Review Summary: electronics can have a soul
Discussing Madonna's career prior to Ray of Light would simply be a fool's errand. Unless you've been living under a rock for years and years, you probably know about Madonna. Her music, numerous controversies, and general acclaim in the pop world have impacted the popular music landscape to a degree that no one could have predicted. But that's not really what I'm here to talk about, because Ray of Light is certainly no ordinary record (especially by her standards). Gone is a good chunk of the dance pop in favor of beautifully composed and atmospheric electronica a la Bjork. Madonna's been frequently considered the Queen of Reinvention, and this is the epitome of that; who wouldn't want one of the most famous pop stars in the world to give the audience such genuine displays of emotion and lyrical variety? Well, all of this change is because of a few things: 1. Madonna gave birth to her first child, Lourdes, around this point. And 2. she converted to Kabbalah and started studying Hinduism and Buddhism. With this in mind, she started reevaluating her life and wanted to produce something especially meaningful; while many artists don't transition into musical maturity very well, Ray of Light proved that Madonna was an exception to this.
While the lyrics themselves don't appear to be especially deep, it really is that variety of subjects and heartfelt delivery that carries things really nicely. Madonna was certainly in an experimental mood with this record as well, as the Indian vibe of "Shanti/Ashtangi" or the simultaneously loose and tense ambience of closer "Mer Girl" can prove. Almost every kind of sound you can imagine is packed into Ray of Light: there's some classical music, quite a lot of ambient music, trip hop, rock, dance pop, you name it. But it's not about how many influences you can pack into an album, it's how everything comes together as a whole... and this succeeds on every level. If there's anything that I'd consider the boldest success here, it's how well it places you into its multiple environments. Going back to what I said about Bjork, Homogenic is definitely one of the closest records to this one, especially in how sprawling it is and how it utilizes similar symphonic elements. Sure, the title track and "Swim" aren't all that similar to the Icelandic diva, but many of the other tunes really are. It's also nice to hear about deeper subjects such as spirituality like in the techno-esque highlight "Sky Fits Heaven" and Madonna's own creative process for this album in "Nothing Really Matters."
But it's still Madonna. The same signature Madonna touch is in these songs, but the vibe is just so goddamn beautiful. Just imagine you're driving along a road at night. Nobody is around... just you, the wheel, and an empty road to drive along. Ray of Light is playing in the CD player (or whatever format you prefer), and the each hypnotic number plays, one after another. Soon enough, watching the road will just be second nature and each song on this record will take you on a separate journey in your head. And that's where the power of Ray of Light lies; each song is like an environment that has to be heard multiple times so you can achieve a full grasp of your surroundings. But once you do, every song will latch onto you at some point or another. There is no bad song here, as the record's entirety plays out like a complete experience, fulfilling and diverse. The electronics actually feel as though they ironically give this album more of a soul and an identity, especially once Madonna's heartfelt and commanding vocals helm the project. Just give this a listen, find out just how mature Madonna's music got by this point, and get lost in the sea of beautiful atmosphere.
