Two things that have impressed me throughout this Madonna deep dive are her commitment to collaboration and her interest in evolving her sound.

After her debut album, Madonna was turned down by her label when she wanted to produce the album herself. She took advantage of that opportunity and sought out Niles Rogers, the first of many big-name producers with whom she would record over the years.

And rather than stick with just one producer, she made it a point to seek out new talent with the aim of never having one of her albums sound like its predecessor. Shep Pettibone brought his remix aesthetic to Erotica; Dave Hall, Babyface and other R& stalwarts gave an R&B sheen to Bedtime Stories; and William Orbit pioneered techno-pop on Ray of Light.

By the time Madonna was working on Ray of Light‘s follow-up, that sound had become ubiquitous (in large part due to the success of her own record). She scrapped some early recording sessions with Orbit and brought her new material to French DJ/producer Mirwais Ahmadzaï.

Madonna was drawn to Ahmadzaï’s work as a solo artist, and wanted to bring his experimental flair to her new album. The result, Music, ushered in a new decade for the Queen of Pop, dropping in September of 2000.

Music is a fascinating, uneven album. It goes as heavily into techno/dance territory as anything in Madonna’s catalog to that point, but it also contains some of her most stripped-down, raw performances.

On some tracks, Madonna’s vocals are distorted beyond recognition, while on others they are presented absent any reverb or polishing whatsoever.

On the cover art, Madonna dons a cowboy hat and the album title is presented on a large belt buckle, and that country/western aesthetic finds its way into some of the songs. Ahmadzaï claims that he and Madonna essentially invented “folktronica” on second single ‘Don’t Tell Me.’

I find a lot to love on this album, even if it’s a step down from Ray of Light. With every new release, I kick myself for taking so long to listen.

Music hit the #1 spot on the Billboard 200, Madonna’s first appearance in the top spot since Like a Prayer 11 years earlier. It went on to sell 3 million copies in the U.S. and 11 million worldwide. Through 17 years and eight albums, she never failed to go multi-platinum, a streak that would finally end (barely) with her next release.