The Tracks — Ray of Light, Track 03
Ray of Light
Faster than the speeding light.
At a Glance
Title
Ray of Light
Record
Ray of Light (1998) | Track 03
Single
Second single | UK 27 April 1998 | US 23 June 1998
Writers
Madonna | William Orbit | Clive Maldoon | Dave Curtiss | Christine Leach
Producers
Madonna | William Orbit
Video
Directed by Jonas Åkerlund | Los Angeles, March 1998
Chart peaks
UK No. 2 | US No. 5
Also on
Veronica Electronica (2025)
If “Frozen” was the stillness, “Ray of Light” was the release — five minutes of pure acceleration that turned the new Madonna into a global event.
The Song
The track grew from “Sepheryn”, a 1971 song by the folk duo Curtiss Maldoon, which is why Dave Curtiss, Clive Maldoon and Christine Leach share the credit. Madonna and William Orbit rebuilt it as electronic dance-pop, all techno pulse and trance lift, driven by a bright electric guitar riff.
The joy in it is real: the song reflects the new outlook Madonna found after the birth of her daughter.
The Video
Jonas Åkerlund shot Madonna’s scenes in Los Angeles in March 1998 and gathered time-lapse footage from cities including New York, London, Las Vegas and Stockholm. The result won five MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year, and the Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video.
The Charts
Released in the UK on 27 April 1998, it reached number two, held off the top by All Saints. In the United States it debuted at number five — her highest Hot 100 entry at the time — and topped the dance chart. It also won the Grammy for Best Dance Recording.
On Stage
It has become one of her great live moments: the Drowned World Tour, the Confessions Tour, the Sticky & Sweet Tour and the Celebration Tour, as well as Live 8 in 2005 and Live Earth in 2007. A Sasha mix appears on Veronica Electronica.
LISTEN NEXT
Keep listening — headphones on, lights low.
