Hard Candy is a brittle brick of pop sound that wallops you directly onto the club floor. This is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, and was released first on April 28, 2008 and reached number one in thirty-seven countries. Hard Candy has a hip-hop/urban pop feel, while remaining a dance-pop record. It is dance music with a hip hop take on that genre. This album has hints of her debut album but from another time and space so to speak.
Madonna revealed that she tested the new songs with family and friends and everybody liked different things and had different favourites. The album art is super-cheap looking, but, Madonna has an expert and highly-paid team of publicists and managers who know what they're doing. Madonna certainly looks hot but the way her legs are spread just looks really tacky and wrong for a woman of her age, no matter how good her body is. The cheesy kind of candy effect, even though it is intentional, isn't great either and just looks like its been done on a low budget.
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. This time out Madonna eschewed her usual preference for cool producers like William Orbit and Stuart Price, and gone mainstream, with Justin Timberlake, Timbaland and the Neptunes in the producers' chair. In "4 Minutes" Timberlake and Madonna trade verses, and the boy appears on the chorus, doing his best Michael Jackson impression while quickly crooning " We've only got four minutes to save the world". The track ends after a brief breakdown where everything drops out but one Bhangra beats, some stabs of brass and Madonna's tick-tock's. On the video, Timberlake, meanwhile, doesn't dance over the track with his usual graceful style. Instead, he just sort of bleats just underneath it, and his hiccuping ad-libs are self-parody.
But Hard Candy is clearly a great CD by all standards regardless of how one feels about Madonna personally. The tracks are all remarkably well conceived by nearly anyone's standards and nearly all of them ring with an indelible hook or unforgettable chorus. Hard Candy is certainly her most consistent record so far. Her 80s albums (except Like a Virgin which has only okay singles) all have very good singles but are weighed down by album track filler. Hard Candy may seem less appealing and entertaining than "Confessions" was, but still a very enjoyable "kind of unnecessary" record. Madonna is undoubtedly the real pop queen EVER.
Although most lilies can be transplanted in September, it is desirable to plant Madonna lily bulbs in August. Madonna lilies start rooting at once and develop a small rosette of leaves before winter sets in, and these remain green throughout the winter. Unlike other lilies, the Madonna lily should be planted shallow. The bulb can be planted with the top of the bulb placed just underneath the soil, or somewhat deeper, but usually no more than two inches deep.
The Madonna lily is one of the few that grow well even in hot, dry weather. It is one of the few lilies that can stand a short period of warm, dry storage. Bulbs of other lily species must be treated as living things and must not be permitted to dry out at any time during the transplanting process. The shorter the time between digging and replanting, the better. That is why it is good to buy lilies from a reliable sources or lily specialist. They will ensure that the bulbs are carefully wrapped, so they do not dry out in transit, and will reach you in the quickest time possible.
August is a good time for transplanting the Oriental poppy. Roots are fully dormant at this time and may be mistaken for dead. Divisions or root cuttings may be used in propagating the plant. Plant the division or cutting up right so that the crown or top of the cutting is about three inches below the ground surface.
Secure good root cuttings from mature roots of tough indoor plants. A cutting from six to eight inches in length should grow sufficiently to produce blooms the following year. In transplanting, firm the soil well around the roots. A light mulching with clean straw or marsh hay will protect the young plants from frost heaving during the winter. Water just enough to settle the soil. Overwatering these roots or crowns can cause rot. Sometimes a plant may fail to send up shoots during one season. Do not give up this plant for dead, for a rot may have started at the crown level, and the plant will often renew itself by sending up new shoots from healthy root tissue at a lower level.
A large number of horticultural varieties are available in colors ranging from deep red, medium red through salmon pink, medium pink, light pink to common orange color. Unusual shades of burgundy and mahogany are also available. The Oriental poppies are hardy throughout the west region.
