Madonna: Ray Of Light

Tune in to Episode Seven of Pop Palace for an exclusive journey into Madonna's transformative "Ray of Light" album! 🌟✨ Released in early 1998, this seventh studio masterpiece marked a significant turning point in Madonna's illustrious career. Following the more R&B-infused "Bedtime Stories," Madonna made a bold shift into electronica and techno-pop, crafting a sound that was both innovative and deeply introspective.

In "Ray of Light," Madonna collaborates with English producer William Orbit, embracing a fusion of ambient, trip hop, psychedelic, and Middle Eastern influences. This album was born out of a period of profound personal and spiritual growth for Madonna, inspired by her studies in Kabbalah, Hinduism, Buddhism, and her daily practice of Ashtanga yoga. The result is a collection of tracks that resonate with mystical themes and showcase her matured vocal abilities.

Despite the technical challenges faced during its production, "Ray of Light" was met with universal acclaim, often hailed as Madonna's magnum opus. The album introduced electronica to mainstream pop culture and reaffirmed Madonna's relevance in the music industry. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 and topped the charts in 17 countries, with hits like "Frozen" and the titular track "Ray of Light" becoming international sensations.

Join us as we dive deep into the magic behind this iconic album, exploring its impact on Madonna's career and its enduring influence on the music industry. From the soulful introspection of "Drowned World/Substitute for Love" to the dance floor euphoria of "Ray of Light," each song is a testament to Madonna’s artistic evolution and spiritual journey. Don’t miss out on this illuminating episode – it’s a ray of light you won’t want to miss! 🌞✨

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
And I feel like I just got homeand I feel like I'm listening
to episode seven of Pop Palace.
Welcome back everybody.
Pop Palace, I
am Jack your host.
Here at Pop Palace we celebrate theiconic women in pop music history

(00:23):
and season one's about Madonna.
I can't believe we've madeit already to episode seven.
This is also one of my favorite albums.
I just get more and more excited themore we listen to, the more we discuss.
And this album is very differentfrom Madonna and it really
highlights her spiritual journeythus far in the music industry.

(00:45):
And if you haven't listened to ourother episodes, we have started from
the very beginning, Madonna moving fromBay City, Michigan to New York City.
And the episodes are in sequentialorder, and so if you go back and
listen from episode 1 all the way upuntil here, you'll really understand
everything a little bit deeper, andit'll make a little bit more sense.

(01:07):
On episode 7, we're taking a closerlook at Madonna's groundbreaking
7th studio album, Ray of Light.
Released in 1998 by Maverick Records,this album marked a significant
shift in Madonna's musical andfashion aesthetic direction.
So, let's explore this album and whyit came to be, and why it remains a

(01:30):
pivotal moment in, not just Madonna'shistory, but in music history.
Ray of Light was a significantdeparture from Madonna's previous work.
As we know, Madonna can transform, and shedoes every single project she produces.
So, she's moving away from more of anR& B influence of bedtime stories and

(01:52):
fuses genres like ambient trip hop,psychedelic, and Middle Eastern music.
So this is like completely different fromanything we've seen from Madonna so far.
So far, Madonna's done Rock, pop, R& Bmixed in with soul, but right now she is
moving on to something new and fresh andshe's dipping her toes into electronica

(02:14):
and techno pop, which in 1998 is stillahead of its time in mainstream music.
The results of this fusion endedwith a sound that felt both
fresh and deeply introspective.
Her studies in Kabbalah, Hinduism,Buddhism, and her daily practice of
Ashtanga Yoga profoundly influencedthe album's mystical themes.

(02:36):
Ray of Light really takes a stepinto Madonna's introspection and her
religious beliefs on a grand level.
So after the giving birth to herchild, Madonna initially started
working on the album with ProducerBabyface and Patrick Leonard.
So, as we've heard before, Babyfaceworked on Bedtime Stories with
Madonna and Patrick Leonard'sbeen here since the beginning.

(03:00):
However, she felt their sessions didn'treally capture the sound she envisioned.
So, this is when she brought inEnglish producer William Orbit.
So, Madonna's collaboration with Orbitled to a more experimental sound.
Though it wasn't without challenges.
The recording process is thelongest of Madonna's career.

(03:22):
It was plagued with technical issuesand caused Significant delays, but I
also think this has to do with Madonnabeing a perfectionist She's not gonna
release something that she doesn'ttruly believe is a great piece of work.
She doesn't half ass anything She'sgonna do it right and do it fully
the right way So that led to Madonnareleasing this album a little bit

(03:44):
later than anticipated Despite thesechallenges Ray of Light was met with
universal acclaim upon its release, sopretty much everybody liked it, and it's
often considered Madonna's magnum opus.
But, honestly, looking backat it, I really think that was
erotica, was her real moment.

(04:05):
I think that's coming back from a timein 2024 where we're able to look back
and see the sexual tones, and not befrightened by them as people were back
in, you know, The late 80s, early 90s.
But I totally see how Ray ofLight is her magnum opus as well.
Critics praise her new musicaldirection, her mature vocals, and

(04:25):
contemplative songwriting alongsideOrbit's innovative production.
So we've heard this from critics before.
They're always praising her new, maturevocals, her new direction in music.
I've heard these exact words towardsMadonna before when we look about critics
understanding of the previous albums.
The album was also creditedwith bringing electronica into

(04:48):
the mainstream pop culture.
Like I said, this album wasreally early on in the electronica
and electropop music movement.
So like Once again, she is aheadof her time like she always
is, and she's doing it well.
Because of electronica and newwave music coming in, this proved

(05:08):
Madonna's relevance in the era asdominated by teen pop sensations.
So even though Madonna is not a teenanymore, she's still dominating that
space because she is outward thinkingand, and always in with the new trends.
The album debuted at number 2 onthe US Billboard 200 and topped the

(05:29):
charts in 17 countries includingthe UK, Australia, and Germany.
Worldwide, Ray of Light sold over 16million copies, making it one of the best
selling albums by female artists, ever.
Five singles were released fromthe album, with Frozen and Ray of
Light becoming international hits.
Frozen is, like, one of myfavorite Madonna songs ever.

(05:53):
And then she did like another versionof Frozen, like re released a single
as a collab with somebody else thatI had never heard of before this.
You should totally check it out, it'sreally good, it's on her Spotify.
Okay, let's take a step back andexplore the background of this album.
So after her role in the film Evita, andthe birth of her daughter Lourdes in 1996,

(06:15):
Madonna entered a period of introspection.
She began studying various spiritualpractices and took vocal lessons.
Discovering a wholenew range of her voice.
So by 1997, she was ready to channelthese experiences into her music.
Collaborations with Babyfaceand Rick Knowles didn't quite

(06:35):
capture the experimentalelectronica sounds she wanted.
This is why she went withWilliam Orbit, as we know.
The recording of Ray ofLight was an intense process.
Madonna and Orbit spent four and ahalf months at Larrabee, North Studio
in North Hollywood, California.
Orbit preferred working with the samplesand synth sounds, which often led to

(06:59):
technical difficulties and delays.
Despite this, their persistencepaid off, resulting in a richly
textured and deeply personal album.
The album's title, Ray of Light,reflects its thematic content.
Madonna considered other titles likeMantra, Veronica, Electronica, and more.

(07:20):
But ultimately chose Ray of Light toalign with her tradition of naming
albums after one of its tracks.
The cover art, shot by Mario Testino,features Madonna in a turquoise raincoat
symbolizing the elements of water andair that reoccur throughout the album.
So, Ray of Light opens with Drowned Worldslash Substitute for Love, a track that

(07:44):
sets the introspective tone of the album.
Drawing influences from jungle,drum and bass, and trip hop.
It explores themes of love and fame.
The title track Ray of Light is anenergetic dance pop song with techno
and trance influences featuring adistinctive electric guitar riff.

(08:05):
That electric guitar in Ray of Lightis like one of my favorites ever.
You have to listen to it againand like really think about it
while you're listening to it.
It makes all the difference.
Some other notable tracksinclude Frozen, a haunting
ballad about emotional coldness.
And Nothing Really Matters, an upbeatdance track reflecting Madonna's spiritual

(08:26):
studies and love for her daughter.
But, the song that really standsout to me is Shanti Ashtangi.
It stands out with its Sanskrit lyricsshowcasing Madonna's exploration of Hindu
chants, set to an up tempo techno beat.
This song is, like, entrancing, it'smeditative, it really takes you to,

(08:51):
like, a whole new level listening to it.
The album's success wasbolstered by its critical acclaim
and commercial performance.
It topped charts globally andearned Madonna four Grammy Awards.
Critics praised it as one of thegreatest pop albums of all time,
with Madonna herself callingit her quintessential album.
So then the Drowned World Tour in2001 further promoted Ray of Light,

(09:15):
cementing its legacy in pop culture.
Okay, let's take a minute andtalk about the Drowned World Tour.
Iconic.
Preparing for the tour was a whirlwind.
With only three months to get everythingready, auditions for dancers were held,
musicians and technicians were hired,and intensive rehearsals took place.
So Madonna appointed Jamie King, AlexMango, and Debra Brown as choreographers.

(09:40):
French designer Jean PaulGaultier, known for his previous
collaborations with Madonna, wasin charge of the tour's wardrobe.
The outfits reflected differentphases of Madonna's career, adding
a theatrical element to the show.
The Drone World Tour was dividedinto four distinct thematic acts.
Rock and Roll Punk Girl, Geisha Girl,Cyber Cal Girl, and Spanish Girl.

(10:03):
Each segment showcased a unique aspectof Madonna's artistic evolution.
The setlist included songs primarilyfrom Way of Light and music,
with Holiday and La Isla Bonita.
Being the only pre 1990s hits performed.
The tour was a criticaland commercial success.
So, grossing over 76.

(10:24):
8 million and playing to more than730, 000 fans and sold out shows
across Europe and the United States.
It became the highest grossingconcert tour of 2001 by solo artists.
Critics praised this tour for innovativestaging, production, though some were
disappointed by the lack of 1980s hits.

(10:46):
But also, it's not your show,you're at a Madonna show so she
can play whatever she wants.
Ray of Light has had a lastingimpact on both Madonna's
career and the music industry.
It introduced mainstreamaudiences to electronica and
influenced countless artists.
The album's spiritual and experimentalthemes showcased Madonna's Ability

(11:08):
to reinvent herself while stayingtrue to her artistic vision.
So I'm gonna say that again,because this is relevant with
every single Madonna album.
Madonna's ability to reinvent herselfwhile staying true to her artistic vision.
That is so real and so Madonna.
That is episode seven, everyone.

(11:31):
We just went over Ray of Light, and Iknow there's so much more to, uh, The
album and to the stories of the album,but um, this is just a brief synopsis And
I highly recommend if you haven't alreadygo and listen to the other episodes Then
go listen to ray of light the album andmaybe if you're feeling crazy go watch
some drowned world tour videos on youtubeUm, please follow me on instagram at pop.

(11:57):
palace And leave me a five starreview wherever you're listening.
Have a great day.
Thanks guys.
Bye.
Thank you.
Bye