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Madonna Hard Candy Outtakes
The excellent Homotography blog features left-overs from Steven Klein's Madonna photoshoot for "Hard Candy." Some fantastic shots. I wonder how she dreamed up the whole pimped out boxer persona that has been the visual brand for "Hard Candy." It's a pretty iconic look for her.
While on the topic of "Hard Candy," I have to say that I'm not sure how much more milage the record still has. I consider the disc a decent effort, but it didn't push the envelop like some of her earlier work. Working with Timbaland, Pharrell and Timberlake was a pretty safe bet in this hip hop and R&B dominated music era.
For her next record, I'd love to see her collobrate with the makers of French electro music. People like Alan Braxe, Justice, Fred Falke or even Daft Punk. Or how about an unusual collaboration with up and coming indie rockers. It could be like fire and water, generating a whole lot of steam and energy to keep people paying attention.
But I wonder if being the Queen of Pop has become a burden more than a status symbol for Madonna. How left-field can she go to innovate and surprise people? In the end, she is the purveyor of pop who has very little room to move. Fans have expecations and Madonna, being the savvy marketer she is, will be more than happy to oblige.
December 27, 2008 in Madonna | Permalink
Comments
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I am a crazed Madge fan, but I am sad to say that "Hard Candy" is my least favorite album by her, ever. There were only three songs that were mildly catchy. The rest was either bland or downright awful. I only played the whole thing less than 10 times. I tried to like it, but just couldn't. The whole thing just reeked of someone that was trying way too hard to be cool. I agree about your ideas for collaborations, especially Daft Punk. I have a mash up track of her and Daft Punk and it is one of my favorite remixes. Overall, Hard Candy was a wasted effort in my book. It is pretty sad to say that the only Madonna track that got multiple plays on my ipod this year was the track that "leaked" on her birthday. Her cover of Abba's Like An Angel Passing Through My Room was a stunning effort. It is telling that it was recorded a decade ago during her time in the studio recording Ray of Light. Maybe she should go back to work with the people that produced her best stuff and leave the hip hop to the kiddies.
Posted by: Maverick2464 at Dec 28, 2008 7:00:12 AM
I always will love me some Madonna. However, I've stopped feeling obligated - as a fan - to be on board with everything she does. I also wouldn't mind if she actually really went left-field and did a completely ambient album with like Talvin Singh or Kruder & Dorfmeister or someone that has done really off-the-wall remixes for her.
For the most part, she's ran the gamut of the pop music scene as far as styles and genres so I'm not sure what she'll have to give us next.
Only time will tell. But with her out of her deal with WB, maybe more goodies are in store?
Posted by: Justin at Dec 28, 2008 10:29:21 AM
Hard Candy is an awesome album and it has become my top 3 favorite after Ray of Light and Like a Prayer. For those slow to adapt to the new Madonna give this albuma chance since it's full of good songs. My favorite are: Incredible, Beat goes on, Dance 2night, Give it to me and Hard Candy. The album is def. a great addition in this musical draught we are suffering and Madonna does a fine job sweeting our ears with HC.
Posted by: Julian at Dec 28, 2008 3:46:57 PM
i have to disagree with some of the opinion. I am a huge madonna fan..i so admire her ambition, determination and strength..i also love hard candy. when i first heard it i was blown away by the quality of the producing on the album. There are only 2 songs on the album that i dont play- incredible and spanish lesson. I think it is a very personal and sexy album with great bounding beats to most songs. Right i'll get off my soap box now!
Posted by: sarah at Dec 28, 2008 5:25:46 PM
I was so uninterested in Madonna's latest "re-invention" that I yawned through "hard candy" and did not even try to get tickets for the tour.
Madonna needs to take some over-the-top, edgy, and in-your-face tips from Catherine Ringer of Les Rita Mitsouko. THAT would be the collaboration of the century! Two old sex pots making it and doing it to the beat. Yeah!
Maybe now that she's single again she can get her act together and produce some really interesting stuff.
Posted by: Eds at Dec 28, 2008 8:23:06 PM
You know, after reading your blog, I was compelled to go and listen. I have tons of respect for her character, and some art. And ha, I actually found the album quite pleasant.
Posted by: Lena at Dec 28, 2008 8:36:39 PM
I love Madonna and I enjoyed Hard Candy but I felt that some of the tracks were way overproduced..Miles Away is a great song but would have sounded better as a slower ballad. Incredible could have been catchy but the last minute with the constant repetition of "Incredible, you're welcome to my party, blah blah blah" was just too much, same for Timbaland repeating "I'm outta time and all I have is 4 minutes" eight times!!!! Two, thee, fine but eight??? Come on!!! She's Not Me is a great song but the end ruined it for me, just when you thought the song was over..it kept going..
The best songs on the album are the ones that are simpler, like Devil Wouldn't Recognize You, Voices and Give It 2 Me. She's Not Me and Miles Away are great too but need to be edited.
As others have pointed out, M needs to go back to what she does best, innovate, not follow. After all, she has always proudly said that she does not copy, she's an original..I hope to see that on her next album..no more JT!
Posted by: at Dec 28, 2008 9:34:34 PM
In my humble opinion, James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem should have produced "Hard Candy."
Posted by: Johnny Gruber at Dec 29, 2008 9:24:04 AM
I had the exact same thought about Madonna working with someone of the "French Touch" sound like Daft Punk. I think it would be a very youthful yet mature way to progress.
Posted by: at Dec 29, 2008 11:57:58 AM
Hard Candy is a great album, I think peoples ambilivance towards it stems more from the lack of interest Madonna had in promoting this project. For some reason, she didn't seem interested in doing appearances, performances or talking much about the project. She only ready did one video for the project, the other was filmed at a photoshoot. Maybe she did have personal things going on, maybe she threw herself into the tour...but if one was to look back, she did the least amount of promotion ever for this album. Which is kinda sad because she really did reach they younger audience she was looking for with '4 Minutes'.
Posted by: Darryl at Dec 29, 2008 8:44:06 PM
considering Madonna is 50 years old, she doesn't look that bad at all
Posted by: coffee at Jan 26, 2009 12:33:57 AM
Madonna should stop stealing songs and perhaps that way she will get to sell something. But then again, she was never creative, all she does is steal from someone else.
Posted by: May at Sep 5, 2009 8:24:19 AM
