“Hung Up” is a song written by American singer-songwriter Madonna and producer Stuart Price for her 10th studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Initially used in a number of television advertisements and serials, the song was released as the album’s lead single Oct. 17, 2005. “Hung Up” contains a sample of the pop group ABBA’s hit single “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight),” for which Madonna personally sought permission to use from ABBA songwriters Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. “Hung Up” became Madonna’s first track to be released to iTunes. Musically the song is influenced by 1980s pop, with a chugging groove and chorus and a background element of a ticking clock that suggests the fear of wasting time. Lyrically the song is written as a traditional dance number about a strong, independent woman who has relationship troubles.
“Hung Up” received critical appreciation among reviewers, who suggested that the track should restore the singer’s popularity, which had diminished following the release of her 2003 album American Life. Critics suggested it was her best dance track to date and have compared it favorably to other Madonna tracks in the same genre. They also complimented the effective synchronization of the ABBA sample with the actual song. “Hung Up” became a worldwide commercial success, peaking atop the charts of more than 45 countries and earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. In the United States it became Madonna’s 36th top 10 hit, tying her with Elvis Presley.
Madonna has performed the song in a number of live appearances, including as the finale number in 2006’s Confessions Tour and a heavy metal-inspired arrangement in the 2008 Sticky & Sweet Tour. The corresponding music video is a tribute to John Travolta, his movies and to dancing in general. Directed by Johan Renck, the clip starts with Madonna clad in a pink leotard dancing alone in a ballet studio and concludes at a gaming parlour where she dances with her backup troupe. Interspersed are scenes of people displaying their dancing skills in a variety of settings, including a Los Angeles residential neighborhood, a small restaurant and the London Underground. It also features the physical discipline parkour.