Madonna's Candy Not So Sweet

There is something noticeably absent in Madonna’s new record, writes Rashod Ollison in The Baltimore Sun: Madonna. Her 11th studio album, Hard Candy, “is a mostly stale piece of self-consciously fluffy pop” in which the superstar “plays it safe.” Enlisting younger hit makers like Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, and Timberland adds a coat of gloss that Madonna fails to shine through.

“Madonna’s disconnection with the material is palpable throughout,” and while the pop diva should be in sync with the elements of ‘80s R&B and ‘90s club music her young producers invoke, she is overshadowed instead. “Madonna used to be great at fitting marginal dance trends into an accessible pop context,” but Hard Candy is hard to swallow. (More Madonna stories.)