Make Me
Encyclopedia
"Make Me" is a song by American recording artist Janet Jackson
. It is the lead single and final track from her second greatest hits compilation Number Ones
(2009). The song was written by Jackson, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins
, Thomas Lumpkins, and Michaela Shiloh
. Initially presented as an audio stream
to those who joined her web site's official mailing list in September, 2009, it was released via digital download
later that month on September 22, 2009.
It features an up-tempo disco
beat and lyrical hook reminiscent of her material from the 1980s. The song has received critical praise, with commentators comparing the song favorably to her Billboard Hot 100
number one hit "All for You" (2001) and her brother Michael Jackson
's 1979 number one single "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough
", both of which carry a distinct disco beat. It became her nineteenth number one hit single on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The song's music video, directed by Robert Hales
, premiered on 20/20 in November, 2009. Shot entirely in black and white, it received positive critical reception for its vintage aesthetic.
" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
as part of a tribute to her brother, Michael Jackson
, who died
on June 25, 2009. Following the awards show, "Make Me" was released on Jackson's official website as an audio stream for those who joined the site's e-mail newsletter. On September 22, 2009 it was released as a digital download for purchase. Although claims were made that "Make Me" is a tribute song to Michael's 1979 single "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
", Jackson later stated in an interview with Ryan Seacrest
it is not, despite the similarity of the lyrics in the song's outro.
"Make Me" was written by Janet Jackson, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Thomas Lumpkins, and Michaela Shiloh. Bernard Edwards
and Nile Rodgers
have also been credited as the song samples Fonzi Thornton's song "I Work For A Livin'", written and produced by them for the 1982 Soup For One
motion picture soundtrack. Darkchild, who produced music from Jackson's tenth studio album Discipline
(2008), co-produced the song with her. He reported to MTV
that he had been working on new material with Jackson since her departure from Island Records
in September, 2008. Of the new material, he commented: "It's about dancing ... It's all about her. It's about [saying], 'Listen, if you really want to get with me, you gotta make me feel a certain way' ... We're going back to basics and fundamental sounds of Janet. We're trying to target her fans [by making] the records that her fans will embrace." In October, 2009, Universal Music Enterprises
(UMe) issued a press release stating "Make Me" would be included in Jackson's second greatest hits album, Number Ones
, a compilation of her 33 global number one singles.
magazine hailed the song as her best dance recording since "All for You" (2001). Noting the single's similarity to Michael Jackson's disco themed "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" from Off the Wall
, Menachem comments "[it] isn't just Jackson's best dance song in years—it's a hit that would make her brother proud." Glenn Gamboa of Newsday
referred to the single as "remarkably upbeat, blending a bit of the playfulness that has been missing in her recent work with a high-energy Euro-dance backdrop."
at number ninety-one, eventually peaking at number seventy-one. In the UK, the single become her first release since her collaboration with Nelly on "Call on Me" in 2006 to chart inside the Top 75
.
for the song was directed by Robert Hales
and choreographed by Gil Duldulao. It premiered on 20/20 on November 20, 2009. Nick Levine from Digital Spy
commented: "There's lots of dancing, Janet looks fantastic and the whole thing's as slick as a classic Jam & Lewis groove. In short? A thoroughly enjoyable way to spend the next three-and-a-half-minutes. Right, back to 'Escapade
' for us". Jefferson Reid and Lindsay Miller of E!
Online stated the video "features a vintage Janet vibe, including space-age shoulder pads and countless hat-tips to brother Michael."
, she performed a medley of her songs "Control
", "What Have You Done for Me Lately
", "Miss You Much
", "If
", "Together Again" along with "Make Me". Jackson also performed the track on The X Factor
results show on December 6, 2009. She closed the Jingle Bell Ball in London with a medley of her greatest hits including "Make Me". Jackson also included the song in her performance at the 2010 Essence Music Festival, held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The song was also included in her current tour, Number Ones: Up Close and Personal
.
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
. It is the lead single and final track from her second greatest hits compilation Number Ones
Number Ones (Janet Jackson album)
Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine gave the album four-and-a-half stars, commenting "the songs on Janet Jackson's first-ever comprehensive hits collection, Number Ones, have been sequenced in chronological order only magnifies the impact she had on late-'80s and early-'90s pop, when she helped define...
(2009). The song was written by Jackson, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
, Thomas Lumpkins, and Michaela Shiloh
Michaela Shiloh
Michaela Shiloh is an American songwriter and recording artist. Shiloh is signed as an artist to Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and has worked with Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, and JLo.-Early life:...
. Initially presented as an audio stream
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
to those who joined her web site's official mailing list in September, 2009, it was released via digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
later that month on September 22, 2009.
It features an up-tempo disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
beat and lyrical hook reminiscent of her material from the 1980s. The song has received critical praise, with commentators comparing the song favorably to her Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
number one hit "All for You" (2001) and her brother Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's 1979 number one single "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a single by American recording artist Michael Jackson. Released under Epic Records on July 28, 1979, the song is the first single from Jackson's fifth studio album, entitled Off the Wall. Written by Jackson, it is in the key of B major and in common time...
", both of which carry a distinct disco beat. It became her nineteenth number one hit single on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The song's music video, directed by Robert Hales
Robert Hales (director)
Robert Hales is a graphic designer and music video director from the United Kingdom. Hales has directed music videos by artists such as Jet, The Veronicas, Fuel, Stereophonics, The Donnas, Justin Timberlake, Nine Inch Nails, Miley Cyrus, Gnarls Barkley and Crowded House...
, premiered on 20/20 in November, 2009. Shot entirely in black and white, it received positive critical reception for its vintage aesthetic.
Background
On September 13, 2009, Jackson performed the 1995 song "ScreamScream/Childhood
"Scream"/"Childhood" is the lead single from Michael Jackson's ninth studio album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I where "Scream" is the first song and "Childhood" is the tenth song on the second disc of the album HIStory Continues. The A-side, "Scream", is a duet with his younger sister...
" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
2009 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 13, 2009, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, honoring the best music videos from June 19, 2008, to June 29, 2009. Comedian Russell Brand hosted the event for the second time in a row. The awards were held a few months after Michael...
as part of a tribute to her brother, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, who died
Death of Michael Jackson
On June 25, 2009, American singer Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication after he suffered a respiratory arrest at his home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, said he found Jackson in his room, not breathing, but with a faint pulse,...
on June 25, 2009. Following the awards show, "Make Me" was released on Jackson's official website as an audio stream for those who joined the site's e-mail newsletter. On September 22, 2009 it was released as a digital download for purchase. Although claims were made that "Make Me" is a tribute song to Michael's 1979 single "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a single by American recording artist Michael Jackson. Released under Epic Records on July 28, 1979, the song is the first single from Jackson's fifth studio album, entitled Off the Wall. Written by Jackson, it is in the key of B major and in common time...
", Jackson later stated in an interview with Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
it is not, despite the similarity of the lyrics in the song's outro.
"Make Me" was written by Janet Jackson, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Thomas Lumpkins, and Michaela Shiloh. Bernard Edwards
Bernard Edwards
Bernard Edwards born in Greenville, North Carolina, was a bass player and record producer, both as a member of the Funk/Disco band Chic and on his own. He died of pneumonia while touring in Japan.-History:...
and Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
have also been credited as the song samples Fonzi Thornton's song "I Work For A Livin'", written and produced by them for the 1982 Soup For One
Soup for One (soundtrack)
Soup For One is a soundtrack album to the movie Soup For One by American R&B band Chic et al., released on the label WEA in 1982, the first Chic album not to be issued on Atlantic Records...
motion picture soundtrack. Darkchild, who produced music from Jackson's tenth studio album Discipline
Discipline (Janet Jackson album)
Discipline is the tenth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released by Island Records on February 26, 2008. It was her only album released for Island Records, after her five-album deal with Virgin Records was fulfilled with the release of 20 Y.O....
(2008), co-produced the song with her. He reported to MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
that he had been working on new material with Jackson since her departure from Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
in September, 2008. Of the new material, he commented: "It's about dancing ... It's all about her. It's about [saying], 'Listen, if you really want to get with me, you gotta make me feel a certain way' ... We're going back to basics and fundamental sounds of Janet. We're trying to target her fans [by making] the records that her fans will embrace." In October, 2009, Universal Music Enterprises
Universal Music Enterprises
Universal Music Enterprises, a.k.a. UMe is the catalogue division of Universal Music Group. It includes Hip-O Records, Universal Chronicles and UM3 ....
(UMe) issued a press release stating "Make Me" would be included in Jackson's second greatest hits album, Number Ones
Number Ones (Janet Jackson album)
Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine gave the album four-and-a-half stars, commenting "the songs on Janet Jackson's first-ever comprehensive hits collection, Number Ones, have been sequenced in chronological order only magnifies the impact she had on late-'80s and early-'90s pop, when she helped define...
, a compilation of her 33 global number one singles.
Critical reception
Following her performance at the VMA's, Gil Kaufman of MTV reported, "Janet gave the ultimate thank you to her beloved sibling by posting a new single, 'Make Me,' on her Web site ... Easing up on the darker S&M themes of her recent albums, 'Make Me' is a fun, breezy tune with an elastic disco beat" adding that "[t]he chorus twists Michael's refrain into a Janet-worthy, sexy come-on, with the lyrics, 'Don't stop 'til you get it up'." Clover Hope of Vibe magazine commented: "Fun, rhythmic, buoyant—it's the type of rebound we'd hoped for with 2008's Discipline, where Jackson teamed up with Rodney Jerkins in search of a youthful edge that only seemed to date her. They got it right here though, as Jerkins taps into Janet's sense of fanciful pleasure, rewinding time in a Janet way." Michael Menachem of BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine hailed the song as her best dance recording since "All for You" (2001). Noting the single's similarity to Michael Jackson's disco themed "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" from Off the Wall
Off the Wall (album)
Off the Wall is the fifth studio album by the American recording artist Michael Jackson, released August 10, 1979 on Epic Records, after Jackson's critically well received film performance in The Wiz. While working on that project, Jackson and Quincy Jones had become friends, and Jones agreed to...
, Menachem comments "[it] isn't just Jackson's best dance song in years—it's a hit that would make her brother proud." Glenn Gamboa of Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
referred to the single as "remarkably upbeat, blending a bit of the playfulness that has been missing in her recent work with a high-energy Euro-dance backdrop."
Chart performance
Entering at number fifty, "Make Me" became her nineteenth number one hit single on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. Following its peak on the Dance/Club chart, it entered the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop SongsHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
at number ninety-one, eventually peaking at number seventy-one. In the UK, the single become her first release since her collaboration with Nelly on "Call on Me" in 2006 to chart inside the Top 75
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Music video
A music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was directed by Robert Hales
Robert Hales (director)
Robert Hales is a graphic designer and music video director from the United Kingdom. Hales has directed music videos by artists such as Jet, The Veronicas, Fuel, Stereophonics, The Donnas, Justin Timberlake, Nine Inch Nails, Miley Cyrus, Gnarls Barkley and Crowded House...
and choreographed by Gil Duldulao. It premiered on 20/20 on November 20, 2009. Nick Levine from Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
commented: "There's lots of dancing, Janet looks fantastic and the whole thing's as slick as a classic Jam & Lewis groove. In short? A thoroughly enjoyable way to spend the next three-and-a-half-minutes. Right, back to 'Escapade
Escapade (song)
"Escapade" is the third single from American R&B and pop singer Janet Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 .-Song information:...
' for us". Jefferson Reid and Lindsay Miller of E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
Online stated the video "features a vintage Janet vibe, including space-age shoulder pads and countless hat-tips to brother Michael."
Live performances
As the opening act for the 37th Annual American Music AwardsAmerican Music Awards of 2009
The 37th American Music Awards took place on November 22, 2009 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominees were announced on October 13, 2009. For the first time in history, there was no host for the year's ceremony. Instead, various celebrities introduced the performers similar...
, she performed a medley of her songs "Control
Control (Janet Jackson song)
"Control" is the fourth single from Janet Jackson's third album Control. The song was written by Jackson, James Harris III, and Terry Lewis and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Its arrangement, built upon complex rhythmic tracks, showcased state-of-the-art production. The song is about...
", "What Have You Done for Me Lately
What Have You Done for Me Lately
"What Have You Done for Me Lately?" is the lead single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control .-Song information:The song was written by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and produced by Jam and Lewis. Jackson helped with the lyrics of the song and was credited as a "co-producer",...
", "Miss You Much
Miss You Much
"Miss You Much" is the lead single from American R&B and pop singer Janet Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 . The song was written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.-Song information:...
", "If
If (Janet Jackson song)
"If" is a song by American recording artist Janet Jackson from her fifth studio album, janet. . Written and produced by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it was released as the album's second single in July 1993, and became Jackson's second top five hit from the janet. album.-Song...
", "Together Again" along with "Make Me". Jackson also performed the track on The X Factor
The X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
results show on December 6, 2009. She closed the Jingle Bell Ball in London with a medley of her greatest hits including "Make Me". Jackson also included the song in her performance at the 2010 Essence Music Festival, held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The song was also included in her current tour, Number Ones: Up Close and Personal
Number Ones: Up Close and Personal
Number Ones: Up Close and Personal is the sixth concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Described as her "largest world tour", the show is in support of her second compilation album, Number Ones...
.
Track listing
Digital download- "Make Me" (Janet JacksonJanet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, Rodney JerkinsRodney JerkinsRodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
, Thomas Lumpkins, Michaela Shiloh) - 3:37
Charts
| Chart (2009/2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Korean Singles Chart | 28 |
| Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... |
17 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
73 |
| US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard) | 1 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... (Billboard) |
71 |
| Year-end chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard) | 13 |