Borderline (5:21)

“Borderline” is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her self-titled debut album. It was released on February 15, 1984 as the fourth single by Sire Records. Written and composed by producer Reggie Lucas, the song received remix treatment from Madonna’s then boyfriend John “Jellybean” Benitez. She used a refined and expressive voice for the song. Its lyrics dealt with the subject of a love that is never fulfilled and was written as a rebellion against male chauvinism.

Contemporary critics and authors applauded the song, calling it as harmonically the most complex song from the Madonna album and complimenting the dance-pop nature of the song. “Borderline” became Madonna’s first top ten song on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at ten. Elsewhere, the song reached the top twenty of a number of European nations while peaking the chart in Ireland. In 2009, the song was placed at eighty-four on Blender magazine’s “The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born” article.
The accompanying music video portrayed Madonna with a Latin man as boyfriend. She is enticed by a British photographer to pose and model for him, but later returns to her original boyfriend. The video generated interest amongst academics, who noted the use of power as symbolism in it. With the video, Madonna was credited for breaking the taboo of interracial relationships and was considered one of her career-making moments. The release of the video on MTV increased Madonna’s popularity further. Madonna has performed the song on her Virgin Tour (1985) and the Sticky & Sweet Tour (2008).