After releasing two patchy albums in the early 90s, Madonna returned in 1998 with global smash Ray Of Light. The album has sold more than Erotica and Bedtime Stories combined. Madonna had entered a new phase in her life having given birth to her daughter Lourdes the year before while she was exploring several philosophies including Kabbalah, Hinduism and Buddhism. Patrick Leonard was a key contributor to the album, co-writing and co-producing several songs. But it was her work with British electronic producer William Orbit that really directed the album’s sound.
“I traded fame for love/Without a second thought” is the first lyric that opens the album on “Drowned World/Substitute For Love”, the ambient track with deep bass. This is followed by “Swim”, with a a trip hop sound and a flood of synths as Madonna sings “I’m gonna swim to the ocean floor”. “Skin” throbs with sparkling sounds surrounding the track, the squiggly beats of “Sky Fits Heaven” has a more traditional pop feel. Madonna then sings in Sanskrit over skittering beats on “Shanti/Ashtangi”, a sound that predates what MIA would later do at the turn of the century.
After several album tracks, two of the album’s singles create an emotional climax to the album. Co-written with Leonard, “Frozen” addresses an emotionally closed off partner over a swell of synths and strings. Following that up, “The Power Of Good-Bye” co-written with Rick Nowels creates the world of then moving on. While they tread similar territory, by no means is this redundant. Both tracks ache with emotion, an emotion that was felt around the world as both songs climbed into the top 10 in several countries, “Frozen” being the bigger of the two.
The enduring spotlight of the album remains the title track, “Ray Of Light”. Introducing the word “zephyr” into the minds of fans around the world, the effervescent pop song shared a memorable video, was a club hit and has been a radio staple for nearly 30 years. The album itself is one of Madonna’s very best, one where she sings with maturity, power, and spirituality while engulfed in a warm of ocean of synths and strings that create a more cohesive whole than more recent efforts. Sadly, the world lost William Orbit earlier this year but his sound will live on through this classic album and his other terrific music.
10/10
The Light Appears 