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Ray of Light by Madonna

Ray of Light

Release Date: 2/22/1998

Recording Date: 3/1998

Tracks: 13

Length: 01:06:45 Hrs

Label: Phantom Import Distribution

Type: CD,CS,LP

Genre/Styles:
Dance-Pop, Synthesizer, Adult Contemporary, Contemporary Pop/Rock, Sound Effects, Vocals, United States of America, Synthesizer Pads

Album Tracks (13)

Song Title
Length
1.
Drowned World/Substitute for Love
05:09
2.
Swim
05:00
3.
Ray of Light
05:21
4.
Candy Perfume Girl
04:34
5.
Skin
06:22
6.
Nothing Really Matters
04:27
7.
Sky Fits Heaven
04:48
8.
Shanti/Ashtangi
04:29
9.
Frozen
06:12
10.
The Power of Good-Bye
04:10
11.
To Have and Not to Hold
05:23
12.
Little Star
05:18
13.
Mer Girl
05:32

What the Critics Say

Returning to pop after a four-year hiatus, Madonna enlisted respected techno producer William Orbit as her collaborator for Ray of Light, a self-conscious effort to stay abreast of contemporary trends. Unlike other veteran artists who attempted to come to terms with electronica, Madonna was always a dance artist, so it's no real shock to hear her sing over breakbeats, pulsating electronics, and blunted trip-hop beats. Still, it's mildly surprising that it works as well as it does, largely due to Madonna and Orbit's subtle attack. They've reined in the beats, tamed electronica's eccentricities, and retained her flair for pop melodies, creating the first mainstream pop album that successfully embraces techno. Sonically, it's the most adventurous record she has made, but it's far from inaccessible, since the textures are alluring and the songs have a strong melodic foundation, whether it's the swirling title track, the meditative opener, "Substitute for Love," or the ballad "Frozen." For all of its attributes, there's a certain distance to Ray of Light, born of the carefully constructed productions and Madonna's newly mannered, technically precise singing. It all results in her most mature and restrained album, which is an easy achievement to admire, yet not necessarily an easy one to love. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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