On May 13 2008 Madonna scored her seventh Billboard 200 #1 album in the USA with Hard Candy. The achievement broke a tie with Janet Jackson and Mariah to give Madonna sole ownership of the #2 spot of all-time among female artists. Only Barbra Streisand, with eight #1 albums had more.
On February 26 2008, Entertainment Weekly magazine confirmed the title, cover art and release date of Madonna’s final studio album for Warner Bros., Hard Candy.
Madonna chose to stick with the sweet theme because “she loves candy,” said her longtime rep, Liz Rosenberg. “It’s about the juxtaposition of tough and sweetness, or as Madonna so eloquently expressed, ‘I’m gonna kick your ass, but it’s going to make you feel good.'”
The album, which would feature Justin Timberlake on multiple tracks and production by Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, and Nate “Danja” Hills, was scheduled for release on April 29th in North America. The first single, 4 Minutes, would precede it in mid-March.
On April 19 2008, Madonna’s eleventh studio album, Hard Candy was released by Warner Bros. Records.
Hard Candy was Madonna’s final album with Warner Bros., marking the end of a 25-year recording history together.
Madonna started working on the album in 2007, and collaborated with Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Pharrell and Nate “Danja” Hills.
Tracklisting:
Candy Shop
4 Minutes
Give It 2 Me
Heartbeat
Miles Away
She’s Not Me
Incredible
Beat Goes On
Dance 2night
Spanish Lesson
Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You
Voices
On April 3 2008, the music video for 4 Minutes – the debut single from Madonna’s 11th studio album for Warner Bros. Records, Hard Candy – made its world premiere as a video single available to purchase through iTunes. The digital retailer held exclusive rights to the video for a period of 48 hours, after which it was made available for streaming and broadcast through digital and traditional channels.
The video was filmed in London in February, 2008 and was directed by French duo, Jonas & François. At the time of the video’s launch, the audio download of 4 Minutes was already holding the #1 position on iTunes. When asked about the “4 Minute Fever Phenomenon,” Madonna commented, “Goody goody gum drops.”
On April 1 2008, Madonna was featured on the cover of Elle magazine to promote her Hard Candy album. Madonna explained to Elle how she stays at the top of her game and revealed how she keeps in such incredible shape:
‘There are no short cuts to being Madonna. It’s all about hard work. There is no easy way. If you want to know how I look like I do, it’s diet and exercise and constantly being careful.’ She also swears by oxygen facials and never goes in the sun, drinks rarely and works out for three hours a day.
When asked if she has a weakness, she revealed:
‘One of the worst things about Britain is that it has such fabulous candy. I love Cadbury Fruit and Nut, Crunchies and Maltesers. But my absolute favourite is a Cadbury Creme Egg. I bite straight in to it and suck all that good stuff right out!’
On March 25 2008, Madonna’s 4 Minutes was made available for digital download. The lead single from Hard Candy featured vocals by Justin Timberlake and Timbaland.
According to Madonna, the song is about saving the environment and “having a good time while we are doing it.”
On January 12 2010, Live Nation and Warner Bros. announced that Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet Tour would be released on DVD, Blu-Ray and CD on March 30 2010:
Madonna’s most recent stage extravaganza, the “Sticky & Sweet” concert, will be released on March 30th, it was announced today by Live Nation, the world’s largest live music company.
“Sticky & Sweet”, which was produced by Live Nation, was the most successful tour by a solo artist in history and was seen by over 3.5 million fans in 32 countries around the world. The show, which will be distributed by Warner Bros Records, will be available on DVD, Blu-Ray and CD and will include many of the Material Girl’s hits from the course of her unprecedented career including, “4 Minutes,” “Like a Prayer,” “Hung Up” and “Ray of Light”. Filmed in Buenos Aires, over four days to a crowd exceeding 256,000 fans, the concert also includes a show stopping moment when Madonna performs a historic “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” to a thunderous audience response from her Argentine fans. Also included are several hits from the multi-Grammy winner’s most recent CD “Hard Candy” which debuted at No. 1 in 37 countries. The DVD also includes 30 minutes of exclusive footage filmed behind the scenes during the course of the tour.
“Part concert, part block party and all fun, there is still only one Madonna,” raved the Oakland Press in their review of the “Sticky & Sweet” Tour. “A night of triumph and defiance… A two hour multi-media juggernaut,” glowed the LA Times. “Our lady of perpetual motion…This may be the best tour she’s ever stitched together,” claimed the NY Post.
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