"Causing a Commotion" is a song by American singer Madonna from the soundtrack to the 1987 film Who's That Girl. Written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray, it is an uptempo dance-pop track with a prominent bassline and layered vocal harmonies. Its lyrics draw on themes of romantic tension and media scrutiny, partly inspired by her marriage to actor Sean Penn and her role in the film, and include nods to her 1985 single "Into the Groove". The song was released as the soundtrack's second single on August 25, 1987, following early airplay on American radio.

Upon release, the song received generally positive-to-mixed reviews from music critics, who praised its production and dance appeal, though some considered it derivative of Madonna's earlier work and not among her strongest singles. Commercially, "Causing a Commotion" was successful, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and charting within the top ten in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Madonna performed the song on her Who's That Girl (1987) and Blond Ambition (1990) concert tours, and has since been covered by a select number of artists. In retrospective assessments, it has been regarded as an underrated entry in Madonna's catalogue and among her best work.

Background and development

thumb|left|upright|"Causing a Commotion" was inspired by Madonna's marriage to actor [[Sean Penn (pictured in 2013)]]

In October 1986, Madonna began filming her third feature film, Who's That Girl, a screwball comedy directed by James Foley—whom she had previously worked with on the music videos for "Live to Tell" and "Papa Don't Preach". The movie stars Madonna as Nikki Finn, a young woman accused of a murder she did not commit; after being released on parole, she sets out to clear her name. Alongside lawyer Loudon Trott (Griffin Dunne), she becomes caught up in "36 hours of high adventure", culminating in a scene where she interrupts a wedding to reveal the real culprit.

Work on the film's soundtrack began in March 1987. Madonna wanted to create songs that would "stand on [their] own as well as support and enhance what was happening on screen". To that end, she enlisted collaborators Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray, the latter of whom also served as the film's musical director. Together, they wrote and produced four original songs for the soundtrack—the title track, "Causing a Commotion", "The Look of Love", and "Can't Stop". Madonna later noted that the songs "aren't about Nikki, or written to be sung by someone like her", but that they capture "the spirit" of both the film and the character. In a 1987 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Madonna stated: "I don't like violence. I never condone hitting anyone, and I never thought that any violence should have taken place. But on the other hand, I understood [Sean's] anger [...] I felt like [he] was 'causing a commotion' to purposefully distract me. I wrote this song and vented my frustration in it".

The song plays over the animated opening sequence of Who's That Girl, which depicts the events leading to Nikki Finn's arrest. The sequence, inspired by Looney Tunes, features an animated Madonna emerging from the Warner Bros. logo and was developed by director James Foley and animator Ric Machin. It was recorded at Larrabee Sound Studios in Los Angeles between March and April 1987. Personnel included Bray on keyboard and guitar arrangements, audio engineers Taavi Mote and Michael Hutchinson, and assistants Elmer Flores and John Hegedes. Annie Zaleski of Consequence characterized it as electropop, while Erika Wolf of Albumism called it "somewhat bubblegum". Michael Freedberg of The Boston Phoenix likened its sound to a modern take on 1950s jump blues, and its "pulsing" bassline has been compared to "Bad" (1987) by Michael Jackson.

Built in common time with a funk-influenced tempo, the song opens with the refrain before moving into verses structured around a descending four-note bassline and sharp, staccato chords. Victoria Chow suggested that they reflect Madonna's ability to "whip the press into a frenzy". Wolf described the song as an "ode to being sexy and sassy and feeling yourself", adding that it captures the "rough edges" of Nikki Finn's character through lines such as "You met your match when you met me". The lyrics have also been interpreted as exploring romantic tension and negotiation, with references to ideas such as "opposites attract".

Release and remixes

"Causing a Commotion" was released as the soundtrack's second single on August 25, 1987. Prior to its release, it received airplay on several American CHR radio stations. The song was not released in France in order to avoid undermining the success of "Who's That Girl". Official remixes were produced by Shep Pettibone and co-edited with Junior Vasquez. These included the extended "Silver Screen Mix", a dub instrumental version featuring prominent riff-based arrangements, and the more house-oriented "Movie House Mix". Pettibone's work was praised by Billboard, while German magazine Audio highlighted the "Movie House Mix" as the most effective and energetic version. For the soundtrack's 35th anniversary, Rhino Records released Who's That Girl (Super Club Mix) in April 2022, a five-track extended play featuring remixes of "Who's That Girl" and the "Movie House Mix" and "Silver Screen Mix" of "Causing a Commotion". Issued as part of Record Store Day, the release was limited to 7,500 copies and pressed on red 12-inch vinyl.

Critical reception

Upon release, "Causing a Commotion" received generally positive-to-mixed reviews from music critics. Daniel Brogan of the Chicago Tribune named it the best song on the soundtrack, while Jim Zebora of the Record Journal considered it "almost as good" as "Who's That Girl". A reviewer for Dutch newspaper Zierikzeesche Nieuwsbode opined that, although not noticeably different, it featured a more danceable rhythm, and in The Extraordinary Book of Lists, Louis Weber wrote that it, along with the title track, was the main reason many purchased the album. Christian Wright of Spin deemed the song as celebratory, while Stereogums Tom Breihan called it a "sleek club jam", awarding it an 8 out of 10 rating.

The production was subject of praise. Oggie Ramos of the Manila Standard described the track as a "well-polished, well-contrived" dance number, highlighting Bray's "flawless prowess" in keyboard and guitar arrangements.

In more mixed and critical reviews, Rikky Rooksby deemed it "perfectly acceptable, though not in the same class" as "Who's That Girl", while Music & Media described it as "speedy [and] cheerful, though a bit clichéd". Entertainment Weekly praised its "kicky little slappy beat" and refrain but found the verses "sluggish", and Slant Magazines Eric Henderson called it "generic and diverting in equal measure". Similarly, Joe Morgan of Gay Star News described it as a "classic 80s track" but with "not much to it", while Martin C. Strong and Brendon Griffin perceived a "strange monotony".

Negative commentary described the song as "formulaic", with critics such as John Rockwell (The New York Times) arguing that Madonna's vocal strengths were not fully evident, and others considering it among her weaker work. The Reading Eagles Al Walentis called it "so nondescript that [it goes] in one ear and out the other", and Sean Piccoli of the Sun Herald ranked it among her worst songs. Comparisons to "Into the Groove" were frequent: Daryl Easlea described it as an "out-and-out retread", while USA Today John Milward felt it did not match the impact of her earlier hit. Piccoli called it a "lame" rewrite and Jude Rogers (The Guardian) later described it as a "slighter facsimile".

Retrospective reviews have been more positive. Billboard ranked "Causing a Commotion" among Madonna's best songs, noting that its "arresting" bassline and "sugary determination" make it "a delight, albeit a relatively slight one", while also calling its chart success a testament to her star power. Paul Grein opined that it was "snubbed" by the Academy Awards. Both Newsday and Consequence considered it underrated, while Parade noted that it has "remained popular with fans". TheBacklot.com, "Causing a Commotion" was included in Bruce Pollock's Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock & Roll Era.

Chart performance

In the United States, "Causing a Commotion" received strong airplay upon release, entering the Billboard Hot 100 at number 41 on September 12, 1987, marking Madonna's thirteenth consecutive highest debut of the week. The single quickly climbed the chart, reaching number 11 by October 10, prompting press predictions that it would become her fourteenth consecutive top-ten hit, tying the record for a solo artist—shared with Michael Jackson—and placing her second overall behind the Beatles. It entered the top ten the following week and peaked at number two on October 24—her second single to reach that position after "Material Girl" (1985)—where it remained for three weeks, held from the top spot by "Bad" and later Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now". The song spent eighteen weeks on the chart and ranked at number 46 on the year-end Hot 100. As of August 2024, Billboard ranked it as Madonna's 12th most successful Hot 100 entry, as well as her highest-charting single without an official music video.

The single also performed strongly across other Billboard charts, reaching number one on both the Dance Club Play and Dance Singles Sales charts, Despite this, it was omitted from Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022), Madonna's third remix album, which compiles her Dance Club Songs number ones. It additionally peaked at number 37 on Billboards Adult Contemporary chart. The single also reached the top five in Mexico.

"Causing a Commotion" achieved strong commercial success internationally. In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number seven on the UK Singles Chart and rose to a peak of number four, becoming Madonna's seventeenth consecutive top-ten single there. As of August 2008, it had sold over 229,000 copies in the country, and by 2015 ranked as her 32nd best-selling single there. It reached number one in Denmark, and peaked at number two in Belgium (Flanders), In the Netherlands, it peaked at number three on both the Dutch Single Top 100 and the Dutch Top 40—behind "Bad" and Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up". The single reached number five on the European Hot 100 Singles, and charted within the top ten in countries such as Finland, Switzerland, and New Zealand. On the first, it was performed prior to its single release in a more rock-oriented arrangement. The singer appeared in a gold lamé, gangster-style outfit and opened the number with ironic self-aware remarks. During the performance, dancer Chris Finch performed a series of flips onstage while Madonna mimed air guitar. Toward the end, she removed parts of her costume while introducing the band. The Houston Chronicle named "Causing a Commotion" one of the concert's highlights, while Richard Harrington of The Washington Post felt it was less effective, noting that the public was still unfamiliar with it.

The song's performance on the Blond Ambition World Tour saw Madonna dressed in a Jean-Paul Gaultier-designed outfit with a striped boxing blouse over her conical corset. She staged a mock fight with backing vocalists Niki Haris and Donna De Lory, who feigned dancing out of sync and tried to push her offstage, before she knocked them down and mockingly kicked them. The number received mixed reviews from critics. Ralph Kiesel for The Toledo Blade praised its energy, while Harrington criticized its "overly tight choreography", arguing it felt like "busywork" masking the song's shortcomings. Some also took issue with the staged violence. The performance from the tour's final show in Nice, France, was included on the 1991 LaserDisc release Blond Ambition World Tour Live.

Despite not being part of the official set list, Madonna sang a capella snippets of "Causing a Commotion" on some concerts of the Celebration Tour (2023―2024), such as Cologne, Boston, Toronto, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Seattle, and San Francisco.

Taiwanese singer Su Rui incorporated "Causing a Commotion" into a medley on her English-language album I've Got the Music in Me (1989), while Indie pop duo TeamMate recorded a version for their 2013 extended play The Sequel. Vocalist Dani Buncher, a self-described "huge Madonna fan", said the group wanted to remain "very true to the original", while still adding their "own little spin" to it. Welsh musician Bright Light Bright Light also covered the track for his extended play Cinematography II: Back in the Habit (2017). Around 1986–1987, Madonna signed a $3 million endorsement deal with Mitsubishi Motors, which included a television commercial featuring her dancing to the track in stylized, music video–inspired settings. The song was featured in a 2016 episode of the eight season of RuPaul's Drag Race, where contestants Naomi Smalls and Acid Betty performed it in a lip sync challenge—won by Smalls.

Formats and track listings

US 7-inch single

  1. "Causing a Commotion" (Silver Screen Single Mix) – 4:00
  2. "Jimmy Jimmy" – 3:54

US promotional 7-inch single'

  1. "Causing a Commotion" (Silver Screen Single Mix) – 4:00
  2. "Causing a Commotion" (Movie House Edit) – 4:12

US 12-inch maxi single

  1. "Causing a Commotion" (Silver Screen Mix) – 6:33
  2. "Causing a Commotion" (Dub) – 7:04
  3. "Causing a Commotion" (Movie House Mix) – 9:40
  4. "Jimmy Jimmy" – 3:54

UK 12-inch single

  1. "Causing a Commotion" (Silver Screen Mix) – 6:33
  2. "Causing a Commotion" (Movie House Mix) – 9:40
  3. "Jimmy Jimmy" (Fade) – 3:39

1991 The Holiday Collection EP

  1. "Holiday" – 6:09
  2. "True Blue" – 4:17
  3. "Who's That Girl" – 3:58
  4. "Causing a Commotion" – 4:06

1995 European maxi CD

  1. "Causing a Commotion" (Dub) – 7:04
  2. "Causing a Commotion" (Movie House Mix) – 9:40
  3. "Jimmy Jimmy" – 3:5

2022 Record Store Day exclusive red 12-inch vinyl

  1. "Causing a Commotion" (Silver Screen Single Mix) – 4:07
  2. "Causing a Commotion" (Silver Screen Mix) – 6:40
  3. "Causing a Commotion" (Dub) – 7:04
  4. "Causing a Commotion" (Movie House Mix) – 9:46

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the Who's That Girl soundtrack liner notes.

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!scope="row"|South Africa (Springbok Radio)

| 16

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{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+2022-2024 weekly chart performance for "Causing a Commotion"

!Chart (2022-2024)

!Peak<br />position

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!scope="row"|Hungary (MAHASZ) <br />

|3

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!scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC)

|70

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! scope="row"|UK Singles Downloads Chart (OCC)

|68

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Year-end charts

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+1987 Year-end chart performance for "Causing a Commotion"

!Chart (1987)

!Position

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!scope="row"|Australia (Kent Music Report)

| 65

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!scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)

| 37

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!scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (RPM)

| 85

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!scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)

| 61

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!scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100)

| 42

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!scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC)

| 72

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!scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100

| 29

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Notes

References

Literary sources