4 Minutes

"4 Minutes"
Song

"4 Minutes" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her eleventh studio album Hard Candy. It was released as the lead single from the album on March 17, 2008 by Warner Bros. Records and features American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake and Timbaland who also co-wrote and produced the song. The single scored Madonna her 37th Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hit, making her the artist with the most Top 10 hits in the history of the chart, surpassing Elvis Presley. In the UK, she retained her record for the most number one singles for a female artist, this being her 13th.

Song information

The song is sometimes referred to as "4 Minutes to Save the World", including by Madonna herself. The song received its first airing when co-producer Timbaland played part of the song at a concert on December 16, 2007 in Philadelphia. After brief appearances on YouTube and Perez Hilton, Warner Bros. quickly got the clips removed for copyright infringement. Additionally, part of the song was played on a French radio station on February 29, 2008, later leaking online as a radio rip from the broadcast.

Despite the title, the song lasts slightly more than four minutes while the radio version lasts around 3 minutes.

The single officially debuted on radio on March 17, 2008, and was released digitally in the UK on the same day. It was released digitally worldwide (except USA) on March 18, 2008 and in the US on March 25 2008. The song was also used for a television advertisement for Sunsilk that began to air on March 17. The song was also included in the 2008 film "Get Smart" as well as being used in the end credits. The Music video has reached 34 millions views as of July 4th

Reception

The Rolling Stone magazine described the song as having "a marching band aesthetic as blasting brass play a scale-like riff", and called the song "a loud, busy, energetic track." Billboard magazine reviewer and editor Chuck Taylor said that with the song Madonna "is poised to score her first top 10 hit since 2005's 'Hung Up.' ... There's an awful lot going on in the busy dance track ... but the trade-off chorus between Madge and Justin ... is hooky enough unto itself to sell the song." BBC Music described "4 Minutes" as sounding "so futuristic it could realistically have been beamed in from the end of the world." "4 Minutes" was called one of Hard Candy's saviors by The Independent, who noted that "the Mardi Gras marching-band bumping rumbustiously along" is one of the album's "most ambitious offerings." Heidi Kotanski of Common Sense Media wrote, "While the afrobeat horn breaks drive the energy of the single, Madonna takes back stage to Timberlake's best impersonation of Michael Jackson and the overpowering erratic electronic sounds signature of Timbaland's production." Chris Sosa of Musicouch described the song as "big, loud, and borderline obnoxious" but still mainting a "summer-anthem quality".

Radio success

The single broke a record in Canada when it debuted at number one on the Canadian CHR Audience chart. This was the first time any single debuted at the top of the chart. The song entered Canada's CHR Spin's Chart at number 5, the second song to debut within the Top 10. This song also entered Canada's All Format Audience chart at number 2, the highest debut ever on the chart.

"4 Minutes" debuted at number twenty-three on United States' CHR/Top 40 National Airplay radio chart. It was also that chart's most added song of the week, with over seventy new stations. "4 Minutes" debuted at number eighteen on the Radio & Records Pop Chart on March 26, 2008. The single currently sits at number 1.

Chart performance

"4 Minutes" has topped the charts in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom and reached the Top 5 in Austria, France, Japan, and the United States.

The song made its debut on the Official UK Singles Chart at number seven on 23 March 2008 based on download sales alone. It sold 21,106 downloads within a week of it being released and became her 61st hit single. On 20 April 2008, it became Madonna's record-breaking 13th number one single, with sales of 40,634 downloads. "4 Minutes" reached #1 for 4 weeks. To date, "4 Minutes" has sold 362,270 downloads in the UK, according with "Music week" weekly sales.

"4 Minutes" became Madonna's first Top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 since "Hung Up" in 2005 and her highest-charting U.S. single since "Music" in 2000. With the song Madonna scored her 37th Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hit, making her the artist with the most Top 10 hits in the history of the chart, surpassing Elvis Presley. Based on its first week of airplay, the song made its debut on the U.S. Mediabase Top 40/Pop Airplay Chart at number 23 with an airplay bullet of over 2000. The single jumped from number 68 to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 , spurred by digital download sales. The song sold 217,000 in its first week of wide release and entered the Hot Digital Songs chart at number two. The single has reached number one on both Hot Digital Songs and Hot Digital Tracks. It has sold over 2,000,000 downloads in only a few weeks, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA on June 12, 2008. It is Madonna's first Platinum single since 2000s Music.

"4 Minutes" has also been a success on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart, where it reached number one during the week ending June 6, 2008. With that accomplished feat, Madonna becomes the first artist on the Dance Airplay chart (and the only one so far) since its inception in 2003 to have the most singles go all the way to number one five consecutive times, and is tied with Rihanna, who also has five number ones on that chart. In addition, she also became the only artist to have the same song reach both the Dance Club Play and Dance Airplay chart's top spot the most times, also with five singles.

In Australia, the single debuted at number three on the Digital Tracks chart, and reached number one in its third week. On April 14, 2008, the song debuted on the ARIA Singles Chart at number three, based on digital downloads alone. On April 28, it rose from number three to top the chart at number one, where it has stayed for 3 weeks in a row. It is Madonna's eleventh number one single in Australia and her 42nd Top 10 hit, more than any other artist. It was also Timbaland's 3rd #1 single in the past 12 months in Australia.

In Latin America, the song scored the highest debut of the year in Brazil, entering the local Top 100 at number 22 and peaking at number one in its fifth week on the Brazilian Dance Club Play chart. In Mexico the song debuted at number five on the Digital Sales Chart, reaching number one on its third week of being available. On the main Latin America Singles & Airplay Chart, "4 Minutes" made its debut at number 21 on the week of April 20, becoming one of the highest debut for an international artist ever. On its third week, the single reached the top five, becoming Madonna's third top five hit on this chart, after the 2005/2006 smash hits "Hung Up" and "Sorry".

"4 Minutes" also had the most digital week-sales in Canada, moving her to number one on the Canadian Hot Digital Songs chart. In Spain, the single was certified 2 x Platinum for more than 40,000 downloads.

Music video

Madonna and Justin Timberlake singing while the black background follows and eats away the flesh.

The music video was filmed in four days at Black Island Studios in London: January 30, 2008 with Timbaland and from January 31 to February 2, 2008 with Madonna and Timberlake, directed by French duo Jonas & François (Justice's "D.A.N.C.E."), with choreography by Jamie King.

The music video begins with Timbaland performing his opening lines, in front of a screen showing exactly four minutes in the format of minutes:seconds:frames (SMPTE). A black graphic line seems to destroy his speaker equipment, turning the vibrating part to dust, and liquefying the volume knob. After some brief scenes of Madonna and Timberlake standing faced back to the camera, it shows Madonna leaning on car while pushing it back into a house where Timberlake and Madonna both sing while removing a piece of clothing as the black graphic line that supposedly has 'got' Timbaland follows them both, the people living in the house seem oblivious to the black crystalline background as it turns their skin and part of their flesh transparent. Madonna and Timberlake then jump out the window (the fact that the house is just a set is not hidden as the other side of the window is shown to be a set) and end up in car junk yard where they begin to dance and evade the black shapes at the same time, as a dancing duo stand on top of a car. Their fate is unknown, but supposedly they are eaten away by the black background as well. After this they both run into a supermarket while the same black background follows them, Madonna and Timberlake begin singing in the aisle of the supermarket while shoppers carry on as normal. Madonna and Timberlake move on to start dancing on the conveyor belt at the checkouts. Madonna is then seen (legs only) walking through an office building while the black background stalks her. They then run into a bathroom and remove another piece of clothing while the black background follows outside, they then run out of the bathroom and appear to walk in to the same room Timbaland was seen in before, they immediately start performing choreography in front of the screen, now counting down from four minutes. They continually dance and remove a final piece of clothing from each other as the black background comes at them from both sides. The video ends with the black background finally catching up to them while they stop dancing and move closer to each other, as it starts to turn their skin and flesh transparent.

The music video was released in some countries on iTunes Store on April 3, 2008. It also made a television premiere on MuchMusic at midnight on April 6, 2008 and on MTV's TRL on April 7, 2008.

Track listings and formats

4 Minutes was released in a staggering amount of formats, and unusually, each format was accorded a separate release date. In the UK, almost two months separated the release of the song as a download and the final format release of a 12" picture disc.

UK CD 1
(slimline jewelcase)(2-471292 0-5439-19939-5-3)

1. "4 Minutes" (Album Version) — 4:04
2. "4 Minutes" (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Remix) — 5:39

UK / AUS CD Single
(slimline jewelcase)

1. "4 Minutes" (Album Version) — 4:04
2. "4 Minutes" (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Remix) — 5:39
3. "4 Minutes" (Junkie XL Remix) — 6:16

UK 12" Vinyl
(Picture Disc)(0-9362-49860-1-0)

• A1. "4 Minutes" (Radio Edit) — 3:10
• A2. "4 Minutes" (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Edit) — 4:57
• B1. "4 Minutes" (Junkie XL Remix Edit) — 4:39
• B2. "4 Minutes" (Tracy Young House Radio) — 3:33

International CD Single
(cardsleeve)(2-471356 0-5439-19939-4-6)

1. "4 Minutes" (Album Version) — 4:04
2. "4 Minutes" (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Remix) — 5:39

US 7 TRACK PROMOTIONAL CD

1. "4 Minutes" Same 6 tracks as US Maxi-Single but includes the otherwise unavailable (Tracy Young House Dub) — 7:54

EU / US Maxi CD Single
(2-463036 0-9362-49871-2-3)

1. "4 Minutes" (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Remix) — 5:39
2. "4 Minutes" (Junkie XL Remix) — 6:16
3. "4 Minutes" (Tracy Young House Mix) — 7:55
4. "4 Minutes" (Peter Saves Paris Remix) — 8:52 (misprinted as 8:37)
5. "4 Minutes" (Rebirth Remix) — 7:57
6. "4 Minutes" (Junkie XL Dirty Dub) — 4:52

U.S. Digital Maxi Single

1. "4 Minutes" (Edit) — 3:11
2. "4 Minutes" (Peter Saves Paris Edit) — 4;49
3. "4 Minutes" (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Edit) — 3:23
4. "4 Minutes" (Junkie XL Dirty Dub Edit) — 4:05

U.S. 2 x 12" Vinyl
(Special Jacket)(0-463228 0-9362-49870-9-3)

• A1. "4 Minutes" (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Remix) — 5:39
• A2. "4 Minutes" (Peter Saves Paris Remix) — 8:52 (misprinted as 8:37)
• B1. "4 Minutes" (Tracy Young House Mix) — 7:55
• B2. "4 Minutes" (Junkie XL Dirty Dub) — 4:52
• C1. "4 Minutes" (Album Version) — 4:05
• C2. "4 Minutes" (Rebirth Remix) — 7:57
• D1. "4 Minutes" (Junkie XL Remix) — 6:16

Digital only mixes

• "4 Minutes" (Peter Saves London Remix) – 8:09
• "4 Minutes" (Timbaland's Mobile Underground Remix) - 3:22

Release history

Region	Date	Format
Germany	April 11 2008	CD
France	April 14 2008	CD
Australia	March 17 2008	Digital download
	April 18 2008	Remixes Digital download
	April 19 2008	CD
United Kingdom	March 17 2008	Digital download
	April 21 2008	CD
	June 2 2008	12" Picture Disc
Worldwide	March 18 2008	Digital download
United States	March 25 2008	Digital download
	April 15 2008	Remixes Digital download
	April 29 2008	CD single

Charts

Chart (2008)	Peak Position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	1
Austrian Singles Chart	2
Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart	1
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart	1
Canadian Hot 100	1
Chilean Singles Chart	1
Dutch Singles Chart	1
Billboard Eurochart Hot 100	1
Finnish Singles Chart	1
Finnish Download Chart	1
French Singles Chart	2
German Media Control Singles Chart	1
Greek IFPI Singles Chart	1
Israeli Singles Chart	1
Italian FIMI Singles Chart	1
New Zealand Singles Chart	6
Mexico Top 100	4
Norwegian Singles Chart	1
Polish National Top 50	1
Romanian Top 100	1
Spanish Singles Chart	1
Swiss Singles Chart	1
Turkey Top 20 Chart	1
UK Singles Chart	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	3
U.S. Billboard Pop 100	2
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Airplay	1
Japanese Oricon International Singles Chart	1
United World Chart	1
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles	1

Worldwide sales

Country	Sales
Australia (Platinum)	70,000 (Digital sales + Singles sales)
Belgium (Gold)	15,000 (Digital sales + Singles sales)
Canada (Platinum)	100,000 (Digital sales + Singles sales)
Denmark (Platinum)	15,000 (Digital sales + Singles sales)
France	90,000+ (Single + Digital sales)
Germany (Gold)	150,000 (Digital sales)
Norway (Platinum)	50,000 (Digital + Single sales)
Spain (2xPlatinum)	40,000 (Digital sales)
Sweden (Gold)	10,000 (Digital sales + Singles sales)
Turkey (Gold)	50,000 (Digital sales + Singles sales)
U.S. (Platinum)	1,927,607(Digital sales) 15,000 (Single Sales)
U.K. (Silver)	362,000 (Digital sales + Singles sales)
New Zealand (Gold)	7,500+ (Digital + Single sales)

Template:Succession box one to twoTemplate:Succession box one to two