Burning Up (Madonna song)
"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".
"Burning Up"
In 1982, Madonna met and befriended DJ Mark Kamins at Danceteria nightclub, who took her to Sire Records, where she signed a deal for two singles. Following the success of first single "Everybody" on the dance scene, Sire Records green-lighted the recording of an album. Madonna chose to work with Lucas, who created two new songs for the album: "Physical Attraction" and "Borderline". However, problems soon arose between Madonna and the producer, who ended up leaving the project. She then called in John "Jellybean" Benitez, her boyfriend at the time, to remix some of the album tracks. A dance pop song with new wave influences, the lyrics to "Burning Up" juxtapose sex and ambition, with the singer proclaiming she "has no shame" and would do anything for her lover.
Upon release, both "Burning Up" was generally well received by critics and has been named one of Madonna's best singles in retrospective reviews. Chart performance was moderate: it charted at number 13 in Australia and at number three on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in the United States. The accompanying music video for "Burning Up" was directed by Steve Barron, and depicts the singer in a white dress, writhing on an empty road waiting for her lover. Many authors noted that the visual was the beginning of Madonna's subversion of power through sex. After a number of live appearances in nightclubs and television programs, the singer included the song on four of her concert tours, the most recent being 2023–2024's The Celebration Tour. "Burning Up" has been covered by artists such as Iggy Pop and Britney Spears.
Background[edit]
In early 1980, Madonna was living in New York City and establishing her music career as a member of rock band the Breakfast Club, alongside her boyfriend Dan Gilroy;[2] soon after, she was joined by Stephen Bray, her former boyfriend from Michigan, who became the band's drummer.[3] Bray and Madonna left the Breakfast Club and, together, formed a new band, Emmy and the Emmys. They were soon signed by Gotham Records, but short after, Madonna quit the band and decided to pursue a solo career.[4] She carried with her three of the demos she had created with Bray: "Everybody", "Ain't No Big Deal", and "Burning Up". In 1982, she met and befriended DJ Mark Kamins at Danceteria nightclub.[4] After listening to "Everybody", Kamins took her to Sire Records, where Seymour Stein, the label's president, signed Madonna for two 12" singles.[4]
Released in October 1982, "Everybody" became a hit in the dance scene.[5][2] The song's success led to the label approving the recording of an album, but the singer chose not to work with either Bray or Kamins, opting instead for Warner Bros. producer Reggie Lucas.[2] Lucas brought two new songs to the project: "Physical Attraction" and "Borderline".[4] While working on the album, problems arose between Madonna and the producer, as she felt he was "moving [the songs] away from the sparse form of the original demos", something she did not approve of; Lucas ended up leaving the project without altering the songs.[4] She then brought in John "Jellybean" Benitez to remix the remaining tracks.[4] In the case of "Burning Up", Benitez added extra guitar riffs and additional vocals.[4]
Recording and composition[edit]
"Burning Up" was written by Madonna and produced by Reggie Lucas.[6] Recording took place at New York's Sigma Sound Studios; personnel working on the song included Bray on programming and guitars, alongside Paul Pesco; Butch Jones, Fred Zarr, and Ed Walsh were in charge of the synthesizers, while Bobby Malach played tenor saxophone. Background vocals were provided by Gwen Guthrie, Brenda White, and Chrissy Faith.[6] The artwork used for the 12" single was designed by the singer's friend Martin Burgoyne.[7] According to Billboard's Chris Malone Méndez, unlike "Everybody", which had mostly a post-disco sound, "Burning Up" saw Madonna moving in a more pop-oriented path.[8] The singer herself described it as her "foray into electric guitars, Rock and roll [and] hair music".[9]
A "yearning" New wave-influenced dance track, with lyrics that conflate sex with ambition, it has a "starker" arrangement brought about by bass, single guitar and drum machine.[10][11][12][4] Also present are tom-tom drum beats ―similar to the ones used on the work of Phil Collins―, electric guitars, and the "most state-of-the-art" synthesizers of the time.[13] The refrain is a repetition of the same three lines of the lyrics, while the bridge consists of a series of double entendres that describe what she is prepared to do for her lover, showcasing that she "has no shame" and is "not like the others"[4] According to the sheet music published by Alfred Publishing Inc., "Burning Up" is set in the time signature of common time with a dance beat tempo of 138 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of B minor, with Madonna's vocals ranging from the tonal nodes of A3 to B4. The song follows a basic sequence of Bm–Bm–A–E as its chord progression.[14]