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.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drowned World/Substitute for LoveDavid Collins, Anita Kerr, Madonna, Rod McKuen, William Orbit | Madonna | Play | 05:09 | 11 MB | 0 MB |
| 2 | SwimMadonna, William Orbit | Madonna | Play | 05:00 | 11 MB | 28 MB |
| 3 | Ray of LightDave Curtis, Christine Leach, Madonna, Curtiss Maldoon, William Orbit | Madonna | Play | 05:20 | 12 MB | 35 MB |
| 4 | Candy Perfume GirlMadonna, Susannah Melvoin, William Orbit | Madonna | Play | 04:36 | 10 MB | 28 MB |
| 5 | SkinPatrick Leonard, Madonna | Madonna | Play | 06:21 | 14 MB | 37 MB |
| 6 | Nothing Really MattersPatrick Leonard, Madonna | Madonna | Play | 04:26 | 10 MB | 27 MB |
| 7 | Sky Fits HeavenPatrick Leonard, Madonna | Madonna | Play | 04:48 | 10 MB | 28 MB |
| 8 | Shanti/AshtangiMadonna, William Orbit | Madonna | Play | 04:28 | 10 MB | 26 MB |
| 9 | FrozenPatrick Leonard, Madonna | Madonna | Play | 06:12 | 14 MB | 35 MB |
| 10 | To Have and Not to HoldMadonna, Rick Nowels | Madonna | Play | 05:22 | 12 MB | 30 MB |
| 11 | Little StarMadonna, Rick Nowels | Madonna | Play | 05:18 | 12 MB | 35 MB |
| 12 | Mer GirlMadonna, William Orbit | Madonna | Play | 05:32 | 12 MB | 26 MB |
| 13 | The Power of Goodbye | Madonna | Play | 04:12 | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| 66 mins | 153 MB | |||||
| 61 mins | 366 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Craig Armstrong | String Arrangements |
| 2 | Mike Bradford | Programming |
| 3 | David Collins | Composer |
| 4 | Pablo Cook | Flute |
| 5 | Dave Curtis | Composer |
| 6 | Curtiss Maldoon | Composer |
| 7 | Marius de Vries | Guest Artist, Keyboards, Producer, Programming |
| 8 | Donna De Lory | Vocals (Background) |
| 9 | Mark Endert | Engineer |
| 10 | Fergus Gerrand | Drums, Percussion |
| 11 | Kerosene Halo | Design |
| 12 | Nikki Harris | Vocals (Background) |
| 13 | Vyass Houston | Translation |
| 14 | Jon Ingoldsby | Engineer |
| 15 | Ted Jensen | Mastering |
| 16 | Suzie Katayama | Conductor |
| 17 | Anita Kerr | Composer |
| 18 | Christine Leach | Composer |
| 19 | Patrick Leonard | Arranger, Composer, Producer |
| 20 | Madonna | Composer, Primary Artist, Producer, Vocals |
| 21 | Patrick McCarthy | Engineer |
| 22 | Rod McKuen | Composer |
| 23 | Susannah Melvoin | Composer |
| 24 | Marc Moreau | Guitar |
| 25 | Rick Nowels | Composer |
| 26 | William Orbit | Composer, Guest Artist, Producer, Sound Effects |
| 27 | Kevin Reagan | Art Direction, Design |
| 28 | Dave Reitzas | Engineer |
| 29 | Steve Sidelnyk | Drum Programming |
| 30 | Matt Silva | Engineer |
| 31 | Eddie Stern | Translation |
| 32 | Mario Testino | Photography |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |