The 90s proved slightly tricky for the Material Girl, with a full 8 year gap between the No.1s Vogue and Frozen . Between them, she enjoyed a steady flow of minor Top 10 releases which for any other artist would be considered a success. Effortlessly shrugging off any notions of being a fallen 80s icon, Madonna sounded utterly in tune with the times. Music pulls off the same trick, taking as it does the sounds of European techno and trance on board courtesy of her latest collaborator Mirwais. Therein perhaps lies her secret to longevity and continual change in her work.
Music is essentially upbeat and immediately memorable.
The more sombre touches from Ray Of Light are dispensed with here, allowing a quite stunning 45 minutes of very modern, very stylish club-flavoured pop. Don't Tell Me , which has a nifty guitar motif etched into its tapestry of techno beats and cut-ups. It's an album that almost flies by, so enjoyable is this particular brand of Music. Like For A Girl the outstanding moment. The addition of her cover of Don Maclean's American Pie on UK editions, meanwhile, is icing on the cake.