The debut studio album by American singer Madonna, by Sire Records made the songstress a household name instantly. This was an album I remember in my youth singing her catchy songs and dancing to them. I am so glad to have this original pressing in my collection. This has been one of my favorite albums since I was a kid.

Here Madonna is doing her thing. The sound is dance-oriented than her album ‘Like a Virgin’. This album contains the earliest Madonna classics like Lucky Star, Borderline, Burning Up, Everybody (her first ever single), and of course, Holiday. The rest of the album is good, too.

This album is about love and just being in love with each other. If you want an awesome dance album from yesteryear, buy this. All pop lovers should own this. In the very first song, Lucky Star, she sings over and over again about her lucky star, the person she likes. She truly became one in a matter of a few years. Borderline, the next track takes on a peppy role with her lucky star pushing her love over the borderline. Lyrically, the song finds a woman complaining of her lover’s chauvinism. In Burning Up, Madonna is well, burning up, for her lucky star's love. We switch from in a relationship to break-up in I Know It where Madonna knows her date's gonna take his love and run. The saxophone on this piece is remarkable. Holiday is about just taking a holiday to celebrate anything and everything we have. Madonna decides it's time to switch back to romance with Think Of Me is a cool song, where she tells her date they better think of her or else they're over. Once again the sax plays a great role and is the highlight of the song. Physical Attraction is about, well, Madonna having a physical attraction for somebody. The song says it all in very simple words as she sings... "maybe we were meant to be together, even though we never met before, we got to move before the sun is rising, and you'll be walking slowly out the door". That has always been the most memorable part of the song when it comes to the words. Everybody is a great dance song where Madonna tells all of us to get up and dance.

Madonna’s first album rocks, for would've thought that the woman singing about her Lucky Star would grow into the one tons of people know now as the Queen Of Pop? The crisp production highlights Madonna’s unmistakable vocals and infectious energy, reminding listeners why she became an international sensation. A flawless celebration of an era-defining album.

I was fortunate to have met Seymour Stein when he visited Mumbai. He is the man who discovered Madonna and signed her onto his label Sire Records.

Recorded: April 1982 – May 1983

Label: Sire – Warner Bros

Released on: 27^th July, 1983

Duration: 40.47

Rating: *****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira