Hard Candy (Madonna album)

Hard Candy is the eleventh studio album by American singer Madonna. In October 2007, Madonna announced her departure from longtime label Warner Bros. Records, and signed a $120 million, ten-year 360 deal with entertainment company Live Nation. This deal would encompass all future music-related businesses, including touring, merchandising and associated sponsorship agreements, among other things. After the release of her tenth studio album Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005), Madonna became interested in the work of singer Justin Timberlake. She hired him for her eleventh studio album ―which would be her last with Warner Bros.― alongside rapper Timbaland, producer Nate "Danja" Hills, and recording duo The Neptunes, made up of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo. A dance-pop album with urban elements, it includes participation from rapper Kanye West. The singer described the songs as autobiographical, with innuendo-laden lyrics that focus mostly on love, self-empowerment, revenge, sex and music. The title Hard Candy refers to the juxtaposition of toughness and sweetness, while the cover artwork depicts Madonna as a boxer.
Following a series of leaks and rumors, Hard Candy was released on April 18, 2008. Prior to its release, several telecommunications companies pre-loaded the album, its songs and singles, onto their phones. This made Madonna one of the first major artists to release and promote an album using mobile technology. Reviewers reacted ambivalently towards Hard Candy. Some praised its dance-oriented nature, while others were critical of its producers and their input, as they felt it was too similar to their past work with other singers. There were also those who perceived a lack of involvement from Madonna's part, and referred to Hard Candy as the album in which she stopped creating trends and began chasing them. Despite this, it was a commercial success, topping the charts in 37 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, and Japan. It was the eleventh best-selling album in 2008, and has sold more than four million copies worldwide.
Three singles were released from the album. Lead single "4 Minutes" was an international success, reaching the first spot in 21 countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom. In the US, it peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Madonna her 37th top ten single. Follow-up "Give It 2 Me" became the singer's 39th number-one on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart. To promote the record, Madonna offered small concerts at New York's Roseland Ballroom, and Paris' Olympia hall. She also headlined the BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend. Hard Candy was further promoted on the Sticky & Sweet Tour, Madonna's eight concert tour. It began in Cardiff on August 2008, and ended over a year later in Tel Aviv. With a gross of US$411 million ($602.38 in 2024 dollars), it became the second highest-grossing tour in history at the time.
According to author Daryl Easlea, in his 2012 book Madonna: Blond Ambition, following the release of her tenth studio album Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005), producer Stuart Price asked Madonna what she wanted to do next. She answered, "I want to make dance music, as always". At the time, she was listening "obsessively" to the second studio album of singer Justin Timberlake, FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006). Madonna decided to "follow in the footsteps of the new generation of female stars ―the Britneys, the Nelly Furtados, and the Gwen Stefanis", and "work her magic" on the sound of urban contemporary music. While attending one of the concerts of Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveShow in February 2007, rapper Timbaland ―one of the producers of FutureSex/LoveSounds― revealed Madonna had contacted him, but gave no further details. Six months later, the rapper confirmed both him and Timberlake were working with the singer on her eleventh studio album.
Also participating on the album were American record production duo The Neptunes ―Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo― and Nate "Danja" Hills. The former were hired due to their "slightly cultish" reputation as "crazy sound alchemists", able to "conjure up pop gems". Easlea pointed out that, in the past, Madonna had worked with relatively unknown European producers, such as Price, Mirwais Ahmadzaï, and William Orbit; this time however, she wanted to "recapture the energetic sound of her early 80s hits and come home to the sound of mainstream America". "[Madonna] had historically always been the trailblazer [...] but at this point in her career, it seemed to make sound and commercial sense to follow the hottest trends", the author wrote.
In October 2007, Madonna announced her departure from Warner Bros. Records, and signed a $120 million, ten-year 360 deal with American multinational entertainment company Live Nation; the deal would encompass her future music-related businesses, including touring, merchandising and associated sponsorship agreements, among other things. Her eleventh studio album would be her final for Warner Bros.
Recording sessions kicked off in early 2007, and took place at Los Angeles' Record Plant studios, Miami's Criteria Studios, and London's Sarm West Studios. Things got off to a rocky start when they entered the studio. Madonna was used to work in a strict routine for a certain amount of hours; Timbaland, Timberlake and Williams, however, were accustomed to working overnight, and expected Madonna to do the same. Egos were also an issue. In Madonna's own words, there were "four divas" working on the album: herself, Timberlake, Timbaland, and Williams. The writing process had a similarly difficult start. According to Easlea, when working on an album, Madonna expects her working partners not only to produce, but also to collaborate in the writing process. The singer explained that her, Timberlake and Williams, "[didn't] hit it off right away", as writing is "very intimate. You have to be vulnerable". She didn't really know her collaborators, thus was initially intimidated by the idea of sitting down and composing songs with them.
This feeling of discomfort soon subsided when Madonna and Timberlake began "playing around" with ideas and phrases. The latter recalled that the former had with her "all these thoughts, riddles, poems [and] feelings". One of them would come into the studio with an idea for a title, and the other would complement it and fill in the rest. On other occasions, Madonna would hear a brief snippet of music and be inspired to write down lyrics, while Timberlake created the music. They spent long hours discussing ideas for lyrics in what Madonna later described as "shrink sessions". The first song they worked on together was "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You". A demo Madonna had been working on for years, Timberlake felt it was comparable to her 1998 single "Frozen", and his own "Cry Me a River" (2002). His "challenge" was turning the line the devil wouldn't recognize you, but I do into a "prolific" hook and concept.
For "Miles Away", Madonna and Timberlake settled down on long-distance relationships, a personal subject for both of them. Timberlake played a guitar riff for her and asked, "How do we want to do this? What do we want it to be about? What do we want to say?". Madonna, "immediately" came up with the words and started singing. She subsequently revealed that she tapped into the "global consciousness of people who have intimacy problems", as well as her relationship with then-husband, British film director Guy Ritchie. By the time they were done, Timberlake felt he had "accomplished a miracle" with "Miles Away": create a song that was "classic Madonna". Other "upbeat" songs Madonna and Timberlake worked on were "Dance 2Tonight" and "4 Minutes to Save The World", later retitled simply "4 Minutes". Timbaland also participated in the latter; him and Madonna came up with the melody and lyrics, before adding "further layers of music" to the track. Described as similar to Bubba Sparxxx' 2001 single "Ugly", "La La" was another song Timbaland participated in but did not make the final track list.
Williams' approach to making music was "unpretentious". Madonna referred to him as a "natural musician"; "[he] would grab my acoustic guitar, he couldn't play, but he [would] start playing percussion on it. He would find bottles and start playing them with spoons. He's very inventative in the studio". They created the songs "Candy Shop", "Spanish Lesson", "Give It 2 Me", and "She's Not Me". Of working on the first one, Williams recalled: "[Madonna] was like, 'Look, give me some hot shit'. I was looking at her like, 'She's saying hot shit?', She was like, 'What?' And I'm like, 'OK'. So we just worked and made it". "Spanish Lesson" was inspired by what Williams described as the "B-beat", a style of "chopped-up staccato beats coming out of Baltimore". Recording of track "Beat Goes On" was rushed. Guest star Kanye West had four hours to come up with his verse, record it, and leave to catch a flight. Working on the album was an experience Madonna found to be quite pleasant; "[I]t pushed me as a vocalist [...] pushed me to sing in rhythms and phrasing that I normally wouldn't have done on my own. That's the great thing about collaborating with other people". She additionally would do her own "personal market research", playing individual tracks to her children, her husband and friends, and gathering their critical input.
Musically, Hard Candy has been noted a dance-pop album that blends urban genres such as R&B and hip-hop. It also presents elements of Madonna's early work, such as disco and Philadelphia soul. The BBC's Mark Savage noted that the album's main themes are love, revenge, sex and music. According to Madonna herself, most of its songs are autobiographical, "[b]ut in more of an unconscious way". The innuendo-laden themes represent the mood she was in while recording it. The album opens with "Candy Shop", an "agenda-setting call to arms" in which the singer "celebrates her eternal hotness". Set to "double-time heavy breathing" and a conga beat that give it an "almost tribal" sound, the song's lyrics use candy as a metaphor for sex, referencing Turkish delight, with phrases such as say which flavor you like and I’ll have it for you, and my sugar is raw. The refrain has a "flash of brass soul", reflected when harmonies join Madonna as she sings, I'll be your one stop (one stop) candy shop. Towards the end, there's a brief vocal participation from Williams.
Second track "4 Minutes" incorporates the aesthetic of a marching band, a clanging beat, instrumentation from a brass that is played in a "scale-like riff", and Timberlake emulating the sound of vinyl scratches. Other musical instruments used are foghorns and cowbells. Lyrically, according to Madonna, it's about having a good time while trying to save the world. Madonna and Timberlake trade verses, singing about a "comic-strip teen-romance scenario", in which they need to save the world within a timespan of four minutes. In one part, she sings that, the road to heaven is paved with good intentions. The refrain sees Timberlake doing his "best Michael Jackson impression" as he sings, We've only got for minutes to save the world. The track ends after a brief breakdown where everything drops, leaving only Timbaland's "signature" bhangra beats, some stabs of brass, and Madonna's repeating the phrase tick-tock, tick-tock.
"Give It 2 Me" has been noted as resembling Madonna's 1983 singles "Lucky Star" and "Holiday", as if they had been "filter[ed] through hip-hop's sonic boom". The song "bumps along to a thick synth tone" —similar to the one Hills employed on Britney Spears' 2007 album Blackout— and incorporates a West-African inspired percussion bridge. The lyrics are ambiguous. They appear to be about sex and dancing, but are actually a "manifesto of sorts" in which Madonna explains that she does not want to retire from her career and still possesses the ability to continue, as noted in the lines Don't stop me now, no need to catch my breath, I can go on and on and on. The track ends after a breakdown where the singer chants "Get stupid" over a xylophone chime as the beat "builds into a frenzy" and she proclaims, Give it to me, no one's gonna stop me now".
The fourth track, "Heartbeat", has a "thumping" hip-hop beat, as well as a "sandpaper shuffle and twinkling Eighties-reminiscent synths". It includes a lyrical nod to Madonna's 1985 single "Into the Groove" in the line, Don't you know, can't you see? When I dance I feel free. A rap breakdown that recalls "Promiscuous" (2006) by Nelly Furtado is present towards the middle. In it, Madonna "speak-sings" see my booty get down. Described as a "wistful tune about a long-distance relationship", "Miles Away" is one of the album's "softer, more acoustic" tracks. Inspired by Madonna's marriage to Guy Ritchie, it opens with the sound of guitar, which is followed by a "stuttering" beat. The track then slowly "swells until it's filled with atmospheric synths". The lyrics were noted a foreshadow to Madonna and Ritchie's divorce. You always seem to have the biggest heart when we're 6,000 miles apart [...] I guess we're at our best when we're miles away, she sings.
Sixth track "She's Not Me" features disco-influenced instrumentation from toots, beeps, whistles, handclaps, and "Chic-like" guitar licks. The lyrics ―which talk about Madonna being emulated by another woman― echo "Thief of Hearts", a song from her fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). Noted as the album's most "structurally unconventional" song, "Incredible" starts off like a love song but reveals itself to be a plea to someone to start over. Its lyrics talk about being taken for granted and taking someone for granted. The production is characteristic to that of Williams and the Neptunes' previous works, featuring "voices interrupting one another and switching in and out of double time, sudden key changes and style shifts from electro to rock to stark percussion". Eight track "Beat Goes On" mixes Detroit techno, 1970's R&B, and 1980's dance. Like "She's Not Me", it incorporates sonic elements associated to disco. Present in the song is a guest rap by West; Give me room now, I’m like a vampire on the full moon [...] Mr West now can you get any more fresh now, I think I just did just now, he raps. "Dance 2Night" also presents disco influences. Built around a "funky" bassline, in the song, Madonna advices Timberlake on the "key to creative/sexual/calisthenic endurance". This is reflected on lines like, Are you a one-trick pony or do you want to keep runnin’ this race?
The Latin pop and Flamenco influence of "La Isla Bonita" (1987) are seen on tenth track "Spanish Lesson". The song counts with a "ton" of percussion as Madonna sings, "If you do your homework, baby I will give you more, and If you like my style I can love you for a while. "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You", the album's second-to-last track, is a ballad about someone who "has everything in life" and "gets away with everything". It begins in an "almost lullaby" way before turning "thick and lush". Hard Candy closes with "Voices", a "trip-hoppy" song with "unresolved chords and sweeping strings", that has Madonna questioning who's really in control: Are you walking the dog? Is that dog walking you? Included only on the Japanese edition of the album, in "Ring My Bell" Madonna's determined to withhold intimacy from a lover who won't be upfront, apologize or show any grattitute to her. Williams also features briefly on backing vocals.
On December 6, 2007, Sirius Satellite Radio host Larry Flick reported that the album would be titled Licorice, and released in late April of the following year. The next day, Liz Rosenberg, Madonna's publicist, denied this report; "[Sirius] does not know what they are talking about. Wrong title. Release date wrong". On February 26, 2008, Entertainment Weekly revealed Hard Candy as the official title. According to Rosenberg, the title's a "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'". In an interview with MTV Australia, Madonna revealed that she initially considered naming the record Candy Shop, and then Give It To Me, but changed her mind as those are the titles of songs by 50 Cent and Timbaland. Black Madonna was also considered, as the singer thought it was a "fun title".
For the artwork, Madonna worked with American photographer Steven Klein, and decided to incorporate a boxing theme. Taken during a photoshoot for Interview magazine, the cover depicts the singer sitting in front of a background of pink peppermint swirls, wearing knee-high boots and a championship belt. Writing for Billboard, Joe Lynch opined the cover looked more like, "an outtake [rather] than a photo shoot's best take". During a 2009 interview with Rolling Stone's Austin Scaggs, the singer revealed that her and Klein did a photoshoot for the dropped Black Madonna idea; "I painted my face black, except for red lips and white eyes [...] Then I thought, 'Twenty-five percent of the world might get this, probably less. It’s not worth it'", she recalled.
On July 27, 2007, the song "Candy Shop" leaked online on file hosting service Putfile, but was quickly removed. Following this, NME reported that the then-untitled album would be released in November of that year. The next month, a demo of "Beat Goes On", with guest vocals by Williams, was also leaked online. Furthermore, Timbaland played "4 Minutes" during his set at the KIIS-FM Jingle Ball on December 16, three months before the track's official release date.
Madonna's official website announced on March 2008 that Hard Candy would be released worldwide on April 28, and the next day on the United States. In Mexico, it was issued on April 18, according to the Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. The following week, Hard Candy was released on Germany. Seven songs from Hard Candy leaked online on April 21, 2008, one week before its release day. Additionally, the album was made available on MySpace four days before the planned US release date. A special edition "Candy Box", containing the album with two additional remixes and a bag of starlight mints, was issued on May 12 on the United Kingdom.
On March 17, "4 Minutes" was featured on a Sunsilk commercial. The following day, The Times announced that Vodafone users in Europe would be able to download seven songs from the album into their phones, one week before its release. Billboard reported on April that in France, the full album and "4 Minutes" video would be pre-loaded onto the Samsung F400, set to be released on early June. Billboard also reported that Vodafone and Warner Music would offer "new music and other forms of mobile content from Hard Candy" to Vodafone costumers, prior to the album's release. A similar deal was made with Sony Ericsson, who offered the album pre-loaded onto their phones in 27 countries worldwide. On March 24, it was announced that "Miles Away" would be featured in the Japanese TV drama Change, set to begin airing in April. Songs from the album were then featured on "Jump", the second season finale of American series Ugly Betty, aired on May 22. Prior to the episode, a video in which main character Betty Suarez (America Ferrera) asks Madonna for an autographed copy of the album for her nephew's birthday was aired.
On April 30, 2008, Madonna sang songs from the album at a small concert in New York's Roseland Ballroom, in front of an audience of 2,200 people. Fans allegedly slept on the street overnight to be able to obtain one of the 750 wristbands that guaranteed free admission. In addition to the accesses given to those who had queued, about 1,000 went to radio and internet contest winners, and 200 to members of Madonna’s online fan club. The concert was broadcast live through MSN Music, and on cellphones worldwide by Verizon and Vodafone. Madonna was joined by Timberlake for the performance of "4 Minutes". From Rolling Stone, Caryn Ganz referred to the concert as an "impressive taste of what her upcoming tour might look like". The singer offered another concert on May 6 at Paris' Olympia hall, and four days later headlined the BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend.
Hard Candy was further promoted on the Sticky & Sweet Tour, Madonna's eight concert tour. Announced on May 8, 2008, it began in Cardiff on August 23, and ended in São Paulo on December 21. On January 30, it was reported that the tour would resume in the summer of 2009, with twenty-seven more concerts across Europe. The 2009 leg began in London and ended in Tel Aviv. The show was described as a "rock driven dancetastic journey" and, like previous tours by the singer, was divided into different thematic acts: Pimp, Old School, Gypsy, and Rave. Sticky & Sweet received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the production, the singer's energy, and the performances. With a gross of US$411 million ($602.38 in 2024 dollars), it was the second highest-grossing tour in history at the time, behind only the Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour. Additionally, it won Top Boxscore, Top Draw and Top Manager for Guy Oseary at the 2009 Billboard Touring Awards.
Lead single "4 Minutes" premiered on radio on March 17, 2008, and was released digitally on March 25. Upon release, it received generally mixed reviews; some critics praised its hook, while others criticized Timberlake and Timbaland's participation, and opined Madonna felt like the guest star in her own song. An international success, "4 Minutes" topped the charts in 21 countries worldwide. In the United States, it peaked at the third position of the Billboard Hot 100, giving Madonna her 37th top ten hit. She was previously tied with Elvis Presley for the most top ten singles among all artists in the rock era. "4 Minutes" was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 51st Grammy Awards. The music video was directed by French duo Jonas & François, and features Madonna and Timberlake tackling physical obstacles.
On June 24, "Give It 2 Me" and its remixes were released for digital download. Upon release, the song received generally positive reviews from critics, with its theme of self-empowerment being praised. The track gave Madonna her 39th number one on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number 7. "Give It 2 Me" received a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording. The accompanying black and white music video was directed by Tom Munro and Nathan Rissman, shows Madonna in cowboy hat and "hipster workout gear", and has an appearance by Williams.
In Europe, "Miles Away" was released on November 21, 2008, while remixes were made available for download on August 11, 2009. Critics applauded the track for its catchiness, and compared it to Timberlake's "What Goes Around... Comes Around" (2006). It was Madonna's ninth consecutive number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart. Despite not being issued as singles, the songs "Heartbeat", "Beat Goes On" and "Candy Shop" received certifications by Pro-Música Brasil for digital downloads reported as sales in the country.
Even though it holds a score of 65 on Metacritic, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", critical reception towards Hard Candy ranged from mixed to unfavorable. Positive feedback came from Blender magazine, where Tony Power wrote: "Album 11 is good-naturedly smutty, not confrontationally nasty, but it's a veritable filth bath compared to the C-SPAN sermons and confessional strumming of 2003's dreadful American Life or the woozily self-actualized club trance of 2005's Confessions on a Dance Floor". Easlea described it as, "Confessions [...] with a frothier, more playful and bawdily humorous feel". Also positive was Chris Willman from Entertainment Weekly, who deemed it a "crowd-pleaser of a CD" that, "finds [Madonna] dropping her Kabbalah string on the dance floor and readopting an American accent to offer up an unpretentious, nonstop dance party". Despite not being "one of Madonna's great artistic achievements", Hard Candy is a "brisk, exciting listen", according to Nick Levine from Digital Spy. A similar opinion was shared by The New York Times, where Jon Pareles observed: "[The] grand statement [on Hard Candy] is nothing more than that [Madonna]'s still around and can still deliver neat, calculated pop songs [...] [She] has had more profound moments ―Like a Prayer, Ray of Light [...] This time around, concocting new ditties that will have her arena audiences singing along, she was smart to stay shallow". Rolling Stone's Caryn Ganz wrote: "A songwriting team of American chart royalty helps Madonna revisit her roots as an urban-disco queen [...] Even when she wrestles with Pharrell’s abrupt stylistic changes or lets herself get absorbed in a Timberlake melody, [she] still finds her way back on top".
From Canadian magazine Now, Benjamin Boles opined Hard Candy is "very consistent" despite sounding, "a bit too much like [Madonna] desperately trying to catch up with American R&B princesses". In this vein, Mark Beech, writing for Bloomberg News, felt Hard Candy was more consistent than Confessions on a Dance Floor, but pointed out that, "occasionally [the producers'] beats overwhelm her pop tunes and the music sounds uncomfortably like their past work. [...] That's not so good when some of their ideas were first cloned from Madonna herself". The Times' Pete Paphides said Hard Candy is "no disaster", but noted that its producers had already done the "exact same thing" with Nelly Furtado, Britney Spears, and Gwen Stefani. Sam Damshenas and Daniel Megarry from Gay Times referred to it as the album in which, "[Madonna] stopped creating trends and starting chasing them instead. That’s not inherently a terrible thing [...] it’s a great album". The staff of NME said that, while "half the songs [on Hard Candy] are good, there’s nothing that'll blow you away [...] [it']s solid enough by the standards of most pop tarts, but for the mistress of innovation? Pretty mediocre". For Junkee's Joseph Earp, it's "not a bad record. Just not as great as it should be".
In more critical reviews, Kerri Mason, writing for Billboard, thought Hard Candy was too similar to its producers' own work and, for a "vanguard artist like Madonna, feels like a bit of a concession". Samuel Murrian from Instinct magazine expressed that, "Justin Timberlake, Pharrell, Kanye West and Timbaland bring exactly what you’d expect from them to the table, but as a result this barely feels like a Madonna record". The National's Saeed Saeed named it "superbly produced", but noted that, "[what makes it] so disconcerting is how [Madonna] takes a back seat throughout the [entire thing]". Andy Battaglia from The A.V. Club wrote: "[A]mid forceful guest spots by Justin Timberlake and Kanye West, and self-identifying moves by producers Pharrell Williams and Timbaland, Madonna spends a lot of time in hiding [...] sound[ing] strangely out of place; like a hostage reading into a camera more than a creature of the dancefloor". This sentiment was echoed by the Hartford Courant's Eric R. Danton, who pointed out that, for someone who's "built a career out of being the center of attention", Madonna sounds "outmatched" in Hard Candy, "where the best and most danceable songs would work just as well without her".
Negative criticism came from AllMusic, where Stephen Thomas Erlewine perceived a "disinterest" from the singer's part, "as if she just handed the reins over to Pharrell and Timba-Lake, trusting them to polish up this piece of stale candy". Describing the production as, "[sounding] a couple years old at best, and at worst [...] like Nelly Furtado's Loose hand-me-downs", Erlewine concluded that, "[Hard Candy] is a rare thing: a lifeless Madonna album". Spin magazine's Al Shipley also felt the production came across as dated, and declared Hard Candy the only Madonna album where, "it truly feels like she's just riding the wave of her collaborators and adding as little of her own personality as possible". Pitchfork's Tom Ewing dismissed the production and wondered: "If you're not going to do your best work for Madonna, who are you going to do it for? [...] Nobody involved in Hard Candy is anywhere near their creative peak". Mark Savage felt that, had it been done by producers with "a touch more subtlety, [Hard Candy] could have ranked alongside Madonna's best", and compared it unfavorably to her sixth studio album, Bedtime Stories (1994). WhatCulture's Reece Shrewsbury concluded that, "mixing the R&B sensibilities that were dominating the charts with [Madonna’s] solid musical foundation as a pop artist, [Hard Candy] sounds like it should have worked... but it just isn't very good".
Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani expressed disappointment: "[Madonna] hasn’t delivered this many vapid floor fillers on one disc since her debut, and maybe not even then [...] there are few confessions here—nothing political, nothing too spiritual, no talk of fame, war, or the media. It’s just what America ordered". From MusicOMH, Talia Soghomonian wrote: "Lacking subtlety, overworked and overproduced [...] [and] allowing [Madonna] to play second fiddle to the clattering beats and fussy production of Timbaland, Hard Candy is overwhelming at times, but underwhelming most of the time". A writer from the Telegram & Gazette deemed Hard Candy an "uneven" album that, "unintentionally and constantly, reminds us when [Madonna] was so much more interesting, so much more appealing, so much more original, and alas, so much younger". For Thomas Hausner from PopMatters, it is an album made up of "recycled pop [...] indistinguishable [and] artificial [...] [Its] conception is juvenile and contrived, but in a desperate, not naive, way. [Madonna] has seemingly run out of barriers against which to rebel". Amy O'Brian from the Vancouver Sun described it as, "Madonna parodying Madonna [...] [A] sexed-up foray into hip-hop lite that has [her] sounding more like a near-breakdown Britney Spears than the trailblazing innovator that she often gets credit for being [...] There is next to nothing [on Hard Candy] that can be called innovative". Nicolás Mayo from Spanish website Terra deemed it Madonna's "most forgettable" record, as well as a "musical stepback". Chris Gerard from WRC-TV panned it as her worst album up at the point: "A substantial disappointment [...] The songs are mostly rather uninspired and forgettable. [...] Vocally, [Madonna] sounds shrill and disconnected with the material, of which very little seems genuine and believable. [...] There's nothing original or particularly interesting: others have done it all before, and better".
Following its release, Hard Candy reached the first spot in 37 countries. According to Nielsen SoundScan, 100,000 copies were sold in the United States upon its first day of release. With over 280,000 copies sold, Hard Candy became Madonna's seventh number-one album one on the Billboard 200, making her the second female with the most number one albums in the US, behind Barbra Streisand. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on June 4, 2008, for shipments of 500,000 copies. 751,000 copies of Hard Candy have been sold in the US as of December 2016,. In Canada, the album debuted at the top of the Canadian Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the Music Canada (MC) for shipments of 80,000 copies. As of January 2009, Hard Candy has sold 169,000 units in Canada according to Nielsen Company.
The record reached the third position in Mexico and was certified platinum by the Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. The album topped the charts in Argentina on the week of June 1, and eventually received a platinum certification by the Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas, indicating the shipment of over 40,000 copies. Hard Candy also reached the first spot in Brazil.
In the United Kingdom, Hard Candy debuted at number one on the albums chart, making it Madonna's tenth number-one album in the country. The album received a platinum certification by the British Phonographic Industry, which indicates shipments of over 300,000 copies. Music Week magazine reported that Hard Candy had sold 335,523 copies in the UK as of September 2009. The album was successful troughot Europe. It reached the first positions in Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and Germany. In France, Hard Candy sold 37,963 units in its first two-days, and was later certified platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) for shipment of 200,000 copies in French territory. Additionally, it was 2008's best-selling international album in Italy according to Musica e dischi, with over 170,000 units sold. Furthermore, Hard Candy topped the European Top 100 Albums chart.
Hard Candy became Madonna's seventh album to reach number-one on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart, and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of 70,000 copies. It was less successful in New Zealand, where it debuted and peaked at number five, remaining on the chart for nine weeks. With over 55,462 copies sold on its first week, Hard Candy debuted at number one on the Japanese Oricon chart, retaining that position for a second week due to an increase of sales to almost 80,000 copies. Hard Candy was Madonna's first album to top the chart in 18 years since I'm Breathless (1990). She became the first international artist in Japanese chart history to have number-one albums in three consecutive decades. Worldwide, Hard Candy was the eleventh best-selling album in 2008, and has sold more than four million copies.
Spanish website Jenesaispop and news agency EFE recognized Hard Candy as one of the best albums of 2008. It was named one of the Top 10 Best Foreign Albums of the year by Ole Burn Rosenstand from Danish magazine Gaffa. In Mexico, at the seventh edition of the Premios Oye!, Hard Candy was awarded English-language album of the year. At the 2009 Japan Gold Disc Awards, it was recognized as one of the top 3 international albums. Hard Candy was nominated for foreign modern pop-rock album of the year at the 2009 Hungarian Music Awards.
While reviewing the album on its 10th anniversary, Billboard's Chuck Arnold referred to Hard Candy as "Madonna's last great album", even if it's not a "classic" or up to par to her previous works. Arnold further added: "There is no filler. There are no bad tracks. Zero. [...] That special Neptunes sauce inspired Madonna to sound more erotic than she had since Erotica". The author concluded: "In the end, Hard Candy was a sweet victory lap for Madonna as her last of 11 studio albums for Warner Bros., the label where she became the most famous female artist on the planet".
In their book Mobile Internet For Dummies, authors Michael J. O'Farrell, John R. Levine, Jostein Arlgroy, James Pearce and Daniel Appelquist noted that Madonna became the first major artist to release an album via mobile phones prior to its physical release in stores, an opinion that was shared by The Times' Jonathan Richards. Writing for Billboard, Leila Cobo said Madonna was one of the artists "at the forefront of the mobile revolution" in Latin America, the "most active region in the world as far as preloaded content" at the time. Also writing for Billboard, Andre Paine said Sony Ericsson achieved Latin American sales of 650,000 units of their W760 model, which came preloaded Hard Candy, obtaining a symbolic gold disc from Warner Music. According to Chilean newspaper La Nación, in 2009, Madonna's release exemplified a precedent of how cell phones became an important vehicle of music consumption in an era marked by a financial crisis that also affected music industry.
Notes
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.