Backstage Pass

The new Madonna single "4 Minutes" is confusing on so many levels. It's an OK song, but I've never heard her sound so overwhelmed by a producer before. Sure, Timbaland is an artistic (and commercial) force, but Madonna's collaborations generally sound more, well, collaborative. This sounds like a Timbaland track that could have been done by anyone from Keri Hilson to Nelly Furtado. Is Madge really trying to go incognito? My other question is: Why is this track being introduced through a Sunsilk shampoo commercial? Were the Apple people not interested? Is Old Navy all full? Did the writers' strike delay keep it off of "Grey's Anatomy"? Or are Madonna and Warner Bros. simply going through the motions on the release of "Hard Candy," seeing as she is set to go to her new Live Nation deal once the project is over? Hmmm.