The Madonna Project: #1. "Madonna" (1983)

In the history of pop music, no artist has stood out quite like Madonna. From her early days writing infectious songs that challenged societal norms, the fashion icon created a new definition of celebrity and in the process reinvented herself in such alluring ways. With The Madonna Project, the plan is to watch the chameleon grow and change over time, highlighting the various things that make her albums essential, or at least interesting to talk about. Over the course of 2020, this will be a look at everything from "Madonna" to "Madame X" (and possibly beyond) in an attempt to understand: why does Madonna continue to matter, and if that could ever possibly change. It's a tough call, but join me on a journey of finding out what makes her one of the most untouchable Gods of pop. 

Album: "Madonna"

Release Date: July 27, 1983
Label: Sire Records, Warner Bros. 

Certifications:
-Australia (3x Platinum)
-France (Platinum)
-Germany (Gold)
-Hong Kong (Platinum)
-Italy (Gold)
-Netherlands (Platinum)
-Spain (Gold)
-South Africa (Gold)
-United Kingdom (Platinum)
-United States (5x Platinum)
Total: 10 million sold internationally 

Singles:
-"Everybody"
-"Burning Up"
-"Holiday"
-"Lucky Star"
-"Borderline"

Awards:
N/A

Track List:

1. "Lucky Star"
2. "Borderline"
3. "Burning Up"
4. "I Know It"
5. "Holiday"
6. "Think of Me"
7. "Physical Attraction"
8. "Everybody"

*NOTE: Listen to it here.

Track Analysis

This section is a song by song breakdown in hopes of understanding what makes each song special in his catalog. Other things considered will include best song, most interesting standout, and other fields deemed relevant to the album.

Singles

Presented in order of appearance on the album.

"Lucky Star"

Here we are at the start of Madonna's discography, and where do things begin? Why, with the sound of a star shooting across the sky, moments before the infectious beat hits and drops us into her lap. From this moment on, she controls us with her bravado, managing to make even the most repetitive of beat have a hypnotic effect on the listener. It's triumphant, reflecting the range of her as a performer as she presents a side of pop that is both fading but about to be rejuvenated. The song remains one of her best early songs because of how infectious the beat is, making it feel like it could go on for three minutes or six (in some cases,  it did). In the process, it avoids borderline kitsch with goofy lyrics that wink at the listener as she gets seductive. As far as openers to a debut go, this one is arguably among the biggest, most indicative procession of what's to come.

"Borderline"

What can be said about early Madonna, at least on her debut, is that she's lovelorn and creating some of the richest ballads of the era. In this case, a synth piano plays underneath as the beat flutters to life, bringing with it a performance that eeks with lust and desire of pushing love over the borderline. While her vocal stylings would become more explicit later on, there's something fun and coy about how the latter half feels like she's about to burst into jubilation. It's a pop song barely confined by its own passion, and it's so much fun to hear the song enter the bridge, which goes quiet in the calm before the storm. 

"Burning Up"

One could argue that of the five singles on this album, this is the least memorable. Whereas most of the others have had some cultural cache, this one has become forgotten to time. There's nothing wrong with it either, especially as Madonna bridges the gap between the 1970's disco glam and the 1980's synth-pop to follow. It's fun and gets to the point quick enough. Even then, there's not as much substance or memorable charm to it. It's the upbeat pop song that will get people to the dance floor, and sometimes that's enough. You buy into her passion, but that may just be how good of a performer she always was, clearly eager to entertain from the very beginning.

"Holiday"

One note that becomes apparent when researching this album, it's that this is the only song that Madonna has played in the decades since on almost every tour. Speaking as she's clearly driven more by dance, it makes sense. The loopy beat is hypnotic, managing to be among the best of Top 40 earworms despite not really going anywhere during long portions of the song. It's a song about celebrating and having a good time, and sometimes that means getting lost in the rhythm. It's a simple enough goal and clearly, it worked enough for her to keep performing it. 

"Everybody"

The beginning of Madonna's career is the end of the album as well. This has the distinct honor of being her first-ever single, and luckily she only got better from here. That isn't to say that she's bad, but it definitely has the unpolished charm of someone eager to entertain but lacking a deeper vocabulary in the realm of lyrics. It does the trick of capturing the passion and lust that infuses itself through the rest of the album, and as a second-tier cut, it's not so bad. With that said, it closes out the album on more of a comfortable beat than anything that stands out on its own, keeping people dancing with joy. For a young performer, that's all you could really hope to do. 

Noteworthy Outliers 

Songs on the album that are interesting despite not being singles.

"Physical Attraction"

While most of this album is already brimming with lust and desire, this is one of the moments that predicts the side of Madonna to come. Along with the synthesizers pumping their way through the song, the thrusting motion of the beat is outdone by the lyrics' desires to give into a physical attraction. There's the familiar romantic tenderness that she has put into the rest of the songs here, but it somehow feels richer, like she had to be edited out of blankly saying something dirty. It's fun in ways that the best moments on this album are, and it helps pad out the back half of the album.

Closing Remarks

What's incredible is that this album is only eight songs long and 63% of the tracks are legitimate singles. With over 10 million sold internationally and launching one of pop's biggest figures, the album is both welcomed and understated. When the pop songs hit, you understand why Madonna never left the mainstream. She has a voice that resonates at any register. When the album hits the familiar pockets of disco and synth-pop, it still works but feels like an artist still finding herself. For a debut album, one could do a lot worse than this, especially with such a strong opening that continues to be among her most played work. It's a good album, but her impact on history makes it feel quaint and the lengthy tracks (a product of disco's love of dance rhythms) are sometimes a little much. Still, it's not a bad way to start, especially as it alludes to the deeper, more sensual side of her and the fact that she would be churning out hits for the rest of time. Welcome, Madonna. Your impact continues to be felt. 

Up Next: "Like a Virgin" (1984)

Album Rankings

This section is dedicated to ranking the albums from best to worst in hopes of finding which Madonna album is the best.

1. "Madonna" (1983)

Single Rankings

This section is dedicated to ranking the singles from each album in hopes of finding which one is Madonna's best song.

1. "Borderline" - "Madonna" (1983)
2. "Lucky Star" - "Madonna" (1983)
3. "Holiday" - "Madonna" (1983)
4. "Burning Up" - "Madonna" (1983)
5. "Everybody" - "Madonna" (1983)