"Do It" is a song by American R&B duo

Chloe x Halle Chloe x Halle are an Contemporary R&B, R&B duo composed of sisters Chloe Bailey, Chloe and Halle Bailey. At a young age, the sisters performed in minor acting roles before moving from Mableton, Georgia, to Los Angeles in 2012. The two began post ...

, released on May 14, 2020, as the second single from their second studio album ''

Ungodly Hour ''Ungodly Hour'' is the second studio album by American Contemporary R&B, R&B duo Chloe x Halle. It was released through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records on June 12, 2020. Originally scheduled for June 5, the album's release was delay ...

'' (2020). It was written by Chloe, Halle, and

Victoria Monét Victoria Monét McCants (born May 1, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She became involved in performing arts at a young age, singing in the youth choir at her church, and performing in a city dance team. She soon took ...

, as well as Vincent van den Ende and

Scott Storch Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is an American record producer and songwriter. He started off as a keyboardist for the group the Roots. Early life Storch was born on Long Island, New York. He was raised in South Florida and Phila ...

, who handled the production. An accompanying

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 promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

directed by C Prinz and produced by tara sheree was released on May 15, 2020. In the video, the sisters perform coordinated

choreography Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design ...

while wearing a number of glittering outfits. The duo also created a dance challenge for the song on the popular video sharing app

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in 2020. A remix of the song with

Doja Cat Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat ( ), is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCloud as a teenager. Her song ...

featuring City Girls and

Mulatto (, ) is a racial classification to refer to people of mixed African and European ancestry. Its use is considered outdated and offensive in several languages, including English and Dutch, whereas in languages such as Spanish and Portuguese is ...

was released on September 4, 2020. "Do It" became the duo's first song to achieve major chart success in the US, becoming their first entry on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, where it peaked at number 63. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' ranked the song at number 15 on their list of the 100 Best Songs of 2020. At the 2021 ceremony, the song 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 pres ...

nomination for Best R&B Song.

Background and composition

"Do It" was written by Chloe and Halle Bailey,

, Avedon and Anton Kuehl-Joergensen. The song was produced by Storch, with co-production by Avedon and Asoteric. The song's main concept is about getting dressed up and partying with your friends. According to the duo, "Do It" is meant to send a positive and uplifting message amid the current circumstances of the world. "During this time, music brings a lot of healing," Chloe x Halle said, per a press release. They further elaborated: "We hope this song inspires someone to get up and dance, shake all the stress and anxiety away, and to 'Do It' as the song says. We felt so good writing a song that will make people wanna bop to it and lift their spirits." "Do It" is a song set in

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

with an energy-filled

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 83

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...

. The song is written in the key of

F minor F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature consists of four flats. Its relative major is A-flat major and its parallel major is F major. Its enharmonic equivalent, E-sharp mi ...

. A preview video of the duo singing the chorus of "Do It" was uploaded via

on May 12, 2020.

Critical reception

"Do It" received acclaim from music critics. Ebone Chatman of ''Black Hollywood Live'' called it "the perfect summer anthem". Deep Shah of ''Color X Studios'' praised the duo's musical sound and smooth R&B style, saying that the song serves as "another sublime slice of the pair's sultry and silky smooth R&B". In his review for ''

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 cul ...

'', Eli Enis declared the song as the duo's "most danceable track yet", and said it is "something you can stripper-kick around the house to while still enjoying their uniquely complex harmonies." ''HotNewHipHop'' labeled the song as having a "smooth, easy-going nature". Mike Wass of ''

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'' described the song as a "party jam" and a "feel-good bop". ''

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''s Carolyn Droke wrote: "The duo's mesmerizing harmonization melts over a fluttering backbeat". Droke highlighted the lyrics "I beat my face / Moving fast 'cause the Uber on the way / Taking pictures make sure you can't see no lace", which the duo "croon at the single's hook".

Music video

A music video for "Do It" was released on May 15, 2020, a day after the song's release. It was directed by C Prinz, while

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

was handled by Freenjoy Productions and

was handled by Kendra Bracy and Ashanti Ledo. Andrew Makadsi served as the video's

creative director A creative director (or creative supervisor) is a person who makes high-level creative decisions and, with those decisions, oversees the creation of creative assets such as advertisements, products, events, or logos. Creative director positions ar ...

Accolades

Live performances

Chloe x Halle first performed "Do It" at the ''

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'' virtual commencement event on June 6, 2020, which premiered via

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. The performance was broadcast from their backyard with both of them wearing custom cage dresses designed by Zana Bayne, created with stylist Zerina Akers, in white leather paired with latex undergarments, by Venus Prototype. On June 16, 2020, Chloe x Halle performed the song on ''

The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was ...

''. On June 28, 2020, they performed the song at the

BET Awards 2020 The 20th BET Awards took place on June 28, 2020. The ceremony celebrates achievements in entertainment and honors music, sports, television, and movies. They also honored the many African-American people killed from police brutality and racial in ...

. On August 3, 2020, they performed the song during the 31st GLAAD Media Awards with drag queens Mayhem Miller,

Naomi Smalls Davis M. Heppenstall (born September 8, 1993), better known by the stage name Naomi Smalls, is an American drag queen and reality television personality, best known as one of the runners-up on the eighth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' as well ...

, and

Vanessa Vanjie Mateo Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, sometimes known as Miss Vanjie or simply Vanjie, is the stage name of José Cancel, an American drag performer known for competing on the tenth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and placing fifth on the eleventh season of ...

. "Do It" was also performed during the duo's NPR

Tiny Desk Concert Tiny Desk Concerts is a video series of live concerts hosted by NPR Music at the desk of ''All Songs Considered'' host Bob Boilen in Washington, D.C. The first Tiny Desk Concert came about in 2008 after Boilen and NPR Music editor Stephen Thomp ...

, released on December 8, 2020, and during NBC's New Year's Eve 2021 special on December 31, 2020.

Chart performance

The song peaked at number 3 on the

R&B Digital Song Sales Hot R&B Songs is a chart released weekly by '' Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular R&B songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations, digital download sales and streaming data. It was establis ...

chart, making it their first top five hit on that chart.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Remix

At midnight on September 4, 2020, a remix of "Do It" featuring American singer and rapper

, American rap duo City Girls and American rapper

Latto Alyssa Michelle Stephens (born December 22, 1998), professionally known as Latto or Big Latto (formerly known as Mulatto), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. She first appeared on American rapper Jermaine Dupri's reality television s ...

was released with no official prior announcement. However, its imminent release was hinted at by the collaborators over social media within hours before its release.

Composition and lyrics

The "Do It" remix includes new verses from all members on the track, with '' Clash'' referring to the song as being "torn to pieces and re-assembled by Doja Cat, City Girls and Mulatto." The artists are included in the intro of the song, using their

tagline In entertainment, a tagline (alternatively spelled tag line) is a short text which serves to clarify a thought for, or is designed with a form of, dramatic effect. Many tagline slogans are reiterated phrases associated with an individual, so ...

s, such as City Girls' "Period" and Latto's nickname-turned tag "Big Latto". Doja Cat starts the song with her verse after leading the intro and the song transitions into Chloe's first verse from the original song. The song goes into the pre-chorus with added ad-libs from Doja Cat and original chorus before both City Girls take turns rapping their verses. After the second chorus, Latto proceeds to rap her verse which leads into the final chorus and new additional verses from both Chloe and Halle.

Critical reception

The remix was mostly met with positive reception, however Yung Miami (of City Girls) received backlash from fans online for her verse, which Chris Murphy of ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...

'' described as "less than her best effort". Yung Miami responded with humour to the criticism,

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, "That's wrong y'all said I ruined the song", and telling fans, "Maybe it'll grow on y'all". Jason Lipshutz 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 advertise ...

'' listed the song as among the most essential releases of the week, describing the remix as one that "unites six rising stars", and that it "will be a quietly important moment". He praised "Doja Cat's raucous energy, City Girls' melodic flow and Latto's confident drawl", while reminding readers to not "overlook the classy vibe Chloe x Halle carried over from the original".

Charts

Release history

References

{{authority control 2020 songs 2020 singles Chloe x Halle songs Songs written by Chloe Bailey Songs written by Halle Bailey Songs written by Scott Storch Songs written by Victoria Monét Columbia Records singles Songs written by Latto Doja Cat songs City Girls songs Latto songs Songs written by Doja Cat