From Slant Magazine, Sal Cinquemani deemed it "soulful", and Eric Henderson "tender", further including: "Has there ever been an opening refrain extra winsome and immediately nostalgic than that of Madonna’s first Top 10 single?". The chorus has a development of G-D-A. The song follows the chord progression of D-C-G in the first verse, and adjustments to Bm-Em-A-F♯ within the pre-chorus. While ranking the album's tracks on its 40th anniversary, Marcus Wratten from PinkNews positioned "Borderline" on the primary spot, singling out Madonna's efficiency, and comparing the one to a "heat, comforting hug". Large queues had formed at the federal government's Stationery Office bookshop earlier than the store opened at 12:30 am on 26 September 1963. In the primary hour, 4,000 copies had been offered, and 100,000 in the primary few days. On October 22, 1998, the tune was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of 500,000 copies. Louis Virtel, writing for The Backlot, named "Borderline" the sixth best track of Madonna's discography, highlighting its "desire and unabashed innocence", and "phenomenal closing phase". It's composed in the key of D main, with Madonna's vocal range spanning from F♯3 to B4. He concluded that the singer, "delivers the very best vocal efficiency of her early profession, when her limitations have been at their most obvious".

He named it her eleventh finest. Engaging in sexual activity in public, even if you happen to believe nobody is watching, remains to be a violation of public indecency legal guidelines. They experience harassment from the general public, each by means of social media and in-particular person interactions, and from their male colleagues. People who find themselves convicted of a intercourse offense in SC should register with their local sheriff to have their information included on SC’s intercourse offender registry - a public, searchable database that includes the person’s title, deal with, photograph, bodily description including scars and tattoos, and even a description of their automobiles. While reviewing The Immaculate Collection on its twenty fifth anniversary, Drew Mackie from People opined it was "catchy", and a "promise of even higher issues to come" in Madonna's profession. These jobs, nonetheless, do not pay effectively sufficient to persuade children to not go into the better paying jobs in the intercourse industry. In February 1986, the single was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

In the video, Madonna plays a younger woman emotionally torn between her Hispanic boyfriend and a white British photographer, for whom she fashions and who publishes her footage on a magazine cowl. In February 1984, Madonna appeared on The Dance Show and carried out "Borderline", joined by her brother Christopher Ciccone, and dancer Erika Belle. The function of the singer's boyfriend was played by Louis "Louie Louie" Cordero, whereas actor John Leguizamo appeared as an additional. Production was in charge of Lambert, Bruce Logan, and Michele Ferrone; Simon Maskell was on artwork direction, Andrea Dietrich on cinematogra