Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 3, 1998 by Maverick Records. After giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, Madonna collaborated with Patrick Leonard and William Orbit in developing the album. Following failed sessions with other producers, Madonna pursued a new musical direction with Orbit. The album is a pop and dance record, yet, it contains elements of electronic music within its composition, making it a departure from her previous work. Additionally, it incorporates several genres and subgenres, including techno and ambient. The album has several themes, including spirituality.
Upon release, the album received acclaim and was lauded by contemporary critics as a masterpiece. Reviewers commended the singer's new musical direction, calling it her "most adventurous" record, as well as its mature, restrained nature; the singer's vocals were also praised. Ray of Light won four Grammy Awards from a total of six nominations. Commercially, the album was a success, peaking at number one in numerous countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. On the US Billboard 200, the album debuted and peaked at number two.
Five singles were released from the album, including global top-five hits "Frozen" and "Ray of Light". The former became Madonna's first number one debut in the United Kingdom and gave her a record for most number-two hits in the history of the Billboard Hot 100. In order to support the album, Madonna embarked on the Drowned World Tour in 2001. Critics and scholars have noted the album's influence on popular music, especially how it helped bring electronic music into mainstream pop culture. They also noted the way in which Madonna was able to re-invent herself and remain fresh and contemporary amidst the more teen pop-based music of the period. In such a way, the album has been included in many critic lists and polls, including Rolling Stone magazine's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Worldwide sales of the album have surpassed 20 million copies.Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 3, 1998 by Maverick Records. After giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, Madonna collaborated with Patrick Leonard and William Orbit in developing the album. Following failed sessions with other producers, Madonna pursued a new musical direction with Orbit. The album is a pop and dance record, yet, it contains elements of electronic music within its composition, making it a departure from her previous work. Additionally, it incorporates several genres and subgenres, including techno and ambient. The album has several themes, including spirituality.
Upon release, the album received acclaim and was lauded by contemporary critics as a masterpiece. Reviewers commended the singer's new musical direction, calling it her "most adventurous" record, as well as its mature, restrained nature; the singer's vocals were also praised. Ray of Light won four Grammy Awards from a total of six nominations. Commercially, the album was a success, peaking at number one in numerous countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. On the US Billboard 200, the album debuted and peaked at number two.
Five singles were released from the album, including global top-five hits "Frozen" and "Ray of Light". The former became Madonna's first number one debut in the United Kingdom and gave her a record for most number-two hits in the history of the Billboard Hot 100. In order to support the album, Madonna embarked on the Drowned World Tour in 2001. Critics and scholars have noted the album's influence on popular music, especially how it helped bring electronic music into mainstream pop culture. They also noted the way in which Madonna was able to re-invent herself and remain fresh and contemporary amidst the more teen pop-based music of the period. In such a way, the album has been included in many critic lists and polls, including Rolling Stone magazine's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Worldwide sales of the album have surpassed 20 million copies.false2023-01-16 09:52:21Ray of Light8.619981998-03-031998-03-03129AmbientBluesDanceDance-PopDowntempoElectroElectronicElectronicaHousePop1112552109828ddb3168d-66a9-4b2d-af02-05278da8a23d79239441-bfd5-4981-a70c-55c3f15c1287cb93e87f-5d21-3447-a6e8-22d44f9b0d7a/media/data/media5/Music/Madonna/Ray of Light (1998)/folder.jpgMadonnaAlbumArtist/config/metadata/People/M/Madonna/folder.jpgMadonnaArtist/config/metadata/People/M/Madonna/folder.jpgMadonnaMadonnaMadonna Louise Ciccone (; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting and visual presentation. Madonna's works, which incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes, have generated both controversy and critical acclaim. A cultural icon spanning both the 20th and 21st centuries, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame called her one of the most "well-documented figures of the modern age" in 2008. Various scholarly reviews, literature, and art works have been created about her along with an academic mini subdiscipline devoted to her called Madonna studies.
Madonna moved to New York City in 1978 to pursue a career in dance. After performing as a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist in the rock bands Breakfast Club and Emmy, she rose to solo stardom with her 1983 eponymous debut studio album. Madonna followed it with a series of successful albums, including all-time bestsellers Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), and The Immaculate Collection (1990), the critically acclaimed Like a Prayer (1989), as well as Grammy Award winners Ray of Light (1998) and Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005). She has amassed a catalog of various high-charting songs, including "Like a Virgin", "La Isla Bonita", "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", "Take a Bow", "Frozen", "Music", "Hung Up" and "4 Minutes".
Madonna's popularity was enhanced by roles in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), A League of Their Own (1992) and Evita (1996). While the lattermost won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, many of her other films were not as well received. As a businesswoman, she founded the company Maverick in 1992, which included Maverick Records, one of the most successful artist-run labels in history. Madonna's other ventures include fashion brands, written works, health clubs and filmmaking. She contributes to various charities, having founded the Ray of Light Foundation in 1998 and Raising Malawi in 2006, and advocates for gender equality and LGBT rights.
With sales of over 300 million records worldwide, Madonna is the best-selling female recording artist of all time. She is the most successful solo artist in the history of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and has achieved 44 number-one singles in between major global music markets. She became the first ever woman to accumulate US$1 billion in concert revenue, with six of her solo headlining tours having grossed over US$100 million each. Forbes has named her the world's highest-paid female musician a record 11 times across four separate decades (1980s–2010s). Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, her first year of eligibility. She was ranked as the greatest woman in music by VH1, and as the greatest music video artist ever by MTV and Billboard. She was also listed among Rolling Stone's greatest artists and greatest songwriters of all time.