Skip to main content

Madonna’s ‘Hard Candy’ Turns 5: Stan & Deliver


Stan & Deliver gives fans an opportunity to shake, cry and sing the praises of the albums they love from their faves.
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.
Unlike 2005′s immaculate return-to-roots record, Confessions On A Dance Floor (produced by Stuart Price),Hard Candy saw the Queen of Pop turn away from thundering club anthems and opt for a trendier Top 40 radio troupe to achieve a more modern sound (or as Britney Spears might say, “something more urban”), taking on the cheeky-yet-cringe-inducing moniker “M-Dolla” and enlisting Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West and Timbaland.
True to its name, Hard Candy is a mixed bag of sugary-sweet pop offerings (Turkish delights, and so much more!), somber electro-ballads, mid-tempos saturated in Timbaland’s (oft-grating) beatboxin, and playful dips into funky, old school disco territory. When she’s not defending her position on the throne (“Give It 2 Me”) or encouraging a certain heightened awareness (“4 Minutes”), Madonna mostly seems to be having a blast: “See my booty get down like!” she taunts on “Heartbeat” — easy material for the detractors who would angrily accuse her of attempting to stay “hip,” sure, but still more than enough fun for the fans who’d rather just dance.
Yet the album’s more sobering moments — including “Miles Away,” “Voices” and “Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You” — would later reveal themselves to be very real frustrations set to song, building up to what would become her divorce record: 2012′s chilly, synth-heavy and oft-menacing MDNA.
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.
We asked some of Madonna’s biggest fans to go track-by-track through Hard Candy. Join us now in rediscovering the rawness of Madonna’s sugar. Hurry, you only got 4 minutes! Just kidding. Take your time, and leave a comment below with your thoughts on Hard Candy.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Madonna's Career From 1983-2020, In Photos

In addition to her professional accomplishments, she is an activist, who has adopted four of her six children from Malawi. Madonna is the "Queen of Pop Music" and she's one of those iconic celebrities who is known by her first name alone. She's an accomplished performer, businesswoman, and mother, with a career that is entering its fifth decade. Her music, old and new, continues to be played all around the world. Known for pushing boundaries in terms of expression and sexuality, Madonna remains a relevant household name. She’s showing no signs of slowing down and is currently in the middle of her 14 th  tour, for her album,  Madame X . Her tour dates will continue well into 2020, at venues in London and Paris. In 2006, Madonna formed a not-for-profit, charitable organization with Michael Berg, to help combat the poverty and hardship experienced by the million orphans in Malawi. In addition to her professional accomplishments, she is an activist, who has ad...
Post a Comment
Read more

September 24 1992, Madonna baring her breasts and blowing kisses, At The Jean-Paul Gaultier fashion show.

September 24 1992,   Madonna baring her breasts and blowing kisses, Billy Idol in double leather... we explore the fashion show that raised $700,000 for AIDS research Jean Paul Gaultier  is renowned for many things – his exceptional tailoring, his conical bras, his impassioned approach to sociopolitcal causes in fashion – and, on September 2, 1992, all of these elements united for a show that definitely mattered. In honour of  amFAR  (The American Foundation for AIDS Research), Gaultier held a fashion benefit whose runway included everything from lip-synching to Dr Ruth dressed in rubber to raise money for a cause that devastated (and continues to devastate) communities around the world. "Tonight will be about protection... wear rubber and protect yourself!" – Jean Paul Gaultier "Tonight will be about protection... wear rubber and protect yourself!" explained Gaultier before the show. "I think fashion can make people thin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hackers begin to leak A-list celebrities' private emails and threaten more unless paid

Entertainment law firm which has host of high-profile clients, including Robert De Niro, Elton John and Madonna, was compromised last week A screenshot of the material released by the hackers Cyber hackers have begun publishing what they claim to be the private correspondence of A-list celebrities and are threatening to release more unless they get paid. The entertainment law firm Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, which has a host of high-profile clients, including Rod Stewart, Robert De Niro, Elton John and Madonna, was compromised last week in a sophisticated attack.   The hackers released a screenshot excerpt from Madonna’s recent Madame X tour on the dark web to prove they had infiltrated the law firm’s network. It appeared to show signatures from an employee and the concert company Live Nation. Read More:  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/12/hackers-begin-leak-a-list-celebrities-private-emails-threaten/ ...
Post a Comment
Read more