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"Make Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
included on her second greatest hits compilation ''
Number Ones A number is a mathematical object used to count, measure, and label. The most basic examples are the natural numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and so forth. Numbers can be represented in language with number words. More universally, individual numbers can ...
'' (2009). The song was written by Jackson,
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), better known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won two Grammy Awards from 19 nomi ...
, 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, as the lead and only single from ''Number Ones'' by
A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...
. "Make Me" features an
up-tempo A variety of musical terms is encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special musical meanings ...
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
beat and lyrical hook reminiscent of her material from the 1980s. The song received critical praise, with
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 ...
comparing the song favorably to her hit " All for You" (2001) and her brother
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
's 1979 number one single "
Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. Written by Jackson and released by Epic Records on July 10, 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson's fifth studio album, ''Off the Wall'' (1979). Ad ...
", both of which carry a distinct disco beat. It became her 19th number one hit single on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
s
Hot Dance Club Songs The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set list ...
chart, and made her the first artist to earn number one singles on the chart across four decades. The song's music video, directed by Robert Hales, was shot entirely in black and white, and it received positive critical reception for its vintage aesthetic.


Background

In 2009, the 26th Annual MTV Video Music Awards were held a few months after Jackson's brother
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
died Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sho ...
on June 25, 2009. The awards dedicated the night to her brother with a retro-music video montage, and pop singer
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
opened the show with a speech about Jackson. Additionally, Janet Jackson made an appearance to perform the 1995 song " Scream". Following the awards show on September 13, 2009, a song titled "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, 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" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. Written by Jackson and released by Epic Records on July 10, 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson's fifth studio album, ''Off the Wall'' (1979). Ad ...
", Jackson later stated in an interview with
Ryan Seacrest Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American television presenter and producer. Seacrest is the host of '' Wheel of Fortune'', having hosted since replacing long-time host Pat Sajak in September 2024. Seacrest co-hosted and ser ...
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 (October 31, 1952 – April 18, 1996) was an American bassist and record producer, known primarily for his work in disco with musician Nile Rodgers, with whom he co-founded Chic. In 2017, Edwards was selected as the 53rd greates ...
and
Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. The co-founder of Chic, he has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 750 million albums and 1 ...
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 Discipline is the self-control that is gained by requiring that rules or orders be obeyed, and the ability to keep working at something that is difficult. Disciplinarians believe that such self-control is of the utmost importance and enforce a ...
'' (2008), co-produced the song with her. He reported to
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
that he had been working on new material with Jackson since her departure from
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
in September 2008. Of the new material, he commented, "It's about dancing ... It's all about her. It's about
aying Aying is a municipality in the district of Munich in Bavaria, Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the s ...
'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 y makingthe records that her fans will embrace." In October 2009,
Universal Music Enterprises Universal Music Enterprises (UME, stylized as UMe) is the catalogue division of Universal Music Group. It includes Hip-O Records, Universal Chronicles, and UM3 or UMC (which is the international division of the company). Under various divisions, ...
issued a press release stating "Make Me" would be included in Jackson's second greatest hits album, ''
Number Ones A number is a mathematical object used to count, measure, and label. The most basic examples are the natural numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and so forth. Numbers can be represented in language with number words. More universally, individual numbers can ...
'', a compilation of her 33 global number one singles.


Reception


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 " e 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 Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing. Vibe may also refer to: People * DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ * Lasse Vibe (b ...
'' 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." Jerkins also had
Larry Ryckman Lawrence G. Ryckman (born August 28, 1959) is a Canadian music industry executive known for his knowledge of Sound recording and reproduction, audio production and Audio mastering, mastering and the development of patented audio and video techno ...
and Ari Blitz Master "Make Me" with AfterMaster HD Audio which gave it a uniquely powerful presence. Michael Menachem of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' 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'' is the fifth studio album by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on August 10, 1979, by Epic Records. It was Jackson's first album released through Epic Records, and the first produced by Quincy Jones, whom he met ...
'', Menachem comments " tisn't just Jackson's best dance song in years—it's a hit that would make her brother proud." Glenn Gamboa of ''
Newsday ''Newsday'' is a daily newspaper in the United States primarily serving Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI" ...
'' 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 The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set list ...
chart. It became her 19th number one hit single on the chart, and made her the first artist to earn number one singles on the chart across four decades. Following its peak on the Dance/Club chart, it entered the
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 ...
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.


Music video

A
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 ...
for the song was directed by Robert Hales and choreographed by Gil Duldulao. It premiered on ''
20/20 Visual acuity (VA) commonly refers to the clarity of visual perception, vision, but technically rates an animal's ability to recognize small details with precision. Visual acuity depends on optical and neural factors. Optical factors of the eye ...
'' on November 20, 2009. Nick Levine from
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
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 or Escapades may refer to: Transportation *Beneteau Escapade, a French sailboat design * HMS ''Escapade'', a 1934 Royal Navy destroyer that served in World War II *'' Just Escapade'', an American two-seat kit-built light aircraft Films ...
' 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."


Live performances

While promoting her second greatest hits album ''
Number Ones A number is a mathematical object used to count, measure, and label. The most basic examples are the natural numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and so forth. Numbers can be represented in language with number words. More universally, individual numbers can ...
'', the singer performed an eight-minute medley of six hits during the American Music Awards of 2009. It included " Control", "
Miss You Much "Miss You Much" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson. Composed by songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it was recorded for the singer's fourth studio album, '' Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'' (1989). As with all ...
", "
What Have You Done for Me Lately "What Have You Done for Me Lately" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her third studio album, '' Control'' (1986). Jackson co-wrote the song with its producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It was released in 1986, by A&M Records as ...
", " If", "Make Me", and finished with " Together Again". At the end of the performance, the singer received applause and standing ovation from the audience. Jackson also performed the track on ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'' results show on December 6, 2009. She pre-recorded the performance so she could perform as the headliner of the Jingle Bell Ball in London. She closed the concert with a medley of her greatest hits including "Make Me", wearing half hareem-pant, half skirt concoction, jackets and high-top trainers. Jackson also included the song in her performance at the 2010
Essence Music Festival The ESSENCE Festival of Culture is the largest African-American culture and music event in the US. The annual music festival started in 1995 in New Orleans, Louisiana to celebrate the 25th anniversary of ''Essence (magazine), Essence'' magazine. ...
, held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The song was also included on the Number Ones: Up Close and Personal tour which happened the following year. Jackson also included the song on her 2024 Together Again Tour.


Track listing

Digital Single #"Make Me" (Album Version) - 3:38 #"Make Me" (Moto Blanco Club Mix) - 7:11 #"Make Me" (Bimbo Jones Club Mix) - 6:46 #"Make Me" (Ralphi Rosario Vocal Club Mix) - 9:20 #"Make Me" (Ralphi's Martini Mix) - 7:44 #"Make Me" (Craig J's Get It Up! Mix) - 6:46 #"Make Me" (DJ Dan Extended Vocal Mix) - 4:27 #"Make Me" (DJ Dan Peaktime Mix) - 6:13 #"Make Me" (Dave Aude Club Mix) - 8:01 #"Make Me" (Bimbo Jones Dub) - 8:25


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


See also

* List of number-one dance singles of 2010 (U.S.)


References

{{authority control 2009 singles Janet Jackson songs Music videos directed by Robert Hales Song recordings produced by Rodney Jerkins Songs written by Janet Jackson Songs written by Rodney Jerkins 2009 songs Songs written by Nile Rodgers Songs written by Bernard Edwards A&M Records singles Nu-disco songs Songs written by Michaela Shiloh Songs written by Thomas Lumpkins