At this point, Madonna yet again reinvented her music and herself to release this iconic album. At this point, already 16+ years in the music industry.
More than you think. When I heard Frozen for the first time, I seriously thought it was a William Orbit song "featuring" vocals by Madonna. I am a fan of his music, not so much hers, but started taking her a little bit more seriously after Ray Of Light and their work together on the follow-up album Music.
Ray of Light was met with universal acclaim upon its release and is often considered Madonna's magnum opus. Critics praised the singer's new musical direction, contemplative songwriting, and mature vocals, alongside Orbit's complex, innovative production. The album has also been credited with introducing electronica into mainstream pop culture and affirming the 39-year-old Madonna's relevance during a period of major teen-marketed artists. Retrospectively, the album has continued to receive acclaim and is considered one of the greatest pop albums of all time. Madonna has referred to it as her quintessential album. Ray of Light won four Grammy Awards from a total of six nominations at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards.
credited with introducing electronica into mainstream pop culture
Maybe pop culture but Prodigy released Firestarter a couple years before and you had to work pretty damn hard not to hear that track. Same with Chemical Brothers Block Rockin Beats. I dunno I'm sure Ray of Light was bigger but there were some pretty main stream electronic tracks that came before it.
I discovered Frozen and Power of Goodbye only a decade ago in my mid-30’s and they fucking blew me away. Pop music perfected. Those songs still give me goosebumps. And the music videos 🤌
i was born in 1976, growing up i remember seeing madonna thinking yeah she is kinda cute but never was a fan of her music. then while i was in the navy and cleaning out some left over things left behind by the marines we were transporting i found the Ray of Light cd. popped it in on a whim few days later. fucking hell was that some cool music. i was big into metal mostly at the time but i had begun opening up to other genres. man i still listen to this album from time to time and just look out the window.
Great album . My favorites are this one. Bedtime stories and the self titled one with Holiday and Burning up . I also love the who’s that girl soundtrack . So many great songs. Madonna was a true hit maker.
And she was re certified as the best selling female artist of all time!
I’d say this was her peak, for me. I haven’t listened to or bought anything more of hers or care to. it hit at the right time of my life so it’s kinda sublime nostalgia.
A goddess at the time. It’s sad that she changed her body through surgery. If she’d aged naturally I have no doubt she would still be incredibly beautiful.
So many have lost their beauty to fillers and procedures. It doesn’t matter how much money you have the result is bad. I see the same inhuman faces in the media and local supermarkets.
Shes definitely messed with her face too much lately. She used to be very careful with her work she had done but the whole Lady Gaga thing sort of made her crazy
She was so fearless as a younger woman, but aging really had a mental effect on her. She's so underweight here! But she was a truly stunning, gorgeous woman when she was being herself.
Yeah, that era she got seriously in shape. And obviously she must've always been fit to perform so much and put so much into those performances, but circa Ray of Light, she got that Linda Hamilton in T2 wiry kind of fit.
Some people truly have no concept of what underweight really is.
She was fairly lean with really good muscle mass for a woman at this age, but she probably never cracked sub 20% BF, which is perfectly healthy (below 17% is where one might* get concerned). Anyone that lean and nearing middle age is probably going to look a little more gaunt in the face than we're used to as we naturally lose fat in our face as we age.
Women really can't win. If they manage to stay in shape into or beyond middle age they get shamed for looking "gaunt" or "underweight" and turn to fillers (like a certain pop star?). If they gain weight... Well we're all too familiar with what happens there.
Could she be heavier and be healthy? Absolutely. Is she perfectly healthy here? Also absolutely.
That is healthy thinking and generally correct. However, we are talking about Madonna, and we've seen that this was not just a stage where she got physically fit, this was a phase on her way to going way off the deep end trying to avoid looking old. We can all see what she looks like today, and what she's done to herself.
I wasn't looking at just these photos, I was considering the entire timeline of the last 40+ years of her fame.
I disagree, I vividly remember this era as her being unashamed of looking her age. She looks gorgeous, but very much like someone in their late 30s or early 40s. You would hear people talk about how awesome it was that she hadn't gotten any work done and is unashamed of looking her age.
But, eventually the pressure to never get old finally caught up with her. It's a shame, if anyone could have done it, it would have been Madonna.
This is the only CD I have bought by madonna
Same.
Though William Orbit is likely an important part of why that is.
More than you think. When I heard Frozen for the first time, I seriously thought it was a William Orbit song "featuring" vocals by Madonna. I am a fan of his music, not so much hers, but started taking her a little bit more seriously after Ray Of Light and their work together on the follow-up album Music.
William Orbit. Cool need to dig back into him
Might be her best album
from Wikipedia:
She might agree.
Maybe pop culture but Prodigy released Firestarter a couple years before and you had to work pretty damn hard not to hear that track. Same with Chemical Brothers Block Rockin Beats. I dunno I'm sure Ray of Light was bigger but there were some pretty main stream electronic tracks that came before it.
....and there we go. Thanks!
I discovered Frozen and Power of Goodbye only a decade ago in my mid-30’s and they fucking blew me away. Pop music perfected. Those songs still give me goosebumps. And the music videos 🤌
I would argue music is better but both are amazing.
Music is such a "press play" album! Great for a short road trip!
I have this one and Confessions on a Dance Floor. Highly recommend.
I'll give it a whirl
The soundscape, the tempo of songs, production of the album was the most unique out of her collection. It was her best.
I agree
Even if it’s the only one, you picked a great era
I really like this and almost all the songs are really good
Me too! These pictures make her look so ethereal.
14 years old me was so fascinated by her. Frozen was my anthem that year.
The Immaculate Collection was pretty good also.
Same. Still listen to it once in a while. Thanks Orbit.
98!!?? 😭 I consider this “new Madonna”. Damn.
It was her last good record, unfortunately. I consider the American Pie cover era "new" Madonna. Even that was like 25 years ago.
Yeah that’s later career Madonna to me because I’m old
I can hear these pictures
your heart is not open, so I must go.
You just made me realize ray of light was playing in my head
i was born in 1976, growing up i remember seeing madonna thinking yeah she is kinda cute but never was a fan of her music. then while i was in the navy and cleaning out some left over things left behind by the marines we were transporting i found the Ray of Light cd. popped it in on a whim few days later. fucking hell was that some cool music. i was big into metal mostly at the time but i had begun opening up to other genres. man i still listen to this album from time to time and just look out the window.
Look into anything else produced by William Orbit. He has a very distinctive sound.
I would suggest Strange Cargo III as it might be the most approachable by anyone who is just starting to explore his music.
Water from a vine leaf of one of my all time favourite songs.
Thank you for the information.
Haha
Enhance!
I think is when she was her most beautiful.
I would launch a 1000 ships for pic 2.
I think it was on Dick Tracy
Peak Madonna
Great album . My favorites are this one. Bedtime stories and the self titled one with Holiday and Burning up . I also love the who’s that girl soundtrack . So many great songs. Madonna was a true hit maker.
And she was re certified as the best selling female artist of all time!
I’d say this was her peak, for me. I haven’t listened to or bought anything more of hers or care to. it hit at the right time of my life so it’s kinda sublime nostalgia.
Kind of the same for me, I was starting out at work and was pleasantly pleased at such great innovative work by her. Mature and refined.
A goddess at the time. It’s sad that she changed her body through surgery. If she’d aged naturally I have no doubt she would still be incredibly beautiful.
So many have lost their beauty to fillers and procedures. It doesn’t matter how much money you have the result is bad. I see the same inhuman faces in the media and local supermarkets.
My favorite era of Madonna. It all felt so unforced, free, organic, like she was riding a wave and brushing her fingers across the sky as she went.
Great videos with an epic range within the album. She's had great peaks in her career but for me this was definitive.
Reinvention queen. No one did it like her 👑
Ah, the era where she “discovered” Kabbalah
And now, unrecognizable.
I remember seeing her during this era as a kid and thinking it was cool she's letting her self age unlike some other acts of the day.
I dunno what happened a decade or so later but yeesh did she throw that idea away.
These pics are just before and after implants.
Shes definitely messed with her face too much lately. She used to be very careful with her work she had done but the whole Lady Gaga thing sort of made her crazy
67 and tried to “defy ageing” without doing it gracefully
I miss her old face.
peak madge
When Madonna was throwing her fastball, holy shit was she smoking hot 🔥
It’s a great record and these are superb photos!
Probably the last time I recall Madonna looking like Madonna.
That is her best album.
I remember buying this album when I was 16. I had never bought a Madonna album before and haven't since. But this album really is amazing.
The last track "Mer Girl" still gives me the creeps. It's the most un-Madonna song of all time and leaves you hanging with existential dread.
Great album and probably my favorite of her looks. This is the only Madonna album I ever bought.
This album won multiple grammys and changed pop music forever
She has to regret the plastic surgery…she was so beautiful.
She was so fearless as a younger woman, but aging really had a mental effect on her. She's so underweight here! But she was a truly stunning, gorgeous woman when she was being herself.
I'd disagree, she was packed with muscle in 1998 likely the most physically fit period in her life, at 40! rocks
Yeah, that era she got seriously in shape. And obviously she must've always been fit to perform so much and put so much into those performances, but circa Ray of Light, she got that Linda Hamilton in T2 wiry kind of fit.
yup
If i could live that long I’d get a lot done.
Some people truly have no concept of what underweight really is.
She was fairly lean with really good muscle mass for a woman at this age, but she probably never cracked sub 20% BF, which is perfectly healthy (below 17% is where one might* get concerned). Anyone that lean and nearing middle age is probably going to look a little more gaunt in the face than we're used to as we naturally lose fat in our face as we age.
Women really can't win. If they manage to stay in shape into or beyond middle age they get shamed for looking "gaunt" or "underweight" and turn to fillers (like a certain pop star?). If they gain weight... Well we're all too familiar with what happens there.
Could she be heavier and be healthy? Absolutely. Is she perfectly healthy here? Also absolutely.
That is healthy thinking and generally correct. However, we are talking about Madonna, and we've seen that this was not just a stage where she got physically fit, this was a phase on her way to going way off the deep end trying to avoid looking old. We can all see what she looks like today, and what she's done to herself.
I wasn't looking at just these photos, I was considering the entire timeline of the last 40+ years of her fame.
I disagree, I vividly remember this era as her being unashamed of looking her age. She looks gorgeous, but very much like someone in their late 30s or early 40s. You would hear people talk about how awesome it was that she hadn't gotten any work done and is unashamed of looking her age.
But, eventually the pressure to never get old finally caught up with her. It's a shame, if anyone could have done it, it would have been Madonna.
...
Yes, weirdo: when you consider a timeline you specifically identify moments along it. That's what timelines are for.
OK, but how would that make me weird? Lol
I love this album and love this era for her! She was gorgeous and natural here.
💯
My favorite album of hers. I also think this was the best she looked. The right amount of surgeries before she went overboard.
Best thing she's ever done
Nah, that was Erotica, and then Bedtime Stories. Then RoL.
Her best album
She was phenomenal.
Underrated song. Amazing work by Madonna.
At her most beautiful and creative.
Really great album.
The last time she looked good, especially love her with dark hair.
As others have mentioned this was the first and only Madonna albumn which I purchased. I relistened to it a few months ago and it holds up well.
Her best album by a long shot.
Why does she go from stacked to flat
Magic of Madonna!
She’s 67
?
She is 67 years old
I'm talking about in these pictures brother.
She was 40
And that is relevant how?
Clothing? Lighting? Wym why?
Because it seems unnatural like it's edited.
It was probably just the undergarments and lighting. Do you remember 1998?
Not much no. I was 9.
We had “airbrushing” back then and photoshop/photo editing did exist, but more commonly it was just photography tricks and costuming/styling.
It's just really hard to believe 4 and 5 are the same person.
Welcome to the world of makeup, wigs, and costumes. Do you get confused when you see an actor in and out of character?
I get confused when I see an actor physically change their proportions for sure.
But it’s not even changed. Look at #5 down below the neckline. Her breasts are the same size and shape, just without what is likely a push-up bra
No5 got her looking like she's trying to bag the future King of Gondor
2nd and 4th pics are the best.
Pretty in the beginning. Has some great music.
And enhance………
67
How did she go from shot 4 to shot 5?
There’s this rule we are governed by in reality. It’s called the passage of time.
Wigs???