"Borderline" is a song by American singer Madonna from her debut studio album ''Madonna'' (1983). Written and produced by

Reggie Lucas Reginald Grant Lucas (February 25, 1953 – May 19, 2018)John "Jellybean" Benitez John Benitez (born November 7, 1957), also known as Jellybean, is an American musician, songwriter, DJ, remixer, and music producer. He has produced and remixed artists such as Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and the Pointer Sisters ...

. It was released by

Sire Records Sire Records (formerly Sire Records Company) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records. History Beginnings The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehre ...

as the fifth and final

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

from the album on February 15, 1984. The song is also included on Madonna's

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

s ''

The Immaculate Collection ''The Immaculate Collection'' is the first greatest hits album by American singer Madonna, released on November 13, 1990, by Sire Records. It contains fifteen of her hit singles recorded throughout the 1980s, as well as two brand new tracks, ...

'' (1990) and '' Celebration'' (2009). Lyrically, the track talks about

unrequited love Unrequited love or one-sided love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such by the beloved. The beloved may not be aware of the admirer's deep and pure affection, or may consciously reject it. The Merriam Webster Online Dict ...

and finds the singer using refined and expressive vocals. The song received critical acclaim; contemporary critics and authors called it the most harmonically complex track from ''Madonna'', and lauded the singer's vocals. In the United States, "Borderline" became Madonna's first top-ten hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number ten in June 1984. '' Billboard'' ranked the song No. 35 for 1984. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number two after it was re-released as a single in 1986. The song reached the top 10 or 20 in numerous European nations and topped the singles chart of Ireland. The "Borderline"

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

portrayed Madonna as the girlfriend of a Hispanic man, to whom she returns after being enticed to pose and model for a white photographer. It generated academic interest for its use of power as symbolism. According to some critics, the video helped establish Madonna's early success, and she was credited for resisting the taboo of

interracial relationships Interracial marriage is a marriage involving spouses who belong to different races or racialized ethnicities. In the past, such marriages were outlawed in the United States, Nazi Germany and apartheid-era South Africa as miscegenation. In 19 ...

within it. "Borderline" was placed at No. 2 on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

''s list of the 100 Best Singles of 1984. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' ranked it among the 200 best songs from the 1980s. Madonna performed it on two of her

concert tours A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

(1985) and Sticky & Sweet (2008). The song has been covered by artists such as Duffy, Jody Watley,

Counting Crows Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immerglück, bass guitarist M ...

, and

The Flaming Lips The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, vocals), Derek Brown (k ...

Background and composition

Madonna had already composed three songs when

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

contacted producer

Reggie Lucas Reginald Grant Lucas (February 25, 1953 – May 19, 2018) Madonna and Lucas had a meeting at the loft apartment of her then-boyfriend, artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, and he brought two of his own compositions, "Borderline" and "Physical Attraction." After recording "Borderline" in February 1983, Madonna was unhappy with the final version, feeling that Lucas used too many instruments and did not consider her ideas. This led to a dispute between the two and, after finishing the album, Lucas left the project without altering the songs to Madonna's specifications. The singer asked Funhouse DJ

John "Jellybean" Benitez John Benitez (born November 7, 1957), also known as Jellybean, is an American musician, songwriter, DJ, remixer, and music producer. He has produced and remixed artists such as Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and the Pointer Sisters ...

to remix "Borderline" and two of the other recorded tracks. Upon hearing the final version,

Seymour Stein Seymour Stein (born April 18, 1942) is an American entrepreneur and music executive. He co-founded Sire Records and was Vice President of Warner Bros. Records. With Sire, Stein signed bands that became central to the new wave era of the 1970s ...

, head of

, 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". "Borderline" presented a change in Madonna's normal vocal tone. A sentimental track, the song talks about a love that is never quite fulfilled; according to Santiago Fouz-Hernández, one of the authors of ''Madonna's Drowned Worlds'', lyrics such as ''Something in way you love me won't let me be/I don't want to be your prisoner so baby won't you set me free'' depicted a rebellion against male chauvinism. Madonna used a refined and expressive singing voice, backed by Lucas's instrumentations. The song is considered to be the best example of the working relationship between Lucas and Madonna, as Lucas pushed the singer to find emotional depth in the song. Although sounding icy, the

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

is contemporary in style, and the song's vocal range was later used by Madonna as her own personal range through her whole music career. It opens with a keyboard-rich

intro Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to: General use * Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music * Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and ...

played on a

Fender-Rhodes The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, t ...

electric piano and a catchy synth melody provided by

Fred Zarr Frederick I. Zarr (born September 26, 1955) is an American musician, record producer, composer and arranger based in Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings Cou ...

. Bass player Anthony Jackson doubled Dean Gant's synth bass to provide a solid and more complex texture. The chords were inspired by the 1970s disco sound in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, as well as Elton John's musical style; the chord sequences evoke Bachman-Turner Overdrive's song " You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", while the synth phases display Madonna's typical musical style. The song is set in common time with a moderate

tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

of 120 beats per minute and composed in the key of

D major D major (or the key of D) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor. The D major scale is: : Ch ...

with Madonna's vocal range spanning from F₃ to B₄. "Borderline" follows in the chord progression of D–C–G in the first verse to Bm–Em–A–F in the pre-chorus, and changes to A–F–Bm–A–E and G–D–A in the chorus.

Critical reception

Upon release, "Borderline" was acclaimed by music critics. Author J. Randy Taraborrelli, in his biography of Madonna, said it was, alongside " Holiday", one of the "key recordings" that helped to establish the singer in the music industry; he also added that her "sober" vocals made the track "as close to an old Motown production as a hit could get in the dance-music-driven eighties". Author

Maury Dean Maury Dean is an American musician, author and professor at Suffolk County Community College, whose book "The Rock Revolution" is in the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame and the Smithsonian. Music Dean taught a "History of Rock N' Roll" course as well ...

, in his book ''Rock 'n' Roll Gold Rush'', called the song "echoey

boogie Boogie is a repetitive, swung note or shuffle rhythm,Burrows, Terry (1995). ''Play Country Guitar'', p.42. Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. . "groove" or pattern used in blues which was originally played on the piano in boogie-woogie mus ...

" with "saucy-style and come-hither magnetism". On ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna'', Rikky Rooksby deemed it the most "harmonically complex" track of the album. Commentator Dave Marsh, author of ''The Heart of Rock & Soul'', said that the "music's too damn good to be denied, no matter whose value system it disrupts". Journalist Roxanne Orgill in her book ''Shout, Sister, Shout!'', commented that "Borderline" was the song that made Madonna "the star that she is". Bill Lamb from

About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...

described the song, along with "Holiday" and " Lucky Star", as "state of the art dance-pop" and praised their "irresistible" pop hooks. On a similar note, Matthew Hocter from music portal Albumism, said it was "the emergence of a woman who was beginning to master the art of the pop hook". From

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

, Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it one of the album's highlights and called it "effervescent"; also from AllMusic, Stewart Mason said 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", concluding that the singer "delivers the best vocal performance of her early career, when her limitations were at their most obvious". ''

Slant Slant can refer to: Bias *Bias or other non-objectivity in journalism, politics, academia or other fields Technical * Slant range, in telecommunications, the line-of-sight distance between two points which are not at the same level * Slant d ...

''s Sal Cinquemani deemed it "soulful". From the same magazine, Eric Henderson praised its "tender" chords and wrote: "Has there ever been an opening refrain more winsome and instantly nostalgic than that of Madonna’s first Top 10 single?". The ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...

''s Thom Duffy commented that "Borderline" was the song that "introduced Madonna, the helium-induced pop star, and siren kitten". For ''

'', Jillian Mapes opined that its "passionate performance takes it over the top". On his review of ''

'' (1990), Drew Mackie from ''

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

'' said it was "catchy" and a "promise of even better things to come" in Madonna's career. For ''

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...

'', Matthew Lindsay opined it was one of the singer's most "enduring" and "genuinely soulful" tracks. According to the staff from '' The Advocate'', it's an "enjoyable earworm". ''

The Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...

''s Ed Masley deemed it the best song on the album as well as Madonna's second greatest single; he wrote that, although it features "the same girlish pout as her other early hits, heinvests with way more soul". "Borderline" also came second on ''

''s list of the 100 Best Singles of 1984; Carrie Grant hailed it a "melodic synth-a-palooza" with "sweetly-sung, restrained but emotional" vocals. ''Pitchfork'' ranked the 200 best songs from the 1980s and placed "Borderline" at 106; "four minutes of emotional helium ..there’s so much charisma, it’s easy to see why it catapulted her toward being the biggest pop star in the world", read Jeremy Gordon's review. Louis Virtel from '' The Backlot'' highlighted its "desire and unabashed innocence" and considered it Madonna's sixth best song. ''

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'' Joe Morgan opined that, even though Madonna has done "more complicated songs, ..'Borderline' is pure pop finery". For Matthew Jacobs from the ''

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'', it's "all about those wailing vocals", as well as the singer's 17th best single. ''

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'' Mayer Nissim deemed it Madonna's 27th best song and Samuel R. Murrian from '' Parade'' her sixth; the former opined it was "deep in themes and melody" and proof that the singer was not a "one-trick disco show pony", while the latter called it "timeless". ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

''s Chuck Arnold expressed that " adonnahas never sounded more genuinely soulful than on the divine Borderline'"; he picked it as the singer's 16th best single. Finally, '' Billboard''s Joe Lynch ranked it as Madonna's 19th greatest single. He wrote: "while it might’ve been a hit for anyone, it’s Madonna’s vocals – an overpowering mixture of aching naivete and teasing vitality – that push 'Borderline' into the rarefied realm of pop classics". At the 1984 ''Billboard'' Music Awards, "Borderline" received two nominations: Best New Artist for Madonna and Best Choreography in a Music Video.

Commercial reception

"Borderline" was officially released as the ''Madonna'' album's fifth and final single on February 15, 1984. The week of March 3, several

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...

s began to add it to its rotation, which caused it to enter ''Billboard''s

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

chart at number 103. One week later, it entered the Hot 100 at number 88, eventually peaking at number 10 on June 16, becoming Madonna's first top-ten hit; it remained on the chart for 30 weeks. On March 24, the track made its debut on the Dance Club Songs chart at number 67; it reached number four the week of May 11. "Borderline" also proved to be a crossover success by peaking at 23 on the

Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by stat ...

chart. On October 22, 1998, the song was certified

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of 500,000 copies. In Canada, the single debuted at number 56 in the ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' issue dated August 4, 1984 and peaked at 25 on September 15. The song was present on the chart for 14 weeks. In the United Kingdom, where the song was released on June 2, 1984, it was only able to reach number 56. However, following a re-release on January 1, 1986, it peaked at number two, spending nine weeks on the charts. "Borderline" was certified gold by the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...

(BPI) in February 1986. According to the MTV UK, the single has sold 310,000 copies in the United Kingdom as of 2010. Across Europe, the song topped the chart in Ireland and entered the top ten in Belgium and the Netherlands. It also peaked at number 23 in Switzerland and number 12 in Australia. In New Zealand, "Borderline" peaked at number 47.

Music video

Background

The music video for "Borderline" was filmed on location in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

from January 30 to February 2, 1984. It marked the first collaboration between the singer and director Mary Lambert, who would go on to direct the videos for " Like a Virgin", "

Material Girl "Material Girl" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her second studio album, '' Like a Virgin'' (1984). It was released on November 30, 1984, by the Sire label as the second single from ''Like a Virgin''. It also appears slightly ...

" (1985), "

La Isla Bonita "La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album '' True Blue'' (1986). Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, with additional lyrics by Bruce Gaitsch, the song was originally presented by Leonard ...

" (1987) and " Like a Prayer" (1989). Lambert recalled that there was "no formula" used when making the video and that they were simply "inventing it as we went along". In the video, Madonna plays a young woman emotionally torn between her Hispanic boyfriend (

Louie Louie "Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a standard in pop and ...

) and a white photographer for whom she models and who publishes her pictures on a magazine cover. On the January 1997 edition of ''Rolling Stone'', Lambert described the plot:

Boy and 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.

The video narrative weaves the two relationship stories together in color and black-and-white. In the color sequences, Madonna sings, flirts and seduces her boyfriend, and in the black-and-white sequences she poses for the photographer. She wore lace gloves, high-heeled boots with thick socks, and her trademark "boy-toy" belt. Other clothes included crop-tops, T-shirts, vests and sweaters coupled with cut-off pants and jeans, as well as a couple of evening gowns. The video began receiving airplay on MTV the week of March 24; it was then included on Madonna's music video compilations ''

'' (1990) and '' Celebration: The Video Collection'' (2009).

Analysis and reception

According to critics and scholars, with the video Madonna helped break the taboo of interracial relationships. Bob Batchelor and Scott Stoddart, authors of ''The 1980s: American Popular Culture Through History'', pointed out that her relationships with the Hispanic man and the white photographer mirrored the struggle many Hispanic women faced with their partners.

Douglas Kellner Douglas Kellner (born May 31, 1943) is an American academic who works at the intersection of "third-generation" critical theory in the tradition of the Frankfurt Institute for Social Research, or Frankfurt School, and in cultural studies in the ...

said that, although at first it seems that she breaks up with her Hispanic boyfriend in favor of the photographer, she later rejects the photographer; thus implying her desire to control her own sexual pleasures and to cross "established pop borderlines" with lyrics, like "You just keep on pushing my love, over the borderline". Also, the contrasting image of Madonna, first as a "messy blonde" in the street sequence and later as a glamorous high-fashion blonde, suggests that one can construct one's own image and identity; Kellner also wrote that the "street" image depicted in the video allowed her to appeal to Hispanic and black youths. Critics also noted a symbolism of power in the two contrasting storylines; the photographer's studio is decorated with classical sculptures and nude statues holding spears, phallic symbols. In contrast, phallic symbols portrayed in the Hispanic neighborhood include a street lamp that Madonna embraces and a

pool Pool may refer to: Water pool * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a rocky po ...

cue held erect by Madonna's boyfriend. Author Andrew Metz commented that with these scenes, the singer was displaying her "sophisticated views on the fabrications of feminity as a supreme power rather than the normal views of oppression". On one particular shot, when posing for the photographer, Madonna looks towards the camera with challenge in her eyes, depicting sexual aggression; on another, she starts spraying

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

over statues, portraying herself as a transgressor who breaks rules and wants to innovate. Author Carol Clerk said that the videos of "Borderline" and "Lucky Star" established the singer not as the

girl next door The girl next door is a young female stock character who is often used in romantic stories. She is so named because she often lives next door to the protagonist or is a childhood friend. They start out with a mutual friendship that later often ...

, but as a "sassy, smart and tough funny woman"; Kellner further added that the video depicted motifs and strategies that helped Madonna in her journey to become a star. The clothes she wore in the video were later used by designers like

Karl Lagerfeld Karl Otto Lagerfeld (; 10 September 1933 – 19 February 2019) was a German fashion designer, creative director, artist and photographer. He was known as the creative director of the French fashion house Chanel, a position held from 1983 ...

and Christian Lacroix. Matthew Lindsay compared the video's plot to the 1975 film '' Mahogany'' and the work of director John Hughes. "Borderline" is often regarded as one of Madonna's "career-making moments". Louis Virtel from ''The Backlot'' placed it in the 11th position of his ranking of the singer's videos; he 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? .. eryearning is contagious — even if she is clad in chartreuse socks and yellow heels". Bill Lamb deemed it her tenth best and said it was her first video that "expressed erinterest in taking the fledgling art form in challenging new directions". Finally, '' Out'' magazine considered it one of Madonna's "most stylish" videos and noted influence on Rihanna's "

We Found Love "We Found Love" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her sixth studio album, ''Talk That Talk'' (2011). Scottish DJ Calvin Harris wrote, produced, and features on the song, which also appears on his third album '' 18 Months'' (2012). "We F ...

" (2011).

Live performances

Madonna - Tears of a clown (26013448190)

Madonna first performed "Borderline" on ''The Dance Show'' on February 13, 1984; she was joined by her brother

Christopher Ciccone Christopher Ciccone (born November 22, 1960) is an American artist, interior decorator, and designer in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. He is the younger brother of singer Madonna. Ciccone began his professional career as a dancer with La G ...

and Erika Belle. It was then added to the setlist of the

(1985) and Sticky & Sweet (2008) concert tours. On the first one, she appeared from behind a silhouette and sang the original version of the song, but omitted the second verse. She was decked out in a black ensamble consisting of a

crop top A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. When the plants of the same kind are cultivated at one place on a large scale, it is called a crop. Most crops are cultivated in agriculture or hydroponics ...

beneath a vest with a silver

cross pattée A cross pattée, cross patty or cross paty, also known as a cross formy or cross formée (french: croix pattée, german: Tatzenkreuz), is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre, and often flared in a curve or straight ...

, matching fringed elbow length gloves and miniskirt, leggings, low heel leather boots and a

crucifix A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (Lati ...

earring in one ear. "Borderline" is one of three performances not included on the '' Madonna Live: The Virgin Tour'' video release. On the Sticky & Sweet Tour, twenty three years later, it was performed in a

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

-style version with the singer playing a purple Gibson Les Paul

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...

. Madonna wore red

gym shorts Gym shorts are an article of clothing typically worn by people when exercising. They are typically made out of fabrics that allow for maximum comfort and ease, such as nylon. Brands such as Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, and Reebok all make gym ...

and knee-high black socks while the backdrops depicted graffiti and artwork inspired by

Keith Haring Keith Allen Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an American artist whose pop art emerged from the New York City graffiti subculture of the 1980s. His animated imagery has "become a widely recognized visual language". Much of his wor ...

. From ''

The Denver Post ''The Denver Post'' is a daily newspaper and website published in Denver, Colorado. As of June 2022, it has an average print circulation of 57,265. In 2016, its website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 13 ...

'', Ricardo Baca opined that the song “was gallantly transformed into an arena anthem from the 1980s”, while the New York ''Daily News'' Jim Farber compared it to the work of

The Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Da ...

. The performance was included on the ''

Sticky & Sweet Tour The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth concert tour by American singer Madonna, to promote her eleventh studio album, ''Hard Candy (Madonna album), Hard Candy'' (2008). It was Madonna's first major venture under a new ten-year 360 deal with Liv ...

'' live album release (2010), recorded during the four December 2008 shows in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

, Argentina. On March 10, 2016, Madonna sang an acoustic "Borderline" on the Melbourne concert of her Madonna: Tears of a Clown show. She was decked out as a clown, wearing a billowing yellow top and pink and white striped socks, and came onto the stage riding a tricycle. She began the performance by saying: "I don’t have

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

but I am a little borderline"; writing for ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', Monica Tan praised the singer for "knowing her jokes were shit but using them as a segue into songs". Finally, on June 9, the singer did a “slowed-down, souled-up” rendition of the song on ''

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...

'' back by The Roots; the number was watched by the 44th

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

Covers and media appearances

In 2000, an

electro-industrial Electro-industrial is a music genre that emerged from industrial music in the early 1980s. While EBM (electronic body music) has a minimal structure and clean production, electro-industrial tends to have a grittier, complex and layered sound ...

cover of the song by

Nivek Ogre Kevin Graham Ogilvie (born December 5, 1962), known professionally as Nivek Ogre, is a Canadian musician, performance artist and actor, best known for his work with the industrial music group Skinny Puppy, which he co-founded with cEvin Key. Sin ...

OhGr ohGr is an American industrial band formed by Nivek Ogre and Mark Walk of Skinny Puppy. Early ohGr releases incorporated hip hop and synth-pop influences, and in contrast to Skinny Puppy, utilized conventional structures and a lighter tone. Og ...

was included on the tribute compilation album ''Virgin Voices: A Tribute To Madonna, Vol. 2''; Heather Phares of AllMusic opined that this cover "missed the mark". Two years later, it was covered by Chicago

pop punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti- suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other p ...

band

Showoff Showoff is a pop punk band from Chicago, Illinois led by vocalist Chris Envy. History Showoff was formed in 1997 in Villa Park, Illinois. The band consisted of Chris Envy, Daniel Castady (drums), Graham Jordan (guitar), and Dave Envy (a.k.a. Da ...

for the compilation album ''

Punk Goes Pop ''Punk Goes Pop'' is the second album in the '' Punk Goes...'' series and the first installment in the long running ''Punk Goes Pop'' series created by Fearless Records. It contains a collection of songs by various artists performing covers of p ...

''. In 2006, Jody Watley recorded a downtempo version of "Borderline" for her ninth album ''

The Makeover ''The Makeover'' is the ninth studio album by American singer Jody Watley, released on Avitone Records. Watley recruited a diverse group of contemporary dance and electronica producers for the project, among them King Britt, DJ Spinna and 4hero. ...

''. This version was released as single peaking number two on the ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs. In 2007, a cover by The

Chapin Sisters The Chapin Sisters are an American folk rock and harmony duo from Brooklyn, New York. The band consists of sisters Abigail and Lily Chapin, and formerly their half-sister Jessica Craven. Their sound blurs the lines between old-time Appalachian mus ...

was included on the tribute album ''

Through the Wilderness ''Through the Wilderness'' is a tribute album with contributions from a variety of artists dedicated to American singer Madonna. It was released on November 27, 2007, by Los Angeles-based Manimal Vinyl Records. According to label head Paul Beah ...

''. The following year, Duffy performed "Borderline" at

Radio 1's Big Weekend BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend (R1BW) (previously known as One Big Weekend, for 2012 as Radio 1's Hackney Weekend, and for 2018 as BBC Music's Biggest Weekend) is a British music festival run by the BBC's radio station. It is held once a year, in a ...

and Stardeath and White Dwarfs recorded a cover of the song for the 2009 Warner Bros. Records compilation '' Covered, A Revolution in Sound''; AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine felt this version turned the original "inside out". A "strangely country-rock" rendition of "Borderline" was performed by

at the Royal Albert Hall; it was made available to download on

MP3 MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, with support from other digital scientists in the United States and elsewhere. Origin ...

through the band's website on March 17, 2009. In 2010,

Cory Monteith Cory Allan Michael Monteith (; May 11, 1982 July 13, 2013) was a Canadian actor and musician who played Finn Hudson on the Fox television series '' Glee''. As an actor based in British Columbia, Monteith had minor roles on television series bef ...

and Lea Michele performed a mashup of "Borderline" and Madonna's 1986 single " Open Your Heart" in the episode "

The Power of Madonna "The Power of Madonna" is the fifteenth episode of the American television series '' Glee''. The episode premiered on the Fox network on April 20, 2010. When cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) demands that Madonna's music be played o ...

" of American television series ''

Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...

''. It was also performed live, in 2010, by Scottish singer Steve Mason. In 2017, on the second episode of the ninth season of ''

Will and Grace Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and wi ...

'', "Who's Your Daddy?",

Will Truman William Truman is a fictional character and one of the two titular protagonists on the American sitcom ''Will & Grace'', portrayed by Eric McCormack. He is a lawyer who lives in the Upper West Side of New York City with his best friend, Grace ...

(played by

Eric McCormack Eric James McCormack (born April 18, 1963) is a Canadian-American actor and singer, known for his roles as Will Truman in the NBC sitcom ''Will & Grace'', Grant MacLaren in Netflix's ''Travelers'' and Dr. Daniel Pierce in the TNT crime drama ...

) confesses that "Borderline” got him through a bad breakup. In 2021

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...

sang the song during the "Kellyoke" segment on her talk show ''

The Kelly Clarkson Show ''The Kelly Clarkson Show'' is an American daytime television variety talk show hosted by American singer Kelly Clarkson. It is produced and distributed by NBCUniversal Syndication Studios and features Clarkson interviewing celebrities and seg ...

''. And Welsh band

Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh rock band formed in Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (drums, percussion, soundscapes), plus ...

performed a cover of this song live, for the BBC 6music Festival, live in Cardiff, on 1 April 2022.

Track listings and formats

* US 7" single # "Borderline" (7" Remix) – 4:02 # "Think of Me" (LP Version) – 4:55 * UK 7" and limited-edition picture disc # "Borderline" (7" Remix) – 4:02 # "Physical Attraction" (Single Edit) – 3:56 * UK 12" single # "Borderline" (U.S Remix) – 6:57 # "Borderline" (Dub Remix) – 5:48 # "Physical Attraction" (LP Version) – 6:42 * German and UK CD Maxi-Single (1995) # "Borderline" (LP Version) – 5:17 # "Borderline" (U.S Remix) – 6:57 # "Physical Attraction" (LP Version) – 6:42 * US 12" Maxi-Single # "Borderline" (New Mix) – 6:54 # "Lucky Star" (New Mix) – 7:14 * US 12" promotional maxi single # "Borderline" (New Mix) – 6:54 # "Borderline" (Instrumental) – 5:48 * Australian 12" single # "Borderline" (U.S Remix) – 6:57 # "Borderline" (7" Remix) – 4:02 # "Borderline" (Dub Remix) – 5:48 * German 12" single # "Borderline" (U.S Remix) – 6:57 # "Borderline" (Dub Remix) – 5:48 # "Physical Attraction" (LP version) – 6:42

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the album and the 7-inch single liner notes. * Madonna – lead vocals *

Reggie Lucas Reginald Grant Lucas (February 25, 1953 – May 19, 2018)Fred Zarr Frederick I. Zarr (born September 26, 1955) is an American musician, record producer, composer and arranger based in Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings Cou ...

– synthesizers, electric and acoustic piano * Dean Gant – synthesizers, electric and acoustic piano * Ed Walsh – synthesizers * Anthony Jackson – electric bass * Ira Siegal – guitars * Bobby Malach – tenor saxophone * Gwen Guthrie – background vocals * Brenda White – background vocals * Chrissy Faith – background vocals * Glenn Parsons - artwork * Jeri McManus - artwork *

George Holz George Holz was born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (aka “the Secret City”), graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and assisted for Helmut Newton, whom he credits with guiding his career. As a fledgling photographer ...

- photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Borderline (Song) 1984 singles Madonna songs Songs written by Reggie Lucas Song recordings produced by Reggie Lucas Sire Records singles Warner Records singles 1983 songs Music videos directed by Mary Lambert The Flaming Lips songs Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Post-disco songs