Burning Up – I’m not the same, I have no shame

Madonna‘s second single was indeed the first song she wrote with a high sexual component. It is far from being Erotica or Justify my love, but it could be considered as an early provocative Madonna. However, it is just a song about loving and not being loved back (…but you don’t even know I’m alive…)

Also it was the first song she got a proper video for. Sire Records decided to invest more money this time- the video was shot in a real set and even some great special effects of the time were used. Madonna appears crawling in the middle of the road, burning up for her love, who was played by Madonna’s real boyfriend at that time. The video was directed by Steve Barron, who also did Billie Jean for Michael Jackson.

Burning Up was included in the Virgin Tour but later got left off the commercial VHS release of the concert, along with Borderline and Angel.This might have been due to Madonna’s “raunchy” performance of the song where she takes sexually suggestive moves with both her dancers and guitar player in what it could look like an early version of the coreography created for Fever during the Girlie Show.

Madonna re-invented Burning Up for her 2004 tour. Fans didn´t really expect to find this song on the set list, and some of us were a bit dissapointed when saw the result on stage. It was a more guitar-driven version and seemed to be used just to pad out the set list.

The single included Physical Attraction as a b-side in most countries- a great song found on her debut album that was sadly underrated in a way, since it was only later included in the compilation “You can dance“, and could have definitely made a nice single.

Burning Up is a song composed by Madonna long before she got a record deal. It was also performed by Madonna during a time when she composed other great songs, like “High Society“, again another song with a high potential that could have made a great final recording.