"Borderline" | ||||
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![]() 7-inch US single picture sleeve | ||||
Single by Madonna | ||||
from the album Madonna | ||||
B-side |
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Released | February 15, 1984 | |||
Recorded | February 1983 | |||
Studio | Sigma Sound, New York City | |||
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Songwriter(s) | Reggie Lucas | |||
Producer(s) | Reggie Lucas | |||
Madonna singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Borderline" on YouTube |
"Borderline" is a song by American singer Madonna from her debut self-titled studio album (1983), written and produced by Reggie Lucas. In 1982, Madonna was signed on by Sire Records for the release of two 12-inch singles; after the success of first single "Everybody", the label approved the recording of an album, and the singer decided to work with Lucas. "Borderline" is a pop song with post-disco elements whose sounds recall the music of the 1970s, while the lyrics find a woman complaining of her lover's chauvinism.
In the United States, it was released as single on February 15, 1984, whereas in Europe it was published twice: first in June 1984, and then in January 1986. Upon release, "Borderline" was acclaimed by music critics, who lauded the singer's vocals; in retrospective reviews, it has been referred to as Madonna's breakout song, and as one of the best songs from the 1980s. It was commercially successful: in 1984, it gave Madonna her first top-ten hit in the US Billboard Hot 100. The 1986 release saw success across Europe: it became the singer's second number one in Ireland, and reached the top 3 in the United Kingdom, Belgium and The Netherlands.
The song's music video was directed by Mary Lambert; in it, Madonna portrays the girlfriend of a Hispanic man, to whom she returns after being enticed to pose and model for a white British photographer. Authors pointed out that with the visual, the singer broke the taboo of interracial relationships. "Borderline" has been performed in the singer's Virgin (1985) and Sticky & Sweet (2008) concert tours. It has also been covered by artists like Jody Watley, the Flaming Lips, and Kelly Clarkson, among others.
In 1982, Madonna was living with her former Michigan boyfriend Stephen Bray in an unused rehearsal studio in New York City. [1] Since "funky dance records were in style on the radio and dance floor", she and Bray created a demo tape with four dance tracks, including "Everybody", "Burning Up", and "Ain't No Big Deal". [2] While pitching the tape, she met and befriended DJ Mark Kamins at Danceteria nightclub. [3] After listening to "Everybody", Kamins took her to Sire Records, where Seymour Stein, the label's president, signed Madonna for two 12-inch singles. [3] Produced by Kamins and released in October, "Everybody" became a hit in the dance scene. [4] [5] The single's success led to the label approving the recording of an album, but Madonna chose not to work with either Bray or Kamins, opting instead for Warner Bros. producer Reggie Lucas; Lucas was hired by Sire executive Michael Rosenblatt to give the album "an R&B feel". [4] [6] Upon meeting her, Lucas wasn't impressed with the singer's "boho-punk style", and thought she "didn’t seem particularly avant-garde." [7] [6]
Prior to entering the studio, Madonna had written three new songs: "Lucky Star", "Think of Me", and "I Know It". [8] However, she soon realized that there was not enough material for a full-length album ― the only tracks available were "Everybody", "Burning Up", "Lucky Star", "Think of Me", "I Know It", and "Ain't No Big Deal". [3] Lucas then brought two compositions of his own to the project: "Physical Attraction" and "Borderline", which he wrote specifically for Madonna. [3] [9] Him and the singer worked on "Borderline" while she was staying at artist Jean-Michel Basquiat's apartment; "I'd write songs and put them on a little cassette player [...] I’d ask Madonna if she liked them [...] I did the demos for 'Physical Attraction' and 'Borderline' [...] and we did what we did to them", the producer recalled. [7] [9] Upon hearing the final version, Stein declared, "I dared to believe this was going to be huge beyond belief, the biggest thing I'd ever had, after I heard 'Borderline'... The passion that she put into that song, I thought, there's no stopping this girl". [6]
Recording took place at the Sigma Sound Studios in New York. [10] Personnel working on the song included Lucas on the drum machine, Fred Zarr and Dean Gant on keyboards and synthesizers, alongside Ed Walsh; the bass was played by Anthony Jackson, while Bobby Malach played tenor saxophone. Background vocals were provided by Gwen Guthrie, Brenda White, and Chrissy Faith. [10] Lucas compared "Borderline"'s style to that of Stephanie Mills ' "Never Knew Love Like This Before" (1980), which he also produced. It is also the first song where he used a drum machine instead of a drummer. [6] According to Rikki Rooksby, author of The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, the chord progression evokes Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" (1974), while the inversions are similar to the sound of the 1970s, specifically disco, Philadelphia soul, and the work of Elton John. [3]
"Borderline" is a pop song with post-disco elements. [12] It saw a change in Madonna's usual vocal tone, as she sings in a more "refined and expressive" way. [13] Lyrically, it has been described as a "flirty, confectionery complaint from one lover to another". [14] According to the sheet music published by Alfred Publishing Inc., "Borderline" is set in the time signature of common time with a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of D major, with Madonna's vocal range spanning from F♯3 to B4. The song follows the chord progression of D–C–G in the first verse, and changes to Bm–Em–A–F♯ in the pre-chorus. The refrain has a progression of G–D–A. [15]
In the United States, "Borderline" was released on February 15, 1984, as the fourth single from the Madonna album, following "Holiday"; [16] in the United Kingdom, it was published as the album's fifth single on June 2, 1984. [8] [17] To "keep the Madonna mania going on", a second European release was done in January 1986. [18] [16] "Borderline" was then included on Madonna's compilation albums The Immaculate Collection (1990) and Celebration (2009). [19] [20]
"Madonna went on to sing more-clever songs ('Material Girl'), more-showy songs ('Like a Prayer'), more-sexy songs ('Justify My Love'). But 'Borderline', her first top-10 hit, captures the essence of her pop appeal, its freshness, simplicity and vitality".
— Time 's Radhika Jones reviewing "Borderline" on the magazine's All-Time 100 songs ranking. [21]
"Borderline" has been acclaimed since its release. For Rikky Rooksby, it's the "most harmonically complex track on the album", while Dave Marsh, author of The Heart of Rock & Soul, felt it was "too damn good to be denied, no matter whose value system it disrupts". [3] [22] To Marc Andrews, it's the album's "sweetest" song. [23] Author Maury Dean, in his book Rock 'n' Roll Gold Rush, applauded its "saucy-style and come-hither magnetism". [24] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine singled it out as "effervescent", and as one of the "great songs" on his review of the Madonna album; [25] for Stewart Mason, from the same portal, "[it] proved that Madonna was more than a pretty face, a dancer's body and a squeaky voice [...] 'Borderline' is a pure treasure, one of those unabashedly commercial pop songs that also manages to at least hint at deeper emotions". He concluded that the singer, "delivers the best vocal performance of her early career, when her limitations were at their most obvious". [26]
From Slant Magazine , Sal Cinquemani deemed it "soulful", and Eric Henderson "tender", further adding: "Has there ever been an opening refrain more winsome and instantly nostalgic than that of Madonna’s first Top 10 single?". [27] [28] While the staff of The Advocate described "Borderline" as an "enjoyable earworm", Pitchfork 's Jill Mapes opined that it "helped [Madonna] resituate electronic dance-pop at Top 40’s apex". [29] [30] Mapes also added that it's the singer's "passionate performance [that] takes it over the top". [30] The Arizona Republic 's Ed Masley deemed it the best song on the Madonna album, adding that, although it features "the same girlish pout as her other early hits, [she] invests with way more soul". [31] This opinion was shared by Entertainment Weekly 's Chuck Arnold and The Quietus ' Matthew Lindsay; the former said the singer "has never sounded more genuinely soulful than on the divine 'Borderline'", while the latter also deemed it one of her "most enduring" songs. [32] [33] One lukewarm review came from the Observer–Reporter 's Terry Hazlett, who expressed the song was "inoffensive, danceable [but] ultimately forgettable". [34]
While reviewing The Immaculate Collection on its 25th anniversary, Drew Mackie from People opined it was "catchy", and a "promise of even better things to come" in Madonna's career. [19] James Rose, from the Daily Review, referred to "Borderline" as an "insight to an emerging wordsmith, with a deeper sensibility married to her unerring aim on manufactured pop hooks". [35] On his review of the 2001 re-release of Madonna, Michael Paoletta from Billboard pointed out that, "such tracks as 'Borderline' [...] remain irresistible". [36] While ranking the album's tracks on its 40th anniversary, Marcus Wratten from PinkNews placed "Borderline" on the first spot, singling out Madonna's performance, and comparing the single to a "warm, comforting hug". [37] "Borderline" has often been referred to as Madonna's breakout song: Journalist Roxanne Orgill in her book Shout, Sister, Shout!, wrote that it made the singer "the star that she is". [38] J. Randy Taraborrelli, in his biography of Madonna, said it was, along with "Holiday", one of the "key recordings" that helped to establish her career. [39] Mark Elliott from website This is Dig! added that "Borderline" was a "landmark song", as it positioned Madonna as a "premier-league mainstream star and a compelling dance act". [16] Finally, the staff of Rolling Stone concluded that, "['Borderline'] propelled [Madonna] from urban-radio contender to pop queen". [7]
"It's easy to see how 'Borderline' became the nascent New York star's first top ten hit on the Hot 100 — it's pure pop bliss [...] But while the track might've been a hit for anyone, it's Madonna’s vocal — an overpowering mixture of aching naivete and teasing vitality — that pushes [it] into the rarefied realm of pop classics".
—Joe Lynch's review of "Borderline" on Billboard's list of Madonna singles. [40]
Matthew Jacobs from HuffPost placed the song at number 17 of his ranking of Madonna's singles, singling out "those wailing vocals". [41] On Gay Star News ' ranking, the single came in at number 12; Joe Morgan wrote: "[Madonna] may have done more complicated songs, and experimented more, but 'Borderline' is pure pop finery". [42] Jude Rogers, from The Guardian , opined "Borderline" showcased "the young, untutored star at her most gentle and beseeching", and placed it at number 2 of her ranking of Madonna singles. [43] It was named "the song that proved early on that Madonna was no one-trick disco show pony", as well as her 27th best, by PinkNews' Nayer Missim. [44] Louis Virtel, writing for The Backlot, named "Borderline" the sixth best song of Madonna's discography, highlighting its "desire and unabashed innocence", and "phenomenal closing segment". [45] The staff of Rolling Stone named it the second best song of 1984. [46] On Pitchfork's ranking of the 200 best songs from the 1980s decade, "Borderline" was placed at 106: "four minutes of emotional helium [...] there’s so much charisma, it’s easy to see why it catapulted [Madonna] toward[s] being the biggest pop star in the world", read Jeremy Gordon's review. [47] In 2023, while celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Hot 100, the staff of Billboard named "Borderline" the 128th best pop song to appear in the chart since 1958: "Not [Madonna's] biggest '80s pop hit, but likely her purest", read the review. [48]
The week of March 3, 1984, several radio stations began to add "Borderline" to its rotation, which caused it to debut at #107 of Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100. [49] One week later, it entered the Hot 100 at #76. [50] By June 16, it peaked at number 10, becoming Madonna's first top-ten hit, the first of 17 consecutive top-tens the singer would achieve from 1984 through 1989. [51] [52] Overall, it spent 30 weeks on the chart. [51] It did one better on the Cash Box Top 100, peaking at #9. [53] On March 24, 1984, it entered the Dance Club Songs chart at #67, eventually peaking at #4 almost two months later. [54] [55] It also reached #23 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. [56] "Borderline" ranked 35th on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and 67th on the Cash Box Top 100, on their year end charts. [57] On October 22, 1998, the song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of 500,000 copies. [58] In Canada, the single debuted in the 56th position of RPM 's Top Singles chart on the week of August 4, 1984; [59] one month later, it peaked at number 25. [60]
In the United Kingdom, "Borderline" debuted at #74 on the UK Singles Chart on June 2, 1984, and, almost two week later, reached #56; it spent 5 weeks on the chart overall. [17] Following the 1986 re-release, it peaked at #2, behind Billy Ocean's "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going". [17] In February 1986, the single was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). [61] "Borderline" was the 50th best-selling single of 1986 in the United Kingdom. [62] According to Music Week magazine, over 298,300 copies of the single have been sold in the United Kingdom as of 2008. [63] The 1986 release saw success across Europe; it was Madonna's second #1 in Ireland after "Into the Groove", [64] [16] and peaked within the top 3 of the charts in Belgium and The Netherlands. [65] [66] [67] [68] "Borderline" reached #29 and #25 of Music & Media's European Hot 100 Singles and European Airplay Top 50, respectively. [69] [70] In Australia, the singled peaked at #12. [71] It was less successful in New Zealand, where it barely cracked the top 40. [72]
Mary Lambert directed the music video for "Borderline", which was filmed on location in Los Angeles, California from January 30 to February 2, 1984. [73] [74] Production was in charge of Lambert, Bruce Logan, and Michele Ferrone; Simon Maskell was on art direction, Andrea Dietrich on cinematography, while Glenn Morgan did the editing. [75] In the video, Madonna plays a young woman emotionally torn between her Hispanic boyfriend and a white British photographer, for whom she models and who publishes her pictures on a magazine cover. [76] [77] Lambert recalled that there was "no formula" used when making the video and that they were simply "inventing it as we went along". [74] The role of the singer's boyfriend was played by Louis "Louie Louie" Cordero, while actor John Leguizamo appeared as an extra. [78] [79]
Lambert herself described the video's plot to Rolling Stone: "[A] Boy and [a] girl enjoy simple pleasures of barrio love; girl is tempted by fame, boy gets huffy, girl gets famous, but her new beau's out-of-line reaction to a behavioral trifle (all she did was to spray-paint his expensive sports car) drives her back to her true love". [11] Throughout the clip, the singer is seen with her boyfriend and his "multiethnic break-dancing entourage", hanging out on rooftops; the scenes with the photographer depict a luxury sports car and take place in a "sanitized, colorless" private studio. [77] Madonna herself is shown with messy hair, "dramatic" make-up, jewelry, and a punk studded belt. In one particular scene with the boyfriend, she dons a denim jacket with "boy toy" emblazoned on the back. [77] When she models, she wears a couple of evening gowns. [76] These clothes were later used in fashion shows by designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Christian Lacroix. [76]
Footage with the photographer was shot in black-and-white, while the scenes in the barrio with her boyfriend were shot in full color. [77] "Borderline" was added to MTV the week of March 24, 1984. [54] Years later, it was added to Madonna's video compilations The Immaculate Collection (1990) and Celebration: The Video Collection (2009). [75] [20]
"'Borderline' was significant not only because of its then-controversial representation of an interracial relationship and female sexual assertiveness [...] but because [it] played out -and with- struggles over immigration, gender roles, and multiculturalism that were at the forefront of US politics in the 1980s".
—Author Leah Perry on the music video. [77]
According to Douglas Kellner, author of Media Culture: Cultural Studies, Identity, and Politics Between the Modern and the Postmodern, by having a Hispanic man play her love interest in the video, Madonna was breaking the "taboo of interracial relationships". [80] The author also saw this as a marketing strategy: the singer was inviting whites, Hispanics and other people of color to "fantasize that, they too can have or be [her]", thus successfully appealing to different audiences. [80] Kellner also held that the multiple and contrasting outfits Madonna wears throughout the visual suggested that, "one's identity is a construct that can [be] modified or change[d] at will". [80] He also noted how Madonna was starting to use fashion, sexuality and "the construction of image to present herself as both an alluring sex object and a transgressor of established borderlines", citing a scene in which she sprays graffiti all over classical sculptures as an example. [80] In The Cultural Politics of U.S. Immigration, Leah Perry specified that the singer had painted over the statues' genitals, thereby creating a "female sexuality that was independent of patriarchal control [...] that defied rather than rejected the male gaze". [77]
In Madonna's Drowned Worlds, Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens wrote that the Hispanic boyfriend and British photographer represented "the dualities" of the singer's life and career up at that point: "the gritty, multirracial street and club scene [...] [and] the new slick, fast world of popularity and success". [11] On the same vein, Kellner singled out the "contrasting fashion codes" between upper-class and Hispanic cultures; one is shown throughout high fashion, art, and luxury, while the other is equated to barrios and urban ghettos. [80] Throughout the clip, Madonna interacts with both men; in the end, however, she returns to her Hispanic boyfriend. Kellner concluded that this was meant to project "the fantasy that one can have it all, crossing borderlines from one culture to another [and] appropriating the pleasures of both". [80] From website This is Dig!, author Mark Elliott wrote that the clip "further fuelled the explosive impact of [Madonna's] first 18 months of fame", also adding that the singer played the same character from "Borderline" in the music videos for "Like a Virgin" and "Material Girl" (1985) –which were also directed by Lambert– as well as in Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). [16] The video for Madonna's 1994 single "Secret" was seen as a sequel to "Borderline". [81]
Matthew Lindsay referred to "Borderline" as a "mini-movie", and compared it to the 1975 film Mahogany ―which also features an interracial romance― and to the work of director John Hughes. [33] Radhika Jones said the singer resembled a "cool big sister crossing over into womanhood". [21] Eric Henderson considered "Borderline" to be the singer's 23rd greatest music video, deeming it "as simple and direct as the song’s message: Be with me and you’re going to have a really good time". [82] Louis Virtel wrote: "Remember simpler times when Madonna could just spray graffiti and look jilted at a pool hall, and that would be enough for a beautiful video? [...] [her] yearning is contagious — even if she is clad in chartreuse socks and yellow heels". He named it her eleventh best. [83] Finally, Out magazine's Julien Sauvalle considered it one of the singer's "most stylish" videos and noted influence on Rihanna's "We Found Love" (2011). [84] "Borderline" earned Madonna a nomination for Best New Artist at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards. [85]
In February 1984, Madonna appeared on The Dance Show and performed "Borderline", joined by her brother Christopher Ciccone, and dancer Erika Belle. [16] [86] The single was then included on two of the singer's concert tours: Virgin (1985) and Sticky & Sweet (2008). On the first one, the performance saw Madonna coming out from behind a silhouette. [87] Her wardrobe consisted of a crop top beneath a vest with a silver cross pattée, matching fringed gloves and miniskirt, leggings, low heel leather boots, and a crucifix earring in one ear. [88] "Borderline" is one of three performances not included on the Madonna Live: The Virgin Tour video release (1985). [89]
On 2006's Confessions Tour, "Borderline" was sampled on an introduction video that led to "Music" (2000), along with "Holiday", "Dress You Up" (1985), and "Erotica" (1992). [90] An arena rock rendition of "Borderline", with Madonna playing a purple Gibson Les Paul electric guitar, was performed on the Sticky & Sweet Tour. [91] [92] The singer wore 1980s-styled gym shorts, while the backdrops depicted graffiti and artwork inspired by Keith Haring. [91] From the Houston Press , Chris Gray referred to the number as a "stunner [...] one of several instances where [Madonna] proved her guitar was far more than a prop". [93] The performance was included on the Sticky & Sweet Tour live album release (2010), recorded during the four concerts in Buenos Aires, Argentina. [94]
On March 10, 2016, Madonna sang an acoustic "Borderline" on the Melbourne concert of her Madonna: Tears of a Clown show; she was dressed as a clown ―with a pink wig and candy-striped tights― and began the performance by saying: "I don’t have bipolar disorder but I am a little borderline". [95] [96] Writing for The Guardian, Monica Tan praised the singer for "knowing her jokes were shit but using them as a segue into songs". [96] Finally, on June 9, the singer did a “slowed-down, souled-up” rendition of the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , where she was joined by American band the Roots; the number was watched by the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama. [97]
In 2000, an electro-industrial cover of the song recorded by Canadian musician Nivek Ogre was included on Virgin Voices: A Tribute To Madonna, Vol. 2; AllMusic's Heather Phares was critical of the rendition, saying it had "missed the mark". [99] Two years later, it was recorded by American pop punk band Showoff for the compilation album Punk Goes Pop . [100] American singer Jody Watley recorded "Borderline" for her ninth album The Makeover (2006). [101] [98] This rendition had a slowed down "sparse" arrangement of piano, percussion and synths, and was lauded by the staff Billboard, who applauded its "beautifully chilled-out rhythms". [102] When asked why she chose to cover the song, Watley explained: "['Borderline'] is a song I’ve always liked. Because -even though the way it was originally recorded was very poppy- for me [it] always had a melancholy side to it, which I think my version taps into". [103]
American duo Chapin Sisters recorded the song for the tribute album Through the Wilderness (2007). [104] One year later, it was sung by Welsh singer Duffy at Radio 1's Big Weekend; afterwards, Duffy revealed that she was "terrified" at the idea of performing a Madonna song. [105] [106] In 2009, "Borderline" was covered by American bands the Flaming Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs for the Warner Bros. Records compilation Covered, A Revolution in Sound . On his review of the album, AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine felt this version turned the original "inside out". [107] Also in 2009, American band Counting Crows did a "strangely country" rendition of "Borderline" at a concert in London's Royal Albert Hall; it was made available to download on MP3 through the band's official website on March 17 of that year. [108]
Actors Cory Monteith and Lea Michele performed a mashup of "Borderline" and Madonna's 1986 single "Open Your Heart" in "The Power of Madonna" (2010), the fifteenth episode of American television series Glee . [109] Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel and American singer Amanda Shires covered the track for the former's 2018 album Accomplice One. According to Rolling Stone, this rendition "retains little of its original feel", being described as a "lilting waltz, with Shires' plaintive fiddle replacing the bubbly synthesizer hook". [110] In January 2021, American singer Kelly Clarkson did a "stirring" rendition of the song during the "Kellyoke" segment of her talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show . [111] One year later, in March 2022, Welsh band Manic Street Preachers sang "Borderline" during their appearance at the BBC 6 music festival; the following month, the band recorded a studio version. [112] [113] In 2017, on "Who's Your Daddy?" ―second episode of the ninth season of Will and Grace ― Will Truman (Eric McCormack) references "Borderline" by saying it got him through a bad breakup. [114]
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Credits are adapted from the album and 7-inch single liner notes. [10] [115]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI) [61] | Gold | 500,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [58] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Like a Virgin is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 1984, by Sire Records. Following the success of her 1983 self-titled debut album, Madonna was eager to start working on its follow-up. She selected Nile Rodgers to produce the album due to his work on Let's Dance (1983) by David Bowie, which she was a fan of. To ensure it be exactly as she envisioned it, Madonna chose all the songs for the album: She penned six of her own, five of which were co-written with former boyfriend and collaborator Stephen Bray, and six written by other artists. Recording sessions took place at Power Station Studio in New York City. Rodgers enlisted the help of his former Chic bandmates Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson.
"Who's That Girl" is a song by American singer Madonna from the soundtrack of the 1987 film of the same name. Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, it was released in Europe as the soundtrack's lead single on June 29, 1987 and in the United States on 30 June 1987. An uptempo pop song, "Who's That Girl" continued the singer's fascination with Latin pop, a genre she had previously explored on her single "La Isla Bonita". It features instrumentation from drums, bass, and trumpets, and has lyrics sung both in English and Spanish. While shooting for the film, then called Slammer, Madonna had requested Leonard to develop a song that captured the nature of her character; the producer worked on a demo and, afterwards, Madonna added the lyrics and decided to rename the song, as well as the film, to "Who's That Girl".
"Papa Don't Preach" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album, True Blue (1986). Written by Brian Elliot, it was produced by the singer and her collaborator Stephen Bray. In the United States, the song was released as the album's second single on June 11, 1986, whereas in most European countries, the release was five days later. A dance-pop track with that mixes elements of baroque, post-disco and classical music, its lyrics deal with teenage pregnancy. Elliot wrote it inspired by teen gossip he'd hear outside his recording studio. Originally intended for a singer named Christina Dent, Warner Bros. Records A&R executive Michael Ostin convinced Elliot he let Madonna record it instead. The singer then added and altered a few of the lyrics, and got a songwriting credit.
"Material Girl" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her second studio album, Like a Virgin (1984). It was released on January 23, 1985, by the Sire label as the second single from Like a Virgin. It also appears slightly remixed on the 1990 greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, in its original form on the 2009 greatest hits compilation, Celebration and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022). The song was written by Peter Brown and Robert Rans, and produced by Nile Rodgers. Madonna said the concept of the song was indicative of her life at that time, and she liked it because she felt it was provocative.
Madonna is the eponymous debut studio album by American singer Madonna, released on July 27, 1983, by Sire Records. In the late 1970s, Madonna had established herself as a singer in downtown New York City; alongside her Michigan boyfriend Stephen Bray, she put together a demo tape with four dance tracks and began pitching it around local nightclubs. She managed to get Mark Kamins, the resident DJ at Danceteria, to play "Everybody" —one of the songs from the tape. The song was met with a positive reception from the crowd, and Kamins took Madonna to Sire Records, where label president Seymour Stein signed her on for three twelve-inch singles. Following its release on October 6, 1982, "Everybody" found success on the dance scene, and the label approved the recording of an album.
"Dress You Up" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second studio album, Like a Virgin (1984). It was released as the album's final single on July 24, 1985, by Sire Records. Composed by Andrea LaRusso with lyrics by Peggy Stanziale, and produced by Nile Rodgers, who also played guitar on the track, it was the final song to be added to the album. Rodgers had asked the writers to compose something similar to the work of his band Chic but, due to LaRusso and Stanziale being busy with other projects, the composition took time. When the lyrics were submitted, the producer initially rejected them, as he felt there was no time to compose a melody; Madonna, however, liked the lyrics and convinced him to include the song on Like a Virgin. Musically, "Dress You Up" is a dance-pop song whose lyrics are an extended metaphor for fashion and lust, comparing dressing up with passion.
"Like a Virgin" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. The song was written and composed by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, and it was released as the album's lead single on October 31, 1984. A dance song with two hooks, Madonna sings in a high register while a continuous arrangement of synths are heard along the bassline. The song's lyrics are ambiguous, consisting of hidden innuendos and open to various interpretations.
"Lucky Star" is a song by American singer Madonna from her self-titled debut studio album (1983). Produced by Reggie Lucas, it was written by Madonna with the intention that her friend Mark Kamins would play it in his sets at Danceteria, where he was the resident DJ. In 1982, Madonna was signed on by Sire Records for the release of two 12" singles; after the success of first single "Everybody", the label approved the recording of an album, and the singer decided to work with Lucas. However, problems between Madonna and the producer arose and he ended up leaving the project; she then called John "Jellybean" Benitez, her boyfriend at the time, to work on the remaining songs.
"Holiday" is a song by American singer Madonna from her self-titled debut album (1983). It was written by Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens-Crowder for their own musical act Pure Energy, and produced by John "Jellybean" Benitez. Hudson came up with the lyrics of the song while watching negative news on television, and together with Stevens-Crowder worked on the music. They recorded a demo, which was turned down by their label Prism Records. Afterwards, Benitez pitched the track and offered it to several artists, including former the Supremes singer Mary Wilson, but it was rejected. Around the same time, Benitez was working with Madonna on her album; after realizing they needed a song for the project, Benitez thought of "Holiday" and approached Hudson and Stevens-Crowder.
"Burning Up" is a song written and recorded by American singer Madonna included on her debut studio album Madonna (1983). Written by the singer and produced by Reggie Lucas, the song was released as a double-sided single with "Physical Attraction" on March 9, 1983. In early 1980, Madonna was beginning her music career as a member of band the Breakfast Club; together with band drummer Stephen Bray, they formed a new band, Emmy and the Emmys, but shortly after, she decided to pursue a solo career. She and Bray created demos for three songs: "Everybody", "Ain't No Big Deal", and "Burning Up".
"Everybody" is a song written and recorded by American singer Madonna and produced by DJ Mark Kamins. In 1982, the singer was living with her former Michigan boyfriend Stephen Bray in New York, and since dance music was in style, they created a demo with four dance tracks, one of which was "Everybody". Madonna, who was not signed to any record label at the time, pitched the tape on her own: she would go to local nightclubs and try to convince the DJs there to play it. She met and befriended DJ Mark Kamins at Danceteria nightclub, who played "Everybody" to a positive reception from the crowd. Afterwards, Kamins took the tape to Sire Records, where Seymour Stein, the label's president, signed Madonna for two twelve-inch singles.
"Crazy for You" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for the film Vision Quest (1985). It was released in February 1985 by Geffen Records as the lead single from the film's soundtrack album. Film producers Jon Peters and Peter Guber, along with music director Phil Ramone, decided to use Madonna after listening to her previous recordings, employing John Bettis and Jon Lind to write the song. After reading the script of the film, Bettis and Lind wrote the song about the situation in which the lead characters meet at a nightclub. Initial recording sessions did not impress Bettis and Lind, and they felt that "Crazy for You" would be dropped from the soundtrack. However, a new version was recorded to their liking.
"Angel" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second studio album Like a Virgin (1984). It was released on April 10, 1985, by Sire Records as the album's third single. Written by Madonna and Steve Bray, it was one of the first songs developed for the project and, according to Madonna, was inspired by a girl who is saved by an angel, and she falls in love with him. "Angel" was released as a 12-inch single with "Into the Groove" in some countries and charted likewise. A music video was not filmed for "Angel", and instead, a promotional clip comprising segments of her previous videos was released in the United Kingdom.
"Into the Groove" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna, and featured on the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan. Written and produced by both Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind the song was the dance floor; the singer wrote it while watching a Latin American man to whom she was attracted. Its instrumentation features synthesizers and drum machines, with Madonna's voice being double tracked on the chorus. Sexual innuendos and undertones are present throughout the lyrics, which are written as an invitation to dance with the singer. Originally written for her friend Mark Kamins, Madonna later decided to use it on the film, as one of the scenes needed a dance song. It was later added to the 1985 international re-issue of her second studio album, Like a Virgin (1984), and in her compilations You Can Dance (1987), The Immaculate Collection (1990), Celebration (2009), and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022).
"Live to Tell" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album, True Blue (1986). The song was composed by Patrick Leonard as an instrumental for the score of Paramount's film Fire with Fire, but Paramount rejected it. Leonard then presented the track to Madonna, who decided to use it for At Close Range, a film starring her then-husband Sean Penn. Madonna wrote the lyrics, co-composed the melodies and co-produced it with Leonard. "Live to Tell" was released as True Blue's lead single in 1986, by Sire Records; afterwards, it was included on Madonna's compilation albums The Immaculate Collection (1990), Something to Remember (1995), and Celebration (2009). A pop ballad, the song includes instrumentation from guitars, keyboards, drums and a synthesizer, while the lyrics deal with deceit, mistrust and childhood scars; Madonna also recalled in an interview that she thought about her relationship with her parents while writing the lyrics.
"Open Your Heart" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna from her third studio album True Blue (1986). Written by Gardner Cole and Peter Rafelson, it was conceived as a rock and roll song titled "Follow Your Heart" for singer Cyndi Lauper, although it was never played for her. At the time, Cole's management was working with Madonna's, who were looking for material for True Blue. "Follow Your Heart" was among the songs offered to the singer. She liked it and, alongside producer Patrick Leonard, turned it into a dance song, changed its title and re-wrote some of the lyrics, thus receiving a songwriting credit.
"True Blue" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album of the same name (1986). Written and produced by the singer and her collaborator Stephen Bray, in Australia, New Zealand, and most European countries, it was released as the album's third single on September 29, 1986. In the United States, it was published on October 9. A dance-pop song that takes influence from Motown and girl groups from the 1950s and 60s, its lyrics address Madonna's feelings for her then-husband Sean Penn.
"La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album True Blue (1986). Patrick Leonard and Bruce Gaitsch created it as an instrumental demo and offered it to singer Michael Jackson, who turned it down. When Leonard met Madonna to start working on True Blue, he played the demo for her. Madonna came up with the title, wrote the lyrics and produced the song with Leonard. It is her first song with Latin influences. Its instrumentation features flamenco guitar, Latin percussion, maracas, and includes four lines sung in Spanish. The lyrics talk about an island named San Pedro, whose location has been debated. Madonna said the song was her tribute to Latin Americans.
"Vogue" is a song by American singer Madonna from her soundtrack album I'm Breathless (1990). Written and produced by herself and Shep Pettibone, it was inspired by voguing, a dance which was part of the underground gay scene in New York City. The song was released as the lead single from the album on March 20, 1990, by Sire Records and Warner Bros. Records. "Vogue" is a house song with influences of disco, which contains escapist lyrics describing the dance floor as "a place where no boundaries exist". Its middle eight features Madonna name-dropping several actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. "Vogue" was later included on three of Madonna's compilation albums: The Immaculate Collection (1990), Celebration (2009), and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022).
"Rescue Me" is a song by American singer Madonna from her first greatest hits album, The Immaculate Collection (1990). Written and produced by Madonna and Shep Pettibone, the song was released as the second single from The Immaculate Collection on February 26, 1991, in the United States, and as the third single on April 7 in the United Kingdom. A dance-pop and gospel-house track, the song is accompanied by the sound of thunder and rain, with the lyrics talking of romantic love rescuing the singer.
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