"All for You" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson, released as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from her seventh studio album, '' All for You'', on March 6, 2001. Written and produced by Jackson, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis, "All for You" is a dance-pop song that heavily samples " The Glow of Love" by

Change Change or Changing may refer to: Alteration * Impermanence, a difference in a state of affairs at different points in time * Menopause, also referred to as "the change", the permanent cessation of the menstrual period * Metamorphosis, or change, ...

, while lyrically is about flirting with someone on the dance floor. It received positive reviews from critics and was noted for its transition to a brighter and more optimistic sound from the darker tone of the singer's previous album, '' The Velvet Rope'' (1997). Jackson was titled the "Queen of Radio" by MTV as the song made radio history by becoming the first single to be added to every pop,

rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to: * Related to rhythm * Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics * Rhythmic (chart) The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...

, and

urban radio Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban conte ...

format within its first week of release. It also set the record for the highest debut of a song which was not commercially available in both the United States and France. The song peaked atop the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for seven weeks, making it the longest reigning hit of the year, and notably reached number one on the singles charts in Canada, Poland, South Africa, Japan and the UK R&B Chart, as well as peaking within the top 10 of the majority of the singles charts worldwide. To date, it is Jackson's tenth and last number one Hot 100 hit in the United States. "All for You" is considered one of Jackson's signature hits, and received a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for

Best Dance Recording The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as Best Dance Recording) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists f ...

, ASCAP Award for Song of the Year, and Teen Choice Award for Best Single, as well as several sales awards in the United Kingdom and Japan, and certifications in Australia, France, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It was later included in two of Jackson's greatest hits collections, '' Number Ones'' (2009) and '' Icon: Number Ones'' (2010). The song's music video received several accolades, including a nomination for Video of the Year at the

2001 MTV Video Music Awards The 2001 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 6, 2001, honoring the best music videos from June 10, 2000, to June 8, 2001. The show was hosted by Jamie Foxx at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Highlights of the show incl ...

Background and release

The prior year, Janet Jackson released " Doesn't Really Matter" as her first solo single since " Every Time" from her album '' The Velvet Rope''. The song was taken from the soundtrack to '' The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps'', in which Jackson stars with Eddie Murphy. Following the success of the song, which topped the '' Billboard'' charts for three weeks, Jackson started working on a new album, which was described as "upbeat, fun and carefree." Jackson's co-producer Jimmy Jam announced that the album's likely first single was an "'80s-sounding" dance number, which "epitomizes the disc's happy vibe", he said. "All for You" prominently samples the 1980 song " The Glow of Love", written by

Wayne Garfield Wayne K. Garfield (January 21, 1952 - September 9, 2022) was an American composer, collaborating songwriter, vocalist, social entrepreneur, community activist, and producer, who was born in 1952 in New York City. He co-founded of the music coll ...

, David Romani, and Mauro Malavasi and performed by

italo disco Italo disco (variously capitalized, and sometimes hyphenated as Italo-disco) is a music genre which originated in Italy in the late 1970s and was mainly produced in the early 1980s. Italo disco evolved from the then-current underground dance, p ...

band

. According to Jam, when he proposed the record to Jackson, she doesn't recognized the song and his writer Mauro Malavasi, however "she instantly liked it because it made her want to dance". Jam added, "In the history of Janet, the records that are the happy records, that make people smile, have always traditionally been the more successful records, ... going back as far to songs like '

When I Think of You "When I Think of You" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her third studio album, ''Control'' (1986). It was released on July 28, 1986, as the album's third single. Composed by songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Le ...

' to 'Doesn't Really Matter.' This continues that tradition, with kind of a nod to the dance music of the '80s." The song was expected to be ready for radio "in the next couple of weeks, and an accompanying video will be shot shortly thereafter," the producer said. It was released to radio stations on March 6, 2001. Britney Spears' "

Anticipating "Anticipating" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her eponymous third studio album (2001). It was written by Spears alongside the song's producers Brian Kierulf and Josh Schwartz. The song was released on June 25, 2002, by Jive Rec ...

" received frequent comparisons to the song by music critics for its similar production and arrangement.

Composition and lyrics

"All for You" was written and produced by Jackson, Jam, and Terry Lewis, with Garfield, Romani, and Malavasi receiving songwriting credits due to the sampled music. Written in the key of

G major G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor. The G major scale is: Notable composi ...

, it has a moderate

tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

of 114 beats per minute. Jackson's vocal range span from the low-note of G₃ to the high-note of E₅. "All for You" is a dance-pop song, with elements of R&B and disco. Lyrically, the song explores Janet's outlook on dating. In a night club setting, Janet flirts with someone that appears intimidated by her celebrity. In a playful, erotic tone, she assures him that she is easy-going and unconcerned with status. The "Video Mix" edit of the song features a dance-break, which contains samples from many of Janet's previous singles, such as " Go Deep" and " The Pleasure Principle". It was later included on Janet's second hits compilation '' Number Ones''.

Critical reception

The song received positive reviews 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 w ...

. David Browne of ''

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

'' gave the single a "B" rating, writing that the song is "a frothy butt shaker and skilled throwback to old-school disco," calling it "another Jackson package with pretty ribbons but little inside." Anthony DeCurtis of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' praised the song for "swirling on the dizzying energy of a disco-era sample," while Tom Sinclair of ''Entertainment Weekly'' noted the track "recalls the old McFadden & Whitehead positivity anthem '

Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" is a 1979 disco song performed by American R&B duo McFadden & Whitehead, from their debut album ''McFadden & Whitehead''. They wrote and produced the song along with keyboard player Jerry Cohen. McFadden & Whitehead wou ...

'", recasting it as "chirpy computer pop overlaid with a silky Jackson vocal." ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' called the song a "faultless funk affair", while

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

said the song would maintain Jackson and her producer's reputation as the "leading lights of contemporary urban soul." '' Billboard'' considered it "a veritable vitamin shot in the arm for the airwaves," and "as playful and joyous as the best from Jackson's deep uptempo catalog." The review also noted the song "audaciously ignores top 40's current trend toward strict R&B inflection" and "is mainstream party pop at its best." '' Barnes & Noble'' observed Jackson to be "in a sunnier mood", adding "she chirps the title track's sparkling dance pop over a piano-and-bass hook". Anthony Carew of ''Neumu.net'' described the song as a "fine neo-disco/'80s-retro collage", with Devdoot Majumdar of '' The Tech'' calling it "frothy dance pop", noting the song had Jackson's "signature elaborateness" and was "radio-ready material".

Chart performance

Upon release, Teri VanHorn of '' MTV News'' dubbed Jackson "Queen of Radio" as the single made radio airplay history, " eingadded to every pop,

and

station that reports to the national trade magazine '' Radio & Records''." Quoting ''R&R''s Kevin McCabe, VanHorn added that "No other song has conquered all reporting stations in its first week at radio, let alone mastered three formats in one week." The song's overall airplay record was later broken by

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

's " Born This Way", although Gaga's single was able to achieve the feat with a radio airplay deal to play the song hourly. "All for You" also debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart at number 14; the highest debut ever for a single that was not commercially available. In its third week, the song climbed from number six to number three, while in its fifth week on the chart, the song jumped to the top of the Hot 100 chart. It became the first song by a female artist of the decade to advance to number one, and Jackson's tenth number-one hit, also reaching the top of ''

Billboard's ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

'' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. The song remained at number-one for seven consecutive weeks, becoming the year's longest-running chart-topper on the Hot 100. "All for You" is also notably Jackson's last number-one hit to date in the United States. It also topped the Hot Dance Club Songs chart, becoming her thirteenth number-one dance hit. ''Billboard'' accurately predicted the song's chart-topping success, saying, "This offers the promise of good days ahead for a career that has never stalled, but at times has felt more deliberate than others. Expect instantaneous across-the-board action on this from adult, rhythmic, and mainstream top 40s, as well as AC and R&B. It's going to be a '

Rhythm Nation "Rhythm Nation" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson, released as the second single from her fourth studio album, '' Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'' (1989). It was written and produced by Jackson, in collaboration with Jimmy Jam and ...

' this spring, indeed. Quite likely another No.1 for Janet." In Australia, "All for You" debuted and peaked at number five. It became Janet's highest charting-single on the

ARIA Charts The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offic ...

since " Together Again". It was certified platinum by the

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing ...

, for selling over 70,000 copies. In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 34, before remaining at number 14 for three consecutive weeks. Later, it climbed to number two, its peak position, remaining for a further week at the peak position. By doing so, "All for You" became her best-performing single since "

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" and "

Whoops Now "Whoops Now" and "What'll I Do" are songs by American singer Janet Jackson from her fifth studio album, ''Janet'' (1993). They were released in January 1995 as the album's eighth and ninth and final single, respectively. The songs reached number ...

". In the United Kingdom, the song debuted and peaked at number three, the highest entry of the week. It became her best charting-single since " That's the Way Love Goes". It was later certified Silver and became her best-selling UK single behind "Together Again" and "That's the Way Love Goes". The song set a record in France for the highest debut of a promotional recording that was not commercially available, with the song being broadcast over 268 times in five days. It debuted at number 11, eventually peaking at number three. It was certified gold by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique, for selling 75,000 copies. In Italy, "All for You" is Janet's highest charting-single, peaking at number five, while in Finland, it also placed as her best single on the charts.

Awards and nominations

Music video

The "All for You"

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

was directed by Dave Meyers and premiered on March 9, 2001, on MTV's '' TRL''. The video takes place in a colorful two-dimensional world where Jackson wears jeans ripped at the knees and changes her tank top on three occasions: multi-colored, white and black with a leather jacket over one arm. The video's concept is based on Jackson admiring a man whom she meets on the subway. Jackson and her dancers perform high-octane choreography throughout the video, which features a dance break that briefly samples several different songs, (her sister Rebbie Jackson's " Centipede", Jackson's own hits " The Pleasure Principle" and " Go Deep", and Shannon's " Let the Music Play"). The video ends with Jackson spotting the man near a nightclub, who smiles at her as she waves at him before turning to leave.

Reception and accolades

The video was nominated for Video of the Year, Best Female Video, Best Dance Video, and Best Choreography at the

. "All for You" won the award for "Best Dance Video" at the

International Dance Music Awards The International Dance Music Awards or IDMAs is an annual awards ceremony held in Miami Beach, Florida, United States as a major part of the Winter Music Conference. The awards have been held every year since the conference's creation in 1985 e ...

and "Best Choreography" at the MVPA Awards. It appears on the special edition of '' All for You'', which also includes a live performance of the song from Jackson's MTV Icon special, as well as the videos compilation '' From Janet to Damita Jo: The Videos''. Jonathan Hailey placed the video at number nine on "Janet Jackson's 10 Best Dance Videos", writing that "she kept us yearning for more when she busted out the slick dance moves and barely there ab-baring tops." BuzzFeed placed the video at number seven on their list of "Janet's Best Music Videos" calling it "A futuristic, 2-D setting, full of electric color and cheeky choreography."

Live performances

Jackson first performed "All for You" at the finale of her MTV Icon special, which honored her legacy and influence in the music industry, followed by a dance breakdown to " You Ain't Right". The song was also performed on ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...

'', '' CD:UK'', '' Wetten Dass'',

TMF Awards The TMF Awards were an annual television awards show broadcast live on TMF (The Music Factory). The first Dutch TMF Awards were held in 1995, as a brand extension to the recently launched local Dutch music channel TMF. The show was very small an ...

, ECHO Awards, Nulle Part Ailleurs, Late Night with Luuk in Stockholm,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

's Graines De Star, Tapis Rouge in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, Hit Machine, Quelli Il Calcio in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, and

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 one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

's United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert. Jackson later performed the song at MSN and Wango Tango during promotion for her following album '' Damita Jo''. "All for You" was also performed with " Make Me" during Janet's performance on '' The X Factor UK'' in 2009. Jackson performed the song on her All for You Tour,

Rock Witchu Tour Rock Witchu Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson, in support of her tenth studio album '' Discipline'' (2008), and her first in nearly seven years, following a total blacklist of the singer's music, due to ...

, Number Ones, Up Close and Personal Tour, Unbreakable World Tour, and the

State of the World Tour The State of the World Tour was the eighth concert tour by American singer Janet Jackson. Launched in promotion of her eleventh studio album '' Unbreakable'' (2015), the tour is produced by Live Nation and is under the creative direction of Gil ...

. "All for You" was notoriously performed along with "

" and " The Knowledge" at the

Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show The Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show took place on February 1, 2004, at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, as part of Super Bowl XXXVIII. It featured Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, P. Diddy, Nelly, Kid Rock, and Jessica Simpson. The halft ...

, with Jackson wearing a leather gladiator outfit. The show featured 26 dancers, 360 regular band members and a 60-person drum line. At the end of the performance, surprise guest Justin Timberlake appeared to perform his song " Rock Your Body" with Jackson. He accidentally exposed her breast, ending in a massively controversial incident, resulting a

blacklist Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist (or black list) of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list. If someone is on a blacklist, ...

of Jackson's subsequent singles and music videos from several conglomerates, including Viacom and

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

and various subsidiaries, which largely affected Jackson's airplay on many radio formats and music channels worldwide. Jackson also included the song on her 2019 Las Vegas Residency Janet Jackson: Metamorphosis.

Track listings and formats

US CD and cassette single # "All for You" (radio edit) – 4:24 # "All for You" (video mix) – 4:37 US 12-inch single :A1. "All for You" ( Thunderpuss club mix) – 10:28 :A2. "All for You" (album version) – 6:31 :B1. "All for You" (

DJ Quik David Marvin Blake (born January 18, 1970), better known by his stage names DJ Quik or Da Quiksta, is an American rapper and producer, known for his production in the G-funk style of West Coast hip-hop. Blake has collaborated with Snoop Dogg, ...

remix) – 4:29 :B2. "All for You" ( Top Heavy mix) – 4:05 :B3. "All for You" ( Rock mix) – 7:20 UK CD single # "All for You" (radio edit) – 4:24 # "All for You" (Top Heavy mix) – 4:06 # "All for You" (Thunderpuss club mix) – 10:28 # "All for You" (video) UK 12-inch single :A1. "All for You" (Thunderpuss club mix) – 10:28 :B1. "All for You" (Top Heavy remix) – 4:06 :B2. "All for You" (radio edit) – 4:24 UK cassette single # "All For You" (radio edit) – 4:24 # "All For You" (Top Heavy remix) – 4:06 # "All For You" (Thunderpuss club mix) – 10:28 European CD single # "All for You" (radio edit) – 4:23 # "All for You" (Top Heavy remix) – 4:06 Australasian and Taiwanese CD single # "All for You" (radio edit) – 4:24 # "All for You" (DJ Quik remix) – 4:29 # "All for You" (Thunderpuss club mix) – 10:28 # "All for You" (Rock mix) – 7:20 # "All for You" (Top Heavy mix) – 4:06 iTunes EPiTunes – Music – All for You – EP by Janet Jackson
/ref> # "All for You" – 6:32 # "All for You" (Top Heavy remix) – 4:06 # "All for You" (Thunderpuss club mix) – 10:28

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the ''All For You'' album booklet. Studios * Recorded and mixed at Flyte Tyme Studios ( Edina,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

) * Mastered at

Bernie Grundman Bernie Grundman is an American audio engineer. He is most known for his mastering work and his studio, Bernie Grundman Mastering, which he opened in 1984 in Hollywood. The studio, which includes engineers Chris Bellman, Patricia Sullivan, and Mi ...

Mastering (Hollywood, California) Personnel * Janet Jackson – writing, all vocals, production * Jimmy Jam – writing (James Harris III), all additional instruments, production * Terry Lewis – writing, all additional instruments, production * Wayne Garfield – writing * David Romani – writing * Mauro Malavasi – writing * David Barry – guitar * Alex Richbourg – drum and

MIDI MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and ...

programming * Steve Hodge – recording, mixing * Brad Yost – recording and mixing assistant * Xavier Smith – recording and mixing assistant * Brian "Big Bass" Gardner – mastering * Mike Bozzi – mastering assistant

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2000 songs 2001 singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Canadian Singles Chart number-one singles Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording Janet Jackson songs Music videos directed by Dave Meyers (director) Number-one singles in Poland Song recordings produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Songs written by Janet Jackson Songs written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis