Every year music critics and writers rush to crown the ‘song of the summer.” I have no idea what the trendy “summer” song is for 2022, but I do know that the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna owned that crown in 1984. “Borderline” became the anthem for the summer of 84, and the music video is one of Madonna’s most beloved and iconic, helping cement her “boy toy” image.
In 1983 Madonna released her ambitious, self-titled debut. The synth-heavy dance album was a slow burn, with singles like “Lucky Star” and “Burning Up” steadily rising on the charts. “Borderline” was the fifth and final single and became her breakthrough hit, cracking the top ten on the Billboard 100.
“Borderline” is a prime example of why Madonna is considered one of the architects of the music video format. The clip was shot in L.A. and directed by longtime collaborator Mary Lambert, who would helm many more Madonna videos, including the uber controversial “Like A Prayer.” The stylish video shows a young Madonna being discovered by a talent scout and rockets to fame as a cover model, as her hunky and cute boyfriend feels abandoned on the sidelines. The video switches between color to black and white, with Madonna’s first “in video” acting as she fights with her boyfriend.
The clip received heavy airplay on MTV and helped propel the Material Girl into the spotlight. It also primed the pump for her controversial “Like A Virgin” release later that year. And unleash the army of “Madonna” copycats, with young girls raiding their closets for lace and fingerless gloves. It started with “Borderline” and showcased Madonna’s marketing genius on how the new music video format could shape an artist’s look and brand. A trick she would do over and over again, becoming MTV’s woman of a thousand faces.
Check out the classic video below, and let me know what you think in the comments!
Rad post!! epic era & vid.
Thanks for checking out my post. I agree, the 80’s had some great music and the music videos were amazing!
I remember when this came out, and Madonna was already starting to become a household word. And, she absolutely helped formulate and shape the early days of music videos. The Material Girl is a true hall-of-famer.
I’ve been a longtime fan of Madonna, but I haven’t always enjoyed some of her musical choices. But yeah, she knew how to craft a music video and dominated MTV back in the 80s.