"Bottled Up" is the debut solo single by American singer
Dinah Jane
Dinah Jane Milika Ilaisaane Hansen (; born June 22, 1997) is an American singer and a member of girl group Fifth Harmony. In October 2017, she featured in RedOne's single " Boom Boom" with Daddy Yankee and French Montana. After the group's hiatu ...
, featuring fellow American singers
Ty Dolla Sign and
Marc E. Bassy
Marc Griffin, known professionally as Marc E. Bassy, is an American singer and songwriter from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the former vocalist of the Los Angeles-based pop band 2AM Club. His solo works include his 2014 mixtape ''Only the Po ...
. It was written by
A.CHAL
Alejandro Chal Salazar (born May 30, 1989), professionally known as A. Chal (stylized A.CHAL), is a Peruvian-American singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He released his first EP, ''Ballroom Riots'', in 2013. His debut studio album, ...
, Ty Dolla Sign, Bassy, and Jane. It was released on September 21, 2018. The song was noted for having a similar sound to Jane’s former group’s, Fifth Harmony, music. It is an
R&B song with
tropical and
hip-hop influences, while lyrically, it is about someone who bottles up their feelings and uses alcohol and drugs to hide them.
Background and release

"Bottled Up" was written by
A.CHAL
Alejandro Chal Salazar (born May 30, 1989), professionally known as A. Chal (stylized A.CHAL), is a Peruvian-American singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He released his first EP, ''Ballroom Riots'', in 2013. His debut studio album, ...
, Tyrone William Griffin Jr, Marc Griffin and Dinah Jane with the production done by James Hau,
David Park, William Mosgrove, Nick Balding. It is Jane's official debut single but won't be in her upcoming debut album; instead, it serves as a transition from her former music with the group until she "finds her sound".
Jane had a choice to add another artist to the song, and she chose
Ty Dolla Sign and
Marc E. Bassy
Marc Griffin, known professionally as Marc E. Bassy, is an American singer and songwriter from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the former vocalist of the Los Angeles-based pop band 2AM Club. His solo works include his 2014 mixtape ''Only the Po ...
; she had previously worked with the former as a part of
Fifth Harmony in the top-ten single, "
Work from Home", and she's been wanting to work with the latter since her time in the group. She references three of the group's most famous singles: "Work from Home", "
Worth It" and "
Down
Down most often refers to:
* Down, the relative direction opposed to up
* Down (gridiron football), in American/Canadian football, a period when one play takes place
* Down feather, a soft bird feather used in bedding and clothing
* Downland, a ty ...
". Jane performed the track at the New York Fashion Week during one of
Teen Vogue
''Teen Vogue'' is an American online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'', targeted at teenagers. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and celebrities. Since ...
’s performances.
She made her solo TV debut on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' on Monday, October 8, performing the song alongside Marc E. Bassy and Ty Dolla $ign. In an interview with Music Choice she explained the song's similar sound to Fifth Harmony's music saying, "I remember being in the studio with Marc, and he was just like, ‘So what’s your vibe? Where do you wanna go with this? You wanna just make hits or do you wanna go global?’ I was like, ‘I wanna go global. I want a global record'
��I love this record a lot
��It’s been a year or two... and I feel like because it’s such a bop to me, it can be a bop to other people, as well.”
Jane released Spanish and Portuguese versions of the song on November 8, which kept Ty Dolla Sign's verse and removed Bassy's vocals.
Composition and lyrics
"Bottled Up" is a
midtempo,
R&B song that draws influences of
tropical,
reggae and
hip hop music. It contains a "light
tropical-tinged backbeat with a simple
urban bassline
Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched Part ( ...
." It runs for a total of three minutes and twenty seconds. Lyrically, the song is about "drinking your feelings away". In an interview with Z100, Jane said, "It’s about someone who has a hard time sharing their emotions, so they bottle up their feelings and they turn to smoking and drinking because that’s the way they’re getting it out." The song is in 97
beats per minute.
Music video
The song's music video, directed by
Hannah Lux Davis, was released on November 7, 2018.
Critical reception
"Bottled Up" received both positive and negative feedback; the latter was mostly because of the song's sound, which was very similar to that of
Fifth Harmony's.
Thomas Bleech said that the "chorus was way too simple" and that "not even a guest rap verse from Ty Dolla $ign could save this song and make it somewhat likeable or commercially ready."
Mike Neid from
''Idolator'' said that "Jane gets a little flirty" and "she and Marc E. Bassy need a little coaxing to open up about their feelings." Matt Gehring from
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
said that they "loved the 'Work from Home and 'Worth It' references" and that they're "ready for a hit maker". ''HotNewHipHop'' called the song "upbeat and high energy" and that it tackles "the subject of bottling up emotions in romantic relationships."
Track listing
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from
Tidal.
*
Dinah Jane
Dinah Jane Milika Ilaisaane Hansen (; born June 22, 1997) is an American singer and a member of girl group Fifth Harmony. In October 2017, she featured in RedOne's single " Boom Boom" with Daddy Yankee and French Montana. After the group's hiatu ...
– songwriting, vocals
*
Ty Dolla Sign – songwriting, vocals
*
Marc E. Bassy
Marc Griffin, known professionally as Marc E. Bassy, is an American singer and songwriter from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the former vocalist of the Los Angeles-based pop band 2AM Club. His solo works include his 2014 mixtape ''Only the Po ...
– songwriting, vocals
*
Alejandro Chal – songwriting
*James Hau – producer
*
David Park – producer
*William Mosgrove – producer
*Nick Balding – producer
Charts
References
{{authority control
2018 songs
2018 debut singles
Dinah Jane songs
Vocal collaborations
Contemporary R&B ballads
Songs written by Ty Dolla Sign
Ty Dolla Sign songs
Songs written by A.Chal
Music videos directed by Hannah Lux Davis