Another review, this time from QX Magazine! Yet another review that RAVES about Give It 2 Me, calling it the album highlight!
Sweet Tooth Sounds "The only one that matters," Madonna's new album is out at the end of the month. QX Editor Cliff Joannou and DJ Kris Angelis heard an exclusive album playback...
CANDY STORE
C: Go on Kris, kick off the
festivities…
K: I’m gonna say this word a lot. It's fierce. And it's her favorite track on the album.
C: She Myspaced you that piece of information, yes?
K: She told me that last night over dinner. I really like the chorus. Typical Neptunes chords in there. She doesn't do that very often, have soul in her records.
C: You mean 'soul' music yes, not that her music is soulless?
K: Yes your mother...
C: …can whoop Madonna’s ass…
4 MINUTES
K: I’m not feeling this one.
C: I like elements to it, but not everything. Justin saves the song…
K: No he doesn't. He sounds flat and lame.
C: Without Justin it would be even flatter. It's just not the beefiest Timbaland track ever. Let's move on before I cry…
GIVE IT 2 ME
K: Fierce!
C: There's that word again. She has reached a new height with this. I think she has really excelled herself here. Pharrell has really pulled out all the stops and she sounds better here than on any track on this album or from her
past few albums.
K: Me now… It’s a mixture of what? There’s nothing this sounds like as a record. It’s completely fresh and f**king major!
C: Says Vicki Beckham... it sounds like you in the bathroom with Madonna's Sex book.
HEARTBEAT
K: Very Nelly Furtado. The singing is very different, kind of sweet. Pharrell has finally bought some new equipment and rave records.
C: Months ago the press was full of how he was dropped off the album and so far he’s come out on top.
K: Much like you…
MILES AWAY
C: This is gorge. She hasn't done ballads for a while. It’s a very personal track… people will make the obvious comparisons to her marriage with the lyrics. Is it all media and PR hype about their divorce?
K: Maybe. No relationship is without its ups and downs though. Although mine is perfect.
C: Yeah. Like Madonna's you are better when you’re apart.
SHE’S NOT ME
C: I don’t like this. It doesn’t suit her attitude. It’s weak.
K: Stripped disco. Great groove. A bit ‘Ring My Bell’-ish. The lyrics would be great for JoJo. And there's another
reprise. She clearly likes the idea of freestyling with technology.
INCREDIBLE
K: Piano! Very Outkast. Really quite a pretty track then it takes a turn into rock-funk then Frenchsynthed stripped disco and then back to rock funk. When does this track end?
C: The tracks are quite long on this album.
K: In a perfect sort of way.
BEAT GOES ON
K: Fierce!
C: You need a new vocabulary, luv. But I do think this track is very impressive. When it was leaked it was crap. But they may have done that on purpose. Or gone back and changed the track to beef it up.
K: I think the leaked track was just a demo.
C: Either way it’s like velvet for the ears. It's just smooth, shining, happy sexy disco. This album isn’t hard hip-hop as people feared it would be.
K: It features Kanye West. I think she's redefining disco again. She clearly still wants to dance. It reminds me a little of ‘Bad Girl’ by Donna Summer.
DANCE TONIGHT
K: Fierce, fierce, yeah, fierce. "You don’t have to be beautiful to be understood, rich and famous to be good".
C: That’s a luxury afforded to rich superstars babes…
K: Someone's been drinking vinegar.
C: It’s the cheap ass bars you take me to…
SPANISH LESSON
C: Just no.
K: I thought it was a good guitar groove and chunky beat. It’s the nothing track.
C: It just doesn’t work. It shouldn’t be on the album.
K: You better shut your face!
DEVIL WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU
K: This is ‘Cry Me A River’. Useless bit of JT singing harmony parts. A bit naff.
C: It’s actually more like ‘Cry Me A River Part 3’. I always felt ‘What Goes Around’ from his last album sounded like ‘Cry Me A River Part 2’. I’m disappointed with Timbaland’s contributions yet again. A shame because I think he is a real talent.
K: Nice lyrics.
C: I do agree on that point.
VOICES
K: Very much like if Abba were to sing a dark song. Massive harmonies and there's a big orchestra finish.
C: I’m surprised how many ballads there are on here. The last three tracks aren’t the strongest. A shame
it closes with them, but on the whole I think she’s actually pulled this album off when people kind of wrote it off from concept.
K: The album’s fabulous. That really just describes this album. It’s fabulous.
C: You need new words, luv. You're so gay.
K: Your mum's so gay.
C: Your mum’s a lesbian.
Hard Candy is out on 28th April. Kris Di Angelis and Cliff Joannou do Gaydar every Sunday night, 8pm-midnight on
www.gaydarradio.com qxmagazine.com/pdf/backissues/qx684.pdf