{"id":683441,"date":"2026-06-09T13:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/numero.com\/non-classifiee\/ray-of-light-how-madonnas-cult-album-influences-pop-stars-today\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T15:11:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T13:11:17","slug":"ray-of-light-how-madonnas-cult-album-influences-pop-stars-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/ray-of-light-how-madonnas-cult-album-influences-pop-stars-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Ray of Light: How Madonna\u2019s cult album influences pop stars today"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a3b643c7fccf&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a3b643c7fccf\" class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1720\" height=\"2560\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2221444-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"American singer and actress Madonna on set for the music video of Power of Goodbye in 1998. \" class=\"wp-image-682352\"\/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">American singer and actress Madonna on set for the music video of Power of Goodbye in 1998. (Photo by Frank Micelotta\/Getty Images).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1996 &#8211; <strong>Madonna<\/strong> portrayed Argentinian actress and political figure Eva Per\u00f3n in <strong>Alan Parker<\/strong>\u2019s musical drama <\/span><strong><i>Evita<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Her performance actually earned her a <strong>Golden Globe<\/strong> for Best Actress, practically handed to her on a silver platter. It might be this award that paved the way for the music icon\u2019s staggering comeback two years later with <\/span><strong><i>Ray of Light<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a record that contrasted with her early provocative pop-dance sounds. The transformation wasn\u2019t only aesthetic, it was philosophical.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Madonna\u2019s musical and spiritual rebirth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inspired by the birth of her daughter, <a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/fashion\/fashion-week-en\/lourdes-leon-bella-hadid-and-lala-ce-as-femmes-fatales-for-mugler-fall-winter-2021-2022\/\">Lourdes<\/a>, her studies of Kabbalah \u2014 a mystical branch of Judaism \u2014 and her immersion in transcendental meditation, <strong>Madonna<\/strong> teamed up with British ambient electronic producer, <strong>William Orbit<\/strong>. That choice marked a major artistic shift.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With his arsenal of analog synthesizers, such as the ARP 2600 and the Roland Jupiter-8, the producer created a dense, organic, and futuristic sound texture. The glitch-like atmosphere in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Swim<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the liquid arpeggios in <\/span><strong><i>Frozen<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and the cosmic layers in the track <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ray of <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Light weave an unexpectedly immersive canvas. Madonna\u2019s voice is more assured, more vibrant. It becomes a vehicle for rawer emotions than ever before\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\r\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Madonna - The Power Of Good-Bye (Official Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-cookieconsent=\"statistics, marketing\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NHydngA5C4E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><div class=\"cookieconsent-optout-statistics cookieconsent-optout-marketing\"><\/div>\r\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Madonna &#8211; <em>The Power of Goodbye<\/em> (1998).<\/figcaption><\/figure><br>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><h3><b>The album <\/b><b><i>Ray of Light<\/i><\/b><b>, or Madonna\u2019s avant-garde masterpiece<\/b><\/h3><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The song <\/span><strong><i>Frozen<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, for instance, draws its inspiration from classical Indian music, particularly through its string arrangements and its relatively slow 6\/8 time signature \u2014 six eighth notes per bar that create a fluid and undulating sway. As for the track <\/span><strong><i>Ray of Light<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it samples the song <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sepheryn<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (1971) by the English folk duo <strong>Curtiss Maldoon<\/strong>. It unleashes a rave-like, euphoric energy rarely heard in a pop music album at the time. Madonna sings faster than ever before, supported by a 135 bpm beat that stands in sharp contrast to the contemplative moments that dominated the album until then.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MBBqUfEtk64\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MBBqUfEtk64<\/a><\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Madonna &#8211; <em>Skin (The Collaboration Remix Edit)<\/em> (2025).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Critics unanimously praised the album when it came out. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rolling Stone<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> described it as a \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">techno and spiritually-informed masterpiece<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,\u201d while <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Entertainment Weekly<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> hailed it as a \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">spiritual tonic<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d To top it off, the album won four Grammy Awards in 1999, including Best Pop Vocal Album. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ray of Light<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was already establishing itself as an iconic piece of mainstream electronic music.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A few anecdotes further cemented its legend, such as the fact that vocal recordings had apparently been completed in a single take. The video for <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frozen<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, directed by <strong>Chris Cunningham<\/strong>, drew its inspiration from Sufi and Gothic imagery, inevitably enhancing the project\u2019s esoteric dimension.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a3b643c8041e&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a3b643c8041e\" class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1741\" height=\"2560\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2224341-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Singer Madonna on set for the music video of Ray of Light in 1998.\" class=\"wp-image-682354\"\/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Singer Madonna on set for the music video of <em>Ray of Light <\/em>in 1998. Photo by Frank Micelotta\/ImageDirect. 1998.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FKA twigs, Arca, Addison Rae\u2026 Direct heirs to Madonna?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Twenty-five years later, <\/span><strong><i>Ray of Light<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> continues to inspire contemporary pop. Not just for its sounds, but for the freedom it offered pop artists to reinvent themselves spiritually, sensorially, and vocally-speaking. <strong>FKA twigs<\/strong> is perhaps the most obvious artist to claim this heritage.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAPRISONGS<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (2022) and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">EUSEXUA<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (2025), she shifts between ethereal vocals, deconstructed beats, and heartbreaking confessions. Just like <strong>Madonna<\/strong> before her, the British artist blurs the lines between the body and the machine. A striking example is her track <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MetaAngel<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Unsurprisingly, she has referred to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ray of Light<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a blueprint for unapologetic female reinvention<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With Addison Rae, the influence is more subtle, but just as real. Her EP <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AR<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(2023), often mocked for its mainstream ambition, nonetheless reveals a sophisticated use of vocoder, echo, and analog reverb, especially on the tracks <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2 Die 4 <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nothing On (But the Radio)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In 2024, her song <\/span><strong><i>Aquamarine<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> borrowed from the liquid layers of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frozen<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and tackled the themes of purification and transcendence. The artistic intent seems more serious&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Addison Rae - Aquamarine (Official Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-cookieconsent=\"statistics, marketing\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Qt6YiVZLhG0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><div class=\"cookieconsent-optout-statistics cookieconsent-optout-marketing\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Aquamarine <\/em>(2024) by Addison Rae.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Toward a more complex hybridization, from Lorde to Arca<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the shadow of <\/span><strong><i>Ray of Light<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> also looms over the broader realm of pop production. Indeed, the album paved the way for unapologetic hybridization. <strong>Shygirl<\/strong>, Robyn, <a href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/what-does-lorde-have-in-store-for-her-triumphant-return-to-music\/\">Lorde<\/a>, <strong>Caroline Polachek<\/strong>, Arca\u2026 All these artists have reconciled spirituality with technophilia, the intimate with the spectacular to some extent. Even <strong>Billie Eilish<\/strong>, in her most ambient moments, sometimes seems to draw inspiration from it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><i>Ray of Light<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> isn\u2019t simply a hit album. It\u2019s a true manifesto. This record has repeatedly proven that pop music can be cerebral without losing its sensuality. In a sense, it laid the foundation for an entire generation of female artists who refuse compromise and reject linear narratives.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimate proof of her lasting relevance? On July 25th, 2025, <strong>Madonna<\/strong> released a remix album titled <strong><em data-start=\"167\" data-end=\"189\">Veronica Electronica<\/em><\/strong>, featuring tracks from that era with EDM overtones that will likely inspire a new generation of singers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ray of Light<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em> (1998) by Madonna, available now.<\/em><\/span><br><em>Confessions II <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">by Madonna, coming out on July 3rd, 2026.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1996 &#8211; Madonna portrayed Argentinian actress and political figure Eva Per\u00f3n in Alan Parker\u2019s musical [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/numero.com\/en\/culture-en\/music\/ray-of-light-how-madonnas-cult-album-influences-pop-stars-today\/\">Read More&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> from Ray of Light: How Madonna\u2019s cult album influences pop stars today<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":682349,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[87,3177],"tags":[8830,2766,1893],"class_list":["post-683441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture-en","category-music","tag-fka-twigs-en","tag-madonna-en","tag-shygirl-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How Madonna\u2019s cult album Ray of Light influences new pop stars<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The album Ray of Light by Madonna has left a lasting mark on contemporary artists, such as FKA twigs, Lorde and Addison Rae.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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