Long live the Queen (of Pop)

I distinctly remember being about 5 years old, in the conservatory in my childhood home. The sun was blaring through the windows and my Mum was ironing as I sat on the couch near her. 'Like a prayer' by Madonna was on the radio, and I was fascinated. I started asking my Mum questions about the woman behind the song. She didn't realise it would be the beginning of an obsession that is still with me today. Ever since being entranced by the seductive blend of ecstatic gospel and sensual catchy pop I have wanted to know more about her. The woman who has been called the queen of pop, a whore, an icon, the worst actress in the world, a sex goddess, the 'material girl', Madge (both of which she hates), Mrs Penn and Mrs Ritchie. Love her or hate her, you can not fail to know who she is.
This summer, Madonna will turn 50, but is not about to get out the cardigans and boiled sweets just yet. Not if her new album, due out on April 28th is anything to go by. There has been a lot of coverage in the press about the fact Madonna is working with Timbaland, Justin, Pharrell and Kanye West on her new album - to be called Hard Candy. Madonna goes Urban? Little do most of the writers realise that back in the early 80s when Madonna's first demos were getting played on new York's club scene - everyone thought Madonna was a black artist. Tracks like 'Borderline' could just have easily come from a Motown artist than from the woman who was to release 'Like a Virgin' only years later when she became a mega star. Madonna was making RnB music when Timbaland was still in nappies. Yet people are surprised by the fact she wants her new album to have to hottest producers around giving her the slickest beats. Whenever there is wind of a new Madonna project, the critics usually start sharpening the knives hoping this will be the album they can sink them into.
She's going electro?! It'll never work.
Madonna takes on Catholisism? She'll be crucified!
A leotard on a 47 year old... She's mad!
Yet every time she proves them wrong, and I have no doubt that with Hard Candy she will prove that she is capable of working with the likes of Timbaland and Justin without sounding like a granny at a rap battle.
I've heard a cheeky exclusive of the first cut off the album '4 minutes' - a relentlessly pounding duet with Mr Timberlake that has them saving the world to exactly 4 minutes of Timbalands' trademark beats and the unmistakeable tones of the Queen herself. It will race to number one in April, and if it doesn't then I will run naked around Sheffield City Centre (which means that anyone in Sheffield who reads this blog will no doubt be panic buying now when it hits shops).
I spend about 40% of my life defending Madonna against a generation that doesn't understand the influence she's had on music, on pop culture, on race relations and on feminism.
This is why I can't wait for Hard Candy to drive its way into the ipods and playlists of the youth of today, so I can stop hearing everyone talk about how crap Madonna is and start to realise how amazing it is that a woman has captivated the world for a quarter of a century. Failing that, it looks like I'm going to have to get my streaking boots on. Let's hope it's a warm April...