"Lay It on Me" is a song by American singer

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling gir ...

featuring two rap verses from American rapper

Big Sean Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. He met Kanye West as a teenager, and signed with his record label GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2007. He gained popul ...

, taken from Rowland's third studio album '' Here I Am'' (2011). The

contemporary R&B Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music Music genre, genre, originating from African Americans, African-American musicians in the 1980s that combines rhythm and blues with elements of Pop music, pop, Soul music, soul, funk, Hip-hop, ...

and

Hi-NRG Hi-NRG (pronounced "high energy") is a genre of uptempo disco or electronic dance music (EDM) that originated during the late 1970s and early 1980s. As a music genre, typified by its fast tempo, staccato hi-hat rhythms (and the four-on-the-flo ...

song was written by Sean, Ester Dean and Chauncy "

Hit-Boy Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr. (born May 21, 1987), known professionally as Hit-Boy, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He first signed with fellow producer Polow da Don in 2007 as in-house production staff for his l ...

" Hollis who also produced the song. "Lay It On Me" has a piano-driven melody and is laced with

808s ''808s & Heartbreak'' is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West, released by Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records on November 24, 2008, having been recorded earlier that year in September and October at Glenwood Studio ...

and high NRG beats; the lyrics centre on Rowland describing sexual encounters with a lover. The song was serviced to US

rhythmic radio Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 20, Rhythmic Top 30, Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and upbeat R&B hits ...

on August 16, 2011 by

Universal Motown Universal Motown Records was an American record label that operated as a division of Universal Motown Republic Group. It was the contemporary incarnation of the legendary Motown Records label, and the " urban" half of the Universal Records ...

as the album's second (and last) single in the United States, and later in 2012 as the album's fourth international single. An accompanying

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

features interactions with Sean, as well as scenes including Rowland stroking an elephant and dancing with a troupe of black dancers against a white backdrop. It was shot back-to-back with the video for Rowland's third international single, " Down for Whatever", with director Sarah Chatfield and choreographer Frank Gatson, Jr. Rowland and Sean performed the song live for the first time on "

Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', sometimes shortened to ''JKL'', is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show tapes and is based out of the Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywo ...

" on September 26, 2011. "Lay It On Me" was met with a positive response from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...

who generally praised the sex appeal of the song, progressive production and suggestive lyrics. It has peaked at number 43 one US

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart and although it did not chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, it appeared on the

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

chart at number 9. Internationally, "Lay It On Me" peaked at both 69 in the UK and Japan.

Background and composition

Following the success of her previous single "

Motivation Motivation is an mental state, internal state that propels individuals to engage in goal-directed behavior. It is often understood as a force that explains why people or animals initiate, continue, or terminate a certain behavior at a particul ...

" (featuring

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

)," which peaked and remained at number-one on the US

chart for multiple weeks, Rowland opted to follow up the song with another R&B song titled "Lay It on Me". It features rapper

and an up-"tempo" melody with a

and high NRG-led production that features a "tinkling piano" melody and light R&B beat. Written by

Ester Dean Esther Renay Dean (born April 15, 1982), known professionally as Ester Dean, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. She rose to prominence as a pop songwriter in the late 2000s and wrote numerous hit songs for singers including R ...

, Big Sean and produced by Chauncey "Hit-Boy" Hollis, the lyrics of the song see Rowland tells her man exactly what she wants with lines such as "I wanna just kiss you now, I wanna just touch you now, I wanna just give you all my love tonight." Big Sean follows with equally sexual lines like "The king of California kings/ You gotta call me sire/ Watch me lay it down/ And I ain't even tired." "Lay It on Me" debuted on June 14, 2011, through various online media and websites. The song's producer Hitboy

tweeted A tweet (officially known as a post since 2023) is a short status update on the social networking site Twitter (officially known as X since 2023) which can include images, videos, GIFs, straw polls, hashtags, mentions, and hyperlinks. Around ...

that the version that had appeared online was an unfinished version. The finished version appeared online on July 17, 2011 featuring an additional verse from Sean. The artwork for the single is taken from the album artwork photoshoot, which was photographed by Derek Blanks with make-up by Latasha Wright and hairstyling by Kimberly Kimble.

Critical reception

"Lay it on Me" received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. A reviewer from the ''

Sydney Star Observer The ''Star Observer'' is a free monthly magazine and online newspaper that caters to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities in Australia. Since 20 June 2019 the ''Star Observer'' has been owned by media company Out Pu ...

'' described the song as a "slinky club banger," which was catchy and had the potential to be "another winner" for Rowland. Contessa Gayles was also positive of the song commenting that it had some of the same sentiments as Rowland's 2010 single "

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

", describing "Lay It on Me" as Rowland "coming on strong and telling her man just what she wants in this up-tempo, feelgood love song with just the right amount of sexy."

MTV Buzzworthy MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on August 1, 1981, th ...

's Jenna Hally Rubenstein praised the song's "dopeness," stating that Rowland uses "Lay It on Me" to show "how she likes to uhhhh, get down." Rubenstein added that

's appearance "adds street cred to an otherwise straightforward pop/R&B record." Sputnikmusic's review was favorable, writing that "it's a sleekly produced, midtempo jam that’s just oozing with come-ons and sing-songy moments." However, not all reception was positive. Ken Capobianco from ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' felt that "Lay it on Me" was amongst other generic songs on the album. In his review Capobianco said the song did nothing to help Rowland "establish her singularity" as the "diagramed arrangements" were "new iterations of the formula set out for many other female pop and R&B artists." ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

''s Adam Markowitz somewhat agreed, calling much of the album "unambitious" but noting "Lay it on Me" as a "cocky comeon." Alison Stewart from ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' said "Lay it on Me" was typical of the "low octane songs" favored on ''Here I Am''. Stewart describes

's guest appearance as lazy, noting that "nobody seems to be trying particularly hard, especially Big Sean, who sounds like he’s spitting his verse with one eye on the door."

Music video

The

for "Lay It On Me" was filmed in early September 2011 with British fashion photographer and director Sarah Chatfield. It is the third time that Rowland has worked with Chatfield following the videos for " Forever and a Day" (2010) and "

" (2011). The video for Rowland's next single ("Down for Whatever" featuring The WAV.s) will also be filmed back to back with "Lay it on Me." It was co-directed and choreographed by Frank Gatson, Jr. who also worked with Rowland on "Motivation."

Concept

Rap-Up ''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...

''.com revealed the first images from the video on September 9, 2011, depicting Rowland in a gold leotard and rapper

(who is featured on the song) sat in on some gold steps while Rowland lies on the next step up. In another scene, Rowland "commands shirtless male dancers" while dressed in a "skin-bearing leotard" and metal bra. Other scenes include Rowland posing with a foil cape and interacting with an elephant. Entertainment website Idolator described Rowland as getting up close and personal with the hunky male dancers as well as playing with Suzy the baby elephant. Hip Hollywood unveiled some behind the scenes footage on September 8, 2011. Rap-Up magazine revealed further behind the scenes footage from the shoot on September 14, 2011. Rowland's official website posted a sneak peek of the video on September 29, 2011. The full video was released on October 12, 2011.

Reception

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...

's Robbie Daw wrote a positive reception, commenting: "There’s plenty of not-so-subtle imagery, such as when Kelly stretches out a Slinky and rubs it all over her body (kids, really don’t try this at home), and her co-star Susie The Elephant takes its trunk and, er, lays it on Rowland. Perfect visual for a sexy song that picks up right where Kelly’s steamy summer hit “

” left off."

MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...

's Jocelyn Vena wrote that "Rowland puts her sexuality on full display, wearing several skin-baring bodysuits. The R&B singer shows some sexual swagger as she grinds, rubs and sizes up a bevy of men." A publication of

wrote that "the R&B diva piles on more sex as she gets intimate with her half-naked male co-stars (woah der), fondles a slinky, cozies up to an elephant, and flirts with Big Sean."

Live performances

Rowland and Big Sean performed the song on "

" on September 26, 2011. Rowland also performed the song as an opening act for the North American leg of

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...

's the F.A.M.E. Tour.

Credits and personnel

;Recording information *Recorded in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

at Eyeknowasecret Studio, Brentwood and Westlake Studios,

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. *

's verses were recorded at KMA STUDIOS in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. *Additional vocals were recorded at Studio A Recording Inc,

Dearborn Heights, Michigan Dearborn Heights is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Dearborn Heights is located about west of downtown Detroit. The city shares a small border with Detroit, and is considered a bedroom c ...

. ;Personnel *"Big Sean" Anderson – guest rap vocals,

songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

– songwriter and vocal production *Aubry "Big Juice" Delaine – recording and vocal recording engineer *Jesus Garnica – assistant

audio mixer A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems. Inputs to the console include microphones, signals from electric or electronic instr ...

*Chris Gehringer – audio mastering engineer *Chauncey "Hit-Boy" Hollis – songwriter, producer, programming *Jaycen Joshua – audio mixer

Charts

Release history

References

{{authority control 2011 singles Kelly Rowland songs Big Sean songs Songs written by Ester Dean Song recordings produced by Hit-Boy Songs written by Hit-Boy 2011 songs Universal Motown Records singles Songs written by Big Sean