Madonna evokes pain of divorce

Since her last album, the dance-flavoured Hard Candy in 2008, new faces have crowded into the space long ruled by the Material Girl: Rihanna for sexiness, Lana Del Rey for edgy glamour, and the ever-theatrical Lady Gaga.

So when Madonna announced she was working on a new album the music world raised a sceptical eyebrow: put frankly, can a woman in her 50s still set the pace in the youth-driven pop world?

The first track from the album, Give Me All Your Luvin, which Madonna performed at the Superbowl last month, failed to win over the music press.

But critics have since given a thumbs up to Madonna’s 12th studio album, which leaked on the Internet last week ahead of its release.

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