Oh good lord.

The time has come.
The moment has arrived.
If you have a ticket, it looks like you're in for one hell of a ride.
If you haven't, she's contracted to do at least four more. Better luck next time.

Her Madgesty is embarking on her seventh world tour in around four minutes in Cardiff. The lucky buggers who are at Millennium Stadium will shortly be seeing a mixture of tracks from this year's Hard Candy and some of her most iconic and loved songs, spanning the complete length of her twenty five year career.

In fact, we bet the bitch just came on stage.

• Candy Shop - Hard Candy
  
• Beat Goes On - Hard Candy
• Human Nature - Bedtime Stories
• Vogue - I'm Breathless
• Die Another Day - American Life
• Into the Groove - Like a Virgin
• Heartbeat - Hard Candy
• Borderline - Madonna
• She's Not Me - Hard Candy
• Music - Music
• Rain - Erotica
• Devil Wouldn't Recognise You - Hard Candy
• Spanish Lesson - Hard Candy
• La Isla Bonita - True Blue
• You Must Love Me - Evita
• 4 Minutes - Hard Candy
• Like a Prayer - Like a Prayer
• Ray of Light - Ray of Light
• Hung Up - Confessions on a Dancefloor
• Give It 2 Me - Hard Candy

Hell yes.

How can ANY Madonna tour be less then legendary with "Vogue", "Into the Groove", "La Isla Bonita", "Like a Prayer", "Ray of Light" and "Hung Up" making an appearance? Personally We're looking forward to "You Must Love Me" seguing into 4 Minutes, but that's only because both songs send blood rushing to our collective penis.

Anyway. While the Hard Candy era has not posed as as much as a disappointment to us as it has to some fans, we must admit, so far we have been lacking a mind-blowing, truly beautiful photo shoot, as we have received with, for example the Erotica period - say what you will, but SEX managed to be simultaneously sumptuous and raw while still ticking the crude box - and Steven Klein's shoots for 2004's Re-Invention Tour, the promotional materials for 2005's Confessions album and 2006's follow-up tour.

It seems Madge was saving the good stuff for the tour.

Collaborating once more with Tom Munroe, who style and shot the infamous ELLE photos, which in turn inspired the drab and bland video for Give It 2 Me, the artwork for the Sticky and Sweet Tour programme book is everything you could ask for from an artist of Madonna's stature. Teasing to the eye, stirring to the crotch, blowing Madonna's naysayers and younger competitors out of the water - her six pack hasn't diminished in the slightest since 1993's Girlie Show Tour, it would seem. Gritty yet polished, dark while inspiring - feast your balls on these babies.

PS - the Sticky and Sweet Tour 2008 has begun.