So Excited
Encyclopedia
"So Excited" is a song by American R&B
and pop
singer-songwriter Janet Jackson
, featuring rapper Khia
. Released on August 28, 2006 as the second single
from Jackson's ninth studio album, 20 Y.O.
(2006), it peaked at number ninety on the Billboard Hot 100
, but managed to become Jackson's seventeenth number-one dance hit.
track which samples
Herbie Hancock
's 1983 song "Rockit
"; this is the second time Jackson has sampled a song by Hancock, the first time being 2004's "All Nite (Don't Stop)
", which samples his 1975 song "Hang up Your Hang Ups". The song premiered on August 19, 2006 on Jermaine Dupri
's So So Def
Radio on Atlanta radio station WVEE. The Radio Edit silences "inside of" in the line "my body is in overdrive dying to have you inside of me" and "thumpin'" in the line "I'ma keep your body thumpin'".
The song was made available for digital download
as a free with 20 Y.O. pre-orders on iTunes
on August 29, 2006. It debuted on BET
's 106 & Park
on the album's release date, September 26, 2006. After the debut on "106 & Park
," album pre-orders shot up well over 8000% and led the album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200
well before the album was released.
She has performed the song on Rock Witchu Tour
.
from The New York Times
said that: "She’s never as explicit as the female rappers who arrived after her — like Khia
, who joins her on “So Excited” — but she’s not shy either. In “So Excited” Janet vows, “If you like it then I’ll do it/I’ll go head to toe.” Angus Batey from Yahoo! Music
said: "I'll open my spot for you / Anytime you want me to," she spits amid the pugilistic beats of "So Excited", making it sound more like a threat than a promise." Thomas Inskeep from Stylus Magazine
criticised the album, but enjoyed the track, calling it a "sticky ear-candy". He further commented that: "The sexed-up “So Excited” rides a Herbie Hancock
groove and a throwaway contribution from Khia (?!) to, if not ultimate satisfaction, at least a half-decent orgasm
." Miles Marshall Lewis from The Village Voice
was also positive, saying that: "Jermaine Dupri
girds "So Excited" with "Rockit" scratches, coaching guest-rapper Khia to sound like Da Brat
on the naughty hook. Serviceable enough, it's surprisingly the highlight of an album marketed as an homage to Control
."
at number seventy-five on September 30, 2006, eventually peaking at number thirty-four. It peaked at number ninety on the Billboard Hot 100
, which was considered a disappointment. After two singles that did not chart well, Virgin
released no other singles commercially from the album. Nevertheless, on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, "So Excited" became Jackson's twenty-second consecutive top ten single and her seventeenth number-one hit.
for "So Excited" was filmed in Los Angeles
on August 23–24, 2006. Joseph Kahn
directed the video, with choreography by Gil Duldulao which premiered on September 13, 2006 on BET
's Access Granted
.
On October 31, 2006, "So Excited" hit number one on BET's 106 & Park
; it also reached number one on MuchMoreMusic
's daily top ten and number nine on that channel's weekly Countdown.
UK CD 2 (B000JU7K7W)
U.S. and European promo CD single
U.S. 12" promo single (0946 3 74824 1 4 8)
U.S. promo CD single
U.S. 12" single (0946 3 81149 1 8)
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer-songwriter Janet Jackson
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...
, featuring rapper Khia
Khia
Khia Shamone Chambers , better known just as Khia, is an American rapper, songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early life:Khia was born on November 8, 1977 in Philadelphia and was raised in its Germantown neighborhood, and she moved to Tampa, Florida when she was 11. Khia attended Dowdell...
. Released on August 28, 2006 as the second single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from Jackson's ninth studio album, 20 Y.O.
20 Y.O.
20 Y.O. is the ninth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released by Virgin Records America on September 20, 2006 in Japan, September 22 internationally, and September 26 in Canada and the United States...
(2006), it peaked at number ninety on the 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...
, but managed to become Jackson's seventeenth number-one dance hit.
Song information
The song is a danceDance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
track which samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
's 1983 song "Rockit
Rockit
"Rockit" is a song recorded by Herbie Hancock. It was released as a single from his 1983 album Future Shock. The song was written by Hancock, bass guitarist Bill Laswell, and synthesizer/drum machine programmer Michael Beinhorn.-History:...
"; this is the second time Jackson has sampled a song by Hancock, the first time being 2004's "All Nite (Don't Stop)
All Nite (Don't Stop)
"All Nite " is a song by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released as the third single from her eighth studio album, Damita Jo.-Song information:The song contains a sample of Herbie Hancock's 1975 song "Hang up Your Hang Ups"...
", which samples his 1975 song "Hang up Your Hang Ups". The song premiered on August 19, 2006 on Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
's So So Def
So So Def Recordings
So So Def Recordings is a record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, and owned by producer Jermaine Dupri, specializing in Southern hip hop, R&B and bass music.-Beginnings:...
Radio on Atlanta radio station WVEE. The Radio Edit silences "inside of" in the line "my body is in overdrive dying to have you inside of me" and "thumpin'" in the line "I'ma keep your body thumpin'".
The song was made available for 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...
as a free with 20 Y.O. pre-orders on iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on August 29, 2006. It debuted on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
's 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
on the album's release date, September 26, 2006. After the debut on "106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
," album pre-orders shot up well over 8000% and led the album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
well before the album was released.
She has performed the song on Rock Witchu Tour
Rock Witchu Tour
The Rock Witchu Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Janet Jackson, in support of her tenth studio album Discipline. This was Jackson's first tour in nearly seven years. The tour visited North America...
.
Critical reception
Jon ParelesJon Pareles
Jon Pareles is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of the New York Times. He played jazz flute and piano, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in music. In the 1970s he was an associate editor of Crawdaddy!, and in the 1980s an associate...
from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said that: "She’s never as explicit as the female rappers who arrived after her — like Khia
Khia
Khia Shamone Chambers , better known just as Khia, is an American rapper, songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early life:Khia was born on November 8, 1977 in Philadelphia and was raised in its Germantown neighborhood, and she moved to Tampa, Florida when she was 11. Khia attended Dowdell...
, who joins her on “So Excited” — but she’s not shy either. In “So Excited” Janet vows, “If you like it then I’ll do it/I’ll go head to toe.” Angus Batey from Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
said: "I'll open my spot for you / Anytime you want me to," she spits amid the pugilistic beats of "So Excited", making it sound more like a threat than a promise." Thomas Inskeep from Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
criticised the album, but enjoyed the track, calling it a "sticky ear-candy". He further commented that: "The sexed-up “So Excited” rides a Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
groove and a throwaway contribution from Khia (?!) to, if not ultimate satisfaction, at least a half-decent orgasm
Orgasm
Orgasm is the peak of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, characterized by an intense sensation of pleasure...
." Miles Marshall Lewis from The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
was also positive, saying that: "Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
girds "So Excited" with "Rockit" scratches, coaching guest-rapper Khia to sound like Da Brat
Da Brat
Shawntae Harris , better known as Da Brat, is an American rapper and actress. Her debut album, Funkdafied, sold one million copies, making her the first female rapper to have a platinum-selling album.-Early life:...
on the naughty hook. Serviceable enough, it's surprisingly the highlight of an album marketed as an homage to 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...
."
Chart performance
"So Excited" debuted on the Billboard 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 seventy-five on September 30, 2006, eventually peaking at number thirty-four. It peaked at number ninety on the 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...
, which was considered a disappointment. After two singles that did not chart well, Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
released no other singles commercially from the album. Nevertheless, on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, "So Excited" became Jackson's twenty-second consecutive top ten single and her seventeenth number-one hit.
Music video
The 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 "So Excited" was filmed in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on August 23–24, 2006. Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn is an American music video, advertising, and feature film director.-Early life:Kahn was born in Jersey Village, Texas, a suburb of Houston. He is of Korean ancestry. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Livorno, Italy until his family moved to Texas...
directed the video, with choreography by Gil Duldulao which premiered on September 13, 2006 on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
's Access Granted
Access Granted
Access Granted is an American television series that features an in depth look at the planning and production of R&B and hip hop music videos. Each week, a different artist and their new music video are featured, with the video premiering at the end of the episode. The series began airing in 2001...
.
On October 31, 2006, "So Excited" hit number one on BET's 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
; it also reached number one on MuchMoreMusic
MuchMoreMusic
MuchMore is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media, based at 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario....
's daily top ten and number nine on that channel's weekly Countdown.
Track listings
UK CD 1 (B000K4X37S)- Album Version – 3:19
- "Call on Me" (Luny Tunes Main Mix) – 3:42
UK CD 2 (B000JU7K7W)
- Album Version – 3:19
- Junior Vasquez Club Mix – 7:17
- Bimbo Jones Club Mix – 7:13
- Enhanced Video
U.S. and European promo CD single
- Album Version – 3:17
- Radio Edit – 3:16
- Album Instrumental – 3:15
U.S. 12" promo single (0946 3 74824 1 4 8)
- Album Version – 3:15
- Radio Edit – 3:15
- Album Instrumental – 3:15
- Album A Cappella – 3:12
U.S. promo CD single
- Junior Vasquez Club Edit – 7:22
- Junior Vasquez Dub Edit – 7:13
- Junior Vasquez Mix Show Edit – 5:10
- Junior Vasquez Radio Edit – 3:18
- Bimbo Jones Club Edit – 6:45
- Bimbo Jones Dub Edit – 6:48
- Bimbo Jones Radio Edit – 3:10
- Album Version – 3:14
U.S. 12" single (0946 3 81149 1 8)
- Junior Vasquez Club – 7:17
- Junior Vasquez Instrumental Dub – 7:13
- Bimbo Jones Club – 6:45
- Bimbo Jones Instrumental Dub – 6:48
Official versions
- Album Version – 3:15
- Radio Edit – 3:15
- Album Instrumental – 3:15
- Album A Cappella – 3:12
- Rap Remix featuring FabolousFabolousJohn David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper of African American and Dominican descent. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Part of his early popularity arose from his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut...
and Fat Man Scoop – 3:44 - Junior VasquezJunior VasquezJunior Vasquez, , is an American club DJ and remixer/producer.-Career:...
Radio Edit – 3:18 - Junior Vasquez World Mixshow
- Junior Vasquez Mixshow Edit – 5:11
- Junior Vasquez Club Mix – 7:22
- Junior Vasquez Dub Mix / Junior Vasquez Instrumental Dub – 7:14
- Bimbo Jones Radio Edit – 3:10
- Bimbo Jones Club Remix – 6:45
- Bimbo Jones Dub Edit / Bimbo Jones Remix Instrumental – 6:48
- Eddie Baez Mix – 8:58
- Khia's Hood Remix – 4:14 (not commissioned by Virgin Records)
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Singles Chart | 9 |
| Italian Singles Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
37 |
| Japanese Singles Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
13 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 13 |
| U.S. 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... |
90 |
| U.S. Billboard 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,... |
34 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
93 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 1 |