31 March - Vanity Fair interview
Vanity Fair published their brand new interview from the May 2008 issue:
As she nears 50, Madonna's narrative is shifting. Yes, there's another new super-pop album, Hard Candy, with Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams. But there's also Filth and Wisdom, the feature film she's co-written, produced, and directed, and I Am Because We Are, her documentary on Malawi, the aids-ravaged country where she controversially adopted her third child. Whisked to L.A. for an intense prep session, followed by an almost two-hour interview, the author explores the evolution of the Madonna myth as she harnesses her image-making genius to a cause, a philosophy, and the search for her true self.
[...]
After the movie, I was brought to the office of Madonna's manager, where I sat in a boardroom and listened to Madonna's new record (Hard Candy) on an iPod. It was a long day. The morning flight, the articles, the movie, the record, then the interview. It was like being brainwashed. Like being dropped in a vat of Madonna. But it's how they wanted it—how I was purified and prepared. Like they do in the cults. Make sure the mark is softened before he sits with the eminence. As Madonna herself told me, "I just wanted you to know where my head is at."

Madonna made the record with Justin Timberlake, who co-wrote five of the songs and sings on four, Pharrell Williams, and the producer Timbaland. "I didn't have any idea what kind of music I wanted to make," Madonna told me. "I just knew I wanted to collaborate with Pharrell and Justin. I needed to be inspired and thought, Well, who's making records I like? So I went, ‘I like that guy and I like that guy.' It's not like we hit it off right away. Writing is very intimate. You have to be vulnerable and it's hard to do that with strangers. I had ups and downs before everybody got comfortable, but I grew very fond of Pharrell and Justin."

Many of the songs are hybrids, traditional Madonna super-pop, workout tunes giving way to white hip-hop, Justin Timberlake showering cascades of rhyme. I was listening to the music, and it's a record I think Madonna fans will like, because it's filled with songs you can imagine blasting from the room where they hold spinning class, but I kept thinking about Britney Spears. I mean, here is Madonna, singing with Justin, whose very public breakup with Britney marked the moment the pop tart began her battle with the furies. And, of course, I was also thinking of those MTV Video Music Awards in which Britney, already well on her way to madness, frenched Madonna. In light of this record, and all that's happened, I wondered if, in the course of that kiss, Madonna somehow extracted Britney's soul from her body, or implanted the crazy chip. When I began to ask Madonna about Britney—specifically in relation to the paparazzi—she stopped me (before I even said Britney's name) with a raised hand, saying, "Yes, I know. I know exactly what you're going to say. It's very painful. Which leads us back to our question: When you think about the way people treat each other in Africa, about witchcraft and people inflicting cruelty and pain on each other, then come back here and, you know, people taking pictures of people when they're in their homes, being taken to hospitals, or suffering, and selling them, getting energy from them, that's a terrible infliction of cruelty. So who's worse off? You know what I mean?"
Click here to read rest of the interview and to check out more pictures.

31 March - 4 Minutes video premieres in 4 days
While 4 Minutes is already heating up the radio airwaves, it was still unclear when we would get to see its music video. Now we finally have a date: a banner on iTunes has revealed that the video premiere is only 4 days away! They confirm the video was shot in London under the direction of Jonas & Francois, with choreography by Jamie King and of course featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. The video is available for pre-order on US iTunes and on UK iTunes.
So time is waiting, no hesitating, stay tuned for the video this Friday April 4th!




31 March - Something to remember: F*ck it!
While we're waiting for Madonna's next music video, we've just reached the 5th anniversary of the premiere of one of Madonna's most remarkable clips. Five years ago today, on March 31st, 2003, only a week after the radio premiere, Madonna released the video of American Life. It truly is an exceptional one: Madonna perfectly portrayed the views of the American nation of the war in Iraq. Madonna is seen as a hot general and a foxy soldier, being brunette, first breaking out from the toilet and then joined by her female war buddies in a fantastic choreography. Meanwhile, the war is presented to the public as a fashion show, with the latest weapons and fatigues relegated to simple accessories. Madonna and her comrades jump into a Mini Cooper and burst into the set and hose everyone down with a water cannon, before Madonna throws a grenade to a George Bush lookalike, who lights his cigar with it, while the people are still thinking it's not real, just like how they think the war is so far away from them and has no effect on their lives.
Unfortunately this strong message ended up being the least seen Madonna video ever. Just a day after the premiere, on April 1st, Madonna released a statement that she pulled the video back because she didn't want to offend anyone and was concerned about the battling troops in Iraq. The video was never broadcast on tv again, Warner replaced it with the performance footage of Madonna in front of the flags of the world. The fact that Madonna self-censored herself was the final nail in the coffin of the single (because it wasn't radio friendly at all and it couldn't captivate large audiences, which was unexpected for a lead-off single by Madonna) and foreshadowed the fate of the album, because the public got a wrong perception of the whole project. Fans are still waiting for the release of the original video on some Madonna video compilation, but it seems it's being written out of Madonna's career. The fact that she pulled the video is considered as one of the very few bad decisions by Madonna in her amazing career, and to this day, we still wonder what went wrong in that era...
Of course you can watch the video on our blog; don't forget to write a blog comment to share your memories & thoughts of the video and the whole era with us!


30 March - Madonna to remake Casablanca in Iraq?
This might be an April 1st joke but is fun nonetheless! ;-)
It is one of the greatest films of Hollywood's golden era, a triple Oscar-winning classic with electrifyingly charismatic stars and a script bursting with memorable lines.
But now Madonna has stunned the movie industry with plans to remake Casablanca – and this time set it in Iraq.
The singer, whose previous film career has been littered with critical and commercial turkeys, is also planning to take the lead role of Ilsa Lund, which originally made a star of Ingrid Bergman.
A source at a major Hollywood studio that was recently approached by the 49-year-old star said: "She is still determined to make it in the movies.
"She and her representatives have been touting around a project which is a remake of Casablanca. The reception has been lukewarm to say the least. No one can understand why she wants to redo what many people consider the greatest film of all time."
In the 1942 original, Bergman starred opposite Humphrey Bogart, who played Rick Blaine, a cynical bar owner in the Moroccan city of Casablanca in the early days of the Second World War. Ilsa is torn between love for her husband, a Czech Resistance leader, and her ex-lover Rick.
Madonna is said to believe the film will make her reputation as an actress, after a string of high-profile flops such as Shanghai Surprise, Body Of Evidence and Swept Away, her much-derided 2002 collaboration with husband Guy Ritchie.
The source said: "Madonna is talking about taking the Ingrid Bergman role for herself, even though Bergman was in her 20s when she played Ilsa and Madonna is nearly 50.
"She wants to update the story and maybe set it in a modern war zone such as Iraq. There is no script yet.
"Madonna and her people are testing the waters to see if this is the right vehicle for her and if a major studio will get behind the project."
The movie, which regularly tops lists of the greatest films ever made, includes the classic song As Time Goes By and memorable quotes such as: "Here's looking at you, kid", "We'll always have Paris" and "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world she walks into mine".
But one of the lines most closely associated with Casablanca - "Play it again, Sam" - is a misquotation. In fact, Ilsa says: "Play it once, Sam, for old times' sake. Play it, Sam." Later, Rick says: "You played it for her and you can play it for me. If she can stand it, I can. Play it!"
Bollywood filmmaker Rajeev Nath is also said to be working on a remake set in India, calling it "a tribute to the original".
A spokeswoman for Madonna refused to comment.
And here's how she might 'improve' the classic script
Of all the Kabbalah meetings in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.
Here's looking at you, kid. Now who do we have to pay to adopt him?
We'll always have Basra... I think this is the beginning of a beautiful fitness regime...
I stick my neck out for nobody - just in case they see the wrinkles.
It doesn't take much to see that Saddam's Weapons of Mass Destruction arsenal didn't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.
If you watch this remake, you'll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life. (source: Daily Mail)

30 March - Madonna's millions from Hard Candy ads
She might be just months away from her 50th birthday, but Madonna is proving she's still the ultimate Material Girl when it comes to making money from her music.
The singer, who is the most successful female recording artist in history, has earned millions with her new album Hard Candy - even though it does not go on sale until next month.
She has signed lucrative contracts with major companies including Vodafone, Unilever and Fuji, which will use her music to sell products from hairspray to mobile ­phones.
The deals, which involve more than half the tracks on the album, have not only earned the London-based mother of three a not-so-small fortune, they will ensure her album receives free global publicity ahead of its release.
Madonna's deal with Vodafone means the network's customers will be able to listen to seven tracks one week before the album's worldwide release on April 28. It is the first time an artist has launched an album on a mobile phone.
Her new single, 4 Minutes, which features Justin Timberlake, is already being used in a commercial for Unilever's Sunsilk hair care range. The advertisement, which premiered during the American football Super Bowl, is set to go global next month. It includes more than a dozen images of her at different stages of her career. The track will also feature in Timberlake's film Get Smart.
Madonna has also licensed Miles Away, expected to be the album's second single, as the theme for a drama called Change on Japan's Fuji TV.
In a move that is likely to infuriate some fans, the eagerly awaited video for 4 Minutes, with Madonna and Timberlake, will make its debut online rather than on MTV.
John Reid, the president of Warner Music Europe and vice-chairman of Warner Music International, Madonna's label, said: "It's not about upfront payments, it's about selling the product. She is a very smart businesswoman who wants to sell a lot of albums.
"These companies want their customers to know about their links with Madonna. They are going to promote the deals and her music online and in extensive television, radio and press adverts."
He added: "If it all goes to plan then there is no reason why other acts shouldn't strike similar deals."
Madonna is not the first artist to make her work available to advertisers, but past commercials have tended to feature songs only after they have been released.
Claire Beale, the editor of Campaign, the advertising industry's trade paper said: "These deals prove that Madonna is the most marketing-savvy musician in the world. She's a case study of what great marketing is.
"Using advertisements to promote a new single in advance of its release is very shrewd indeed."
Stuart Clarke, the talent editor of Music Week, said: "When you first hear about 4 Minutes being used for a Sunsilk campaign you think 'how tacky'. You then see the advert and you realise what a brilliant idea it is.
"It is as much an advert for her and her music as it is for the product she is supposed to be selling. No one else could get away with that."
The song 4 Minutes has already entered the UK charts at number seven on downloads alone. It is expected to enter the top five today, even though the video still has not been seen and the record has yet to released.
Gennaro Castalodo, a spokesman for HMV, said: "Madonna knows it's not just about reaching her own fans, who are going to buy the record anyway." (source: Telegraph.co.uk)

29 March - UK physical single of 4 Minutes set to April 21st
Warner UK sent out a newsletter revealing that the UK release date of the physical 4 Minutes single is set to April 21st. HMV updated its site with the new release date and now lists two CDs and two 12" vinyl formats for Madonna's new single (the double vinyl is released a week later).
Additionally, the Warner newsletter hints at 4 Minutes video having its premiere online. Fans speculating that it could happen on Friday, April 4th on tick-tock.tv...

28 March - Madonna says tour would most likely start in the fall
Madonna gave more interviews via phone, now for Chicago stations 101.9 WTMX FM & B96FM:
Regarding the tour, she said she's still not completely sure, but most likely it would start in the fall.
When asked about ending up working with Justin, she said when it was time to go back to the studio, she asked herself "whose music do I love right now?", and apparently it was the music of Justin, Timbaland and Pharrell. She said the worst part was trying to get their schedules matched with hers.
She said she doesn't overthink whether her fans are going to love her new stuff or not, but she hopes fans of Timbaland & Justin would listen to Hard Candy, and also hopes that apart from her hardcore fans who've been with her for 20 years, she got some more along the way.
She called Hard Candy "Pop, funky, R&B, danceable good ass shit"!
She named Chicago DJ Cajmere as an inspiration for the track Spanish Lesson. Pharrell introduced her to Cajmere's track 'It's Time For The Percolator'. Cajmere previously remixed Madonna's 2006 single Sorry as Green Velvet.
She discussed her jury duty saying that she's been delaying for 20 years already, so she really had to do it now.
She said the Chicago crowd and hotel is a highlight on her tours.
Madonna talked about Filth and Wisdom probably getting a limited theatre release, and her Malawi documentary premiering at the Tribeca Festival in NYC.
When asked about best and worst part of touring, she said best is when she's singing the last minute of the last songs. Worst part is the 2 hours before the show. She'd prefer her shows to be during daytime instead of the evenings when she'd be doing other stuff.
She said Kanye is great, but she doesn't like how her collaborators never write their lyrics down.

28 March - Listen to instrumental version of 4 Minutes
You can listen to the instrumental version of Madonna's new single 4 Minutes on The Thomas Crown Chronicles, a blog dedicated to the work Timbaland & Co. Interestingly, they say that not only Timbaland & Danja, but Hannon worked on it as well, though we haven't seen Hannon in the official credits yet. You can hear the instrumental of Flo Rida's current hit single 'Elevator' as well, which was done by Timbaland & Hannon and has some similarities with Madonna's single.

27 March - Vanity Fair cover revealed
Madonna takes the cover of Vanity Fair's third annual May 2008 Green Issue!
It's not even April yet but her Madgesty is looking ferosh as usual.
Unbowed, uncowed and still taking on the world!
Madge's new album, Hard Candy, will be released on April 29. You know it's going to be hot! (source: Just Jared)

27 March - Madonna talks Britney, Guy, Candy
Forget the dance floor, these days Madonna's doing all her confessing on the radio.
In an exclusive interview with the Yo on E! satellite radio show, the newly minted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer holds forth on her former spit-swapping buddy Britney Spears, her upcoming album and the relentless rumors that her marriage is in peril. (Listen to the interview.)
About her pop protégé, Madonna says that Spears remains the artist of choice for 11-year-old daughter Lourdes (Rocco, meanwhile, prefers the dulcet tones of Chris Brown and Usher) and said that, like her discerning daughter, she remains a supporter of the beleaguered star.
"They need to step off," Madonna said of the tabloid and paparazzi focus on Spears. "For real...Let's go save her."
Madonna says Lourdes, who met Spears "back in the day," is equally concerned, albeit in an age-appropriate way.
"She knows Britney, but doesn't catch all that gossip stuff. So I think she sorta gets the drift of what's going on, and I think she's kind of protective of Britney."
As for Madonna's own home life, she cautions that headlines can be deceiving.
"We still have to take turns," the chart topper said of hubby Guy Ritchie with regard to marital compromise. "It's not easy."
It's also, however, not as the tabloids portray.
"You know how people are. It is ridiculous," she says of the recent slate of state-of-her-union reports. "I don't pay much attention to it."
What she does pay attention to is keeping her now slightly larger family unit tight.
Of the Ritchie family's latest addition, Malawi-born son David, Madonna calls his presence nothing short of "amazing."
"He's the life of the party. He loves music, he's an amazing dancer, he's just a character."
As for whether raising an adopted child is any different from her genetic children, she says she was surprised in that she "thought it would be, but it feels the same, to tell you the truth."
The superstar singer, currently gearing up to summer in the U.S., a country she says she misses despite loving living in the U.K., also talked shop, particularly about her upcoming album, Hard Candy.
"It is sexy," she said. "I think it's got some hard set beats, but there's some sweetness on top. I like the juxtaposition."
She also hazarded a guess as to why some of her more recent albums seemed to connect more with her overseas fan base than her U.S. one, chalking it up to the records' British producers and the fact that "the vibe was more European."
"Now my copilots are American and it has more of an American feel."
The patriotism-approved Hard Candy is due out April 29.
Her Yo on E! interview airs in its entirety Friday afternoon. (source: E! Online via Yahoo)

27 March - Billboard's Chart Beat: This one's '4' you
We are seven months away from the 25th anniversary of Madonna's debut on the Hot 100. Her chart life began the week of Oct. 29, 1983, with Holiday. This week, she scores the 53rd entry of her career with 4 Minutes (Warner Bros.), only her second single to share billing with another artist.
Madonna's first shared credit was Me Against The Music, the 2003 single that was billed as Britney Spears featuring Madonna. 4 Minutes is credited to Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake.
4 Minutes enters at No. 68 and is Madonna's first chart entry in two years. She was last on the Hot 100 with Sorry, a single that peaked at No. 58 in March 2006.
If 4 Minutes becomes Madonna's 13th No. 1 on the Hot 100, the song will be only the second chart-topper in the chart's history to start with the digit "4." The first was "4 Seasons of Loneliness" by Boyz II Men in 1997. The most recent Hot 100 title to start with the digit "4" was Gwen Stefani's "4 in the Morning," which peaked at No. 54 in August 2007. A different song called "4 Minutes" was a No. 52 hit for Avant in May 2006. (source: Fred Bronson @ Billboard.com)

27 March - Madonna calls in radio stations, says tour is almost confirmed
Madonna called in NYC channel Z100 and 93.3 FLZ in Florida Tampa, and gave two nice and relaxed interviews:
First and foremost, she said a tour starting at the end of the summer/beginning of the fall is almost confirmed (in FLZ interview she said 99,9% ;-)...
She wishes Justin or Timbaland would join her, but they were on the road for like a year and Justin is more into movies now.
She's going to be on a promo tour in April & May.
She compared working with her new collaborators to William Orbit, Mirwais & Stuart Price, because they are all good songwriters and have excellent taste in music.
She said she's always nervous if the public and radio is going to love what she puts out.
She was upset when she was told by the interviewer that 4 Minutes is being played as a radio edit on US radio.
When asked whether she's tired of doing old songs on tour, she said she wasn't sure if she could perform Holiday or Like A Virgin ever again, "unless somebody paid me like $30 million or something. [Like if] some Russian guy wants me to come to the wedding he's going to have to a 17-year-old, you know it." (We wonder if the Drowned World Tour attitude is back again... ;-)
She discussed the now-infamous B12 shoot Justin got from her: "First of all, I've seen enough butt... The reason I gave him a B-12 [shot] is because we only had a certain amount of days in the studio and I didn't want him to use that as a lame-ass excuse not to come to work. Okay? It's got nothing to do with butt. I promise you. Listen, I don't need to give him a shot to see his butt. Duh."
When the interviewer asked which of her old songs he could play, she chose Borderline.
At the moment, she likes listening to music by Britney Spears, Goldfrapp, Jamelia & Kate Nash.
You can listen to Z100 interview here, 93.3 FLZ interview here, and you can read some of the highlights on People.com.

27 March - Madonna fumes at London transport
Pop singer Madonna has launched a stinging attack on London's transport system, including the congestion charge and the Tube.
The singer, who has a London home, said traffic was worse than ever in an interview with Q magazine.
She said: "I would make it so that young musicians, aspiring musicians wouldn't have to pay the congestion charge or pay taxes."
The mayor's office said the congestion charge had prevented gridlock.
Madonna said: "Will Ken Livingstone get my vote? No. The traffic in London is worse than ever now. All Red Ken wants is roadworks going on everywhere."
She added: "Don't use The Tube; can't use the roads? No. I'll just have to walk I guess."
Friends of the Earth London campaigner Jenny Bates said of the star's most recent complaint: "The C-charge has reduced congestion and cut carbon dioxide emissions."
A spokesman for the Mayor said: "If we hadn't had the C-charge we would now be in gridlock. The roadworks she refers to are long overdue." (source: BBC)

27 March - Listen to Junkie XL's 4 Minutes remix
You can now listen to the new remix and dub versions of 4 Minutes by Junkie XL. Click here to hear them on his Myspace.

27 March - Madonna floors Russell Brand
Here's Madonna dressed as a boxer for a magazine interview.
Among celebs grilling the Queen Of Pop in the latest issue of Q is comic Russell Brand, but she claims she hasn't heard of him.
She says: "Am I familiar with Russell Brand? No."
His magic clearly doesn't work on Madge. (source: The Sun)

27 March - Madonna reveals success depends on beating her ego
It must be hard when you're the reigning queen of pop like Madonna.
Madge, 49, is the biggest selling female recording artist in the world.
But she's still striving for more. She told Q Magazine: "What else is there for me to conquer? Hopefully my ego.
"How will I know when I've succeeded? When I stop caring what anyone thinks."
We think she's joking, but supermum Madge also admtted that she organises her family like one of her well-choreographed dance routines.
She said: "I have to eke out the time. One day I don't see my kids much and the next day I make sure I do. You look at your calendar and you go, 'OK, this day's crazy. But OK, this day I'm going to take my daughter to ballet. The next day I'm going to be gone all day. So the day after I'm going to make sure I'm around for dinner and bathtime'."
And the woman who once posed naked for her Sex book also says: "I can be shy. And nervous. About things. People will never think that of me."
Now we know she's joking. (source: Mirror.co.uk)

27 March - Promo Tour schedule?
According to fansite Madonnatribe, Madonna is going to play small gigs on her promo tour on these dates: April 28th (New York), May 6th (Paris), May 10th (London).

27 March - Madonna: "We have a passionate sex life"
Madonna has revealed that she enjoys a passionate relationship with husband Guy Ritchie.
The singer, who has three children, said the couple still have fun in the bedroom after seven years of marriage.
She told OK!: "I don't know who told you that having children and getting married means there is no erotica in your life."
The 49-year-old's publicist recently denied reports that the marriage was in trouble, insisting that all was "well and wonderful" in the Ritchie household.
Friend Thandie Newton also hit out at the rumours, saying: "They're having a good time, as far as I know. I went to their house in the country - it's lovely. It's all good! I just saw them the other day - they're having a great time." (source: Digital Spy)

25 March - 4 Minutes cover pic considered hot by Mad-Eyes visitors
We've held a poll about the cover picture of 4 Minutes, and the majority our visitors agreed that Madonna looks hot on it (and most of them thought the same about Justin ;-), so now we're putting the Hard Candy cover picture to the test, click here to vote!

25 March - Hard Candy for pre-order on iTunes with Ring My Bell as bonus track
Madonna's new album Hard Candy was just added for pre-order on iTunes. While you can download the single 4 Minutes right away, if you pre-order the album at the same time, you'll get 3 additional remixes, and Ring My Bell as a bonus track! This track is added as a bonus for both standard & deluxe editions.
The iTunes album description is as follows:
Madonna kicks off her eleventh album with the deep funk and electro-pulses of Candy Shop - an innuendo-laden ("my sugar is raw") R&B song that gives the spotlight to Pharrell's incessantly funky backdrops, which set the tone for the album. If Confessions On A Dance Floor was her space disco odyssey, then Hard Candy is her freaked-out R&B album - rolling deep in productions from Pharrell and Timbaland and allowing special guests such as Justin Timberlake and Kanye West to juggle a few verses. The album comes with three bonus remixes and a digital booklet. Pre-order the album to receive the bonus track, Ring My Bell.
Pre-order your copy today (USA), pre-orders for the UK here and pre-orders for Belgium!

24 March - Madonna song used for Japanese TV drama
A ballad from Madonna's upcoming album will provide the theme music for a new Japanese television show, the first time the pop diva has licensed a tune for a TV drama here.
The song, Miles Away, will be used for the show "Change," which is scheduled to begin airing in April. It is taken from Madonna's Hard Candy album, which is set for release here April 30 [Japan].
The show stars local heartthrob Takuya Kimura in the tale of a small-town elementary school teacher who is suddenly -- if improbably -- propelled into the position of prime minister of Japan. Madonna met Kimura when she appeared as a guest on the his "SMAPxSMAP" variety show in 2005. (source: Reuters/Hollywood Reporter via Yahoo)
~ You can preview a part of Miles Away in the show preview on our blog.

23 March - Madonna earns her 60th UK Top 10 hit
4 Minutes has just become Madonna's 60th UK Top 10 hit! With 6 days of downloads, Madonna & Justin debuted at #7 on the UK singles chart. Click here to see the list of Madonna's 60 UK Top 10s and click here for more current chart news.

22 March - USA 4 Minutes single formats
After the international formats, fansite Madonnatribe now reveals the tracklists of the US 4 Minutes single formats:

2-Disc vinyl 12" single (Special Jacket)
#0-463228 0-9362-49870-9-3
A1. 4 Minutes (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Remix) 5:39
A2. 4 Minutes (Peter Saves Paris Remix) 8:37
B1. 4 Minutes (Tracy Young House Mix) 7:55
B2. 4 Minutes (Junkie XL Dirty Dub) 4:52
C1. 4 Minutes (Album Version) 4:05
C2. 4 Minutes (Rebirth Remix) 7:57
D1. 4 Minutes (Junkie XL Remix) 6:16

1-Disc vinyl 12" single (Picture Disc, Clear Plastic Sleeve)
#0-9362-49860-1-0
A1. 4 Minutes (Radio Edit) 3:10
A2. 4 Minutes (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Edit) 4:57
B1. 4 Minutes (Junkie XL Remix Edit) 4:39
B2. 4 Minutes (Tracy Young House Radio) 3:33

CD Maxi (Folder/Inlay)
#2-463036 0-9362-49871-2-3
01. 4 Minutes (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Remix) 5:39
02. 4 Minutes (Junkie XL Remix) 6:16
03. 4 Minutes (Tracy Young House Mix) 7:55
04. 4 Minutes (Peter Saves Paris Remix) 8:37
05. 4 Minutes (Rebirth Remix) 7:57
06. 4 Minutes (Junkie XL Dirty Dub) 4:52

~ The release date is set to April 29th. The remixes will probably be available digitally as well.

22 March - Junkie XL premieres his 4 Minutes remix
Tom Holkenborg aka Dutch DJ Junkie XL has premiered his remix of Madonna's single 4 Minutes on the Dutch TV show 'De Wereld Draait Door' last Thursday. Holkenborg, who in 2002 had a world hit with his remix of Elvis' 'A Little Less Conversation', was among a selection of remixers, proposed by Warner's Orlando Puerto to Madonna. After hearing a test remix, Madonna chose Junkie XL to do one of the official remixers of her single. During the TV show, the DJ shows how such a remix is done: check the video here to see him use the Madonna track and add bass, piano and guitar on different layers until he gets the final result (which sounds magnificent BTW!). (thx to Jacques for providing the link)



22 March - Madonna dresses up as Edith Piaf alongside Gaul-hubby
Madonna looks a dish in some French dressing - as she arrives at a bash as legendary Gallic singer Edith Piaf.
And film director hubby Guy Ritchie, 39, had the Gaul to get in on the Continental theme by going to the Purim Jewish festival as cartoon hero Asterix.
Partygoers at the Kabbalah Centre in Central London said director Guy's wig and fake tash Snatched the limelight Lock, Stock and Barrel from Madge, 49, on Thursday.
The couple are said to be suffering marriage woes. But they seemed far from Les Miserables. (source: The Sun)



22 March - Keith Caulfield of Billboard discusses chances of 4 Minutes
Our favourite chart expert & longtime Madonna fan at Billboard talked about the possible fate of new single 4 Minutes in his column, Ask Billboard:
Hi Keith,
Madonna just released her new single 4 Minutes featuring Justin Timberlake. Do you think American radio stations will play it along with other singles from her upcoming album Hard Candy? They shamelessly ignored (her last album) the great Confessions On A Dancefloor.
This time she collaborated with Timbaland, Pharrell and of course Timberlake. Will this fact entice U.S. radio to put Madonna back onto the airwaves where she belongs?
Michael Alexander
Boston

Hi Michael,
It seems like the magic combination of Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland is already working. In 4 Minutes' first three days of radio release, 60 monitored U.S. radio stations played it seven times or more. That includes WIHT Washington, D.C. (29 spins), KHJZ Houston, Texas (29 spins), WKXS Boston (22 spins) and WHTZ New York (19 spins).
Next week it will likely debut on the CHR/Top 40 airplay chart in our sister publication Radio & Records. It also has a chance of debuting on The Billboard Hot 100 as well.
We'll see if radio stations continue to embrace 4 Minutes in the coming weeks. It wouldn't be unusual for stations to back off a song after an initial flurry of activity, especially if the song doesn't react well with a station's audience.
On a side note, 4 Minutes will not only be released as a digital download in the coming weeks, but it will also be granted a physical single release in the U.S. The remixes of 4 Minutes, crafted by Tracy Young, Bob Sinclair and Junkie XL, will be released on CD Maxi, 12" vinyl and of course digitally.
Madonna's Hard Candy album drops April 29.
~ Very positive news so far, and there we have our confirmation for a USA maxi-single!

22 March - Billboard reviews 4 Minutes
4 Minutes
MADONNA and JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
Producer(s): Madonna, Nate "Danja" Hills, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley
Label: Warner Bros.
It doesn't take anywhere close to 4 Minutes to realize that Madonna is poised to score her first top 10 hit since 2005's Hung Up. The launch single from upcoming Hard Candy—her 11th and final studio album for Warner Bros.—co-stars Justin Timberlake, with production props from Timbaland. There's an awful lot going on in the busy dance track: sing-song verses, insistent foghorns, cowbells, chants of "tick-tock" and "Madonna, Madonna," and a rap from Timbaland—but the trade-off chorus between Madge and Justin of "We've only got four minutes to save the world" is hooky enough unto itself to sell the song. 4 qualifies as an event record between superpowers who not only share equal billing, but sound gangbusters together. Expect instantaneous penetration for this spring break '08 anthem. —Chuck Taylor @ Billboard.com

22 March - International 4 Minutes single formats
Fansite Madonnatribe revealed the following tracklists of 4 Minutes single formats:

UK 2-track CD (slimline jewelcase)
#2-471292 0-5439-19939-5-3
01. 4 Minutes (Album Version)
02. 4 Minutes (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Remix)

International 2 track CD (babypak)
#2-471356 0-5439-19939-4-6
01. 4 Minutes (Album Version)
02. 4 Minutes (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Remix)

International Maxi CD (slimline jewelcase)
#2-471420 0-9362-49868-2-9
01. 4 Minutes (Album Version)
02. 4 Minutes (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Remix)
03. 4 Minutes (Junkie XL Remix)

International Digital Maxi
#6-471420 0-9362-49868-1-2
01. 4 Minutes (Album Version)
02. 4 Minutes (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Remix)
03. 4 Minutes (Junkie XL Remix)

~ There's no word whether there's going to be an USA maxi-single. However, we think the UK is going to get some other formats as well, possibly featuring the remixes by Peter Rauhofer & Tracy Young.

21 March - Madonna moves to the front of the pack of contemporary pop
Past experience teaches us all to beware of superstar duets. Too often, big egos and lackluster songwriting sink the best of intentions. However, 4 Minutes, a slick, rhythmic, and brassy collaboration between top stars of different generations, Madonna and Justin Timberlake, delivers. Producer Timbaland lends a trademark musical hand and his own voice to give us 4 minutes and 4 seconds of pop fun.

Pros
Rousing marching band vibe
Yet another great rhythmic track from Timbaland
A superstar duo that delivers

Cons
It's a bit predictable

Written by Madonna, Danja Hills, Timbaland, and Justin Timberlake
Produced by Timbaland, Danja Hills, Justin Timberlake, and Demo Castellon
Released by Warner Bros. April 2008

As Madonna nears the age of 50, it seems that time is a bit of an obsession in her recent music. However, where the ticking clock of Hung Up was to be indicative of time moving slowly, 4 Minutes is concerned about such a short time left. With a working title of "4 Minutes to Save the World," fans and critics alike were teased with the possibility Madonna might be turning to the political for the first time since the ill-fated American Life project. However, it turns out that, while there might be a whiff of dread, this is simply Madonna teaming with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland to move once again to the front of the pack of contemporary pop.
A brassy, marching band vibe combines with now familiar, but still never boring, Timbaland rhythmic tricks that instantly engage the ear. Madonna and Justin trade vocals nimbly before building together into JT's pleading "We've only got 4 minutes to save the world!" Will they do it in the course of a pop song? If any of today's pop stars could save the world, it might as well be these two.
This is the lead single for Madonna's Hard Candy album. It will be released on April 29, 2008. The album includes multiple tracks produced by Timbaland, with assists from Danja Hills, and multiple tracks produced by Pharrell Williams. It will be Madonna's last studio album released under contract with Warner Bros. (rating 4,5/5 stars - About.com)

20 March - Pharrell discusses Madonna and beats
Rolling Stone posted a short clip of Pharrell (with his partner-in-crime Chad Hugo) discussing the making of beats and working with Madonna. Basically he says his beats on Hard Candy are based on stuff like buckets & cans and the sessions with Madonna were "hot as hell" and "the walls were sweating, all equipment was uprising, refusing to work". He praises Madonna for not using air conditioner on concerts to preserve her voice. Throughout the clip, Candy Shop can be heard so now we can confirm to anxious fans that it's the same version as we all know from the leaks. ;-)

19 March - Madonna probably not appearing on American Idol's current season
Imagine Madonna going head-to-head with Simon Cowell.
With her new album, Hard Candy, dropping April 29, smack-dab in the middle of AI's seventh season, I say it's time for the Queen of Pop to appear on American Idol.
Just look at Jim Carrey. His appearance last week on AI—in an elephant costume, no less—helped his new animated flick, Horton Hears a Who!, blow away the competition. It was the weekend's top-grossing movie, with a reported $45.1 million in ticket sales.
Are you with me?
Justin Timberlake, Pepsi Ad
Come on, she's working it already. Her new single with Justin Timberlake, 4 Minutes, debuted yesterday as part of a commercial for Sunsilk hair-care products. The tune, as I was the first to report, will also be heard in the upcoming Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway comedy Get Smart.
Sadly, Madonna's rep said an AI appearance is unlikely, because "her schedule's really crazy leading up to the album release."
Oh well, maybe Timberlake can convince her to do AI together. If Madge could kiss Britney Spears on live television, there's no telling what she would do with J.T. (source: E! Online)

19 March - 50 years Madonna in 50 facts
This weeks issue of Belgian magazine Humo has 4 pages with 50 facts on Madonna (translated from an article that appeared last month in Q Mag). Dutch readers can check the article and some nice Madonna -related videos on the Humo site.

19 March - New Sunsilk commercial featuring 4 Minutes
Last week we reported that 4 Minutes premiered in a new Sunsilk commercial. Because of production issues, the commercial that aired the past few days only featured an instrumental version of the song. Unilever, the company behind Sunsilk, has now provided Mad-Eyes with the completed version featuring the full track. The hair care campaign features Shakira & Marilyn Monroe as well but this commercial is specifically only with Madonna. The clip showcases Madonna's hairstyles in digital video images, set to the tones of her new single 4 Minutes. Check it out on our blog.

18 March - 4 Minutes already available on UK iTunes
Madonna's new single with Justin 4 Minutes is already available on UK iTunes since midnight. Most of the other countries, including the USA will follow next week. Because 4 Minutes is already charting high on iTunes, it's expected to debut on Sunday's UK Singles chart. You can read all the latest chart news throughout the Hard Candy era on our brand new chart-news page!

18 March - Madonna to launch Hard Candy on mobile
Madonna plans to give more than 250m Vodafone customers access to her new album ahead of its official release set for April 28th with Warner Music.
The Material Girl is hoping to reach millions of fans by releasing seven songs from the album, Hard Candy, at a rate of one song a day the week before the album is available.
Beginning on April 21st, each track will remain live and exclusive to Vodafone customers for 24 hours for download before being replaced by the next one.
Customers in some markets, including Spain, Portugal, Germany and Belgium will be given access to the newly released single 4 Minutes, a collaboration with Justin Timberlake about fighting poverty and disease.
The single was released yesterday, not in record shops or online, but bizarrely in a shampoo advert for Sunsilk. The advertisement, featuring the slogan Life can't wait showcases Madonna's different looks throughout her career.
Vodafone's deal with Warner will allow customers access to Madonna's mini site on Vodafone live! where the week of music can be found alongside associated mobile phone content, including ringtones and text message tones.
John Reid, vice chairman of Warner Music, said: "This is an innovative way to reach millions of Madonna fans around the world, building anticipation and excitement around this landmark release and helping to create a real event for Vodafone customers."
The news comes as Madonna, who will be 50 this summer, denies reports that her marriage to British film director Guy Ritchie is on the rocks.
Rumours of a split followed the failure of Mr Ritchie to appear at Madonna's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the US last week.
However, a spokesman for Madonna said the pair were happily married, and simply working on different projects. Madonna is currently in the US promoting Hard Candy, while Mr Ritchie is in the UK wrapping up his new film RocknRolla. (source: The Telegraph)

17 March - Madonna denies marriage split claim
Pop queen Madonna has dismissed reports that her marriage is on the rocks.
It has been suggested that the 49-year-old singer and her film director husband, Guy Ritchie, 39, are to split.
The pair, who have not been photographed together for weeks, were said to be leading separate lives.
Madonna was reportedly planning to take the couple's children to the US, while Ritchie would stay in London.
But Liz Rosenberg, Madonna's US spokeswoman, said: "I am delighted to confirm that Mr and Mrs Guy Ritchie remain happily married.
"Though they were in different countries recently - Madonna in the US doing promotion for her upcoming album Hard Candy and Guy finishing up post-production on his new film RocknRolla as well as completing a Nike commercial and working on several scripts in England - the family are joyfully back together at home in London.
"All is well and wonderful in the Ritchie household."
Rumours of trouble in the marriage intensified when Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels director Ritchie failed to appear at Madonna's induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in the US last week.
It was also reported that Ritchie furnished a wing of the couple's Marylebone townhouse for his private use.
The pair married at an exclusive ceremony in the Scottish Highlands in 2000 with actress Gwyneth Paltrow as maid of honour. They adopted David Banda, two, from Malawi and are parents to Lourdes, 11, and Rocco, seven. (source: Yahoo Music News)

17 March - Miles Away to feature in Japanese tv show
Not only we got the official premiere of 4 Minutes today, now we get the chance to hear a part of another new song, Miles Away. A Japanese tv show called 'Change' is going to feature Miles Away as its theme song. The song itself seems to be a a nice, guitar-driven mid-tempo track, reminiscent of Love Profusion. You can watch Madonna presenting the track for Japan on our video blog.

17 March - New Australian radio interview is available
Sonia Kruger from Australian radio station MIX 106.5 finally premiered the interview she did with Madonna about the new album last month. Madonna discussed how she was looking for producers that push the envelope and by working with them, she hopes she can push the envelope as well. She revealed that she tested the new songs with family & friends and everybody liked different things and had different favourites. You can listen to the interview on Sonia's & Todd's blog.

17 March - 4 Minutes debuts on radio today!
Today is the official start of the Hard Candy-era! The new single 4 Minutes with Justin Timberlake is premiering worldwide on radio stations today. In Belgium, Radio Donna is going to play it first at noon and then the single is going to be the 'Smaakmaker' ('taste of the week') so it's going to be heard in every program throughout the week. Meanwhile both album & radio versions leaked online. The radio version is almost identical to the French radio rip we got 2 weeks ago, while the album version features an intro and a very cool outro. Check out the full lyrics here.

16 March - The Observer reviews 4 Minutes
UK music magazine The Observer, known from their harsh criticism, gave Madonna's new single a very positive review:
Madonna, Four Minutes (Warner), single
4 stars
After failing to ignite interest in Duran Duran, Timbaland and Timberlake apply their ample tricks to a more fail-safe ticket. One provides the horn-led double funk groove; the other his most boyband chorus since leaving *NSync. The result is a barnstorming urban makeover. Gwen? Nelly? Those P45s are waiting. Grandma's come to reclaim her crown.