The Cold Cut

Madonna- Give It 2 Me (Link 2)
Madonna- The Beat Goes On (Ft. Kanye West) (Link 2)

Madonna's having a hard time at the moment. Under attack from the press for her 'hard' image, and her refusal to retire, the last thing she needs is a load of tracks to leak from her new album. And yet the whole album was released onto the web today, three days before 'Hard Candy's release.

I'm actually quite impressed... this 'hard' image doesn't really bother me too much- the music is what matters, after all. And people can continue to be frustrated with Madonna, asking her to retire. Why? Would you, when you can continue to produce number 1 singles/albums into your 50's?

The new tracks are fairly impressive, with the production values coming through strong. Pharrell and Timbaland produce the bulk of the album, with Nate Hills contributing the remainder. Madonna seems to have enlisted a who's who of rap and hip hop acts, which is important considering this is meant to be her first foray into hip hop.

'Hard Candy' can be pre-ordered here...

Madonna- 4 Minutes (ft. Justin Timberlake)

Madonna. 'Material Girl' and the 'Queen Of Pop'. 200 million album sales. And many more to come, if her latest single- '4 Minutes'- is any indication.

Her 11th studio album, 'Hard Candy', will signal the end of an era. It is her last (studio) album with Warner Bros. Records, after which she will move to her new 10 year contract with Live Nation. There are a few main reasons as to why Madonna has lasted this long. Effectively, she is a musical chameleon, transforming her looks, music and general brand image whenever she begins to lose popularity. Her latest album is no different.

'4 Minutes' is a lesson for the pretenders. This is how you stage a reinvention. Her last album, 'Confessions On A Dance Floor', was built from an endless mix of dance samples. Whilst not totally dissimilar, this single tends more towards heavier beats and giant brass than pure dance backing. Roping in Justin Timberlake and Timbaland (do these guys travel as a unit now?) is a genius move, but Timb/aland/erlake have a tendency to take over the tracks they feature in. The track is a little busy, but the hip-hop feel works well. Basically, this is shit hot, and will no doubt take over the radio/charts, just as 'Hung Up' did.

'Hard Candy' is out on 28th April... Pre-order it here

Discuss: Like the new direction? Is this Madonna's track? Sounds like JT and Timba to me... Oh, and isn't the cover terrible?