On The Download: On 2nd Listen… Madonna’s ‘Hard Candy’

OK, I admit it – on first listen, I HATED Madonna’s latest album, “Hard Candy.”

And I’m a huge Madonna fan — I don’t have posters on my walls and I’m not a fan club member — but I’ve truly loved each of her past four albums — she makes pop music at it’s purest — and yes, I even liked “American Life.”

The first songs from the album, “Candy Shop” and “The Beat Goes On,” leaked months ago, and confirmed my worst fears – that Madge was dialing it in for her last studio album of new material with Warner Bros. (she’s recently signed a $100 million deal with LiveNation for recording and touring).

But, as is often the case, after setting the album aside, and listening to it again, there are some true gems on there.

Following the ubiquitous “4 Minutes” – the album’s 2nd single – “Give It 2 Me” (do you like to use this title much Timbaland?) is actually, IMHO, the album’s best track. The song is more in line with the songs from her past “Confessions” album. Online purchase of “Hard Candy” includes the Paul Oakenfeld remix of the song, that seriously takes it to the next level – I’m sure it will be burning up dance floors as soon as it services to radio.

But a pair of songs that will likely never be released as singles are actually what’s giving me the most enjoyment right now. They’re a pair of 6-minute anthems which lay somewhere in the middle of “Candy.”

“She’s Not Me” is the weaker one, with it’s repetitive title refrain. But the more I listen to the album, the more I find myself hitting “repeat” on this track. Not sure why, but it keeps me coming back.

Which leads me to my favorite track, “Incredible” – the song actually seems to be a love song to husband Guy Ritchie – it’s almost like a finger pointing back at the tabloids which have reported that Madge’s marriage is on the rocks. The song zigs in a lot of different directions and almost feels like being lead on a journey through her relationship with Guy – the sharing of this feels like Madonna’s personal wink & thanks to her most devoted fans.

The new material will inevitably be the focus of Madge’s upcoming “Sticky & Sweet” tour – but if you can’t shell out the $350 for the ticket, I’d suggest downloading these cuts from your favorite online music source of choice.