With Madonna's new album out worldwide over the next week, Her first in almost 4 years, I decided to compare her newest album "MDNA" with her last album "Hard Candy"

Candy Shop Vs. Girl Gone Wild
4 Minutes Vs. Gang Bang
Give it 2 Me Vs. I'm Addicted
Heartbeat Vs. Turn Up The Radio
Miles Away Vs. Give Me all Your Luvin'
She's Not Me Vs. Some Girls
Incredible Vs. Superstar
Beat Goes On Vs. I Don't Give A
Dance 2Night Vs. I'm a Sinner
Devil Wouldn't Recognize You Vs. Love Spent
Voices Vs. Masterpiece
Ring My Bell Vs. Falling Free

After listening to them all back to back, I would have to say "Hard Candy" is the winner for me. While i think "MDNA" is a awesome album with some really good tunes on there, I think "Hard Candy" was a much better album, with much stronger singles such as "4 Minutes" Which went to No.1 on the UK singles charts whereas "Give Me all Your Luvin'" is a much weaker single only making it to No.37 on the UK charts. It feels that not as much effort has been put into her new album compared to "Hard Candy" also it's difficult to determine what genre "MDNA" is supposed to be, with bits of pop dance and balads in there, whereas "Hard Candy" was a pure R&B album. Also some of the promo pictures for her new album look like some unused pictures from the "Confessions on a Dance Floor" era.

What are your thoughts on "Hard Candy" and "MDNA"?

You can't compare as both albums are very different. A millions miles away from each other

It would make sense if it was MDNA VS Confessions.

Yeah that would make more sense! lol But I was just comparing her last album to her latest album. I'll have to do another thread of COADF Vs. MDNA

Hard Candy was not "pure R&B" though. It was clearly pure Madonna with elements of R&B. The Timberlake/Timbland tracks were more about them than Madonna which is why I feel many don't rate HC as an album. Incidentally, "Ring My Bell" isn't on the UK version of HC. Voices is the last track and "Spanish Lesson" is track 10.

Oh yeah I forgot Spanish Lesson lol, I like the Timbo/Timberlake tracks, 4 Minutes was an epic song, with a beat that just makes you wanna move to it and the bass when turned up full is mind blowing, and the video was just awesome! I love Dance 2Night too, that is such an underated track. I wonder if any Hard Candy tracks will appear on this years tour?

I like both, but Hard Candy was a real grower where as MDNA is instant for me.

Yeah, I don't understand why in reviews for MDNA they have to make Hard Candy sound really bad like "After the forgetable Hard Candy" "After the lacklustre Hard Candy" "An Improvement over Hard Candy" it wasn't that bad after all Hard Candy helped get Madonna the highest grossing and most sucessful tour of all time.

i like `hard candy`, like i said previously, there are some personal moments on that album. it was clear not all was well in her personal life and her split was just around the corner. mdna picks up where that left off on a few tracks and its clear she has mixed feelings about that period.

`hard candy` is not a straight forward rnb affair, there are pop elements more evident than rnb sounds. i guess the producers involved give the impression that the album is a certain genre, but in reality its more of a pop record. whether that was the intention or not.

Yeah in many ways MDNA is a continuation of Hard Candy, with her slight references to marriage troubles like on "Miles Away" to her divorce "I Don't Give A" I think her 13th Studio Album will be a fresh new start, where she won't sing about marriage and divorce problems like on Hard Candy and MDNA. I wonder what the 13th Album's genre will be? I imagine a 2014 release for it after 2012-2013 tour, late 2013 tour DVD release, and then back in the studio making the new album. As she has signed up for a 3 album deal, and spent so long making a movie, i think she will keep going with the music for a while now

I love HC (yes, I KNOW), I do, and now it looks like i'll be pretty fond of MDNA.

I'd much rather have either than Confessions, not that I hate it, it's just not a fave of mine!

Same

Although i would change it to Music. It's the poorest era for me personally.