"Her grand statement on Hard Candy is nothing more than that she’s still around and can still deliver neat, calculated pop songs."

"Madonna can still scoff at wanna-be's half her age because she's stayed so flexible with her sound."

"Whenever Hard Candy threatens to get boring, something always happens to recapture your interest, but the three songs in which Madonna actually seems to forge a genuine connection with her musical helpmeet leave the rest of the album in the shade."

"A coldly effective show of prowess."

"We know what you're thinking: Just how massive is this midlife crisis of hers? Pretty major, probably, but she makes it work with this surprisingly rejuvenated set."

"Hard Candy isn't a record that runs many risks - which for Madonna, the shape-shifting scourge of the puritanical, is shocking in itself."

"Hard Candy could be her most unpretentious and consistently enjoyable pop record since Like A Virgin."

"Timbaland's productions are the weaker links on this frustratingly ordinary album."

"Madonna remains interested in communicating Higher Truths, and pop philosophizing is a poor fit for music designed for dance-floor grinding."

"Hard Candy lacks subtlety and is overworked and overproduced."