In the United States, "Causing a Commotion" was released on August 25, 1987. In the United Kingdom, the song was released on September 17, just after the conclusion of the Who's That Girl World Tour that same month. In 1991, the Silver Screen Single Mix of the song was included on the EP The Holiday Collection (1991).
On the Blond Ambition World Tour, "Causing a Commotion" was the third song of the set list. The outfit she wore for the performance was described by Carol Clerk, author of Madonnastyle, as the "perfect visual combination of masculine and feminine". Madonna wore heavy makeup with thick, blackened eyebrows and heavy application of dark liner. The performance ended with Madonna wrestling with her female backup singers. Two different performances were released on video: the Blond Ambition Japan Tour 90, filmed in Yokohama, Japan, on April 27, 1990, and the Blond Ambition World Tour Live, filmed in Nice, France, on August 5, 1990.
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