i just wanted to say that, as a huge Madonna fan, I really appreciate your review of "Hey You". I think that some people just love to tear her down -- it's so easy. You acknoldged that, yet still voiced a positive opinion.

Peace
jason dottley

Madonna sucks, plain and simple. She's definitley no Mariah Carey, who has a great movie coming out later this year called "Tennessee." Look for my review in my column soon. Mariah is going to win an Oscar for this.

I like it. At least she came out with slow song, instead of continuous dance and disco beats. I like varieties from her.

Nice review.
I agree her voice sounds fantastic in the song, but the song itself is a little repetitive for my taste.
I like the message, but not the actual choice of lyrics.

I barely love Madonna in all her single ways! She's just fantastic. She's a Goddess. I wonder I could meet her personnally! She's a DiVa!

Glad that most like the review. The song also reminds me of Hey Jude by the Beatles.

Mariah Carey Really Should Retire Because While Madonna is Around she has no chance her new album will be a huge seller and hey you is a birllant song!!! she deserves more then what she gets... i Love Her To Death

This is actually, the first Madonna song since "Power of Goodbye" that I really like. I think she shines as a vocalist when singing ballads rather than the crappy crystal meth disco songs.

Hey, the woman is coming back to America! Did anyone spot her twang on the word 'bad' at the start of the song?...
I digress, because Hey You is brilliant! As the main reviewer here suggests, this is more a Madonna song than it is a P. williams number, and thats a good thing as he is left to get on with putting the spit and polish on the beats and the enhancement of the whole gloss effect thing.
It is by far and away her prettiest song in yonks with melody junkies left with nothing more to wish for.
As for the much talked about 'weak lyrics', my opinion is when did songwriting and thus pop songs become a definitive source for the eternal search for the meaning of life, let alone Madonna songs and for that matter Hey You? If you want answers to lifes big questions, please, please pick up a philosophy book, however if you would rather be entertained and do something effortlessly good for the planet then you could do worse than downloading this.
I feel for Madonna and the continual jibes surrounding her lyrical content which has been a running theme with critics especially in recent times. You try churning out lyrics for well over 200 songs over 25 years and see if you can still 'get your fresh on' with every number. Take it from me, I'm a songwriter, and still find writing lyrics to my melodies the toughest part of the songwriting process.
Hey you...what are you still waiting for... go download this now!

... well it didn't work for me AT ALL and I am sure this applies to many of us; it feels like one of the first Madonna's songs she used to make as album 'filler'.

I very much disagree with your conclusion in the blog, there is no genius involved in this track, no sound and no poetry... it's a poor attempt from an Artist that has given us so much in the past 25 years and that has constantly raised the bar of the international music scene.

I did not expect her to come with an outstanding single, as this being done for charity and also released so soon after 'Confessions' but I also didn't expect to be such a disaster, something that none of us would listen in a million years.

If it was not Madonna's, probably we wouldn't be discussing or listening to this song but just bin it straight away!

I am convinced, as a big Madonna's fun, I have to be honest and say when she does a poor job (something that doesn't happen too often anyway!)

'We are the world' is a much much, much, much.. better track than this, especially if we consider it was released in the mid 80's, a completely different period from the one we are leaving now, when 'trashy', 'kitsch' and 'cliché' was fashionable...and would sell.

Nowadays we have new rhythms and 'kitsch and cliché' is outdated.

Also I struggle to believe that this track is coming from the same Artist that has recently released a masterpiece, a wonderful and unique album that is 'Confessions'.

I am sure Madonna knows this is a bad track and for some reason we don't know, she wanted to release such a junk, hopefully to lower our expectations and deliver great stuff in her new cd.

I am looking forward to that
Cheers,
Claudio

i was a bit surprised but in general it's a very nice song by madonna while everyone is waiting for another disco hit. i like this simple one.

it's a very simple but nice song with the drums. i simple like the lyrics very much too

Jesus H. Christ already! Why all the negatives? It's a song for CHARITY. Whether you like it or not, or like her or not, download it and help the cause for which it was intended. Is that so hard?

well, somebody who works close with Madonna emailed me (and I know who he is since he posts information on other boards). Apparently, this song was originally titled "Keep The Trance" and was a dance song. It was thrown in the vaults and Madonna recently got it out and changed it. She plays guitar on the whole song. So, in a way, it was a throwaway track. But then again, so was "Vogue" and we all know how that went.

Madonna is, and always will be, one of the greatest self made Artists of our time. End of story.

Thanks to all the fans that have posted comments on my review. I don't work for Madonna (I've even said some not-so-nice things about her in my satire articles), but know someone who does. I'm glad you like this song, because other songs on her upcoming album will be very guitar heavy, but not so much 60s sounding. There is one outstanding track she did with Justin Timberlake. I was against her working with him, but the one track I know of sounds NOTHING like a Justin Timberlake or Madonna record. So perhaps he's just there because of the name. You should hear this track, as well as others, before the end of the year.

I'm sorry---the lyrics are insipid, Madonna has never been a "singer", and how difficult is it to a produce a single that consists of an arrangement that peaked in the 60's (I mean really--a triangle?)
This single is completely trite but at least will appease the masses who don't expect much.
It's obvious the whole song was written in about 7 minutes over a soy latte. Give me a break.

I don't know about the "singer" part. I was at the live8 concert and her vocals were absolutey stunning. I guess it's a hit or miss for her. And yes, it's a simple song, but you have to give her credit for it. At least she has input in her own music.

why all the negative comment s- it's a charity song and it doesn't cost you a penny to download - msn is actually giving you the song for free - - if you don't actualy like the song then delete it and shut up moaning - at least 25 dent has gone to a good cause and not out of your pocket. If you give it a few listens - it's a grower....

I have to agree with "hardtostomach". The first time I listened to this song, I shook my head, but then it grew on me and now I'm addicted to it. Yes, it's trite, hippyish, and extremely simple, but... for us idiots who love her to death, we just fall into her trap.

A lot of songs need time to grow. For example, I think Madonna's best recording ever is the song "I'll Remember," another extremely simple, but beautiful song. I remember when first hearing it, 98 percent of the callers voted "shove it" rather than "love it" at the radio station I worked at. I agreed with their reactions. Needless to say, this is Madonna's longest lasting song on the charts to date. Another example is "Lighting Crashes" by Live. I thought the song was laughable at first, but it is one of my all time favorite songs now. "Batdance" by Prince is also another first-time joke turned hit.

Madoona is the best people should just face it because she works hard and has the talent

Another great review Daryl D. I've been a major Madonna fan for over twenty years and I usually hate her ballads. "This Used to be My Playground", "Live to Tell", "The Power of Goodbye", etc are some of her weakest tracks. But this song grew on me.

I agree what's up with her jumping on the Timberlake/Timberland bandwagon? She's not only a head of the game, she invented the darn thing! This watery hip-hop sound sure has produced alot of hits but it is starting to overstay it's welcome.
I'll reserve judgement though until the album comes out because Madonna never fails to suprise.

I like Hey You! alot. And of course Madonna is an awesome artist and in between an awesome Human Being, too. Love her Music since over 20 years and it is a real Soundtrack to my Life.
Can t wait for her new Album, out 2008.

I am a massive fan of Madonna and though the song isn't fantastic, it isn't awful and the fact is its written for live earth and I don't think its meant to be a masterpiece.

Madonna rules the roost of music and whether you like the song or not it isn't gonna stop her from making music.

I really cannot wait to go watch her perform this song at live earth and I think its great she's done something for the concert instead of just retreading old material.

I love madonna - yeah she may not be the most talented singer in the world etc etc but you have to hand it to the woman...

then i went on her site today and 'hey you' came on - is this a bad B side nightmare from a part of evita even the great lloyd webber had to can? NO its NEW and its for charity... pharrel and madge should know better, im not attacking her motives (go her, go malawi etc) but the song on its own is super bad, whingy, insipid and devoid of discrenable meaning. ugh, madge no.

Madonna may not be one of the greatest vocalists of our time, but I love how she puts such feeling into her vocals.

I have to stick to my guns and still say I like this song, though everybody else (especially her fans) seem to disagree with me.

I'm glad about your review for this charity record. It's good to see how different people have different opinions. Cos I sure think its a cliche song with cliche lyrics...! For a look at an alternative light-hearted take on Hey You, check out my recent post on my blog :D

I checked out the post on your blog: Very funny and creative! When I saw her perform this song with the kids a couple nights ago, I felt she was headed for disaster, but watched the rest of the performance stunned to see someone her age can still thrill a crowd like that. I especially liked her guitar version of Ray of Light.

I think its fab. Catchy and sweet. Cant wait for her new material this year.

Actually, I now think this song sucks. It goes to show you that your first impression of a song may not be your last.