Music

You can literally just hear however many millions they spent on this. The production is incredible, and it hides some of the cracks on the weaker tracks. "Music" is just so perfectly arranged, "Don't Tell Me" is, I think, my favorite Madonna song, and the cover of "American Pie" is just hilariously weird and doing its own thing, such a brilliant little oddity.

Her final epic album

Excelent album. Cant believe i never listened more of it

horrid lyrics on some tracks

Another banger?! Favourite track: Don’t Tell Me

The album isn't nearly as bad as I imagined it would be. I've never been a fan of Madonna's, but some of the songs on Music - "Don't Tell Me", for example - are amazingly well produced and constructed. You can tell that considerable time and care went into the recording process.

I kind of liked some of these songs, especially the ones she actually sang. The techno ones were not very good.

She still had it, I loved "The day the music died"

Not as good as vintage Madonna

I was wondering when I was gonna get a Madonna record on my album journey. It's admittedly hard to ignore the so-called "Queen of Pop". However, the record I'm starting with her here is quite the curveball. Continuing in the techno-pop direction of Ray of Light, with both returning producer William Orbit and newcomer French DJ and producer Mirwais, Madonna sought to change up her sound again in the turn-of-the-millennium mainstream dominated by the likes of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. The fruit of their combined labor would result in the album Music. Sure, the title is unimaginative, but this record actually set a precedent for the next two decades of Madonna's work, as she kept one foot on the pop music zeitgeist while continuing to experiment. In the case of Music, the album is very much the year 2000, for better or worse. This album is filled to the brim with stuttering electronic beats, squelching basslines, and the adoption of a cowboy kitsch. It very much evokes the time in which it was released. Obviously, it's going to sound dated 25 years after its release because the musical landscape has changed since then, and I don't expect everyone to be as into its blend of techno, electro-house, pop, and country. But as someone who was four years old at the time of this album's release, I cannot deny how much Madonna and this production sell the vibe for the most part. The propulsive, snappy beats and electronic embellishments behind the anthemic title track, that gurgling synth and pulsing bass that are prominent in the space-age club boom of "Impressive Instant", the fast-paced techno flourishes buoying Madonna's rebuke against an unfaithful man on "Runaway Lover", that stuttering acoustic guitar loop that gets built upon for "Don't Tell Me" as she pleaded for her partner to not control her; there are some genuinely intriguing twists and turns with the electronic and techno elements. Though there are a few moments where the energy is dialed back for more acoustic-driven tunes, including the folk ballad "I Deserve It" in dedication to her then-partner Guy Ritchie, followed by the 1960s-inspired pop rock of "Amazing", and the melancholic closer "Gone" as Madonna strummed away on her guitar while reminiscing on this relationship as it comes to a close. Probably the best track on the album for me was "What It Feels Like for a Girl", starting with quoting a Serge Gainsbourg monologue before giving way to a subtle, bouncy beat and supple bass as Madonna addresses the double standards placed onto women by society. It's a surprisingly poignant song coming out of her, combined with such a vibrant ambient production. Really, the only tracks that didn't work for me were the ones that involved heavy manipulation of Madonna's voice where it wasn't needed. "Nobody's Perfect" saw her voice put through a vocoder, while "Paradise (Not Gone)" made prominent use of the Antares Auto-Tune plug-in set for the non-spoken word portions of the track. For as much as this album is already viewed as a year 2000 record, these two tracks in particular felt indicative of the music industry's response to the use of Auto-Tune in Cher's hit "Believe", and not necessarily for the better. Apparently, from what I read on this album, Madonna actually wanted her voice treated differently in this manner, which Mirwais initially objected to but then ended up using said Auto-Tune for a few of the tracks at her request. Thankfully, it's not on every song on the record, but these two tracks alone feature heavily manipulated vocals where you didn't need them for Madonna of all people, and that's what rubbed me the wrong way. Still, I overall had a good time with Music, the album. Madonna and her accompanying producers made the most out of what the year 2000 had to offer.

queria estar nas festas na época q esse lançou

se fosse mais anos 2000 que isso aqui, explodia melhor que o ray of light e um pouco a frente do tempo né, dá pra perceber uma galera do pop/eletronica que se inspirou nesse aqui. acho que sou mais a madonna anos 80, mas ainda eh bacana

Second Madonna album in as many days, and I'm kicking myself that it's taken this long for me to start listening to her full albums. There's some amazing stuff on here.

i think the cover art throws you off --- otherwise a pleasant surprise

*listened before the project* I don’t understand why y’all don’t like it.

Interesting lyrics and message. I will say production is not amazing but sounds good. If you listen close you notice it’s a little patchy.

No entenc perquè te tena baixa nota, si que comparat amb lo que es sa seva discografia pues aquesta igual no destaca tant però a mi m'ha agradat bastant dire. Mel posaria, si que hi ha qualque canço que bastant ñe pero bueno, n'he descobert de seves que m'han molat

Después de haber perdido el favor del público (Erótica) y la inspiración (Bedtime stories), Madonna regresó sorpresivamente con su mejor disco de su trayectoria (Ray of light). Su continuación fue este Music, igualmente excelente. La producción a cargo de Orbit y sobre todo de Mirwais (que se la pegó y de qué modo en American Life), le permite sonar actual y en vanguardia, lo que no duraría mucho, hasta Confessions on a Dance Floor... El sencillo electro-pop Music no es el único tema destacable hay mucho más: Impressive Instant, Paradise, I Deserve It, Don’t Tell Me... Paradise remite a Moon Safari de Air. Algunas ediciones incluyen la versión de American Pie, sonido Orbit pero nome parece gran cosa. La duda es si poner en la lista este, el anterior, Confessions, alguno de los 80 o un grandes éxitos... Madonna en su cénit, de ahí no se puede esperar otra cosa que frío...

Don't make me tap the sign: Y'ALL HATE FUN

Music is an album i really like but not quite to the same amount as Madonna's prior record. I'm more interested in the late 90s early 2000s era Madonna than i am in her 80s stuff and this album was definitely no exception. This album still had that same variety of electronic music styles that the album before this one did with trip-hop, ambient, house, techno and all of that and it is all executed very well here. If i had one issue with this album, it would be the fact that while the vocals were generally pretty well put together, there were some obnoxious usages of autotune which got rather annoying. Other than that though, this is one really good record. Best Song: Music Worst Song: Nobody's Perfect Side note: Last Madonna album, here are the rankings: 1. Ray Of Light 2. Music 3. Like A Prayer

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

Where Ray of Light was a bit dark/brooding, Music turns up the fun, getting Madonna back to her dance roots (albeit with an updated sound). Very solid album, great musical production. And because I am in the US, the awful “American Pie” cover was not included; that alone would have knocked this down a peg.

Other than the laughably bad autotune to the sound of bacteria music in that one song, this was actually a fun album (especially the french house influence in the first half). Goes to show nobody's perfect.

Clasic

The early 90s were a bit of creative low point for our Madge, at least as far as music was concerned. It wasn’t until Ray of Light in 1997 and this album in 2000 that she found her mojo again. I’ve probably listened to Ray of Light more (being a fan of producer William Orbit) but Music has a lot going for it and it certainly confounded expectations at the time. The major issue that most people seem to have with this is the cover of American Pie by Don McClean. There seems to be something of a ‘don’t you dare touch a classic’ reaction from some music fans, but if you are going to do a cover at least try to find something different to say and I think Madonna definitely manages that. Aside from that, there’s a good mix of stuff on this album with the title track and What It Feels Like For a Girl being the standouts for me. Overall this gets 4 stars from me but that’s only because Ray of Light is even better.

Surprisingly good

Love me some pre 9/11 Madonna.

Ray of light is pretty handily the better album but this is the one that I owned so it holds a special place in my heart

Bops, reminds me a lot of early Shakira

хоть чтото что качает за последние дни

I have to applaud Madonna for staying relevant for two decades and not continuing down the road that brought her huge success in the eighties. This album contained some songs that were absolute bangers in clubs around 2000. It still holds up pretty well.

A nice enough pop record (except the American Pie cover, which can naff right off). One or two that stuck out to me enough to save for later. And I'm a sucker for Don't Tell Me.

The production on Music is balls to the wall brilliant it's also so big, cluttered and overwhelming that at times it all but erases Madonna from her own album or rather from the sounds made by whoever was hip and happening in 1999. Music often doesn't feel like a Madonna album but just as often it feels like an album that only Madonna could have directed if not made. They say you are often more in control when you are seemingly not in control at all. Madonna is a smart businesswoman and knows how to pick them when it comes to getting hits. Her greatest talent has always been having a great ear for aligning herself with whoever is making waves at the moment and in this case, it was William Orbit and it was Mirwais Ahmadzaï- two big names in electronic dance music. Madonna is also very good at knowing when to let others take control. Music is a smart, at times creatively stunned, exhausting, colorful big future robot of an album it's also a lot of dumb fun. How much Madonna is actually responsible for that dumb fun is anyone's guess other than her wispy vocals it's impossible to tell if this is even a Madonna album (too many cooks in the kitchen and all that) or the work of a few semi faceless producers trying to avoid friendly fire in a circle jerk of studio wizardry. Regardless of how the music on Music came to be- it remains one of her most essential and daring albums. For the most part. Madonna's cover of Don McLean's American Pie is a stumbling sad mess that begs you to feel something - which I did but not certain she was going for disdain.

I love the opening track. I remember this album being popular. I feel like I’ve listened to it before. I remember “don’t tell me” now. I still love and hate the beginning. The skipping bugs me.

Favourite Songs: Impressive Instant Nobody's Perfect What It Feels Like For A Girl Paradise (Not For Me)

Liked listening to this a lot more than I expected that I would! Good energy and beats, and some interesting lyrics. Might regret rating this a 4 later on, but I really did enjoy my listen.

Paradise not for me is a great song

Although I was born in the early 80s and have living memory of most of Madonna's career, I have only ever owned two of her albums: Ray of Light, and Music. Ray of Light was a big shift in her style, and Music seemed like the logical next step: a refocus on pure pop. It also feels like a shift from leading the charge in the next pop music direction to hearing a sound that will be popular and mimicking it just before or just after it becomes the main sound. That being said, she was still good at her job, and this album had at least two hits and a couple of others that reached radio play. Every song on the album is different. While not every song is hit worthy, most are enjoyable. When this album came up in my list, I was a little surprised. I'm not 100% sold on it needing to be on this list, however, after giving it a fresh listen, I am reminded that it is an overall decent pop album with some real bangers. Points deducted for American Pie, obviously.

Music is one of my fav Madonna songs!

i never knew madonna could slap so hard

Madonna is a queen of remaking herself as times change. This was a great chapter when she started to work with wildly creative producers, which took her sound in new directions.

Buena mierda. Puritos bangers. La Madonna metiéndole un autotune hyperpopero que ya quisiera la Charli. A algún tema me dan ganas de meterle unos 808s potentes y cambiar el mundo. What it feels like for a girl es un tema y medio. Toques trip hop bastante chulos también. Insertar chiste de que Carti le robó el flow bar for bar o algo. Buena música.

I really liked this but Music (the song) is one of the most annoying songs I've ever heard. Madonna's cover of American Pie also isn't that great.

Starts off strong with Music, Impressive Instant, which is an attempt to get to somewhere that doesn't necessarily work and Runaway Lover then trails off until the behemoth and gut punch which is What It Feels Like For A Girl. Paradise (Not for Me) makes me hate it viscerally. French was a cunty choice, that could've been executed better. Gone then redeems the album. Why should I feel sad for something I never had, oh Madonna that is girlhood I fear. American Pie is confusing, but not as horrible as I anticipated.

Such a sterotypical 2000's pop album, I loved it.

Insane how many A+ runs Madonna has had, through consistent evolution and daring to adopt new styles.

It's only in the last 15 years that she's become a batty old diva. Before that she was still a diva but one who made some petty good albums. I don't care too much for the autotune experiments, and the American Pie cover was brave, and ultimately a car crash, but the rest is ok. 3½

Wow. Madonna is criminally underrated. I knew this album was good but it's honestly so much better than I remember if I've even ever listened all the way through it. I don't think it's her best and it's not quite a 5 star album for me but a lot of good stuff here. Madonna's influence on 20th/21st century pop music is just insane. The longevity of her career how she came out fully formed but then kept reinventing herself to stay interesting. Really laid out a road map for all the modern pop star Renaissance we've seen in the past 25ish years Miley, carley rae jepsen, lady Gaga obviously, Britney, Christina, the list goes on. What a fucking icon.

Did not have high expectations, but was pleasantly surprised at getting mostly chill trip hop vibes for about half of the album.

On est en l'an 2000. Le bug de l'an 2000 n'a finalement pas eu lieu, les avions ne sont pas tombés du ciel et mon grille-pain ne s'est pas rebellé. Par contre, dans le paysage musical, c'est un autre genre de bug qui débarque, un bug volontaire, glitché et savamment orchestré par une certaine Madonna Louise Ciccone. Après avoir atteint le nirvana spirituel et critique avec "Ray of Light" en 1998, la Madone aurait pu se reposer sur ses lauriers mystiques et nous resservir une soupe techno-kabbalistique tiède. Que nenni, elle a troqué le sari pour un chapeau de cow-boy, les mantras pour des vocoders agressifs, et surtout, elle a regardé de l'autre côté de l'Atlantique, vers notre vieille Europe, pour trouver son nouveau son. Et c'est là, pour moi qui ai grandi avec le son froid des années 80, que la fibre patriotique se met à vibrer. Car si "Music" est l'album de Madonna, c'est aussi, dans l'ombre, le triomphe d'un homme : Mirwais Ahmadzaï. Pour nous, enfants du rock, Mirwais n'est pas un inconnu sorti du chapeau. C'est l'âme torturée de Taxi Girl, ce groupe culte qui a bercé mon adolescence avec "Cherchez le garçon". Voir ce héros de la synthpop froide et parisienne se retrouver propulsé architecte sonore de la plus grande star de la planète, c'est un peu comme voir un film d'auteur français remporter le box-office américain. C'est inattendu, c'est chauvin, je l'assume totalement, et bordel, que c'est jouissif. "Music", c'est un virage électro-pop radical, sec, presque brutal par moments. Oubliez les nappes planantes de William Orbit. Ici, le son est "cut-up", haché menu. Le morceau titre, "Music", est une déclaration d'intention imparable : "Hey Mr. DJ, put a record on". Une ligne de basse funk qui tabasse, une voix robotique, et ce groove irrésistible qui donne envie de monter le son à fond. C'est l'hédonisme pur, la fête retrouvée, mais avec cette froideur technologique qui rend le tout ultra-moderne. Le coup de génie, c'est évidemment "Don't Tell Me". Marier la country acoustique et le glitch informatique, il fallait oser. Il y a aussi "What It Feels Like for a Girl", qui commence par ce sample de Charlotte Gainsbourg (encore une touche française !) dans le film "The Cement Garden". Une ballade mid-tempo, plus classique peut-être, mais d'une efficacité mélodique redoutable. Et que dire de "Paradise (Not for Me)" ? Sombre, cinématographique, presque expérimental pour du Madonna. On sent ici toute la patte de Mirwais, cette mélancolie synthétique qui me rappelle les meilleures heures de la new wave, mais passée à la moulinette Pro Tools. Cependant, ma note virevolte, j'hésite. L'album n'est pas exempt de défauts. Il est court, très court (à peine 45 minutes), ce qui est plutôt une qualité à mes yeux — je préfère une claque rapide qu'un ennui prolongé — mais il y a du remplissage. Des titres comme "I Deserve It" ou "Amazing" (qui ressemble étrangement à une chute de studio de "Beautiful Stranger") sentent un peu le réchauffé. Et puis, il y a cette reprise de "American Pie" (souvent incluse en bonus hors US) qui est... disons, discutable. On sent que l'album tire parfois à la ligne pour justifier son statut de LP. C'est là que mon dilemme "3 ou 4 sur 5" prend tout son sens. Si je suis objectif, c'est un album inégal, un collage d'idées brillantes et de moments plus anecdotiques. Un 3/5 solide serait justifié pour la musique seule. Mais... il y a l'audace, il y a cette prise de risque incroyable pour une artiste mainstream de cet acabit. Confier les clés de la maison à un producteur français "underground", imposer ce son sec et sans réverbération au monde entier, c'est fort. Et puis merde, c'est mon côté chauvin qui fait pencher la balance. Ce petit clin d'œil à Taxi Girl, cette fierté de voir la "French Touch" (même si Mirwais est plus "French Cold" que "French Touch" disco-filtrée) dominer les charts mondiaux, ça vaut bien un petit point de bonus. C'est l'album qui a prouvé que la pop de l'an 2000 ne serait pas juste une redite des années 90. Alors, pour l'innovation, pour le courage artistique, et pour Mirwais qui a vengé tous les groupes de rock français ignorés à l'étranger, j'arrondis au supérieur. C'est un disque imparfait, peut-être, mais c'est un disque important qui a marqué la fin de mes années radio et disquaire avec panache. Note : 4/5 (Le point "Cocorico" est inclus)

There was a time that Madonna just had to make a sound and my hormones would go wild. I even didn’t mind her music. This album was her attempt to remain relevant for what I think was the first time and it works. She knows how to keep somewhat in the limelight. Even to this day. She even gets into some Joni Mitchell sounding shit with I Deserve It. This isn’t perfect but I’m not even remotely let down listening to it. It does seem like she gave up the horny lady persona with this album. I’m not sure if it’s the first time she had done that or not. I liked Madonna for getting myself off, I didn’t pay much attention to her career decisions. There are 2 songs where she felt the need to whisper. It’s odd but the music part of Paradise is actually kick ass. Fuck the whispering part. What whispering part?? Choice cut: Paradise

If anything, this album clearly demonstrates how Madonna has some insight into where music and culture are going before they get there.

I don't like this as much as Ray of Light, but I think it's a good album. I Deserve It and Don't Tell Me are my favourites. Madonna writes some really nice melodies, in fact. I remember thinking at the time that she did a good job in changing things up with Ray of Light, and this continued the development.

A lot of fun songs on here. I've never fully listened to a Madonna album before, so this actually introduced me to a whole new side of her music. I enjoyed it, would listen again!

Not my thing generally but this was surprisingly good. Tracks 2 & 3 has some really interesting house production.

Finally! After 709 days of partaking in this randomizer, it's about damn time that, at long last, it's decided to give my group 'Music'! I mean, I'unno what we were listening to those past 709 days if none of **that** was music~! And what sweet, sweet ... erm, largely dated music we got. Yeah, let's get to the point: this is some pretty dated dance-pop electronica from Madonna. Put a blindfold on me and ask when this album came out, and I'm sure I'd be able to nail it down to 2000 exactly. To which, I don't wanna act like that's all a bad thing to me. Sometimes I like me a bit of dated music. Y'know, sometimes it's fun to be able to pinpoint exactly when a song or album came out. Heck, sometimes you just want that specific year or decade sound. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, and for good swathes of this album it was dated in a way I really enjoyed. Certainly, I feel like I enjoyed this thing largely more than I did 'Ray Of Light'. It might be blasphemy to diss on 'Ray Of Light', but I gotta be real, I did not dig the "yogacore" ambient trip-hop thing it was doing. I'm a simple gal: I want my pop music poppy, y'know? And where 'Ray Of Light' largely didn't provide that, 'Music' was able to, and I appreciate that. But not every song on this album is good-times music, no. Some of them are ... y'know, lesser than others. And I can name you the exact culprit behind this. So, there's, like, three or four different producer pairings across this album. William Orbit returns from 'Ray Of Light', and he has a pretty great showing on his tracks (minus one, but it's not an official part of the album). There's some other names I don't recognize on "What It Feels Like To Be A Girl", and I think they did a darn good job. These guys, without a doubt, produced the highlights of the album. Then there's the other guy, Mirwais. He did not produce any highlights. In fact, I'd say it's not a coincidence that the best songs on the album don't feature him at all. Here's the thing about Mirwais. I've read somewhere that people consider this to be a bit of an "experimental" album (at least by the standards of Madonna and her variety of pop music), and if it gets that from anything, it's Mirwais's production. He **loves** to slather tracks in robotic vocal filters and stuttery start-stop glitch nonsense ... I can just imagine a Big Important Critic™ at the time hearing this stuff and having his socks knocked off. "Wow! Listen to how far out there this production is! This is amazing!" Meanwhile, I'm just sitting here and understanding more and more why 'American Life' is the disaster it was. Mirwais comes across to me like a guy who has this big bag of tricks that he just **loves** to reach into — by gawd, he can't help but dig into it on every song he produces. "Let's chop the guitar up with abrupt cuts to silence!" "Let's do robot voices!" "Let's turn the autotune up to 11 like you're T-Pain or on Cher's 'Believe'!" I'm sure all of this sounded cool at the time, but in 2025 it's just a little ... much, y'know? Like, my guy, you don't hafta try so hard. You can tone back on the production! I mean, seriously, finding out he co-produced every song on 'American Life' really helps explain why that album sounds as bad as it does. Like, this shit's dated, but less in a "charming of-its-time" kind of way and more in a really goofy way. Like, Madonna's big robot voice at the top of the album asking me if I like to boogie-woogie, as if I'm gawdamm Cool Cat. And to the idea that this album is experimental — I don't really buy it? Mirwais is just throwing all of his favorite glitchy effects at the wall over top some 2000's Britney/Christina-style dance-pop. Like, it would've been just fine on its own, and either way it's hardly experimental. 'Ray Of Light' felt like the bigger experiment. I mean, jeez, I didn't care for its ambient trip-hop shit, but I can at least appreciate the swing it took, and I can give a nod of acknowledgement to how well it worked for others. Mirwais — I'unno. I don't wanna make it sound like his production's unlistenable or anything, but if I were Madonna, I would not have let him co-produce an entire album with me. At the very least, I would've traded him in for someone who wouldn't have let me do **two raps**. (Seriously: we all know 'American Life' isn't a great album, but goodness.) There's also the "American Pie" cover. As I said in my allusion to it above, it's not a part of the main album; it was only included on international releases and the 2016 vinyl ... but, hey, it's here, and I'd always heard it was a trainwreck, so I figured I may as well give it a shot. And I gotta admit, I'm sort of underwhelmed? I guess I'd always assumed it'd be more obviously awful. Most of the feeling I get from it is just ... why? Y'know? Why did you do this? Who asked for this? Who wanted "American Pie" to sound like this? And have so many of its lyrics chopped out? I don't think it's worth the particularly terrible Madonna movie it's attached to. And if you wanna count it as part of this album, well, it's the one non-Mirwais black mark this thing has, so ... points in Mirwais favor, I guess? Y'know, 'Music' is not a bad album, not at all. It can be pretty darn enjoyable in spots. Even the Mirwais tracks had their moments. I just wish he could've shown some restraint and didn't stick out like a big sore thumb as a result. But ultimately, yeah, it's pretty good. Believe me, when it comes to music, I've heard far worse than this. Like 'American Life'! Ha! Ha! Ha! Yeah, I'll stop now.

Doesn't hit as much as Ray Of Light, but it's still decent otherwise. Solid 4 Stars.

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a 4, though I’d MUCH prefer to leave it at a 3.5. This is the first time in a while I’ve been totally frustrated with an album; not because this is explicitly bad or anything, but because this thing is absolutely dripping with potential to meet the same mark as the contemporaries that Madonna was trying to hang with at this time; Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, N*SYNC, etc. It is so close to getting there, and yet it finds ways to feel a little dated & falls short at the parts where it matters most. It’s never in Madonna’s vocals – she sounds really good throughout. It’s a little bit in her songwriting; I think a lot of this album is based in reflections of previous addictions to love, & while it generally works well, I think a few tracks just cover the same topic base a little too much (namely a perceived overlap for Amazing, Paradise & Gone). It’s in the production. It’s *so* close to feeling as catchy as her peers, and while it generally hits something reasonable, it just doesn’t hit the same timeless marks as them. I know tracks like “Oops!... I Did It Again”, “What A Girl Wants” & “Bye Bye Bye” are cheesy as hell, but they’ve aged pretty well into 2025 because they lean into being explicitly catchy. Madonna & her team of producers take themselves more seriously here with more of an adult lean, so that does play a factor, but it’s not the underlying issue here at all. Mirwais Ahmadzaï & his ambitious production style, with a desire to feel unique & innovative for 2000… it just hasn’t aged well. It’s not that he didn’t see the trends that were soon to come in the genre; there’s a lot of tracks here that can tell where the tide is going, with production tricks that would be a lot more refined by 2003 through 2005. It’s just too early for them, and their use here feels deeply dated by comparison, creating a different air around the whole album that just lingers. It’s like early 1980s CGI trying to do the T-1000 effect in T2; it maybe could’ve been done, but it wouldn’t have looked as good. Hell, I’ll even give Mirwais his credit – so many of his tracks are really close to being good, and I admire the ambition he’s trying for. “Music” is a fine opener, it’s just overproduced in a way that feels noticeable by 2025. “Impressive Instant” has a solid base for a track, but if it leaned even more into French house sensibilities ala a Daft Punk track, it could be REALLY good. “I Deserve It” feels like a dollar store version of “Drive” by Incubus, and if they had leaned a little more incorporating some extra electronica, it might’ve shaken off that perception. “Nobody’s Perfect” is drenched in autotune, in a way that feels even more egregious than Cher’s use of it on “Believe” just a few years earlier. Again, it’s just overproduced. “Don’t Tell Me” is good, at least. It’s just a stuttered percussion sample & some string work interrupting a guitar melody, but it’s well done. His simplest production job is his best; almost like he overproduced too much of this thing, you know? “Paradise (Not For Me)” would’ve been good… if it ended about 2 minutes sooner. Letting that track continue for one more useless lap just lessens the impact. It’s the story of the album. However, the tracks where Mirwais isn’t the lead producer DO hit that sort of timeless point, which is where my frustrations with this album REALLY come to light. William Orbit’s production standards from Ray of Light carry over really nicely, and his tracks are great, save for the dreadfully strange cover of American Pie that I’m not counting in this little review. “Runaway Lover” is awesome, with a sort of Eurobeat lean that reminded me a lot of Sonic R and other ‘90s racing games of the era. Same thing with “Amazing”, which has a good punch to its percussion that really makes the track pop. “What It Feels Like For A Girl”, produced by Guy Sigsworth & Mark Stent (who both worked on Bjork’s “Vespertine”) is really catchy, even with a slight overreliance on the chorus. “Gone” (back to Orbit) is a fun closer with a slightly spiritual lean – I do think it doesn’t quite hit the “high” point it’s trying to achieve as a final track, but it’s a good track regardless. So, with just 3 of Mirwais’ tracks hitting a reasonable mark for me, and everyone else really nailing their stuff, I can’t help but wonder if Madonna just made a mistake in letting him produce most of the tracks. It just seems like someone else could’ve handled it better. I’m going to bump this up to a 4, since that’s 7/10 tracks clicking well enough, and there not really being an explicitly bad track, but I’d much prefer to leave it at a 3.5. I don’t blame anyone for giving the rating it has on the site, and it’s certainly not as good as Ray of Light was to my ears. It’s frustrating that it’s dripping with the potential to get there & really hit the mark she was going for, but it ultimately doesn’t meet it. I do admire the swings though. I can only hope “Like A Prayer” will really be that timeless Madonna record whenever we get it.

Man I really wanted to hate this album. I always liked "Ray of Light" but the fact that the follow up was a cowboy themed 42 year old Madonna trying to compete with the Britney Spears' of the world did not interest me in the slightest. But of course, now that I get it here, I have to try to have an open mind. And I'm alarmed to say that it's a lot better than I'd expected. Madonna was never really that innovative. The vast array of music on this album includes electrohouse, glitch pop, and folktronica, but she didn't invent any of these styles. "What It Feels Like For a Girl" (the album's highest point) sounds like it has the microbeats limited directly from Bjork's "Vespertine". Plenty of other influences are present and borderline ripping off fellow artists. But the thing is, these styles are mostly hiding off in the distance at this time. Madonna not only brought them together but also gave them a pop makeover, selling millions across the globe in the process. I can't completely hate her for that. I'm loathe to go as far as calling Madonna cool. But credit where it's due, she pulled together an groundbreaking album here, despite my initial prejudice.

It’s funny for me to listen to this album as I only knew it from 2 singles that I downloaded from a bit torrent back in the day. Completely forgot how obsessed I was with “Don’t Tell Me,” probably because it was one of the few songs I had downloaded at the time, what a time capsule.

This is pretty groovy. I really only knew the title track (inescapable hit single)... it all hangs together quite nicely.

Solid pop record. More good songs than I remember originally.

Madonna was my favorite artist somewhere around sixth grade, after Motley Crue and before Van Halen. I liked this. Not sure about the American Pie cover, but I'll allow it. 4

Ist da Musik drin? Ja doch!

Although I'm still not much of a Madonna fan, I have to say that this album is *not* what I expected from her, and in a good way. It seems that a lot of the inspiration for the unexpected sound and style is courtesy of Mirwais Ahmadzaï's production skills and talents, as well as Madonna's obvious willingness to stretch herself into more modern pop territory. The highlights for me were all Madonna/Mirwais produced and written tracks, especially the title track (with a fun accompanying video), "Impressive instant" (probably the closest she'll ever get to true electonica, and largely Mirwais' creation), "Don't tell me" (with a tough balancing act in its entertaining-but-too-country-camp video), and the curious Enigma-like "Paradise (not for me)". I'm not sure exactly why she went with the cowboy look on the album cover, but it's funny to see this 2000 album's country kitsch contrasted with Beyonce's much more recent foray into less-kitschy (but no less pop-oriented) country music. I'm torn between three and four stars for this album (especially after having made the mistake of listening and watching her bonus single cover of "American Pie"), but I feel like my ingrained skepticism of Madonna's talent needs to acknowledge how different and fresh-sounding this album is, *especially* for Madonna.

Maybe it's the nostalgia talking but I really do enjoy Madonna's experimental era. The title track, Don't Tell Me and What It Feels Like for a Girl are the highlights here.

I’ve always liked this album. Music and Don’t Tell Me are bangers. I don’t even think the American Pie cover is that bad. The vocoder effect is a tad overdone though. Still a good pop album, which is always welcome in my book

Amazing. Never really intentionally listened to Madonna. The sound production on this album is peak. Holds up 25 years later. Wide berth of musical styles. Perhaps that’s the concept of the album. Lyrically, not always bangers, but great bits and pieces.

Soft 4. I like Madonna, and I like 2000s music, but this felt really generic for both of those tags.

Random thoughts: * I thought I owned this on CD but I can't find it. It could be in the boxes in storage and means that when I had to cull down the CDs this is one that didn't make the cut. * It did make me find out that I do own the Immaculate Collection. I dusted that one off to give a listen on my Bose CD player. :) * "Don't Tell Me" is my absolute favorite Madonna track. Seriously love this song, I think it might be in my top 50 or top 100 songs of all time. * I have a hilarious memory (to me and my sister at least) of "Don't Tell Me" where I did a little drunk cowboy dance to this tune while in Blackhawk. I think you had to be there. * "Music" is also a banger! Still fun to play years later. * This was a fun time in music when Madonna went EDM. Actually all of pop went electronica. This was right around the time of Cher's "Believe". * I didn't remember any of the other songs but listening through today, there are some good ones. "What It Feels Like for a Girl" was a stand out on this listen. Maybe being a girl dad or becoming a feminist made me really feel this one. * Dude! American Pie came on and I said "What is this abomination?!?!?" I don't remember this or blocked it out. Apparently, it is only on the international version. And since 1001 is a British endeavor, when you click on the album from 1001 it has "American Pie" tacked on at the end. Good call to leave this off the American version. You don't mess with perfection. * This is probably somewhere around a 3.5 rating but since that is not an option, I'm giving it a 4 for the American version of this album. The international version would be a 3 or 2 for touching Don McLean's masterpiece.

I find it best to treat the song American Pie as optional in all circumstances. In this case it was marked as a bonus track, so I feel fully justified.

Madonna is a very good musical artist. I love how she always reinvents herself but never loses her own ... autograph. Yup. It's Madonna, and yeah, it is good actually. But she is a queen for a reason. She made her own table and deserves it. Worth listening to? Well yeah, of course!

LOVE ITTTTT

A true time capsule. The title track has a grip on my childhood I didn’t know I forgot - my neighbor Loved this album when I was barely a few years old. They had a big statue of a smoking monkey and a broken grand piano. Anyways, why is she dressed up all country on the least country album?

If I have learned nothing else from this exercise it is that (a) Elvis Costello made some absolute turds and (b) I actually can get down with Madonna. This album, along with its predecessor are music that I otherwise would never have listened to because I wrote Madonna off as pop bullshit. And yet, both albums are fantastic. Not just in their quality music, but also in terms of experimentation and variety of sounds. The title and artwork do this album no favors, but it is an enjoyable ride all the way through. As far as pop albums go, this is top tier IMO. Title track is instantly recognizable though I never knew its name. Gotta say, this is one of the most turn of the Millennium sounding instrumentals I have ever heard. Ngl I dig it. Impressive Instant is kind of fun, with a backing instrumental loop makes me think of something Marc Rebillet would build upon. The party pauses momentarily as Madonna pulls out an acoustic guitar on I Deserve It. Actually really like this song -- in a different setting sans vocals I would believe someone if they said this was a Gorillaz song. Amazing takes a dip into the turn of the Millennium 60s pop revival sound -- makes me think of Austin Powers for some reason. and Nobody's Perfect is an auto-tuned adventure that reminds me of something that I can't quite put a finger on (I think its a Blur song, but not sure). Absolutely love What It Feels Like for a Girl. Vocals are solid, but the underlying instrumental is dreamy AF. And Paradise (Not for Me) is a wonderful trip-hop influenced piece -- one of my favorites here. In the end, I'm left feeling that this was a really strong album front-to-back. And yet, I don't feel quite pulled to give it a 5. Instead I'm falling in at a very high 4.

'Music mix the bourgeoisie and the rebel.' The title track, the ostentatious 'Music,' incorporates the same whiny synths that Dr. Dre had been known to employ for his baptism of the g-funk era. Those synths appear on other tracks as well, giving this essentially genreless record a consistent hip-hop bite and confidence. The album cover would have you believe that there is something Western going on here, but besides the few folksy moments of acoustic guitar, make no mistake, this is a record of a city slicker, certified on the wonderfully sophisticated 'What It Feels Like for a Girl': 'But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading / 'Cause you think that being a girl is degrading.' And brava for not 'selling out,' as she closes out w/ on 'Gone.'

79/100. The stuttering synths, warped vocals, and glitch-pop textures give the album a futuristic edge that still sounds good today and those moments shine the brightest. The more traditional pop tracks add a warmer, acoustic balance, though they can’t quite match the freshness of the experimental core.

4 cannot deny the earworms!

I honestly didn't go in with high expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. A solid listen!

I’ve hated the title track of this album my entire life so I imagine my surprise when I really liked the rest of it (minus that terrible American pie cover).

I only knew Madonna the way you know her by growing up during the 90s, ie occasionally listening to her songs on radio. I never made an effort to seek out and listen to full albums of hers, however. So I have to say that this came as quite a surprise, because it‘s *nothing * like I expected. „Music“ is strangely experimental, continuously trying out new things. Not all of them work well (the notorious last track for example), but I really enjoyed the many facets of this album and that it wasn’t ashamed to leave the beaten path. Also: Am I going crazy or was there a Daft Punk influence in there? Anyway, not the best album ever but a surprising and enjoyable one nonetheless. I would give 3.5 stars if I could, so let’s round up.

She’s a legend but she’s not my cup of tea. Nevertheless, this was a good album. Her early stuff was good because it was new. Some of her later stuff is tired and overblown. This album is better! I like it and I will listen again.

So 2000’s but it works.

So, I remember this as one of my first ever albums to listen to, thanks to the fact that my mom had it on tape! I loved it so much as a kid, but I'll be honest, I didn't expect to see it on this list. That's not to say that I didn't have a great time with it again, though. This felt nostalgic, retro-techno, and fun. I really loved a lot of the auto-tune, which is not usually what I like, but I think it felt more honest here since I know Madonna can sing so well without it that there was no question that it's an esthetic choice for the album. Not every song was a hit, but it bought me back to riding around in Mom's old golden 2001 Chevy Malibu listening to Music again and again. Favorite songs: Music Impressive Instant I Deserve It Don't Tell Me

I remember when this released and all the talk about Madonna yet again changing styles with the time and how well she does it. The album has some really good songs and some that just pass by without making an impression. All and all its a good album with some stand out moments.

Madonna!

me gustó, nunca le había prestado atención a Madonna y me sorprendió. No sabía que había incursionado asi en el dance y la electrónica

Why do so many of the top reviews for this album mention 9/11?? Anyway, “Music” made me dance like I was out clubbing, so therefore it’s a perfect album. I like to boogie woogie as Madonna says, I suppose.

That American Pie cover did not need to swap that HARD

We all know Madonna for her 80s hits and maybe some of the 90s ones, but I never tried listening to one of her albums or too many songs on purpose so I was interested to see what 2000s Madonna after Ray of Light and before American Life would have done and... I'd be surprised if this album doesn't have a reappraisal in the future because this album is so good, barring a few slow songs that just don't quite work for me (Nobody's Perfect and Paradise) the rest are just greatly produced and well written pop songs that just hit all the right places for me aesthetically, the sort of glitchy, chilled-out and electronic type of stuff that was so common then and elevated by a good singer. This is great, I should go back and check Ray of Light too while I'm at it

A surprisingly crafted pop album. American Pie seems completely unnecessary.

Love this one. Remember it from the day. 4 *

Surprisingly good

I have to assume this album is the pioneer of 2000’s pop. At the time of its conception, music production began transitioning to a more digital production process and its on full display here. This album is likely the reason ddr music exists. And without 2000’s ddr (and daft punk), we don’t get Virtual Self + Porter Robinson. The influence here is incredible. The soft, overly processed female vocals, the "cringe-y" lyrics, the simplistic drum patterns... A few tracks I outright despised, but I can’t deny its impact on the modern genres I love. The tail end of the album is quite nice. Favorite Tracks: Nobody’s Perfect What it Feels Like For A Girl

No idea what I expected from this Other than a couple of weird ones, really enjoyed

Madonna could always reinvent herself

Oddly enough, “Music” was the first Madonna song I remember hearing. I’m 37 but grew up in a pretty conservative home, so Madonna wasn’t exactly played frequently. I snuck some MTV in in the late 90’s, and the video for this song was frequent. Honestly revisiting this shows it’s a pretty good album that holds up better than I expected. The title track is great, as is Don’t Tell Me. I Deserve It was another pleasant surprise.

cool

7.5/10. This isn't Madonna's best work, but it's still a fun album. :)

8/10 It’s easy to forget, with the direction that pop music took (so much came to sound like this) but Madonna was ahead of the mainstream curve here, and deep in her phase of working with very credible electronic producers. I was a fan of the Mirwais album earlier that year, was surprised to see him doing the biggest pop album, but it worked. In fact, his production is the best thing here. The other aspects are interesting to good, except for some of the songwriting being not quite up to the beats. But the hard, funky disco techno goes hard. Best: Paradise

This is not one of her best works, but I liked it nonetheless. She tried a new approach and did it quite well.

I would have imagined Ray Of Light would be the mid-period Madonna this list would have chosen (maybe that's here too?). Hadn't listened to this in its entirety before, and was pleasantly surprised. It may not seem to be super groundbreaking now, but in part that's because it was heavily copied.

I put it on at night, before going to bed. What a mistake.

Solid

this album feels crazy ahead of its time. like no one else was doing it like her in 2000 i had loved what it feels like a girl for a long time but my fav song besides that was gone

I haven’t explored Madonna’s discography as deeply as I’d like, so this project was a great starting point. I was already familiar with the title track—it plays constantly at my job—and after hearing it almost every day for the past three years, I can’t say it’s my favorite. That said, I really enjoyed the rest of the album. A standout for me was What It Feels Like for a Girl—I think Addison Rae would do a great cover of it.

Madonna as an adult. It's a good sound.

I love her but this wasn't her best album imo

Interesting electronically album by Madonna

Light, pleasant songs. After all these hip-hop albums and unpleasant experiments, Madonna's voice and music feel like a balm to the soul. 7.5 out of 10.

Great album, sound is dated to its era but still some really great up beat tracks. Not the biggest Madonna fan but this was a good listen. Would have gone 5 stars if it weren’t for the autotune ballad and snoozy back half

Out and out Pop of the highest level. I found myself dancing along while cooking lunch. Like any artist with a huge catalogue Madonna has had her ups and downs. This is definitely an up.

1. music: electronic beat and effects, simple and fun 2. impressive instant: weird vocal effect, strange 3. runaway lover: better vocals and beat 4. i deserve it: acoustic guitar intro, nice vocals, calm ballad, repetitive 5. amazing: eerie intro with strings, nice vocals, catchy chorus, cool song 6. nobodys perfect: asmr intro, goofy vocal effects, interesting synth solo, acoustic bridge, cool song 7. dont tell me: weird stuttering acoustic intro, nice strings, piercing electronic beat, cool outro 8. what it feels like for a girl: british girl talking intro, chill beat, nice vocals, kinda repetitive, cool 9. paradise (not for me): chill intro with whispering, strong synths, beautiful strings, emotionally psychedelic, cool song 10. gone: nice acoustic intro, nice chorus, cool overall: grew on me throughout the album, great production and vocals, cool effects and synths rating: 8/10

Only slightly worse Cher, which is huge praise. I really don't care for Madonna's voice, but all the sounds around it are magnificent.

3.5 - Good

Not as good as the previous albums we covered here, but I am impressed by these later albums. She has a sense of how new music is working, but layers more into the lyrics than, say, Britney. The song 'Gone' is really great and I liked the other slower one earlier in the album. It almost went to 3 for losing points for American Pie (even though a bonus), I just dislike that interminable song. But, calling it a 3.5 and actually going up to:

Not gonna lie, this album fucks.

I am surprised how many genres Madonna had on this album. I expected the pop/disco, but not the beautiful ballads, the tech/world beat, nor the latin influenced conclusion. Truly a great album, even if it wouldn't make my personal top 50.

Well, I was about to say I'm not a fan. A lot of songs on this are .. not to my liking. And I actually stopped after number 5 (Amazing), but started again for Nobody's Perfect, which wasn't bad. I made it to Paradise (Not for Me), and loved it. Gone wan't bad either. But I actually added Paradise to my liked list. Giving it 4 stars just for that one song.

This one has a lot of hits!

Madonna did the cowgirl thing before Beyoncé.

Pop em estágio avançado de qualidade para explorar as camadas com elementos eletrônicos acessíveis sem ser massante.

I enjoyed it, although I prefer Madonna’s 80’s albums

Not bad, maybe the end is a bit bland

Strong and refreshing 4.1

## In-Depth Review of *Music* (2000) by Madonna Madonna's *Music*, released in 2000, marks a significant chapter in her career, showcasing her ability to reinvent herself while maintaining her status as the "Queen of Pop." This album blends various musical styles, explores diverse themes, and reflects her artistic evolution. Below is a comprehensive analysis of the album focusing on its lyrics, music, production, themes, influence, and a summary of its pros and cons. ### Lyrics The lyrical content of *Music* reflects a duality that runs throughout the album: celebration and introspection. The title track, "Music," serves as an anthem for unity and joy, emphasizing music's power to bring people together. Lines like "Music makes the bourgeoisie and the rebel" highlight the social implications of music as a unifying force across different classes and backgrounds[2]. Other tracks delve into personal and emotional territories. For instance: - **"What It Feels Like for a Girl"** explores themes of female identity and societal expectations. The lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability and empowerment, capturing the complexities of womanhood. - **"Gone"** presents a more introspective view, reflecting on loss and longing. The poignant lyrics evoke feelings of heartache and resignation. Madonna's ability to juxtapose light-hearted themes with deeper emotional currents is evident throughout the album. While some songs celebrate the exuberance of life, others reflect on personal struggles and societal observations. ### Music Musically, *Music* is an eclectic mix that combines elements of electro-funk, pop, and folk influences. The production features a blend of organic instruments and electronic sounds, showcasing Madonna's willingness to experiment with new textures. - **"Music"** itself is driven by a catchy electro-pop beat that incorporates elements reminiscent of disco and funk. The use of synthesizers creates a vibrant soundscape that invites listeners to dance. - **"Impressive Instant"** features vocoder effects alongside Madonna's unadorned vocals, creating a contrast that enhances the song's energetic feel. The track embodies a futuristic sound while retaining pop sensibilities. - **"I Deserve It"** introduces acoustic guitar elements that provide warmth against the backdrop of electronic production. This song exemplifies Madonna's ability to integrate different musical styles seamlessly. Overall, the album's sound is characterized by its upbeat tempo and innovative production techniques that keep it fresh and engaging. ### Production The production of *Music* was primarily handled by Madonna herself alongside Mirwais Ahmadzaï, who played a crucial role in shaping the album's sound. Their collaboration resulted in an experimental yet accessible sonic palette. - The use of electronic elements is prominent throughout the album, with tracks like "Nobody's Perfect" featuring glitchy sounds that create an immersive listening experience. - Madonna's decision to incorporate live instruments alongside electronic beats adds depth to the overall production. Songs like "Paradise (Not for Me)" showcase lush string arrangements that contrast with more synthetic tracks. - The production quality is polished yet retains an underground vibe, reflecting Madonna's ability to balance mainstream appeal with artistic integrity. ### Themes Thematically, *Music* navigates through various concepts: - **Unity Through Music:** The title track encapsulates this theme perfectly, celebrating the power of music as a universal language that transcends barriers. - **Female Empowerment:** Tracks like "What It Feels Like for a Girl" challenge societal norms surrounding femininity and gender roles, making statements about women's experiences in contemporary society. - **Introspection:** Songs such as "Gone" delve into personal reflections on relationships and emotional struggles, showcasing Madonna's vulnerability alongside her strength. These themes contribute to the album's overall narrative arc, creating a cohesive listening experience that resonates with listeners on multiple levels. ### Influence *Music* was influential not only for its sound but also for its cultural impact. It re-established Madonna as a relevant artist in the new millennium after some criticism in the late 1990s. The album’s exploration of dance music culture resonated with audiences during a time when electronic music was gaining mainstream popularity. - The title track became an anthem for club culture and was embraced by LGBTQ+ communities for its inclusive message[3]. - Madonna’s ability to blend different genres influenced many contemporary artists who sought to merge pop with electronic sounds. - The album also marked a return to form for Madonna in terms of chart performance; it produced several hits that dominated airwaves globally. ### Pros and Cons #### Pros - **Innovative Sound:** *Music* showcases Madonna's willingness to experiment with new sounds while maintaining her pop roots. - **Cohesive Themes:** The thematic exploration of unity, empowerment, and introspection creates a rich listening experience. - **Cultural Relevance:** The album resonated with contemporary audiences and influenced future artists in the pop and electronic genres. - **Catchy Hooks:** Memorable choruses make many tracks instantly recognizable and enjoyable. #### Cons - **Lyrical Depth:** While some lyrics are impactful, others may feel less substantial or repetitive compared to her earlier works. - **Production Choices:** Some critics argue that certain tracks rely too heavily on electronic effects at the expense of lyrical substance[5]. - **Mixed Reception:** Although many celebrated its innovation, some fans preferred her earlier albums’ more straightforward pop sound. ### Conclusion Madonna's *Music* stands as a testament to her enduring legacy as an artist capable of evolving while staying true to her roots. Its blend of catchy melodies, innovative production techniques, and thoughtful lyrics make it a significant entry in her discography. While it has its drawbacks—particularly regarding lyrical depth—the overall impact of *Music* is undeniable. It reflects not only Madonna’s artistic vision but also her ability to connect with audiences through universal themes that resonate across generations.

Ray of Light was her masterpiece. This one is pretty good too.

Despite the cover art, not much country music here. It's more of the same electronic sounds from Ray of Light, with a few more surprises. We start off with a few dancefloor ready cuts before the second half goes a bit more eclectic and chilled out, which I like better. It's all quite interesting production wise, not sure if it sounds retro or futuristic. I can't decide if I like this more than Ray of Light but it's in the same conversation. Favorites: Runaway Lover, Don't Tell Me, What It Feels Like for a Girl, Paradise (Not For Me).

Ik had vrij lage verwachtingen, maar dit luistert best lekker weg. Een artiest als Madonna drukt mij bij nog wel eens op de irritatieknoppen, maar deze niemendallerige dancenummers zitten best goed in elkaar en wat zou ik dan gaan zeuren. Gelukkig hoort de belachelijke en volstrekt overbodige cover American Pie niet bij het oorspronkelijke album, anders was er zeker een punt afgegaan, misschien wel meerdere.

I know a lot of music fans (snobs) look down on pop, but I’ve never been that way. There’s no trophies for writing off an entire genre of music that’s scientifically designed to be catchy and pleasing to the ear. This album was solid. Just enjoy the damn music! 🎶“Music makes the people come together.” 🎶 — 4/5 Highlights: I Deserve It Don’t Tell Me Paradise (Not For Me)

I Deserve It is the exact style of the latter half of Madonnas career that I really like. I think the William Orbit time in her career is the most interesting time for her. It's a production style that works so well. Really good. Prefer it to Ray Of Light 4

I went into this album not expecting too much, but ended up really enjoying it. There are really surprising elements here. Don’t get me wrong, it is a pop album, but how was I unaware that Madonna had elements of glitchwave in an album? That definitely peaked my interest from the start. Seriously, have a proper listen to Don’t Tell Me. It’s really weird, but it’s so catchy.

ok here's the thing. I'm going to be the biggest Madonna defender in this group. I know. Sometimes you just have to resign yourself to your fate. And yet I remain fascinated by Madonna's midcareer albums all the same. Here we have the lingering influences of trip hop Madonna loved in the late 90s with the rising influence of French house on European club music in the early aughts combined with an odd, uh, country? musical sensibility Madonna never explored before or since at a time when no other major pop star was doing that (I think? It's honestly hard to tell because eve calling this "country-inspired" seems deeply wrong in a way I can't articulate but in a way I'm going to continue doing), just before all of these influences cascaded into Madonna making her easily worst album three years later. I don't expect everyone to like this, sure. But I still find it fascinating years later. The fact that it has all-time great pop tracks like the title song and "Don't Tell Me" doesn't hurt, either.

Great! I knew every song. I've listened to this album hundreds of times. It's timeless. ❤️

Madge kicked off her third music decade with a fantastic album. She always found a way. Several stand out songs to me: Music, Don’t Tell Me, and What it Feels Like For a Girl. And…..NOBODY should remake American Pie. Seems an odd choice for this album anyway. It’s a club/disco/electronic album and I’m here for it.

4 yeah this was some pretty solid madonna, 3.5 but i’ll round up

Pre-listening thoughts: listen as bizarre of a pick as this may be I am SO relieved to get Madonna after the onslaught of 90s grunge and indie rock. It’s something different. Post/during listening thoughts: interested why they picked this Madonna album tbh. Like I feel like they should’ve picked True Blue no? But whatever. It’s a weird fusion of genres and has a veryyyy turn of the century electronic feel to it. It’s a little all over the place - maybe this is her Red before Red lol. Upon second listen it’s so camp y’all just don’t get it. Y’all will hate me for saying this but none of yall would be having a BRAT summer if not for this album. This is kinda fire lowkey maybe I should listen to more Madonna 7/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: nah but there’s some good stuff for pop girlies here Fav tracks: Music, Runaway Lover, I Deserve It, Amazing, Gone Least fav tracks: none tbh

Not as good as older Madonna

Never listened all the way through and this is, actually, a banger? Couple of missteps (American pie - why?) but overall it’s a cracker!

An interesting album, I've never heard these Madonna songs before. I liked Music, Amazing, What It Feels Like For a Girl and her version of American Pie.

Pretty good and free-flowing and mostly fun, this is pretty easy to like now, when Madonna's cynical and continual reaching after relevance far in the rearview. The clubbier cuts that open the record are totally forgettable and mindless (as is anything with auto-tune) but much of the rest works well and has some emotion in it, seemingly. "I Deserve It, ' "Gone" and "Nobody's Perfect" and especially "What It Feels for a Girl" (maybe the best song) almost sound sincere. "Paradise" is also cool. Production mostly holds up, too. Like one said, pretty decent overall, but a grudging 4 (mainly for middle-effort with only a moderately sized amount of cringe).

Not my kind of dance music but she gets props for being an innovator and an icon.

Soo goodd

Lots of influences expressed well, with good sound variety. The album starts out really dance-y and shifts to a more trip hop oriented sound in the latter half, with more straightforward pop senses sprinkled in. This transition is a bit awkward, and overall, the cohesion of this album isn't strong. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and could see myself coming back to it.

muito sad girl, mas extremamente coeso

This is all a bit low key but not in a bad way. Just more emphasis on her pure vocals I feel like. Really chill and enjoyable listen! 4.5

Siempre al día.

Yes, discazo. Aunque igual me gusta harto Ray of Light

This is an interesting one because I always knew that Madonna went through a bunch of reinventions in the 90s and 00s through pop culture osmosis but I’ve never actually listened to an example of it. This was an interesting first time because it’s wildly different from her 80s music and is just unique in general since it tries to fuse both country and electronica. Sometimes it really works (paradise) and sometimes it really doesn’t (American pie cover) but it was a surprisingly fascinating listen either way.

I am not the biggest Madonna fan, but I really enjoyed this album. Ray of Light is definitely my favorite album of hers, and I like that Music sonically carries over part of that aesthetic. It does sound a bit dated here and there, but I didn't really mind that. For me, the highlights on this album are the "ballads" - such as What It Is Like For A Girl, Paradise (Not for Me), and Gone.

Much respect for Madge. Seventeen years into her career and she puts out an album that shows she can still bring it to the dance floor with solid club bangers. For me, this album is below her 80s classics but just below; the strength being the production quality. A nice mid-career release showing she still had a lot in the tank.

I really like Madonna and it was nice listening to this album again. There are some really good and clever songs on this album. It has a nice feel to it. I wish it ended a little stronger as I don't really care for the last couple of songs as much as I do the others. I will try to listen to them more and see if they grow on me.

very good album showcasing Madonna's ability to stay relevant and unique.

A surprisingly good album and love Mirwais’ contribution. It’s very clear eyed and stark in its intention to be a good pop album, and it hits all the right marks - well balanced, not too long and with a few good modernish Madonna hits.

Better than I remember

It’s Madonna. Of course it is good. Quite a few memorable hits including on of my favorite Madonna songs, “Nobody’s Perfect.” 4/5

Yes. Of course I'm a sucker for Madonna. It seems like I'm a 4-star girly on this platform. I enjoyed myself just fine with this album. Not as good as Confessions on a Dancefloor of course, but a fun listen anyways.

3.8 - actually liked this a lot more than beyond light.

The singles are unreal from this album - Music and Dont Tell Me especially are both still bangers in their different ways. I definitely don't like or love all tracks on the album, bit of a mix bag but interesting all the same - prefer the slower ones like I Deserve It and What It Feels Like For A Girl rather than dance tracks.

Not too shabby.

THIS IS FUCKIN COOL

Pretty cool!!

La reina del pop. Un 4.

I went into this only knowing the song "Music" - I really enjoyed this album apart from the last song which is a truly unnecessary cover of "American Pie". The rest of the songs are experimental electronic pop gems that range from club bangers like "Impressive Instant" and "Runaway Lover" to slow jams like "Paradise (Not For Me)" and country samplers like "Don't Tell Me", "Amazing" mixes house beats with surfed out guitar.

I enjoyed this album - to songs, the mood the production. Didn't really listen to it at the time, but appreciate it now.

Overall it's a really good album.

This album immiedieteely hooked me with it's techno/trance-esque production and fun, anthem-like lyrics. Runaway Lover especially was just a blast. Starting with I Deserve It, the album took an odd turn into this country inspired pop territory. I wasn't a fan, save for the percussion being wicked tight and reminded me of trap beats. After a short dip into generic pop land, we're back into this odd, spacey auto tune slow jam with Nobody's Perfect. This album is at it's best when it's less Sheryl Crow and more Bjork. Also, probably the best version of American Pie I can think of.

I’m a little surprised that this Madonna album is on the list. There are 4 or 5 true classics from her and this one doesn’t measure up to them. That being said, this is still a very good album, and possibly great if you take off the more embarrassing moments, like the “Beautiful Stranger” retread of “Amazing”, and the career low point of “Nobody’s Perfect”, which became the template for her next album, the still awful “American Life”. This is also the point where she became obsessed with autotune bullshit, which completely ruins vocals 9 times out of 10 to my ears. It doesn’t sound futuristic anymore. It’s a lazy studio trick (that many use to mask the fact that they can’t actually sing, except Madonna has proven that she really can sing so it’s pointless) showcasing a lack of ideas and pointing out that she is no longer driving ahead of the curve, but following others. I’m a super Madonna fan from everything she put out between her 1983 self titled debut album and 1994’s “Bedtime Stories”. Pure magical brilliance. I can more than tolerate 1998’s “Ray of Light”, and this record. Beyond this, it becomes a wasteland of overestimating relevance with a few moments of being good but never truly great again.

This is around the time I stopped listening to Madonna as much because her early aughts evolution was a bit jarring to me at the time (though I LOVED Ray of Light). I know the hits from this album, but I really enjoyed it as a full listen. Amazing is a great song I wasn’t familiar with. She really layers a lot of funky and interesting beats and sound effects throughout these songs. It’s a bit more forgettable than her 80s catalog, but still a good Madonna time. Queen’s gonna queen.

She's the queen of pop. A lot of this electropop is well ahead of it's time.

Loved it

Я думаю это был просто разрыв в 2000, некоторые песни просто крышесносные Но общий вайб альбома на 4, чувствуется, что экспериментальненько

I certainly haven't listened to everything Madonna, but I think this might be my favorite now. The pop plus some folk/country at points. This kind a felt fresh in some ways, and certainly did back then as I loved Music and Don't Tell Me. Listening to this album for the first time, there were many other tracks I liked too like Nobody's Perfect, What It Feels Like For a Girl, and Gone.

Exceptional!

I would never have sought this out but I super dug it! It’s a terrific compilation of pop and electronic. Madonna keeping it fun and relevant through a strong career arc.

Fashion show runway music, highly produced, voice autotuned like a robot, but classic.

I've always liked Madonna. Soft spot for this one. Newly wed, we had the cassete in the car an the cd at home. Love the rhythm (and sound) of the bass in Amazing. Not on this album, the single Beautiful Stranger came out similar time - great pop track.

'Music' tanta roba. In generale non mi dispiace lo stile disco-pop di questo album, anzi! Svolta un po' country, comunque piacevole su 'i deserved'. Con anche 'American Pie' diventa un ottimo ascolto.

Ehhh discazo realmente, es la primera vez que escucho a Madonna más a fondo.

Really nice pop album. Showcases Madonna's evolution into modern pop while still having her signature melodic voice and upset songs.

"Music" is the eighth studio album by American singer Madonna. In reponse to the pop chart dominance of acts such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, Madonna collaborated with Mirwais Ahmadzi and William Orbit to go in a more experimental direction. The album incorporates elements of house, funk, country and folk into the overall dance-pop and electronica styles. It worked as the album hit #1 in 15 countries including the US and UK. There are overall themes of partying and love differing from her previous album "Ray of Light" which was more introspective. Critically, the album had mostly positive reviews. The self-titled song "Music" opens up with a vocoder. It then kicks in with a funky beat and synth. The beat continues with strange synth sounds. She just wants to dance with her baby. "impressive Instant" takes the dance music to the club level. A deeper bass and beat. Synth space sounds. More use of the vocoder...almost stepping into Daft Punk territory. A love at first sight song. Slow synth keys begin "Amazing." The music kicks in. A echoing, reverbing guitar and prominent bass. Electronic beats. Great, haunting guitar breaks reminding me of David Bowie. My favorite song on the album. An acoustic guitar starts and stops and starts begins "Don't Tell Me." Country meets electronica here. An electric drum backbeat. Strings are added. She urges her lover to stop controlling her. Why not venture into the ambient and that is what she does in "What It Feels Like to be a Girl." An ambient synth melody and underlying electronic beats. The ambience builds. She condemns male chauvinism and urges men to imagine themselves as a girl. This is a very, very good album. Not one song really fits into any one category. There's funk mixed with club dance, both rock and country with electronica and even the ballads have dance/electronica elements. A very high production level as one would expect. I didn't hear one song not worth a listen. A strong recommendation.

4.0 - I always felt this record dwelled in “Ray of Light”‘s shadow, the more “serious” of the two projects. I’ve changed my mind. “ROL” finds Madonna clinging desperately to relevance with her late-to-the-party rave anthems mixed with yoga-inflected wisdom, offering incantations to a “zephyr in the sky.” Yawn. This record, on the other hand, shows a quirkier Madonna stripped of these pretensions, ready to hang. Sonically, “Music” has aged far better. I like the glitchy, hyperpoppy elements that remind me of “100 gecs.” As is often the case with Madonna, you still get some schlocky philosophizing on clichés and truisms (e.g., “nobody’s perfect”) but she balances that with a pre-#MeToo ballad about the female struggle that resonates (“What It Feels Like For A Girl”). My only real gripe is that the record ends on a melancholy note and I would’ve loved more of side A’s frenetic energy to send this off.

I don't think I've heard any of these songs before. Typical of Madonna, it shows an artist who is always willing to try new things, experiment, and create. Although it's outside the scope of music I typically focus on, it's quite good. She always is. (Side Note: it's awful to see the way people talk about her. I know I should let it roll off me, but it's easy to see how the negative things people say would never be brought up if she were a man. She's as tough and brave as they come.)

Really reaaally solid

I’m very surprised how much I enjoyed this one. Mostly on the production side the songs are really pretty groundbreaking for 2000 with glitchy synths and a lot of vocal effects that make it a pretty fun listen. 7/10

Classic Madge

Not my favorite Madonna album, but it's still m*f*ing Madonna.

done

I have long been on the record as “not a fan” of Madonna. But this was really great, probably the best album I have heard from her. Madonna is in excellent voice and she gives 100 percent to her performances. She always does. The key to this album’s success though is as much in the production of Mirwais Ahmadzaï and William Orbitwhich, which is wonderful. This is just great fun, with a mix of instant club classics and some nice straightforward pop as well. I love all the quirky, blippy little touches, the unusual chord progressions, the strategic uses of vocal tuning and guitar. They lean into the artifice and experimentalism of electronica, but with great warmth and nuance. Fabulous work, a classic of its era. Fave Songs: Music, Gone, Paradise (Not for Me), Impressive Instant, Runaway Lover, Don't Tell Me

Standouts: Music, Nobody's Perfect, Don't Tell Me, What It Feels Like For A Girl, Others: I Deserve It, Gone 4/5

Buena sucesión de canciones con estilo, con el sello propio de Madonna. Voz características y temas bien construidos. Levanta el ánimo.

La reina del pop. Un 4.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Music, Runaway lover, Want it feels like for a girl, Gone, American pie

New wave pop? amazing album. I loved "i deserve it" and "Amazing". it reminded me of Bjork but with the more comercial side of Madonna.

Bien.

Incredibly Crafted POP Album. Her Voice Never Sounded Better & the Production Rivals that of Steely Dan's AJA. This is BY FAR Her Best Album

I was expecting a 3 star but I got a 4 star, good basseline, good pop

Nostalgia central, reminds me of being 9 years old. Some bangers here

I think this album has been dropped from later versions of this list. It shouldn't have been.

Continuing the victory lap that began in earnest with Bedtime Stories, Madonna's first missive of the 21st Century deals with her continued fixation on remaining hip to the times whilst wielding personal subject manner. Although a tad less reliant on the power of healing in Ray of Light, we still hear Madge waxing philosophical on tracks such as Gone, Don't Tell Me and What It Feels Like for a Girl but she still makes room for an ode to a good time via the first three tracks. Regardless of the picture painted on the album cover, there is no dust kicked up by horses here. Favorites: Music, Runaway Lover, I Deserve It, Amazing, Don't Tell Me, What It Feels Like for a Girl, Paradise (Not for Me).

Loved the vibe, I didn't know Madonna very well and especially didn't know she did this kind of music!

Electro and pop wonder

The production on this was quite cool, I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Dance vibes

Another album my parents always used to play me! I remember we used to listen to this on the way to swimming lessons when I was v young. Never really noticed the complexity/sophistication of the 'Music' instrumental - was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it. Also really liked 'What it feels like for a girl'.

A solid later album from Madonna. Not the heights of the album directly preceding (Ray of Light) or Confessions after, but fun and well made. Could be sequenced better.

Great album apart from the crime that is her American Pie cover. And the awful cover.

Yes it was.

Didn’t know she was so dance music

very well done. Not my type though

Nice

This album goes hard, definitely not what I was expecting. A little bit all over the place, but still enjoyed the listen

Se cae en la segunda mitad.

Not the best Madonna record but it's still Madonna so it's still somehow catchy and well produced for the most part

Ok pop album, does what you'd expect

Some songs I thought were too weird for Madonna, but others I really enjoyed, especially I Deserve It. Evens out to a 3. Not sure what the country aesthetic is about though

idk, not a big madonna fan, didnt do it for me

Sorry Madge, I love you, and Confessions II is the album of 2026 so far, but this album has not aged well at all. It feels like more of a relic than most, and its a struggle at times. American Pie is great though, you can suck it.

This is the third album by Madonna I’ve listened to on this list and probably my favourite. Despite the hit singles leaning into the squelchy French disco style it’s the more stripped back acoustic numbers that draw me in the most. Stripping back the production on songs like Gone there’s a real sense of fragility and emotional honesty. The production is excellent but it’s these quiet moments that really enjoy. An intriguing listen

It's Madonna taking something of a creative leap, embracing electronic dance music while retaining most of her pop sensibilities. Not my jam but I give a +1 for creative exploration by the Material Girl.

"Józek męską pipą", pięknie wyprodukowana elektronika, chwilami Reni Jusis, chwilami padaka (szczególnie American Pie)

I feel like Madonna adapted to the 90's and early '00's better than most '80's artists. Wasn't expecting the "American Pie" cover.

Music…really?!?

3/5

3.5

well i missed a few days but that was bound to happen eventually, and will certainly happen again. we proceed anyway. this is mostly a first listen. ive only heard the title track before. this album doesnt feel like it belongs on this list or any list like it, especially considering she has much better albums before this. but whatever. favorite tracks: Music, Runaway Lover, I Deserve It, Don't Tell Me

Sophisticated pop

Me convenciste Madonna

7/10

A few songs will stay with me for longer

Better than Coldplay

This was a background album to my high school years. I think the name recognition makes it appear on this list. I do remember it was somewhat of a big deal that Madonna had put out new music, like someone had crossed the 90's music threshold into the 2000s era.

"I wonder what's on this strange magical vinyl disc?" The humble album title: Like A Prayer and Ray Of Light are both average albums for me. Nothing particularly great or terrible, just standard pop of its time. Music is pretty much the same. That opener is pretty solid. A great synth melody and texture accompanies a composition that lasts exactly as long as it should. I notice that Madonna's voice sounds sort of... artificial? Definitely a filter going on, though subtle. It's not until the second song, Impressive Instant, where a much more obvious vocal filter is used. Honestly, pretty cool for its time. You don't really encounter "robo-vocals" much – at least not in good music (we're excluding most of the 80s here) – until the 21st century. Reminds me a bit of Radiohead's Kid A, released the same year, which saw Yorke also pushing vocalisation boundaries (as it were). I Deserve It is an interesting one. Musically, pretty simple and non-experimental. Yet something about it sounds like (a modern-day) Joni Mitchell, with the clean recording, meandering melody, and self-reflective lyrics. This is not a song to be overlooked. Amazing has some, well, amazing synth parts, along with a solid piano part and melody. Pretty repetitive, though. And the next track, Nobody's Perfect, limits its potential substantially by using vocal autotune. It's hard to get autotune right, and Madonna certainly doesn't. The reason why there was such hard pushback when artists like Cher, T-Pain, and Kanye used autotune is because, in general, it sounds kind of bad. Fake. Inorganic. Don't Tell Me... a little jarring at the beginning, but once the electronic drum comes in, dang. Super peppy and catchy. The chopped-up acoustic guitar takes a minute or so to get used to. So darn cool, though. The textural contrast between the sharp, almost 8-bit percussion, acoustic guitar, and light breezy string arrangement... This is the strongest track on the album, no doubt. Paradise (Not for Me) is just a discount version of Don't Tell Me: the string are pretty similar but everything else is slightly worse. Still decent though. I like the retro arcade-esque synths (very sci-fi) and how oddly they interact with the xylophone's timbre. TIL: American Pie makes for a great cover song. 3/5 Key tracks: I Deserve It, Don't Tell Me, American Pie

Maybe 3.5 for me…really liked the singles off this album but I prefer 80s Madonna.

It's really touching reading the other reviews of folks who listened and danced to this when they were young. If we were listening to one of her first three albums today, I'd be saying the same thing. I love how long of a thread Madonna has woven through the last 40something years in our lives. This is actually my first time listening to this album. I stopped consuming new Madonna content when Bedtime Stories came out. Not necessarily because it was bad or anything; I was just getting into other music is all. This isn't bad at all, but I don't think I like it as much as her earlier work. I do like the classic Madonna x electronic/DJ feel to the album ⭐⭐⭐.49

Much like we had William Orbit to thank for Ray Of Light, we have Mirwais to thank for most of this really funky electro-tinged effort. I didn't realise I had a favourite Madonna album until today but this LP is loaded, although it does tail off a little in the second half. Had me listening to Mirwais' solo album Production as a little side quest but that reminded my why I listened to the first 20% of that album a lot back in the day, but had completely forgotten the other 80%. His production is a lot more interesting with a talented and engaging performer at the forefront.

Way too much autotune for my liking and some lyrics are rather bland for my taste overall, but while this album is many things, it's definitely never boring. My favourites are Don't Tell Me, What it Feels like for a Girl, Gone and, yes, American Pie.

Nothing like some Madonna first thing in the morning to warm up the loins.

The hit-singles "Music", "Don't Tell Me" and "American Pie" plus a forgettable rest.

Two great songs, maybe a third.

I love a bunch of these tracks, but wish the whole thing held together better. Still, a 3.5 in my book because of how much I love Don't Tell Me and What It Feels Like for A Girl

3.5/5

realmente, anos 2000 demais (até pro meu gosto)

First listened on 9th and 11th April 2025. Favourite song is What It Feels Like For a Girl.

3.5 it could've been a 4 if the American Pie cover wasn't shocking.

so hey that new boards of canada album is pretty good!

Solid pop

Super album

Not a big fan of Madge, but this is one of two albums of hers where I can enjoy it in places. Not a fan of the Cher-like auto tune business, but like a lot of the dance synth production. Highlights ‘I deserve it’, ‘Don’t tell me’, ‘Paradise’ and the exceptional ‘Gone’.

Another 3.5 and an album that's worthy of further investigation. Don't care much for the autotune-heavy "modern" production, but it was a new tool around this time so was required to be used to death.

yeah it was pop music 3.5

Fav- runaway lover 3/5

En gran parte este album me dio dolor de cabeza De todo lo q se puede poner de Madonna ponen esto, el autor del libro a veces se pasa queriendose hacer el indie, y gracias a dios que como sociedad dejamos atras el efecto robot de la voz 5,5/10

A pabulum of pop.

I generally like the production on this record, though it's not nearly as experimental in 2026 as it was at the turn of the century. Some tracks are very trip hop coded, which is nice. However, some of the lyrics here are pretty basic and cringe worthy in places, holding this back from being something better. Three Madonna albums on this list, and this isn't in her top three so not really sure why it's here.

mittelmäßig

Pop classic

It's a very good pop album, Amazing, What It Feels Like for a Girl are really good

After her techno heavy Ray of Light with William Orbit behind the knobs, Madonna tapped French producer Mirwais for Music. This kept things in the dance realm but with an earthier acoustic tone. The glitched out guitars, hiccups in the beats, and manipulated vocals were pushing the edges of creativity at the time, maintaining Madonna's ability to stay ahead of and create trends. I'm not a huge fan, but this was one of those records that everybody liked (or pretended not to) in 2000.

Not bad. Had its moments, overall a cool experience.

After the release of Ray Of Light, which I really liked,people thought I was a Madonna fan. So much so that friends and relatives bought this album for me multiple times. Think I still have sealed copy somewhere if anyone wants it. Thing is, it’s still sealed because this album is only a pale imitation of its predecessor. So whilst that is a bad thing the good news was that she was yet to reinvent herself with Confessions. So this album sits somewhere between both of those. Little glimpses appear of what Madonna has done and yet to achieve but not the real deal. 3/5 8/5/26

Some hits, rest of album isn't great. Very mid.

You know, I looked at the cover and thought, “Oh God, I’m gonna listen to Madonna’s country album from the year 2000, that sounds awful.” However, the first song starts and I am punched in the face by electronic dance pop. Honestly a slight disappointment. I did enjoy it quite a bit more than I thought I would, however. I liked the acoustic-techno fusion, but it’s barely there on the first three tracks, which is odd. The penultimate track drags quite a lot, though. I usually don’t listen to anything from special or deluxe editions of albums for this list, but the reviews made me curious about the American Pie cover. People are so overdramatic about it. It’s nowhere near the original and I don’t like how truncated it is, but I appreciate its uniqueness. 3/5

Solid

kinda cool

Al principio no me gustó, las dos primeras canciones me parecieron goofy asf, pero avanzando el álbum me fue enganchando el sonido de varias canciones (Runaway Lover, Amazing, What it Feels Like for a Girl y American Pie) y me terminó gustando, a pesar de no tener las letras más profundas del mundo (excepto por WIFLFAG) el sonido está bien hecho y Madonna tuvo la valentía de hacerlo siendo algo no tan común en la época y siendo la pop star más grande del siglo pasado, mi problema es que mi estándar en música electrónica es Aphex Twin así que obvio que todo me va a sonar a menos.

Started as decent pop album with 2-3 famous and interesting songs like Music or Runaway Lover, it quickly degraded to low grade pop scum music. However I’d like to highlight song called I Deserve It - great one.

Actually pretty fun. She was good at the ol reinvention Some frankie knuckles ass beats, some basic guitar and then some pretty cool guitar/loop shit on don't tell me.

Madonna doing her autotune best

3/5

Ok Madonna album. The first 2 songs were very "clubby". Fine for dancing but wouldn't really listen to them. I liked the rest of the album a lot better than those. No big hits (at least that I know). Overall not bad but not sure why it needs to be on this list.

The disparity between the album cover and the sound of the music on "music" is pretty funny. The music itself was fine, the production sounds a bit dated today but I'd bet it sounded cutting edge initially. The title track is the clear highlight.

2.75

I really like the Mirwais production, but not my favourite bun of Madonna.

Kind of surprised I liked it but guessing it's because I heard it so much when it came out.

There are some great hits on here. I enjoy them whenever they are on the radio. The overall genre on the album is definitely not my jam, so I wouldn’t put this on anytime soon though

Conceptually this feels like a continuation of Ray of Light in that Madonna is working with the latest musical trends. Note that I didn't say she's making them her own; the approach on this album feels a bit incohesive. Her previous album focused on downtempo and trip hop, while this one often goes for bigger dance beats. That doesn't stop it from also including a few slow songs and some that heavily incorporate acoustic guitars. The bigger songs are typically better, though the highlight is the downtempo "What it Feels Like for a Girl" with its shuffling beat and poignant lyrics. Weirdly, outside of that song Madonna herself feels a bit anonymous on this, not offering much lyrically or vocally that other artists couldn't. While this is another example of Madonna adapting with trends, and the variety does fit the album's title, it jumps around too much to ever draw you in.

The 2000s were a weird era of pop. Quirky electronics and more experimentation started taking over, and Madonna really tried to adapt to the trends. It leads to some horrendous songs that have aged like milk but also some real gems. The production on Impressive Instant and Nobody's Perfect is pretty ugly and Madonna's autotuned vocals are hard to listen to. I feel similarly about Paradise, the robot sound is pretty unflattering. The album also ends on a weak note with an awkward cover of American Pie. However, there is also some clear bangers in the tracklist that make the album worth the time. Opens up with a fantastic song, Don't Tell Me is easily the best produced song here, Runaway Lover and What it Feels Like for a Girl are also pretty fantastic. In many ways this album is a mess, but it marks an interesting step in Madonna's discography.

Did we need a cover of American Pie by Madonna? No, we did not. Do I hate myself for sort of liking it? Yes I do.

sometimes chill and decent, low 3

Really uneven some really good songs and others that were just completely underperforming

Pretty polished pop going on here, very typical of what I’d expect from Madonna but too shiny and well-produced for my liking. Not a fan of the American Pie cover.

Ihan ok poppia, mutta tykkäsin kyllä näistä instruista enemmän kuin Madonnan laulusta. Ensimmäinen nimikko kappale Music oli ehkä ainoa missä vokaalit toi jotain. Muista kappaleista olisin tykännyt enemmän pelkkinä instruina. Vähän triphopmaista elektronista. Enkä odottanut että vika kappale American Pie on tosiaan Don McLean cover. Parhaat: Music, Paradise (Not For Me), Runaway Lover

Not my go to but the American pie cover was interesting to say the least.

Yeah alright.

Not bad at all

I used to love Madonna's music and personality. During the 80s and 90s she kicked ass and broke the mold for female mainstream pop artists. A real trailblazer. I bowed out at 'Ray of light' (an awesome album) because for my listening taste she walked a little too far down the 'clubbing' path. I hadn't heard this album and I enjoyed it. Its a shame she made herself look so odd!

Madonna experimenting with a lot of non-mainstream ideas. At its best, it’s a fun, danceable pop album. At its worst, it’s a complete mess. I guess I’ll meet in the middle.

Pretty good

A fascinating record. Often ugly and abrasive but fearless and endlessly interesting. I suspect it satisfies neither fans of 80s Madonna; Ray of Light era; or Confessions on a Dance Floor era, though I reckon it’s been influential years later on hyperpop artists who’ve been able to tweak elements of its sound in a more thought out way with better branding. I’ll admit I got motion sickness as the ill-advised and extremely quirked American Pie keyboard cover kicked off the end of the album, but even in this I found a bizarre, awkward charm. Certainly a moment I won’t be forgetting any time soon.

The album has some strong moments in production and tune but a lot of disappointments for me as it comes after Ray of Light which is my favourite of hers and a 5 for me Music by Madonna is a low 3 for me

Not my favorite Madonna era.

The album cover had some red flags, but I enjoyed this more than I would have thought. The acoustic pieces were my favorite, the title track not so much. Favorites: 'I Deserve It', 'Don't Tell Me'

Somewhat nostalgic for me, as this was the era of Madonna I was most familiar with when I was growing up. Ray Of Light is probably the better album, though, at least for my taste. That said, Don't Tell Me is a perfect, extremely cool song.

Best Song: Don't Tell Me. A bit of a kitchen-sink production, but somehow this odd mix of elements ends up working. Worst Song: Nobody's Perfect. The transition from the ASMR intro into the heavy autotune hits like a goddamn car crash. The whole song feels like a cursed time capsule. Overall: Feels kind of audacious to just call your album "music", especially when it's all relatively contemporary, late-90s trendiness. Surely she didn't think this would be so timeless as to deserve such a self-important title.

erster song banger dann wie bei Britney irgendwie kommt gar nichts ? c

Love the single Music and played it many times!!

Disco tratando de ser actual

First time listening to a Madonna album from start to finish. Every song was fine; didn't skip any. The production is immaculate (arguably to the point of sterility). But the choices, in arranging and mixing, are questionable throughout. The songs consistently lack urgency or excitement. Often elements that might draw the listener in are too low in the mix, while banal elements are featured very prominently. It must be said that the songs featuring acoustic guitar sound very 90s-pop in a way I would never have guessed Madonna songs could sound. The overall result is an album that is best suited to playing as background music, perhaps while having drinks with friends, or while doing household chores. This is a fate we could never have imagined for Madonna: to be ordinary.

Would I listen to this whole album again? No. Would I mind if someone else put it on? No. Am I shocked it was so popular when it was released? Yes. Not as bad as I feared, but not really for me.

*2000. *The first song and title track ("Music") was catchy and poppy when it came out, but no one loved it. *Don't Tell Me and What it Feels Like for a Girl are the other singles off this album. Don't Tell is the same deal - catchy and maybe a guilty pleasure, but no one's favorite. What it Feels Like - that one's weird and creepy and skippable. *After that, it doesn't get better. Madonna did the same thing as Britney - she chose to go for the club vibe with lots of electronics. It worked much better for Brit. *I Deserve Better is a nice departure from the club music. It's closer to Madonna's Ray of Light album from 1998 which I liked (hey, I was 13 at the time...) RATING - 6/10