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Madonna relinquished unprecedented production control on Ray of Light, which resulted in the best album of her career. On Music, she does the same, dividing the CD into three distinct voices. Orbit's train-track-clacking drum loops churning under citrusy trance ("Runaway Lover" and "Amazing") shimmer for the headphone set. When Ahmadzai diverts from his pure-play French-style club burners ("Impressive Instant" and the title track) , he employs several temporarily fashionable gimmicks such as vocoder effects ("Nobody's Perfect") and spacious keyboard work combined with acoustic guitar ("I Deserve It") . Lyrically, Madonna's introspection and love songs are some of her most intimate. Given the surrounding context of the album, "I Deserve It" is an outright folk song, and on "Don't Tell Me," she forgoes precisely enunciated singing for the aching plead of an emotive R&B crooner. For a second time, instead of exploiting an of-the-moment subgenre, she immortalizes it. And in doing so, she simultaneously draws massive mainstream attention to a deserving class of dance music and raises the bar for Top 40 pop. --Beth Massa
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In the 80s Madonna achieved notoriety for her flagrant sexuality, which saw some tag her as a soft-porn star who happened to sing. She deliberately courted controversy to stay in the limelight, but her songs were so memorable that she would've been a star anyway, and her ever-changing persona has kept her at the top ever since.Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie, better known as Madonna, has been many things in her long, multifarious career, among them: singer, songwriter, musician, dancer, music and film producer, fashion designer, film director, nude model, author and actress. In the 80s Madonna achieved notoriety for her flagrant sexuality, which saw some tag her as a soft-porn star who happened to sing. She deliberately courted controversy to stay in the limelight, but her songs were so memorable that she would've been a star anyway, and her ever-changing persona has kept her at the top ever since.Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie, better known as Madonna, has been many things in her long, multifarious career, among them: singer, songwriter, musician, dancer, music and film producer, fashion designer, film director, nude model, author and actress. This unconventional, groundbreaking artist has redefined herself time and again, playing the roles of virgin, playful sprite, sex-kitten, fashionista, and more. It has been this ability to regenerate that has enabled the ever youthful 'Queen of Pop' to climb to the top of the pop-superstar heap and stay there, fighting off competition from younger rivals all the way. Her effect on modern pop culture is undeniable, influencing millions of young girls, their brothers, mothers and fathers.In her near 25-year career she has only released eleven studio albums, two live albums, and three soundtracks. She has had 37 Top
