Madonna: Reinvention, or same ol’ recipe?

Madonna: Reinvention, or just savvy?

Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Few pop stars, if any, have been able to pull off career makeovers like Madonna. Whether working with underground heroes or superstar producers, Madonna has had an uncanny ability to predict trends and react to mainstream hits.

With her new album “Hard Candy” due out on Tuesday, Madonna has returned with a new sound again. She’s jettisoned the Euro-dance that marked much of her recent works. Instead she turned to hit-makers such as Timbaland and Justin Timberlake. But is Madonna really doing anything all that new and different for her?

A little help from former teen idols? Before singing with Justin, Madonna smooched Britney. Urban producers? Before Timbaland, Madonna worked with Babyface. “Hard Candy” might be this year’s model, but it follows the same old Madonna formula.

Here, we take a look at some of Madonna’s key albums, launching with “Hard Candy” and ending with “Like a Prayer” in 1989, and examine the five or six hallmarks of a Madonna release. Hot collaborators? Check. Explosive branding? Check. And usually a controversy or two.  (AFP/Getty Images)