Ray Of Light

有人说这是麦当娜最为成功的一张专辑，它使许多讨厌麦当娜“物质女孩”风格的人不得不对麦当娜另眼相看。1998年麦当娜推出《Ray of Light》，实验了新的音乐风格，她原本以为反映不会太大，但出人意料的是这张唱片迅速登上了排行榜的首位，并自此共4次荣获白金奖,全球销量两千万张。并且被公认为是电子音乐的巅峰之作。“Ray of Light”（光线）在90年代末期改变了Madonna以前流行舞曲的风格，成为了Madonna继“Like a Prayer”之后销量最大的唱片。 这张专辑揉合了时下流行的电子舞曲元素，如Trip-Hop、Bass等，营造一种科技与未来的迷幻空间。这张唱片的制作是威廉姆-奥比特(William Orbit)，这是她自1994年的专辑《给孩子上床前讲的故事》(Bedtime Stories)以来第一次以全新的衣着、形象亮相，表明“物质妈妈”(麦当娜的别称，由其名曲“Material Girl”而来)已经与新的舞蹈音乐的风格完美地结合起来了，将传统流行音乐的风格推向一个新的领域。很明显，就象她的《Austin Powers》中的2首单曲一样，奥比特的努力使“Beautiful Stranger”迅速走红，并为麦当娜赢得了最佳电影MTV音乐电视奖，麦当娜又重新获得了新生。专辑使麦当娜得到当年最佳流行专辑、最佳舞曲以及最佳音乐录影带3个Grammy奖项。

《光芒万丈》主要为流行和舞蹈音乐风格的作品，整张专辑均充满了强烈的电子音乐，与玛丹娜以往的作品截然有不同的风格。部份专辑的曲目涉及不同的音乐类型，例如铁克诺、Trip hop、鼓打贝斯、氛围、摇滚及古典音乐。对于玛丹娜的声部，在专辑中亦见更宽及完满的声调。受瑜伽训练及卡巴拉、印度教、佛教这些宗教的影响，专辑亦有围绕东方的主题，这些主题的出现以歌曲〈Sky Fits Heaven〉及〈Shanti/Ashtangi〉最为明显。

玛丹娜在诞下女儿Lourdes后，就与Babyface、Patrick Leonard及英国音乐制作人William Orbit开展她的新专辑计划。因与Babyface和Leonard意见不合，玛丹娜希望Orbit能带给她一个新的音乐风格。整张专辑的录制过程长达四个月，过程中Orbit遇到了音乐制作工具Pro Tools的故障，需要修理，而乐队亦有缺席录制工作的情况，这都导致了录制工作的停滞。

专辑在商业方面亦获得成功，于十四个国家专辑榜上登顶。在美国告示牌专辑榜上排名第二。《光芒万丈》全球累积销量一共2000万张。专辑一共发行了五首单曲，其中成绩最好的是〈Frozen〉和〈Ray of Light〉，在告示牌单曲榜分别拿下第2名和第5名，销售数字双双成为金唱片，这也将玛丹娜亚军曲数累积至6首，她和猫王并列告示牌拥有最多亚军单曲的艺人。

在1998年终单曲排行部分，玛丹娜有两首歌曲进入百大。

第32名 〈Frozen〉

第75名 〈Ray of Light〉

《光芒万丈》于年终专辑榜排名第18名

虽然这张专辑无缘美国榜冠军，但《光芒万丈》在英国专辑榜获得两周冠军，成为玛丹娜第4张英国冠军专辑。另外〈Frozen〉也在英国单曲榜获得第一，成为玛丹娜第8首英国冠军单曲。

专辑发行后，受到音乐评论家的高度称赞，不少评论家赞扬玛丹娜新的音乐风格，指专辑是她“最具历险性”的音乐作品，并且赞美专辑内容成熟稳重。玛丹娜的声部亦受赞同。《光芒万丈》一共获得第41届葛莱美奖六项提名，最后赢得四项奖项（"最佳流行专辑"、"最佳舞曲唱片"、"最佳音乐录像带"以及"最佳专辑包装"等）。与专辑同名单曲〈Ray of Light〉所拍摄的音乐录像带更在98年的MTV音乐录像带大奖中大放异彩，一口气夺下"年度最佳音乐录像带"、"最佳导演"、"最佳女歌手"、"最佳编舞"、"最佳剪辑"以及"最佳特效"等六项大奖。另外，这支单曲在2001年更获得微软公司青睐，担任最新产品Windows XP的电视广告主题曲。

为进一步宣传《光芒万丈》及她下一张专辑《音乐圣堂》，玛丹娜于2001年开展了巡回演唱会Drowned World Tour。音乐评论家及学者均注意到专辑对流行音乐的影响，最重要的是专辑成功把电子音乐带到主流音乐文化中。除此以外，他们亦注意到玛丹娜拥有完全改变自己形象的能力，在当时以青少年音乐为主流的乐坛上仍能推出新颖及最及时的音乐作品。以此，专辑经常在音乐评论家的榜单上留名。包括《滚石》杂志的〈 史上最强五百张专辑 〉。

1.Drowned World/Substitute for Love

2.Swim

3.Ray of Light

4.Candy Perfume Girl

5.Skin

6.Nothing Really Matters

7.Sky Fits Heaven

8.Shanti/Ashtangi

9.Frozen

10.The Power of Goodbye

11.To Have and Not to Hold

12.Little Star

13.Mer Girl

put your head on my shoulder, baby?

things cant get any worse

night is getting colder, sometimes?

life feels like its a curse

i cant carry these sins on my back

dont wanna carry anymore

im gonna carry this train off the track

gonna swim to the ocean floor

mmmmmmmm

crash to the other shore

mmmmmmmm

swim to the ocean floor

children killing children while the

students rape their teachers

comets fly across the sky

while the churches burn their preachers

we cant carry these sins on our back

dont wanna carry anymore

were gonna carry this train off the track

were gonna swim to the ocean floor

mmmmmmmm

crash to the other shore

mmmmmmmm

swim to the ocean floor

let the water wash over you

wash it all over you?

swim to the ocean floor

so that we can begin again

wash away all our sins

crash to the other shore

mmmmmmmm

i cant carry these sins on my back

dont wanna carry anymore

im gonna carry this train off the track

im gonna swim to the ocean floor

mmmmmmmm

crash to the other shore

mmmmmmmm

swim to the ocean floor

we cant carry these sins on our back

dont wanna carry anymore

were gonna carry this train off the track

were gonna swim to the ocean floor

crash to the other shore

swim to the ocean floor

mmmmmmmm

zephyr in the sky at night - i wonder

do my tears of mourning

sink beneath the sun

shes got herself a universe -gone quickly

for the call of thunder

threatens everyone

and i feel

like i just got home

and i feel

and i feel

like i just got home

and i feel

faster than the speeding light - shes flying

trying to remember

where it all began

shes got herself a little piece of heaven

waiting for the time when

earth shall be as one

and i feel

like i just got home

and i feel

and i feel

like i just got home

and i feel

quicker than a ray of light

quicker than a ray of light

quicker than a ray of light

zephyr in the sky at night - i wonder

do my tears of mourning

sink beneath the sun

shes got herself a universe - gone quickly

for the call of thunder

threatens everyone

and i feel?

quicker than a ray of light - then gone for

someone else shall be there?

through the endless years

shes got herself a universe

shes got herself a universe

shes got herself a universe

and i feel

and i feel

and i feel

like i just got home

and i feel

quicker than a ray of light - shes flying

quicker than a ray of light - im flying

Young velvet porcelain boy

Devour me when you're with me

Blue wish window seas

Speak delicious fires

I'm your candy perfume girl

Your candy perfume girl

Moist warm desire

Fly to me

I'm your candy perfume girl

candy perfume girl

candy perfume girl

Candy

Rush me ghost you see

Every center my home

Fever steam girl

Throb the oceans

Your candy perfume girl

you're a candy perfume girl

you're a candy perfume girl

Candy perfume girl

Did I lie to you?

candy perfume girl

Did I lie to you?

Magic poison

You're a candy perfume boy

candy perfume boy

You're a candy perfume boy

Candy perfume girl

The sacred nerve is

Magic poison

It's candy

It's candy

I'm your candy perfume girl/boy/girl/boy/girl/boy

Candy

do i know you from somewhere

why do you leave me wanting more

why do all the things i say

sound when i was very young

nothing really mattered to me

but making myself happy

i was the only one

now that i am grown

everythings changed

ill never be the same

because of you

nothing really matters

love is all we need

everything i give you

all comes back to me

looking at my life

its very clear to me

i lived so selfishly

i was the only one

i realize

that nobody wins

something is ending

and something begins

nothing really matters

nothing takes the past away

like the future

nothing makes the darkness go

like the light

youre shelter from the storm

give me comfort in your armslike the stupid things i said before?

kiss me im dying

put your hand on my skin

i close my eyes

i need to make a connection

im walking on a thin line

i close my eyes

i close my eyes

do i know you from somewhere

why do you leave me wanting more

why do all the things i say

sound like the stupid things i said before?

touch me im trying

to see inside of your soul

ive got this thing

i want to make a correction

im not like this all the time

youve got this thing

youve got this thing

do i know you from somewhere

why do you leave me wanting more

why do all the things i say

sound like the stupid things i said before?

kiss me im dying

put your hand on my skin

i close my eyes

i need to have your protection

i close my eyes

i close your eyes

do i know you from somewhere

why do you leave me wanting more

why do all the things i say

sound like the stupid things i said before

(repeat until end)

when i was very young

nothing really mattered to me

but making myself happy

i was the only one

now that i am grown

everythings changed

ill never be the same

because of you

nothing really matters

love is all we need

everything i give you

all comes back to me

looking at my life

its very clear to me

i lived so selfishly

i was the only one

i realize

that nobody wins

something is ending

and something begins

nothing really matters

nothing takes the past away

like the future

nothing makes the darkness go

like the light

youre shelter from the storm

give me comfort in your arms

hand fits giving so do it

life fits living so let your judgments go

thats how our future should be

traveling, traveling

watching the signs as they go

sky fits heaven so fly it

thats what the prophet said to me

child fits mother so hold your baby tight

thats what my future could see

faith fits karma so use it

thats what the wise man said to me

love fits virtue so hold on to the light

thats what our future will be

traveling down this road

watching the signs as i go

i think ill follow the sun

isnt everyone just

traveling down their own road

watching the signs as they go

i think ill follow my heart

its a very good place to start

traveling down my own road

watching the signs as they go

You only see what your eyes want to see

How can life be what you want it to be

You're frozen when your heart's not open

You're so consumed with how much you get

You waste your time with hate and regret

You're frozen when your heart's not open

Mmm-mm-mm... If I could melt your heart

Mmm-mm-mm... We'd never be apart

Mmm-mm-mm... Give yourself to me

Mmm-mm-mm... You are the key

Now there's no point in placing the blame

And you should know I'd suffer the same

If I lose you, my heart would be broken

Love is a bird, she needs to fly

Let all the hurt inside you die

You're frozen when your heart's not open

Mmm-mm-mm... If I could melt your heart

Mmm-mm-mm... We'd never be apart

Mmm-mm-mm... Give yourself to me

Mmm-mm-mm... You are the key

You only see what your eyes want to see

How can life be what you want it to be

You're frozen when your heart's not open

Mmm-mm-mm... If I could melt your heart

Mmm-mm-mm... We'd never be apart

Mmm-mm-mm... Give yourself to me

Mmm-mm-mm... You are the key

Mmm-mm-mm... If I could melt your heart

Mmm-mm-mm... We'd never be apart

Mmm-mm-mm... Give yourself to me

Mmm-mm-mm... You are the key

your heart is not open so i must go

the spell has been broken?i loved you so

freedom comes when you learn to let go

creation comes when you learn to say no

you were my lesson i had to learn

i was your fortress you had to burn

pain is a warning that somethings wrong

i pray to god that it wont be long

theres nothing left to try

theres no place left to hide

theres no greater power than the power of good-bye

your heart is not open so i must go

the spell has been broken?i loved you so

you were my lesson i had to learn

i was your fortress

theres nothing left to lose

theres no more heart to bruise

theres no greater power than the power of good-bye

learn to say good-bye

i yearn to say good-bye

theres nothing left to try

theres no more place left to hide

theres no greater power than the power of good-bye

to have and not to hold

so hot yet so cold

my heart is in your hand

and yet you never stand

close enough for me to have my way

to love but not to keep

to laugh not to weep

your eyes they go right through

and yet you never do

anything to make me want to stay

like a moth to a flame

only i am to blame

ba ba da ba ba ba

what can i do

ba ba da ba ba ba

i go straight to you

ba ba da ba ba ba

ive been told

youre to have

not to hold

to look but not to see

to kiss but never be

the object of your desire

im walking on a wire

and theres no one at all

to break my fall

Never forget who you are

Little star

Never forget how to dream

Butterfly

God gave a present to me

Made of flesh and bones

My life, my soul

You make my spirit whole

Never forget who you are

Little star

Shining brighter than all the stars in the sky

Never forget how to dream

Butterfly

Never forget where you come from

From love

You are a treasure to me

You are my star

You breathe new life

Into my broken heart

Never forget who you are

Little star

Never forget how to dream

Butterfly

May angels protect you

And sadness forget you

Little star

There's no reason to weep

Lay your head down to sleep

Little star

May goodness surround you

My love I have found you

Little star

i ran from my house

that cannot contain me

from the man that i cannot keep

from my mother who haunts me

even though shes gone

from my daughter that never sleeps

i ran from the noise and the silence

from the traffic on the streets

i ran to the treetops

i ran to the sky

out to the lake

into the rain

that matted my hair

and soaked my shoes and skin

hid my tears, hid my fears

i ran to the forest

i ran to the trees

i ran and ran

i was looking for me

i ran past the churches

and the crooked old mailbox

past the apple orchards

and the lady that never talks

up into the hills

i ran to the cemetery

and held my breath

and thought about your death

i ran to the lake

up into the hills

i ran and i ran

im looking there still

and i saw the crumbling tombstones

the forgotten names

i tasted the rain

i tasted my tears

i cursed the angels

i tasted my fears

and the ground gave way beneath my feet

and the earth took me in her arms

leaves covered my face

ants marched across my back

the black sky opened up

blinding me

i ran to the forest

i ran to the trees

i ran and i ran

i was looking for me

i ran to the lakes

and up to the hill

i ran and i ran

im looking there still

and i smelt her burning flesh

her rotting bones

her decay

i ran and i ran

im still running today