"Ray of Light" is a song by American singer Madonna. It is the title track from her seventh studio album, Ray of Light (1998), and was released as the album's second single on April 27, 1998, by Maverick Records. The song was also included on the compilation albums GHV2 (2001) and Celebration (2009). Written by Madonna, William Orbit, Clive Maldoon, Dave Curtiss, Christine Leach, and produced by Madonna and Orbit, "Ray of Light" is based on Curtiss Maldoon's 1971 song "Sepheryn" and is an electronicdance song with techno, trance, Eurodance, and disco influences. "Ray of Light" consists of a main synthesizer sound oscillating on the tonic note and an electric guitar riff. Lyrically, the song has a theme of freedom.
The song has received critical acclaim by music critics for its club-friendly, electronic sound, lyrics, and "emotional warmth". The song was also nominated for three Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Best Dance Recording, and Best Short Form Music Video, winning the last two. "Ray of Light" debuted and peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Madonna's highest debut on the chart to date. It also reached number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. Internationally, the song reached the top five in Canada, Finland and the United Kingdom, and peaked at number one in Greece, Scotland, and Spain.
An accompanying music video for "Ray of Light" was directed by Jonas Åkerlund and shows scenes from different cities around the world, with Madonna singing the song in front of them. The video was critically acclaimed, receiving the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video, as well as winning five awards at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards. Later, Stefano Salvati accused her of plagiarizing the concept of a music video he directed for Biagio Antonacci in 1994. The song has been performed in three of Madonna's concert tours, the last being the Celebration Tour (2023–24). It has been covered by a number of artists, and has been featured in several elements of popular culture, such as on the FOX show Glee, as well as different advertising campaigns.
Background and release
Since 1996, Madonna went through a number of "life-changing experiences" which included giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, gaining interest in Eastern mysticism and Kabbalah, as well as earning the title role on the film adaptation of the musical Evita (1996). A year later she started working on Ray of Light, her seventh studio album. Madonna wrote songs with William Orbit, Patrick Leonard, Rick Nowels and Babyface.[3] The album would reflect the singer's changed perspectives about life. Author Carol Benson noted that it was a "deeply spiritual dance record", with the crux of it based on Madonna's career, her journey and the many identities she had assumed over the years. Motherhood had softened the singer emotionally, which was reflected in the songs' more personal bent.[4]
Madonna worked primarily with Orbit after Guy Oseary, Maverick Records's partner, phoned Orbit and suggested that he send some songs to the singer.[5] He sent a 13-track digital audio tape to Madonna, and "Ray of Light" was among these tracks. It is based on the 1971 track "Sepheryn" by English folk duo Curtiss Maldoon (consisting of Dave Curtiss and Clive Maldoon).[6] In 1996, English singer and songwriter Christine Leach, Maldoon's niece, recorded a version of the track, which had been her favorite by Curtiss Maldoon. She worked for a time with Orbit and recorded a demo of "Sepheryn" over a melody on which he was working. Leach rewrote the chorus and removed sections of the song in response.[6][7] Orbit included it on the DAT thinking that Leach had written the song.[3] Madonna then reworked the lyrics into "Ray of Light".[6]
The track was released as the second single from the parent album on April 27, 1998, in the United Kingdom.[8] In the United States, the single was released to retail on June 23, 1998, along with 40,000 copies of the song's music video.[9] Curtiss was not aware of "Ray of Light" and heard it for the first time being played on the radio. He "couldn't believe it" and was initially annoyed until he learned that he would receive 15% of the song's royalties, as he had a songwriting credit. Madonna took 30% of the royalties, another 15% was given to Maldoon's estate, and the rest was earned by Madonna's record company.[10]
The singer said about the song: "It's totally out of control. The original version is well over 10 minutes long. It was completely indulgent, but I loved it. It was heartbreaking to cut it down to a manageable length." The original version was to be included on a compilation album titled Veronica Electronica, but it was not released.[11] Curtiss confirmed in an interview with The Australian in January 2017 that he recorded a contemporary jazz version of "Sepheryn".[7]
Recording and composition
"Ray of Light" was recorded, along with the rest of the album, at Larrabee Sound Studios in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, during mid-1997. It was mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Studios in New York.[12] The DAT contained the main portion of the song recordings, as well as preliminary demo sessions in Madonna's house in New York, as well as Hit Factory Studios where Madonna first sang the song. Like most of the album, the synth sounds recorded for "Ray of Light" were played on a Roland Juno-106. Fergus Gerrand played drum samples for the track in London, which Orbit loaded into his workstation and cut manually, instead of using auto-editing software like ReCycle.[13]
A 30 second sample of the song, illustrating part of the first verse and the chorus. The sample shows the techno elements present in the track, as well as disco, trance, and Eurodance influences. "Ray of Light" has received stylistic comparisons to psychedelic, and acid music.
An electronic dance music song, "Ray of Light" has stylistic influences from acid house.[14] According to biographer Lucy O'Brien in Madonna: Like an Icon, Orbit created a sensurround-like atmosphere in the track, which sees Madonna deepen her dance roots and go for a more electronic sound.[14][15] According to the sheet music published by Musicnotes.com, the song is set in common time, with a moderately fast-groove tempo of 126 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of B♭ major, with Madonna's vocals on the song spanning 2 octaves and 1 semitone from B♭3 to B5, the sharp high note being belted on the word 'feel' near the end of the song. "Ray of Light" has a basic sequence of B♭–E♭ as its chord progression.[16]
The song starts with an electric guitar riff compared by Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone to English alternative rock band Oasis.[17] The chords harmonize with each other, continuing for 22 seconds.[18] The techno melody then begins, consisting of a main synth sound oscillating on the primary musical note, with the EQ moving between the bass and the treble.[14][18] The "restless" beat is accompanied by a rock-inspired chord riff, with Madonna's pitch being higher than the other tracks from the album.[18][19] While recording, Orbit kept "Ray of Light" a semitone higher than the singer's limit, resulting in a strain added to the vocals. "She got frustrated when we were recording but you want that bit of edge with singers, that thing of reaching. You can't fake it, and you can hear it when she cracks it on the record," he recalled.[14] Before the final chorus there is another synth solo reminiscent of 1970s progressive rock. According to Rikky Rooksby, author of The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, this was a link to the origin of the song from "Sepheryn".[18]
Lyrically, the track is upbeat, keeping in theme with the music. According to Madonna, the verses are a mystical look at the scale of the universe and how small humanity is compared to it.[3][20] She wanted to capture a feeling of "wonderment" with the lyrics, as if some one has just opened their eyes and looked at the world for the first time.[21]
Critical reception
Madonna, flanked by her dancers, performs "Ray of Light" during the Confessions Tour (2006)
"Ray of Light" received acclaim from music critics. In a review of the album, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described it as "swirling".[22] In a review of the maxi CD single, Liana Jonas of the same website called the track a "wickedly good club song" and "sonically progressive yet listener-friendly". She also praised Madonna's vocals, comparing them to those of a "club diva to celestial goddess".[23] "The title track builds from another incongruously pretty guitar arpeggio into thumping rave anthem mode," Stuart Maconie wrote in a Q review of Ray of Light, "but always underscored with keen musical intelligence. It could be a lighter, less one-dimensional Chemical Brothers."[24]
Larry Flick of Billboard described it as Madonna at her best, calling it a "spiritually charged, often poetic song". He especially mentioned the flexible vocals and Madonna's progression as a recording artist.[25] British Music Week named it Single of the Week, adding, "Madonna is bang on form and this brilliant, anthemic, stand-out dance track [...] is further confirmation that motherhood and experience have only refuelled her creative ambition and commercial wisdom."[26]Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone in his review for the album as a whole, wrote that, alongside other tracks such as "Swim" and "Drowned World/Substitute For Love", Madonna is "positively ferocious" sounding on "Ray of Light".[17] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine wrote that the song was a "celebratory tech-frenzy", and noted Madonna's elated singing.[27] In a review of Madonna's second hits compilation, GHV2 (2001), Cinequemani wrote:
Like no other Madonna hit in recent memory, the frenetic "Ray of Light" found the singer in a celebratory tech-frenzy. Whether it was an epiphany of the spiritual or sonic kind, her elation was unmistakable. Orbit's cycles of analog synths and electric guitar licks perfectly supplemented the elasticity of Madonna's newly-trained vocal chords. Not since "Deeper and Deeper" had she reached such dizzying heights.[28]
A reviewer from Sputnikmusic listed the track as a recommended listen from Ray of Light.[29] O'Brien found the track to be an "ecstatic hymn to the skies".[14]The A.V. Club's Stephen Thompson commented that the "pumped-up title track is bound to be a deserving smash".[30] J.D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun noted that Madonna's "newfound strength is particularly apparent in pulsing, rhythm driven tracks like ['Ray of Light'], which finds her soaring confidently at the top of her register on the busily percolating chorus, then whispering breathily on the brief, dream-like bridge".[31] David Browne, while reviewing Ray of Light for Entertainment Weekly, deemed the song a "sirenlike techno-glitter-ball".[32]Idolator's Stephen Sears explained that Madonna's vocals throughout the album were a "game-changer", including on the song, as she strengthened her voice while working on her film Evita. He ends his review by stating "Indeed, no choir is needed to lift 'Ray Of Light' into disco heaven. Madonna supplies the highs herself in some perfect moments: the extended, spiraling way she wails 'yea-ea-ears' at 3:27 or how her vocal spins out of control at 4:14, matched by Orbit's frenzied guitar work".[33] Ranking Madonna's singles in honour of her 60th birthday, The Guardian's Jude Rogers called it one of her "most joyous electronic pop singles".[34]
In the United States, "Ray of Light" premiered at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, for the issue dated July 11, 1998 with 72,000 units.[35] It was her highest-debuting single, surpassing previous best debuts with "You'll See" (1995) and "Frozen" (1998), both of which opened at number eight. The track became the singer's then 37th top-40 hit, moving her past Connie Francis on the list of women with most top-40 chartings on Hot 100.[35][36] "Ray of Light" was present for a total of 20 weeks on the Hot 100, and placed at number 75 on the year-end chart.[37][38] The song also reached the top of the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart of Billboard, remaining at the top position for a total of four weeks.[39] "Ray of Light" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in September 1998, for shipment of 500,000 copies of the single across United States.[40] In Canada, it debuted at number 85 on the RPM Singles Chart and reached number three in its eighth week.[41][42] It was present on the chart for a total of 30 weeks.[43]
In Australia, "Ray of Light" debuted on the ARIA Singles Chart at its peak of number six on May 24, 1998, staying there for one week.[44] It was present for a total of 17 weeks on the chart, and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipment of 35,000 copies of the single.[44][45] At the year-end charts of ARIA, "Ray of Light" was the 57th best-selling Australian single of 1998.[46] In New Zealand, "Ray of Light" also debuted at its peak position of number nine on the RIANZ Singles Chart. It was present for a total of 14 weeks on the chart and fell out on September 13, 1998, at number 31.[47]
In the United Kingdom, "Ray of Light" debuted with 76,000 copies and peaked at number two on May 9, 1998, being held off from the number one spot by All Saints's "Under the Bridge / Lady Marmalade", which also debuted the same week with about 31,000 more copies than "Ray of Light.[48][49][50] The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified it gold for sales and streams of 400,000 units.[51] According to the Official Charts Company, "Ray of Light" has sold 275,000 copies in the region as of August 2008.[52] The track debuted at its peak of number nine on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles chart, for the issue dated May 16, 1998.[53] In Belgium, "Ray of Light" was moderately successful in both territories, peaking at number 25 in Flanders and 33 in Wallonia.[54] In the Netherlands, the song debuted at number 45 on the Dutch Top 40, and reached a peak of 22 on May 16, 1998, remaining there for three weeks.[55] The song reached a peak of number two in Finland, where it remained for two weeks, before spending a total of five weeks on the chart.[56] In Sweden, it reached number 14 and spent 10 weeks on the chart.[57] On the Swiss Singles Chart, "Ray of Light" debuted at its peak of number 32 on the issue dated May 24, 1998.[58] The song also reached number one in Spain on its debuting week. It stayed on the top spot for three weeks before descending the chart.[59]
Music video
Background and development
The music video for "Ray of Light" was directed by Jonas Åkerlund, who had previously shot the controversial clip for "Smack My Bitch Up" by The Prodigy.[60] Madonna had been planning the video from the time she was filming the clip for previous single "Frozen" in the Mojave Desert. "Smack My Bitch Up" was her current favorite and she enlisted Åkerlund.[61] Madonna stated that when she makes an album, she "puts [her] soul on it", but a music video is a lot more working with a director. With the Ray of Light album, she wanted to have videos with fresh expression, and hence wanted to collaborate with new directors. She liked Åkerlund's "special way of working" and spoke with him over the telephone. Their conversations continued for over six months, and most of the time was spent coming with a final concept for the clip.[62][63] Åkerlund said in an interview with Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet:
I had two ideas that did not fit the song. She said no even though I had a very clear idea of how she would look in the video. I worked up on another idea and brought together a featured band for her to see. I did it all in front of me. [...] In retrospect, it feels good, the video we have done much better suited to the track than the first ideas. [Madonna] has an incredible track on everything she is doing. Style, music, business— she has a mental track of every single thing and won't give up until she is completely satisfied. And on music videos there is nothing she does with one hand on her back— she's engaged to one hundred percent.[62]
The Koyaanisqatsi inspired music video features fast-moving blurred images of daily life. Italian director Stefano Salvati accused Madonna of plagiarizing a clip he made.
According to the singer, the clip portrays "a day in the life of the earth to show that we are rushing forward to the end of the 1900s century at full speed. I think Jonas made an excellent interpretation of the song, although he forced me to dance like crazy for two days. He's a tough director".[62] Reviewers compared it to the 1982 American experimental filmKoyaanisqatsi, which showed time-lapse footage of cities.[64] Madonna's scenes were shot from March 25–26, 1998 at MTV/VH1 studios in Los Angeles. Background scenes were shot in various cities such as Los Angeles, New York, London, Las Vegas, and Stockholm.[60][62] Test shots taken in Stockholm were presented to Madonna, for conveying the idea behind the clip, but they were deemed good enough to be used in the final product.[65]
Filming and production
During filming Åkerlund was accompanied by three of his Swedish employees, photographer Henrik Halvarsson, production designer Mattias Lindgren, and editor Max Vitali. Madonna's daughter Lourdes was also present on set.[62] Åkerlund remembered that one day after the filming he got a call from Mick Jagger for directing the new music video for The Rolling Stones, buthe had to decline since "Ray of Light" consumed all his time.[62] They filmed for over 14 days, during which he fit the crew in one car, found an angle for the 35 mm camera and just waited as the shots were taken one by one.[65] He had to carry a diagram in his pocket for the whole time, which had all the plans for every frame they shot. Every ten seconds they captured one frame and continued for half-an-hour to get around five seconds of footage, resulting in "Ray of Light" being the longest shoot ever for a music video for Åkerlund.[64] They also mounted the camera on a bus and rode around New York capturing the scenes.[65]
Madonna insisted that the video be edited in Los Angeles, since during the "Frozen" video she had a number of back and forths with director Chris Cunningham (who was in London editing), a process she did not want to repeat. This therefore involved Åkerlund and his team briefly relocating to a hotel in Los Angeles, where the editing took place.[62] Every piece of filmed footage was included in the final video, due to every scene being sped up and the song's moderate length.[65]
Release and reception
The music video premiered on MTV Live on May 12, 1998.[60] The clip starts with the rising of the sun and a man opening the curtains in his house, until it progresses into the Koyaanisqatsi inspired section, featuring time-lapse images of daily life, from people riding a subway, ordering food, bowling, and children in a classroom to sped-up city-scapes and freeways at night. Interspersed in the scenes is Madonna dancing and singing the track, her image partially merged with the backdrop of the fast-sped cityscape. During the intermediate verse the high-speed motion stops with the camera focusing on Madonna only against a sunset backdrop but quickly speeds up again. As the clip continues into nightfall, high-speed images of Madonna dancing in a discothèque is shown, with the camera focusing on the revelers. She suddenly starts screaming. After that she is seen falling asleep on the dance floor, and a revolving shot of planet Earth.
On June 23, 1998, the clip was released on VHS as a limited edition of 40,000 copies by Warner Music Vision. It had sold 7,381 copies of the following month after its release, becoming the best-selling video singles of the Nielsen SoundScan era.[66] The video charted on Billboard's Music Video Sales chart for a total of 13 weeks.[67] A few days after its release, Italian director Stefano Salvati accused Madonna's Warner Bros. Records imprint Maverick Records for plagiarizing the concept of a music video he directed for Biagio Antonacci's 1994 single "Non è Mai Stato Subito". According to Salvati, copies of his videos were submitted to Maverick before the "Ray of Light" video was shot and requested it to be pulled from distribution. Both clips featured the respective singers performing at regular speed against a backdrop of high-speed images. However, he did not sue the singer or her companies.[68]
With "Ray of Light", Madonna debuted her "Earth Mother" look, complete with long strawberry blond hair and bronzed body.[33][69] Author Georges Claude Guilbert wrote in his book, Madonna as Postmodern Myth, that her "straggly, expensively unwashed look" was comparable to that of singer Alanis Morissette and to Venetian paintings. According to Madonna, she went for an Italian Renaissance look, invoking work of painter Raphael and Botticelli.[70] Guilbert found the singer's description as catering to postmodernism, in tune with the zeitgeist, and noted that it was just one of her "many reinventions". The book recalled how Madonna "quickly grew tired of the Botticelli-Earth Mother phase" with subsequent singles being promoted with a new Asian inspired look.[71] In the book Ex-foliations: Reading Machines and the Upgrade Path, author Terry Harpold commented about the time-lapse sequences, especially the image of a clock and its hands rotating past the hours. He felt that the clip portrays the daily life as a futile attempt for survival, enhanced by another shot showing the sonogram of a fetusin utero, and a hamster running on a wheel.[72] Santiago Fouz-Hernández, one of the authors of Madonna's Drowned Worlds, described Madonna as esoteric in the clip, as well as "skin-deep Beverly Hills spiritualism".[73][74] The video can be found on the Madonna compilations, The Video Collection 93:99 (1999) and Celebration: The Video Collection (2009).[75][76]
"Ray of Light" is also often ranked as being one of the best songs of the 1990s.[19] In 2003, Q Magazine ranked it at number 609 in its list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".[83] In 2005, the song was placed at number 401 on Blender's "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".[84] On Slant Magazine's list of the best singles of the 1990s, in which "Ray of Light" was placed 16th, a reviewer wrote that the song's "beat is restless", and that "Ray of Light" is "a standout single" due to its "emotional warmth".[19]Pichfork ranked the track as the 55th best song of the 1990s, describing it as "a Kabbalah-coded ode to divine femininity with a racing pulse, "Ray of Light" is body music for the embodied consciousness."[85]Billboard placed it at number five on their ranking of Madonna's best songs, saying that it "marked a new chapter in her illustrious career".[86] In another ranking for the singer's 50 Greatest Songs by Rolling Stone, "Ray of Light" attained a rank of number eight, with a writer from the magazine noting Madonna's "most powerfully sung vocals to date".[21] In May 2018, Billboard ranked the top songs of 1998, ranking "Ray of Light" at number nine. Joe Lynch from the publication asserted that the composition "gave radio its most joyous, ebullient and life-affirming dance banger... Yeah, the cool kids had been raving for years, but it took a trendsetting 39-year-old mom to crack open the top 40 for what was then called electronica's eventual pop takeover."[87] One month later, The Guardian listed it as Madonna's fourth best single.[34] Similarly, Entertainment Weekly listed it as her fifth greatest single.[88]
The music video received a total of eight MTV Video Music Awards nominations in 1998, eventually winning five; for Video of the Year, Best Female Video, Best Direction, Best Editing and Best Choreography, becoming her most-winning song at the show.[89] It was the first time that the singer won the Video of the Year award; Madonna said she was grateful for MTV's recognition of the clip.[63] At the International Dance Music Awards, it won the trophy for Best Dance Video,[90] and at the Much Music Video Awards, the clip won the Best International Video trophy.[91] Other awards was won at the 1998 Music Video Production Association ceremony, winning the category of Best Pop Video of the Year.[92] The video came atop a ranking of "The Top 10 Videos That Broke The Rules", issued by MTV on the channel's 25th anniversary in August 2006.[93] In 2016, Rolling Stone listed it at position two on their ranking of "Madonna's 20 Greatest Videos" with Bilge Ebiri from the publication calling it a "bold embrace of electronica that got Madonna her due at the VMAs".[64]
Live performances
Madonna floating inside a glass box singing "Ray of Light" during the 2023-2024 Celebration Tour
In February 1998, Madonna premiered "Ray of Light" during a surprise concert at the Roxy NYC nightclub for promoting the parent album.[94] Three months later she appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and performed it along with album track "Little Star".[95] During the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards Madonna started performing "Shanti/Ashtangi", sporting black hair and wearing an Indian sari. Lenny Kravitz then appeared playing the guitar, which paved way to "Ray of Light". A religious group called the World Vaishnava Association (WVA) claimed that Madonna offended Hindus with the performance by wearing Hinduism symbols on her head. A spokesperson for the association stated that the mark (called an Om) is a symbol of chastity, harmony and purity, and is designed to show "dedication to God". The representative also said that because Madonna simulated a sexual act and wore a see-through tank top onstage while wearing the mark, she offended both Hindus and Yogis.[96] A spokesperson for Madonna stated that the singer did not understand why WVA was upset as she had not done anything insulting, and did not wish to insult anyone.[96] However, the vice president of WVA claimed that "the Hindu community and Eastern spiritual seekers the world over should be happy for Madonna personally in terms of her genuine interest in enlightened life, and grateful to her for her sincere efforts to attract others to the same".[97]
"Ray of Light" has also been featured in the set lists of four Madonna tours– 2001's Drowned World Tour, 2006's Confessions Tour, 2008–2009's Sticky & Sweet Tour, and 2023–2024's The Celebration Tour. On the Drowned World Tour, it was included as the fifth song on the Neo-Punk segment, where the singer performed it wearing punk inspired clothing, and the backdrop screens showed an extended version of the song's music video. This time, the electric guitar was played by Monte Pittman.[98] Michael Hubbard from MusicOMH noted that "things quickly hotted up with [...] 'Ray Of Light', a track that was quite simply as sublime as it was infectious".[99] In 2005, Madonna performed "Ray of Light" during the Live 8benefit concert,[100] and a year later at the 2006 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.[101] During her 2006 Confessions Tour, Madonna included a rock version of "Ray of Light" as the second song of the show's third act, the Glam-Punk segment. For this performance the singer played the electric guitar and urged the audience to jump-along. She was accompanied by six male backup dancers, dressed in black outfits and white ties doing a synchronized choreography.[102]Rolling Stone called the performance "hard-rocking".[103]
"Ray of Light" was next performed by Madonna during the 2007 Live Earth concert in London's Wembley Stadium again accompanied by a guitarist.[104] Madonna's performance at the event was watched by 4.5 million people.[105] For the 2008–09 Sticky & Sweet Tour, "Ray of Light" was included as the third song of the show's final segment. This time, Madonna played the electric guitar again and wore a futuristic outfit with a breastplate and a short wig. She was accompanied by her dancers who were dressed in futuristic outfits and performed a robotic choreography.[106] While reviewing the tour in 2008, Jim Farber from New York Daily News called the performance of the song one of the "highest-energy" dance numbers of the show.[107] On December 6, 2016, Madonna performed the song during the Carpool Karaoke segment of The Late Late Show with James Corden.[108] The singer performed "Ray of Light" at Leonardo DiCaprio's annual fundraising gala in Saint-Tropez, France on July 27, 2017.[109] On the 2023–24 Celebration Tour, Madonna performed the Sasha Ultra Violet remix of the song while floating above the crowd in a glass box.[110][111] Joe Lynch of Billboard praised Madonna as the track is "a tough one to sing, but she didn’t short shrift the audience with an abbreviated version", and noted that "her live vocals sounded fairly close to the original".[110]
"Weird Al" Yankovic (pictured) was the first recording artist to cover "Ray of Light" and included it on his medley "Polka Power!" in 1999.
"Weird Al" Yankovic's medley "Polka Power!" from the 1999 album Running with Scissors includes a polka version of the chorus of "Ray of Light".[112] On the 2004 compilation Platinum Blonde NRG, Vol. 2: Nrgised Madonna Classics, a Hi-NRG cover is performed by Future Force.[113]
English singer Natasha Bedingfield recorded a cover version of "Ray of Light" for BBC Radio 1's 40th anniversary; played during The Chris Moyles Show on September 19, 2007, the track was included on the Radio 1. Established 1967 compilation album. Bedingfield commented, "I have so much respect for Madonna after learning how hard it is to sing that song. She has an amazing voice—the range you need to sing the song is incredible".[114]
In 2010, the song was included in the film Burlesque, during the sequence showing Ali (Christina Aguilera) rehearsing for her new position as a dancer.[116]
In late 2012, American singer Adam Lambert performed a cover version on VH1 Divas, dancing through laser lights while donning a priestly black and white tunic.[117]
The song was famously used by Microsoft in its 2001 advertising campaign for Windows XP. It begins with a man leaping through a green field and then lifting off into a sunny sky—a landscape lifted from Windows XP's default "bliss screen".[118] There is also a series of images of people using Windows XP for real-time communications, to collaborate in an airy restaurant, to relay digital images of flying people, watch videos, and listen to music. Then, a snippet from the song follows the phrase: "Faster than the speeding light she's flying... You soar. Yes you can".[118] The campaign was reworked after the September 11 attacks; the tag line "Prepare to fly" was changed to "Yes you can".[118]
In 2008, a Sunsilk shampoo commercial included shots of Marilyn Monroe and Shakira with songs well known by them and ends with several video shots of Madonna to the sounds of "Ray of Light". Madonna reportedly received US$10 million for the song's usage.[119][120] The commercial premiered on Super Bowl XLII.[119]
In 2010, Glee tribute episode "The Power of Madonna" featured "Ray of Light" playing in the background as the school's cheerleading team performed a complicated stilts routine.[121]
Madonna Louise Ciccone is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen of Pop", she has been widely recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting and visual presentation. She has pushed the boundaries of artistic expression in mainstream music while maintaining control over every aspect of her career. Madonna's works, which incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes, have generated both controversy and critical acclaim. A prominent cultural pop icon spanning both the 20th and 21st centuries, she remains one of the most "well-documented figures of the modern age", with a broad array of scholarly reviews, literature, and art works about her, as well as an academic mini subdiscipline devoted to her called Madonna studies.
"Don't Tell Me" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her eighth studio album, Music (2000). It was released as the second single from the album on November 14, 2000, by Maverick Records. Madonna co-wrote and co-produced the track with Mirwais Ahmadzaï, with additional writing from her brother-in-law, Joe Henry. Henry originally conceived it as a tango-styled torch song called "Stop"; the demo was later sent to Madonna, who then proceeded to change its musical composition, turning it into a country-dance song. Lyrically, Madonna asks her lover not to control her.
Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released in early 1998 by Maverick Records. A major stylistic and aesthetic departure from her previous work, Bedtime Stories, Ray of Light is an electronica and techno-pop record which incorporates multiple genres, including ambient, trip hop, psychedelic music and Middle Eastern music, while also seeing Madonna singing with greater breadth and a fuller tone. Mystical themes are also strongly present in both the music and lyrics, as a result of Madonna embracing Kabbalah, her study of Hinduism and Buddhism, and her daily practice of Ashtanga yoga.
"Frozen" is a song by American singer and songwriter Madonna from her seventh studio album, Ray of Light (1998). Maverick and Warner Bros. Records released it as the album's lead single on January 23, 1998. The song was also included on the compilation albums, GHV2 (2001) and Celebration (2009). "Frozen" was written by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, who both produced it in collaboration with William Orbit. The downtempo electronica ballad, which has a layered sound enhanced by synthesizers and strings, lyrically addresses a cold and emotionless man.
"American Life" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It is the title track from her ninth studio album American Life (2003), and was released digitally as the lead single from the album on March 24, 2003, by Maverick Records. It is a pop, techno and folk song written and produced by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï; the lyrics to "American Life" feature violent transitions and a political and religious view from Madonna. She questions the shallowness of modern life and the American Dream during the presidency of George W. Bush. Towards the end of the song, Madonna raps, naming the people who were working for her.
"Music" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna as the title track for her eighth studio album of the same name (2000). It was released as the lead single from the album to radio on August 1, 2000, by Maverick and Warner Bros. Records and commercially released on August 21. "Music" was inspired by a Sting concert Madonna attended and was written and produced by her with Mirwais Ahmadzaï. It is a disco, electro-funk and dance-pop song in a static key of G minor. Madonna's vocals are electronically manipulated in the track, with the lyrics having political and social undertones and reiterating the uniting power of music.
"Hollywood" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna. The song was written and produced by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï for her ninth studio album, American Life (2003). On May 27, 2003, it was released as the second single from the album by Maverick Records. It later appeared on the greatest hits album, Celebration (2009). "Hollywood" is a folk rock, synth-pop, electro-folk, electropop and psychedelic folk song that lyrically discusses American culture and greed, focusing on Hollywood, California, as a place of pop stars and illusory dreams. Ahmadzaï did the main programming for the track and kept the track as simple as possible, without using too many instruments.
"Die Another Day" is the theme song from the James Bond film of the same name by American singer and songwriter Madonna. The song initially leaked onto the internet in early October 2002 prior to the official release, prompting radio to play the track. It was released commercially as a single on October 22 by Maverick Records. The single was then included on her ninth studio album American Life (2003) as well as on her greatest hits compilation, Celebration (2009). Following the release of the previous Bond single, "The World Is Not Enough", MGM wanted a high-profile artist for the theme of Die Another Day, and Madonna was their choice. She wrote and produced the song with Mirwais Ahmadzaï while French composer Michel Colombier was enlisted as composer.
"What It Feels Like for a Girl" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her eighth studio album Music (2000). It was released as the third and final single from the album on April 17, 2001, by Maverick Records. Madonna and Guy Sigsworth wrote and produced the song with David Torn as co-writer, and Mark "Spike" Stent as a co-producer. "What It Feels Like For a Girl" is a mid-tempo electronic and synth-pop song. Lyrically, it conveys society's double standard toward women, addressing hurtful myths about female inferiority. To emphasize the message, the song opens with a spoken word sample by actress Charlotte Gainsbourg from the 1993 British film The Cement Garden. A Spanish version of the track, "Lo Que Siente la Mujer", was translated by Alberto Ferreras and included in the Latin American edition of Music.
"Beautiful Stranger" is a song by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on May 19, 1999, by Maverick and Warner Bros. Records as a single from the soundtrack of the film, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Madonna co-wrote and co-produced the song with William Orbit. The soundtrack for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me was a much expected release and Madonna's song was chosen by the album's executive producers to promote it. "Beautiful Stranger" has appeared on three separate Madonna greatest hits collections: GHV2 (2001), Celebration (2009) and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022). Musically, "Beautiful Stranger" is a psychedelic pop and disco song that features heavily reverberated guitars and bouncy drum loops. Its lyrics tell the tale of a romantic infatuation.
"Nothing Really Matters" is a song by American singer Madonna for her seventh studio album, Ray of Light (1998). It was written by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, and was produced by the singer with William Orbit and Marius De Vries. The song was released as the sixth and final single from the album on February 9, 1999, by Maverick Records and Warner Bros. Records. An electronic dance track on which Madonna experiments with different musical genres, "Nothing Really Matters" includes ambient music and electronic noise frequencies that were added by De Vries. Lyrically, the recording delves on the singer's first daughter Lourdes Leon, having also themes of selfishness, affection, and motherhood.
"The Power of Good-Bye" is a song by American singer Madonna, taken from her seventh studio album Ray of Light (1998). It was written by Madonna and Rick Nowels, and was produced by the singer with William Orbit and Patrick Leonard. The song was released as the fourth single from the album on September 22, 1998, being additionally distributed as a double A-Side single in the United Kingdom with "Little Star". Lyrically, the track talks about how free and empowering saying good-bye or ending a relationship can feel. The melancholy electronica ballad features shuffle beats, acoustic guitars and sweeping strings arranged by Craig Armstrong.
"Drowned World/Substitute for Love" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her seventh studio album, Ray of Light (1998). It was written and produced by Madonna and William Orbit, with additional songwriters including Rod McKuen, Anita Kerr and David Collins. McKuen and Kerr received the credits due to the usage of a sample from one of their songs, "Why I Follow the Tigers". "Drowned World/Substitute for Love" is an ambient pop song which lyrically describes Madonna's spiritual transformation to seek authentic love over superficial alliances.
"Fever" is a song written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, who used the pseudonym "John Davenport". It was originally recorded by American R&B singer Little Willie John for his debut album, Fever (1956), and released as a single in April of the same year. The song topped the Billboard R&B Best Sellers in the US and peaked at number 24 on the Billboard pop chart. It was received positively by music critics and included on several lists of the best songs during the time it was released.
"Hung Up" is a song by American singer Madonna from her tenth studio album Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005). Initially used in a number of television advertisements and serials, the song was released as the album's lead single on October 18, 2005. Written and produced by Madonna in collaboration with Stuart Price, "Hung Up" prominently features a sample from the instrumental introduction to ABBA's single "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! ", for which Madonna personally sought permission from its songwriters, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. This is one of the few times Andersson and Ulvaeus have given permission to sample one of their songs, following "Rumble in the Jungle" by the Fugees and "Fly With Me" by 98 Degrees.
"Sky Fits Heaven" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her seventh studio album, Ray of Light (1998). It was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard; the song also contained additional production from William Orbit, and lyrical interpretations from British poet Max Blagg's 1992 poem, What Fits?. Uncredited in the album's official liner notes, Blagg's role in the song was the subject of several publications questioning Madonna's inspiration behind the track. A remix was created by Sasha and Victor Calderone, and was released as a promotional single by Maverick and Warner Bros. on October 2, 1998.
"True Blue" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album of the same name (1986), released as the third single on September 10, 1986, by Sire Records. Written and produced by Madonna and Steve Bray, the song deals with Madonna's feelings for her then-husband Sean Penn. A dance-pop song, it features instrumentation from a rhythm guitar, a synthesizer, keyboards, and drums. The main chorus is backed by an alternate one, incorporating a chord progression generally found in doo-wop music.
"Bedtime Story" is a song by American singer Madonna from her sixth studio album, Bedtime Stories (1994). It was released as the third single from the album on February 13, 1995, by Maverick Records. The song was written by Björk, Nellee Hooper and Marius De Vries; it was the only time Björk wrote a song for a Madonna album. She re-wrote a demo of the song to the current version, which was then produced by Madonna and Hooper. A mid-tempo electronic and house song with acid, ambient and techno influences, "Bedtime Story" has an underlying skeletal synth melody influenced by minimal trance music. The track's unconventional, electronic sound was a departure from the pop-R&B-based tracks throughout the rest of the album. Lyrically, the song talks about the joys of the unconscious world.
"Human Nature" is a song by American singer Madonna for her sixth studio album Bedtime Stories (1994). It was written as an answer song to her critics, who had panned her provocative image of the previous two years and Madonna's release of sexually explicit works. Written and produced by Madonna and Dave Hall, "Human Nature" includes a looping sample from Main Source's 1994 track "What You Need", therefore its writers Shawn McKenzie, Kevin McKenzie and Michael Deering are also credited. The track was released on June 6, 1995, by Maverick Records as the fourth and final single from Bedtime Stories.
"Celebration" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Madonna for her third greatest hits album of the same name (2009). It was written and produced by Madonna, Paul Oakenfold and Ian Green, with additional writing from Ciaran Gribbin. The song was released digitally on July 31, 2009, by Warner Bros. Records. Madonna collaborated with Oakenfold to develop a number of songs. Amongst all the songs developed by them, two were chosen for the greatest hits album with "Celebration" being released as the first single from it. It is a dance-oriented song with influences of Madonna's singles from the 1980s and 1990s, and consisting of a speak-sing format bridge. The lyrics of the song invite one to come and join a party.
References
1 2 3 4 Pitchfork Staff (September 27, 2022). "The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 21, 2022. A culture-shaping fusion of UK acid house and American dance pop...the version she created with electronic producer William Orbit is raving psychedelic pop disco...
↑ Walters, Barry (November 2, 2004). "Madonna". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York: Simon & Schuster. p.509.
1 2 3 Black, Johnny (August 2002). "Making of Ray of Light". Q. 17 (8). ISSN0955-4955.
1 2 "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. April 25, 1998. p.27.
1 2 Sandiford-Waller, Theda (June 20, 1998). "Hot 100 Singles Spotlight". Billboard. Vol.110, no.25. p.94. 40,000 copies of Madonna's 'Ray of Light' videoclip will be released in conjunction with the single June 23.
↑ Gonzalez, Ed (August 23, 2006). "Madonna: Confessions Tour". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on February 23, 2009. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
↑ Considine, J.D. (July 23, 1999). "Running with Scissors Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 23, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
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