Madonna - Give It 2 Me
[Warners]

A few months have passed since Madonna released 'Hard Candy' and now that the fanfare has died down, it has finally sunk in how underwhelming Madge's eleventh studio album was. Met with lukewarm reviews and a comeback single that made fans think she'd lost her ahead-of-the-game sound (producer Timbaland was responsible for about 20 other similar-sounding hits in the charts at the same time), the Pharrell Williams -produced 'Give It To Me' is Madonna trying to prove she still has what it takes to be the "Queen of Pop".

As last album 'Confessions On A Dance Floor' proved, a dance-track backing does wonders for her career, yet it comes as a surprise to find Madge's vocals flopping over out-of-date high-energy synths, drums that sound like Williams has pressed the demo button on his keyboard and a chorus you won't be remembering anytime soon - even if it stepped up and slapped you across the face. It may sound good in a live arena on her impending Sticky & Sweet tour, but on CD this is one song you won't be asking Madonna to give to you anytime soon.