This could happen only to very few artists, of which it did to Madonna. The undisputed queen of pop released her seventh album, 1998's Ray of Light, to arguably the most favourable reception of her career, with many critics crowning it her magnum opus, winning four Grammy Awards and rounding off an impeccable run of releases.
Whilst Ray of Light appealed to long-time fans, convincing music snobs of her innate genius along the way, a downside of this victory of an album was its postponed companion. Veronica Electronica, is not only the name of this companion piece, but was Madonna’s alter-ego inhabited during the recording of her seventh record. Fans not born nor sentient before or during the release of Ray of Light, may be befuddled by this seemingly random release; whilst fans who were there at the time may now finally be celebrating the long awaited release of this monster of a remix album. After just over 25 years of waiting, Veronica Electronica arrives, elevating Madonna’s already phenomenal discography.
Madonna has often been one to celebrate her own artistry. With three greatest hits albums (The Immaculate Collection from 1990; GHV2 from 2001; Celebration from 2009) and a compilation honouring her staggering achievement of 50 Club number ones, her output is one of the most lauded in pop history. Whilst greatest hits albums these days have the reputation of solidifying the end of an artists relevance, remix records are more popular than ever: Lady Gaga’s Dawn of Chromatica assembled pop music outliers to create an absurdly brilliant take on the 2020 original; Dua Lipa’s Club Future Nostalgia, although not as popular with fans, was as equally ambitious in scope as it’s launchpad; and more recently, Charli xcx’s Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat, calcified the impact a remix record can have, with tracks on the aforementioned out streaming their originals by a long-shot. With this in mind, there hasn't been a better time for Miss Electronica to make her appearance.
Fans of Ray of Light may not be completely surprised by the sonic
language utilised on Veronica Electronica. “Drowned World / Substitute
for Love BT & Sasha’s Bucklodge Ashram New Edit” is less a remix,
more a continuation of the original. The same goes for “Frozen
(Widescreen Mix and Drums)”; which, despite the original considered as
one of the greatest pop songs ever made, still manages to carry the
trip-hop masterpiece to an interesting new landscape. Around the halfway
mark, the instrumentation strips down to something you wouldn’t be
surprised to hear Grace Jones Purr her away across.
Where Veronica Electronica really takes hold is in its moments of
unfamiliarity. “Ray of Light (Sasha Twilo Mix Edit)” is bonkers. It
takes the zany wit of Madonna’s original vocal performance and sticks a
squishy techno beat under it. The result is unabashedly ridiculous,
arguably, pushing the limits of good taste to their absolute zenith; the
outcome however, is nothing but riotous fun. “Sky Fits Heaven (Victor
Calderone Future New Edit)” follows a similar path; a remix that takes
the original vocal and places them atop a beat that wouldn’t be out of
place amongst the revelry found upon Spooky Island, the fictional theme
park from the live-action Scooby-Doo film - this is not to say it is
bad, but it has to be mentioned, as partly expected, it sounds very much
of its time.
The shining star of Veronica Electronica has to be “Gone Gone Gone
(Original Demo Version”, a song that didn’t make the final cut of Ray of
Light, but gets to live a new life here. Regardless of the slight
unfinished sound, this track holds much of the magic that Madonna and
William Orbit captured the first time round. It is ethereal, yet high
impact, sounding somewhere between the shadowy club vibes of “Nothing
Really Matters” and the wispy sparkle of “Little Star”. It is a shame
that we are unlikely to hear a finished version of the song, but really
it’s strength resides in it’s imperfection.
Where Veronica Electronica succeeds is within the joy it exudes. Ray
of Light remains a euphoric moment in pop music, and it is a pleasure to
witness the secret continuation of the mad world Madonna and William
Orbit conjured up together. Veronica Electronica may not add much to the
already excellent era it comes from, but it certainly acts as a
reminder to give the original another spin.
