MUSIC: Madonna Goes PG-13

The queen of sexual shock releases a restrained album that is an engaging, gently funky survey of contemporary R. and B.

Madonna's career has never really been about music; it's been about titillation, about image, about publicity. But amid all the hype over what Madonna wears and what her sexual orientation seems to be this month, one thing sometimes gets obscured: in the course of her career, she's actually produced several remarkably skillful and entertaining albums. She's never been an innovator, but she's always adeptly seized on the latest dance and music trends; and while any number of pop musicians have made a new style palatable to the masses by watering it down, Madonna has displayed enough talent and taste to remain...

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