File photo shows Madonna arriving for the screening of her film "Filth and Wisdom" running at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival in Berlin, February 13, 2008. Madonna is set to release her new album "Hard Candy" on April 29, 2008. [File Photo: Reuters/Johannes Eisele]
Madonna has dubbed her final album of new material for her longtime Warner Bros. label "Hard Candy," and will release it on April 29, her publicist confirmed on Tuesday.
The album, which features such songs as "Candy Store" and the first single "Four Minutes," is the follow-up to "Confessions on a Dance Floor," which debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. pop chart in November 2005.
The title and release date were first reported by Entertainment Weekly's Web site, and the details were confirmed by Madonna's spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg. Entertainment Weekly quoted Rosenberg as saying the 49-year-old singer "loves candy."
"Hard Candy" will be Madonna's last studio release for Warner Bros. before she begins a wide-ranging 10-year recording, touring and merchandising deal with Artist Nation, a new initiative launched by concert promoter Live Nation. Warner Bros., a unit of Warner Music Group Corp will also release a hits collection.
(CRI/Agencies February 27, 2008)