whole hype and anticipation after 4 Minutes was released was awesome. And after Radio 1's big weekend, I couldn't wait to see her on the Sticky and Sweet tour.
My top tracks from Hard Candy are -
4 Minutes
Give it 2 Me
Miles Away
She's Not Me
Beat Goes On
Dance 2night
Devil Wouldn't Recognise You
However I do wish she had released maybe a deluxe version to the album that included -
Across The Sky - http://youtu.be/7IDpXGJGPZs
Animal - http://youtu.be/sLOF6MQMSDA
Pala Tute - http://youtu.be/VN7KHQrtKGM
^Amazing songs, such a shame they didn't make the final cut
And I loved this Sweet Machine - http://youtu.be/CHofhTA9AdI
True and to think at the time it was her "least promoted album" i would happily have something like that done again than the MDNA stuff...crazy!
But yeah i i do love all three of the demos there too has to be said...and a gambler (see what i did there) is also what i love Madonna for to
As for singles artist in the UK...i think the term "singles artist" is a bit silly when ARTISTS by definition focus more on the album quality, the consistency, the cohesiveness and shape of the material rather than commerciality first and foremost....so personally i dont think Madonna has finished having successful singles...when we all know her albums do so so very well anyway (MDNA still went Platinum for its shipments last year in the UK) Luvin would have been a top 10 had it not been for the itunes shake up meaning sales were discounted mid week and only had a few days to catch up on....and if it didnt happen MDNA would have fared better for its singles across the UK and Europe really which is the main killer for the era really
But I reckon Madonna could ensure great singles commercial success if she wanted to
I feel sick reading this.
I think thats why I have mixed feelings towards Hard Candy, I wanted to be excited about her like I was in the Confessions era.
It used to be one of the albums that when I brought I listened to it a couple of times but never really ended up wearing the disc out like I did with Ray of Light, Confessions or Music. Not only musically wise but I didn't like the whole Hard Candy title and cover. It felt like such a weak concept.
I used to think that her MDNA album was better than Hard Candy but I have just recently realised that the tracks from Hard Candy stand out more so Hard Candy also has my favourite track - Devil Wouldn't Recognise You the only tracks I skip are Spanish Lessons and Candy Shop (that "my sugar is rawww" makes me cringe).
I do feel that the follow up of Sticky and Sweet Tour was disappointing - in a way I think her MDNA tour is what Sticky and Sweet tour should of been.
Its obvious that the break down in her relationship with Guy was happening whilst she was doing Hard Candy album and the S&S tour with songs like Miles Away and She's Not Me.
Not one of my favourites but it is an album that I've recently discovered liking a lot more than I did before.
I do agree with a lot here...so many aspects which made it all seem a bit unsettled and incoherent in comparison to the Confessions era before it really. And yeah her divorce, personal issues behind the scenes made it a very uncomfortable atmosphere and you could tell....and in the MDNA era...while promo was limited, you could tell across 2012 she got happier and happier and more at one with herself than we have seen in a while...which can only mean great things ahead
some of the synth and vocals are so harsh in the mix!! Then some of the beats are unforgiving ±±
and the image was all wrong....
she should have been 'hard candy the round number card holder' - black hair ....
And I was right to. The songs feel disjointed and the use of numbers instead of words really cheapened the songs from the off.
But look at Miles Away. Such a gem, almost a classic. It makes it all very sour, having such a high quality sound on a subpar album.
I will maintain my same views on MDNA, if another artist had realised it, it would have been a good album, but Madonna is a trendsetting gamechanger, who is head and shoulders above the rest, so releasing a generally fickle album like this was why it ultimately got panned by most.
A guilty pleasure of mine though is She's Not Me, so fiery and raw, love it. If she had followed a theme of keeping in the top spot and fighting off the imitators for this whole album, it could have been great.
The Black Madonna theme is one I am shocked has not been used, and one I would love to see sometime in the future.
I do hope the next era doesn't disappoint.
I just didnt get into it. The only good tracks that stood out for me were 'Devil wouldnt recognise you' and ' 'Beat goes on'
The album cover was pretty bad too
Agreed I do think if the era had a strong concise image and a more cohesive direction maybe it would have been the follow up to Confessions everyone wanted rather than be an album of "it could/should have been this..." definitely.
And yeah there is still room to really ush the concept of what may have been...i mean look at the fuss of MDNA used as the title when she announced it on Norton...it went everywhere immediately and the episode hadnt aired yet...it is just how to utilise that attention well for the album which she used to do so very well...it just kinda bypassed by the time it came to singles releases and album release for some reason.
But album 13 i reckon may and will see her shake things up a bit...i hope.
And woofwoof ido find it interesting fans fave and least favourite albums too...some peoples least favourite are others most acclaimed/higher regarded....fascinating!