Don't Call Me Up
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"Don't Call Me Up" is a song by English singer and songwriter Mabel, included on the 2019 reissue of her debut
mixtape A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...
, ''
Ivy to Roses ''Ivy to Roses'' is the debut mixtape by English singer Mabel. It was originally released on 13 October 2017 through Polydor. This was followed by a reissue on 18 January 2019, with a new cover art and the inclusion of released material. The a ...
'', and debut album, ''
High Expectations ''High Expectations'' is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Mabel, released on 2 August 2019 by Polydor Records. Mabel worked with writers and producers such as Tre Jean-Marie, Steve Mac and MNEK to create the album, with ...
''. It was released by
Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
on 18 January 2019. As of February 2023, the music video has received over 300 million views on
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, making it her most-viewed video on the platform.


Writing and recording

Mabel wrote "Don't Call Me Up" with
Camille Purcell Camille Angelina Purcell, known professionally as Kamille (stylised KAMILLE), is an English singer, songwriter, producer and record label owner. Personal life and career beginnings Camille took part in many school productions and plays and st ...
, and Steve Mac, who also produced the song. Unlike her previous writing and recording sessions, Mabel only had one day to work with Mac and Purcell, and the recording excluded the harmonies and ad-libs common in her previous material. She went into the session feeling sad about a previous relationship and wanted to write a positive
breakup song A breakup song is a song describing the breakup of an intimate relationship, with associated emotions of sadness, frustration, anger, and sometimes of acceptance or relief. As one source states (discussing the upbeat breakup song " Better Things ...
to feel better. The song stemmed from the
refrain A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the vi ...
's "Don't Call Me Up"
hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
which was brought up during a discussion they had about ignoring a phone call from a former lover and how good that felt. Finding the hook simple and relatable, they decided to use it in the verses as well. It was the first song Mabel recorded where her lead vocals from the final and demo versions sounded nearly identical.


Music and lyrics

Written in the key of B
Dorian mode Dorian mode or Doric mode can refer to three very different but interrelated subjects: one of the Ancient Greek ''harmoniai'' (characteristic melodic behaviour, or the scale structure associated with it); one of the medieval musical modes; or—mos ...
, "Don't Call Me Up" runs at a
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 (often ...
of 99 beats per minute. It is a
tropical house Tropical house, also known as trop house, is a subgenre of house music, and a derivation of tropical music, with elements of dancehall and Balearic house. Artists of the genre are often featured at various summer festivals such as Tomorrowland. T ...
pop song with bounce and bass-heavy production, and
dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...
and R&B undertones. The track has a midtempo
dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
groove. Mabel starts the first verse one second into the song accompanied by a three side-clave keyboard riff introducing the main
chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
of Bm–A–E. The chord sequence changes to Dmaj7–A–E in the pre-chorus, while Mabel's vocal increases from A to C. Conversely, she performs in a monotonous style in the chorus, and her vocals have a parallel lower octave with additional
Auto-Tune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-Tu ...
. A
reggaeton Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico. It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American Hip hop m ...
groove is introduced in the chorus with an extended
reverberation Reverberation (also known as reverb), in acoustics, is a persistence of sound, after a sound is produced. Reverberation is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing numerous reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is abso ...
percussive hit, and a single D chord is played for two full measures at the end. In the second verse, a high
snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...
plays a frequent two and four backbeat before reintroducing the
kick drum The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...
which dominates the second pre-chorus.
Cabasa The cabasa, similar to the shekere, is a percussion instrument that is constructed with loops of steel ball chain wrapped around a wooden cylinder. The cylinder is fixed to a long, wooden or plastic handle. The metal cabasa was created by Marti ...
, handclaps, and shakers are added in this section, ahead of the second chorus that includes a snare drum triplet fill in the final measure. The
breakdown Breakdown may refer to: Breaking down *Breakdown (vehicle), failure of a motor vehicle in such a way that it cannot be operated *Chemical decomposition, also called chemical breakdown, the breakdown of a substance into simpler components *Decompo ...
has the same music as the chorus, but uses a heavily
pitch shift Pitch shifting is a sound recording technique in which the original pitch of a sound is raised or lowered. Effects units that raise or lower pitch by a pre-designated musical interval ( transposition) are called pitch shifters. Pitch and ti ...
ed vocal doubled with an octave halfway through. In the final pre-chorus, a
high-pass filter A high-pass filter (HPF) is an electronic filter that passes signals with a frequency higher than a certain cutoff frequency and attenuates signals with frequencies lower than the cutoff frequency. The amount of attenuation for each frequency d ...
cuts bass frequencies while the final chorus keyboard riff is doubled and a shaker is added. According to Mabel, the track is about being strong and saying, "no, you had your chance", after a breakup with someone who took you for granted and started to call you again. She explained that it is "where you give everything to a relationship but they don't appreciate you back. You get to the point, 'That's it, walk away.'"


Release

Prior to its
Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
single release on 18 January 2019, Mabel debuted "Don't Call Me Up" live during her These Are the Best Times Tour in December 2018. On 22 January 2019, the single was promoted with its own lens filter on
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.
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
sent the song to
contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
in the US on 19 February 2019. In Italy, it impacted mainstream radio on 22 February 2019. A remixes
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
(EP) was released the same day. On 1 March 2019, an acoustic version was made available.


Critical reception

Upon release, "Don't Call Me Up" was well-received by most music critics. In his review for '' Clash'', Robin Murray called the song Mabel's "most potent pop moment yet", noting her "surging vocal, and the addictive, nuanced songwriting". ''
The Line of Best Fit ''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...
''s Cerys Kenneally found the track "huge" and said it "ignites that Friday feeling", while a reviewer for ''
DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...
'' deemed it "a bit of an empowerment anthem". Roisin O'Connor, a music correspondent for ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', included the song in her list of favourite new releases, calling it "a self-love banger". In ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'', Ed Potton described the track as "an ex-slaying epic of mega-lunged pop melodies". Writing for ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'', Dan Cairns regarded "Don't Call Me Up" as "a hook-filled kiss-off that's both anthemic and irrefutable." ''
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 advertise ...
'' named it an early contender for song of the summer in the US with writer Gab Ginsberg likening its "infectious" beat to
Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
's "
Shape of You "Shape of You" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released on 6 January 2017 as one of the double lead singles from his third studio album '' ÷'' (2017), along with "Castle on the Hill". The dancehall and R&B-infused ...
" and its empowerment message to "
New Rules "New Rules" is a song by English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa from her eponymous debut studio album (2017). The song was written by Caroline Ailin, Emily Warren and Ian Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick also handled the production and offered it to Lipa ...
" by
Dua Lipa Dua Lipa ( , ; born ) is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Possessing a mezzo-soprano vocal range, she is known for her signature disco- pop sound. Lipa has received numerous accolades, including six Brit Awards, three Gramm ...
. Glenn Gamboa of ''
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'' said the groove is similar to "Shape of You", but its attitude "sets it apart" and Mabel "definitely knows how to deliver a kiss-off." In a less favourable review, Michael Cragg of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' found the pre-chorus "exquisite" but the song too "risk-free", and said it "rips ff the "plinky-plonky" beat from "Shape of You".


Commercial performance

"Don't Call Me Up" became the biggest hit of Mabel's career. Following its release, the track debuted at number 11 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
with first-week sales of 23,325 units. It rose four spots to number seven in its second week, before entering the top five in its third, holding the fifth position for four consecutive weeks. "Don't Call Me Up" eventually peaked at number three for three consecutive weeks in March 2019, making it Mabel's highest-charting single in the UK and her second to reach the top ten following 2017's "
Finders Keepers Finders, keepers, sometimes extended as the children's rhyme finders, keepers; losers, weepers, is an English language, English adage with the premise that when something is unowned or abandoned, whoever finds it first can claim it for themself pe ...
". The track also topped the
UK R&B Chart The UK Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart and the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart (also known as The Official UK Hip Hop and R&B Charts, the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Singles and the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Albums, or simply the UK Urban Chart) are 40-posi ...
for ten consecutive weeks, tying "
Old Town Road "Old Town Road" is the debut single of American rapper Lil Nas X, first released independently in December 2018. After gaining popularity, the single was re-released by Columbia Records in March 2019. Lil Nas X also recorded a remix with America ...
" as the longest running number-one of 2019. In April 2019, the song was certified gold by the
British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
(BPI) for selling 400,000 units, and in 2022 it was certified triple platinum for selling 1,800,000 units. In the United States, "Don't Call Me Up" became Mabel's first single to enter the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song initially debuted at number 21 on the
Bubbling Under Hot 100 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 before entering the Hot 100 two weeks later, where it debuted at number 97 with 12.3 million radio impressions, six million streams, and 3,000 digital downloads sold on the chart issue dated April 2, 2019. The track moved up to number 92 in its second week and reached a peak of number 66 on the issue dated May 25, 2019. "Don't Call Me Up" also peaked at number 16 on the ''Billboard'' Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart and number 18 on the ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs.


Music video

Mabel first teased the music video for "Don't Call Me Up" by posting two GIFs from the clip on Twitter on 14 January 2019. She shared another image from video on 16 January 2019. The following day, Mabel released a preview of the clip and hosted a live chat on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
, ahead of the music video's premiere on the platform at 08:00
GMT Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, counted from midnight. At different times in the past, it has been calculated in different ways, including being calculated from noon; as a cons ...
on 18 January 2019. According to Sajae Elder of ''
The Fader ''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes. It is o ...
'', "the colorful clip finds the singer surrounded by a gang of her girls, dancing through parking lots, joyriding and smashing phones to help with the heartbreak."


Live performances

On 13 February 2019, Mabel performed "Don't Call Me Up" and a cover of "
Touch In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch (haptic perception), as well as temperature (thermoception), body position (proprioception), and pain. It is ...
" by
Little Mix Little Mix are a British girl group, composed of group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, and Perrie Edwards. Jesy Nelson was originally part of the group before she left in 2020. After becoming the first group to win the British ver ...
for
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
's
Live Lounge The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo, and later by Jo Whiley on her weekday mid-morning, and later weekend lunchtime radio shows, then by Fearne Cotton ...
. She performed the song on Norwegian-Swedish television programme ''
Skavlan ''Skavlan'' was a Norwegian-Swedish television talk show hosted by Norwegian journalist Fredrik Skavlan. It premiered in Sweden on Sveriges Television (SVT) in January 2009, and the first guests to appear on the show were former Prime Minister o ...
'' on 22 February 2019. On 7 March 2019, the singer performed the track along with " Fine Line" at the 2019 Global Awards. Mabel also performed "Don't Call Me Up" during the second series semi-final episode of ''
Ireland's Got Talent ''Ireland's Got Talent'' is the Irish version of the international ''Got Talent'' franchise. The series launched on 3 February 2018 on Virgin Media One (formerly known as "TV3") and was hosted by Lucy Kennedy, accompanied by a sister show entit ...
'' on 30 March 2019. She performed the song on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
'' on 22 May 2019. Mabel also performed "Don't Call Me Up" at the 2019 MTV Europe Music Awards and
LOS40 Music Awards 2019 The LOS40 Music Awards 2019 was the fourteenth edition of the LOS40 Music Awards, the annual awards organized by Spanish radio station Los 40. It was held on November 8, 2019, in the WiZink Center in Madrid, Spain. Performances The full lineup of ...
. In 2020, she performed the song during The Brits are Coming in January. The song was also performed at the 2020 Brit Awards as the opening act for the award ceremony, where Mabel won her first ever BRIT Award. Following the performance the song climbed the UK Single Charts at #34, being the 46th week of the single on the UK Official Charts.


Track listing


Personnel

* Mabel – vocals * Steve Mac – production, keyboards * Chris Laws – drums, engineering *
Spike Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed Sh ...
– mixing * Stuart Hawkes – mastering * Tim Laws – guitar *
Camille Purcell Camille Angelina Purcell, known professionally as Kamille (stylised KAMILLE), is an English singer, songwriter, producer and record label owner. Personal life and career beginnings Camille took part in many school productions and plays and st ...
– background vocals * Dan Pursey – engineering Credits adapted from
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.


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


References

{{authority control 2019 singles 2019 songs Mabel (singer) songs Polydor Records singles Song recordings produced by Steve Mac Songs about telephone calls Songs written by Kamille (musician) Songs written by Steve Mac Tropical house songs Pop songs Contemporary R&B songs British contemporary R&B songs Songs written by Mabel (singer)