4 Minutes (Madonna Song)

4 Minutes (Madonna Song)

"4 Minutes" is a song by American singer and songwriter Madonna from her eleventh studio album Hard Candy (2008), featuring vocals by American musicians Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. It was released as the lead single from the album on March 17, 2008, by Warner Bros. Records. The song's development was motivated by a sense of urgency to save the planet from destruction, and how people can enjoy themselves in the process. The writing was completed through discussions between Madonna and Timberlake about different situations, issues and relationships. According to Madonna, the song inspired her to produce the documentary I Am Because We Are (2008).

The song was recorded at Sarm West Studios, in London, while the mixing of the track was finished at The Hit Factory studio, in Miami. Sound engineer Demacio "Demo" Castellon first worked on the vocals of the track, by honing them according to his instincts, and then worked on the beats and the synths composed by Timbaland and Danja. An uptempo dance song with an urban and hip hop style, "4 Minutes" incorporates Timbaland's characteristic bhangra beats and the instrumentation used in the song includes brass, foghorns and cow bells. The song's lyrics carry a message of social awareness, inspired by Madonna's visit to Africa and the human suffering she witnessed in the continent.

"4 Minutes" received critical acclaim by many music critics who called it a busy dance track and complimented its music, which was compared to that of a marching band. Some however noted that Madonna, rather than Timberlake, appeared as more of a featured artist in the song. "4 Minutes" achieved worldwide success by reaching number one in 21 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. In the United States, "4 Minutes" peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Madonna her 37th top-ten single, breaking the record previously held by Elvis Presley as the artist with most top-ten hits.

In the song's accompanying music video, Madonna and Timberlake sing and run away from a giant black screen that devours everything in its path. At the end of the video, Madonna and Timberlake are consumed by the screen. "4 Minutes" was performed by Madonna on the promotional tour for Hard Candy and the Sticky & Sweet Tour. In the latter, the song served as the opener of the rave segment, where Madonna wore a futuristic robotic outfit. During performances of the song, Timberlake and Timbaland appeared on video screens and sang their lines. The song received two Grammy Award nominations for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical at the 2009 ceremony.