I bet you still remember the Madonna and Britney Spears kiss on the 2003 MTV Music Video Awards, but how about the duet between the two pop music titans that followed a few months later? Long before their infamous buss, there’d had been much “would they or wouldn’t they” collaboration talk. But instead of sizzle, their “Me Against The Music” simply fizzled. Barely reaching the Top 40, the song just wasn’t that good.

That’s how I feel about the new Madonna & Justin Timberlake track, “4 Minutes.” Upon hearing it for the first time over the weekend, it took a couple of additional listens to wrap my head around it. And that’s the problem—there’s so much going on in these four minutes. Timbaland, who produced the track with Madonna and Timberlake, seems to have thrown in everything and the kitchen sink.

As much as I’ve loved the use of marching-band horns and beats in pop music, haven’t they been played out? Gwen Stefani used to steal Madonna’s moves, not the other way ’round (“Hollaback Girl” came out in 2004, folks). And Timbaland’s vocal intonations on the introduction could’ve been pulled from any number of his mid-90s productions for Aaliyah or Missy Elliot; missing from “4 Minutes” is the originality of his recent work for Timberlake (“SexyBack”) and Nelly Furtado (“Promiscuous”). Maybe Timbaland only had four minutes to throw this track together?

At least Madonna joined her collaborators in the studio this time (for “Me Against The Music,” she added vocals to an already-completed Britney track). However, the results are almost as underwhelming, with Ms. Ritchie sounding like a guest on her own track. Watching from the audience four years ago as his ex locked lips with Madonna, is this really the groove Timberlake wanted to get into? Hear here:

None of this is to say “4 Minutes” isn’t clocking in as another hit for Madonna. I’ve listened to it at least 20 times in the course of writing this review, and the song certainly sticks with you. But on closer inspection, there’s no there there. While I won’t ever argue that pop music should be substantive, Madonna, Timberlake, and Timbaland are the closest thing pop has to a holy trinity right now, raising expectations that much higher. (Madonna can usually do no wrong in my eyes, so imagine my surprise.)

Here’s hoping the other tracks on Madonna forthcoming Hard Candy, are more of a treat. “4 Minutes” is available from the usual suspects, Amazon and iTunes.