February 27, 2008

Madonna Gets Sweet And Strong With Timbaland, Justin Timberlake On Hard Candy

By Larry Carroll (MTV.com)

She's a living legend, wrapping up an 11-album contract that has yielded some of her most classic songs. Now, Madonna is announcing that she'll be going out the same way she came in: hard.

Hard Candy is the new, official title of the pop icon's final album for Warner Bros. Records, MTV News confirmed, and will land in stores April 29. According to an Entertainment Weekly report, the newly christened record will feature production by Timbaland, Pharrell Williams and Nate "Danjahandz" Hills.

One song on the album will be called "Candy Store" (not to be confused with 50 Cent's "Candy Shop"), and the first single is titled "Four Minutes to Save the World," reminding us once again that while advancing in age, Madonna certainly hasn't been bogged down by newfound modesty.

"She loves candy," her representative Liz Rosenberg told EW in response to Madonna's sweet-tooth album and song title. "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 release of the album is timed just a few weeks after Madonna's eagerly anticipated induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next month. The now-49-year-old Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie is aiming to prove she can still bring it on the dance floor, and Hard Candy will aid her with some high-wattage help that also includes multi-song collaborator Justin Timberlake.

As Timbaland told MTV News recently, he had been reaching out to the Material Girl, only to discover that she'd been looking for him at the same time. "It's crazy to see how many people want to work with me," he said of his collaboration with Madonna. "I'm still in shock."