Madonna: Sticky & Sweet Tour

This DVD/CD combo (also available as a standalone Blu-ray release for $24.98) captures a single live Madonna performance in Buenos Aires in 2009 and is every bit the hyper-stylized ADD-attuned spectacle one would expect from this seasoned drama queen. But unlike Madonna shows in past decades, the in-your-face sexuality is toned down here in favor of uncontroversial thematic set pieces and a more family-friendly vibe (albeit with exceptions, such as the random calling out of “motherfucker” during “Borderline”). And even though she's always flanked by gyrating younger dancers providing counterpoint to her own stage moves, this fiftysomething version of Madonna is easily the most compelling visual phenomenon on this DVD—despite the incessant background flicker of epilepsy-inducing video clips and general electronic sensory overload. The 26 numbers on the Sticky & Sweet set list are a hodgepodge of both vintage Madonna and contemporary R&B-influenced dance tracks like “Hung Up” and “4 Minutes,” often in medley form (with video-screen accompaniment from the likes of Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, and Timbaland). Madonna's classic tunes are altered here in ways that transcend rote nostalgia: on “Borderline,” she straps on an electric guitar and transforms this upbeat synth-pop ditty into crunchy riot-grrrl grunge, while “Like a Virgin” gets the audience-participation a cappella treatment, and “Rain” is adroitly mashed-up with The Eurythmics' “Here Comes the Rain Again.” If anything, this show offers proof that Madonna no longer sets pop music and fashion trends so much as she adroitly adapts to them. Presented in DTS 5.1 and PCM stereo, DVD extras include behind-the-scenes footage. The accompanying CD features a stripped-down 13-cut live set. Sureto be popular, this is recommended. Aud: P. (M. Sandlin)