Album Drop
Madonna’s “Veronica Electronica” Reminds Pop’s New Generation Who Did It First
In a year ruled by ambient melancholy, whisper vocals, and chilly synth-pop, Madonna has returned with a haunting reminder: she paved the way. Veronica Electronica, the long-rumored remix album built from the DNA of her 1998 opus Ray of Light, is finally here—and while it may not be filled with brand-new material, its message is loud and clear: pop in 2025 still lives in Madonna’s shadow.
Released on July 25 via Warner, Veronica Electronica revives eight reworked tracks from Ray of Light, the album that not only transformed Madonna’s career but also rewired the circuitry of mainstream pop. With remix work from club legends like William Orbit, Sasha, and Victor Calderone, this project stitches together trance, ambient, and techno elements that once felt ahead of their time—but now define the sonic mood of artists like FKA Twigs and Addison Rae.
William Orbit, who co-produced the original Ray of Light, expressed bittersweet disappointment that Veronica Electronica doesn’t dive deeper into the vault. “There could be something really wonderful,” he wrote on Facebook, “reworkings, remixes from the decades… going deeper into that special place.” Still, the release captures a moment in pop history that now feels more relevant than ever.
From Eusexua, FKA Twigs’s cyber-erotic odyssey, to Addison Rae’s dreamy debut Addison, the ghost of Ray of Light haunts this year’s most critically adored records. Twigs even worked with Madonna collaborator Marius de Vries and referenced Madonna’s choreography in her stage shows. Addison Rae, meanwhile, leaned into whisper-pop and glitchy trip-hop with a vulnerability that echoes the Queen of Pop’s late-’90s introspection.
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Madonna, of course, knows what’s happening. In April, she posted a cheeky Instagram caption—“God forbid a woman takes inspiration”—clearly signaling that today’s experimental pop isn’t forging new territory but rather orbiting her legacy.
While Veronica Electronica may be lighter than expected in terms of unreleased content (only one true demo, “Gone, Gone, Gone,” makes its debut), it’s perfectly timed. As Gen Z audiences rediscover club culture and ambient introspection post-pandemic, Madonna’s blueprint feels not only foundational—it feels futuristic again.
The Madonna album with remixes also arrives during a broader Madonna renaissance. Her Celebration tour reintroduced millions to her staggering discography, and her willingness to embrace her past—while cheekily calling out those who borrow from it—reaffirms her status as pop’s eternal provocateur.
So while Madonna’s Veronica Electronica may not be a complete reinvention, it is a pointed reminder. Every icy synth, ambient beat, and whispered hook trending in today’s pop landscape has Madonna’s fingerprints all over it. In 2025, pop’s most vital sound is still the one she forged 27 years ago.
