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December 3, 2008 1:53:38 AM CST

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Madonna's Candy Not So Sweet

Posted Apr 30, 08 12:16 PM CDT in Arts & Living 

(Newser) – 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.

Source Baltimore Sun

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The Madonna that fans adore performs during her Blonde Ambition tour at Wembley Stadium in London, in this July 20, 1990, file photo.   (AP Photo)
Madonna on the cover of her latest CD, "Hard Candy," released Tuesday by Warner Bros.   (AP Photo/Warner Bros.)
Madonna and Justin Timberlake pose at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Monday, March 10, 2008 in New York. Timberlake's talent outshines her own on Hard Candy.   (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
Pop star Madonna performs during the opening of The Virgin Tour in Seattle, in this April 10, 1985, file photo.   (AP Photo/Barry Sweet, file)
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