Composition
A high-speed electronic dance song, "Ray of Light" has received stylistic comparisons to rave, psychedelic and acid music. The track contains strong techno elements, as well as disco, trance and Eurodance influences, and it sees Madonna deepen her dance roots and go for a more electronic sound. The song is based on the track "Sepheryn", written by Clive Maldoon and Dave Curtiss, but with its melody and instrumentation altered. All five (Madonna, Orbit, Maldoon, Curtiss and Leach) are credited for the song. The song was remixed by Victor Calderone, Sasha and Orbit. According to sheet music published by Muscinotes.com at Alfred Publishing, the song is written in the key of B♭ major and has a tempo of 126 beats per minute. The song starts off with an electric guitar riff which has been compared to British alternative rock/Britpop band Oasis, after which the fast techno melody begins, which, according to Lucy O'Brien in her book Madonna: Like an Icon, has been described as having a "bubbling psychedelic undertow", as well as combining "melodic pop with bleep-driven techno". Throughout the composition, there are numerous electronic sound effects, including whistles, bells and bleeps. Its beat has been described as "restless". Towards the middle of the track, the electric guitar riff is repeated in which Madonna sings the same line as the start of the song, until the dance section returns, and the song gradually ends. According to some sources, Madonna's vocals on the song span from B♭3 to B♭5, with the latter note sung on the ah vocalization near the end of the song. Madonna's "breathlessly" delivered vocals on the song are noted to be different to the ones featured in her singles before the 1996 film Evita.
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