Jump (Madonna Song)

"Jump" is a song by American singer Madonna from her tenth studio album '' Confessions on a Dance Floor'' (2005). Written by and produced by Madonna and Stuart Price with additional writing by Joe Henry, the song was supposed to be released as the third single of the album. However, since " Get Together" was decided as the third single based on its digital sales, "Jump" was sent to hot adult contemporary radios in the United States as the fourth and final single from the album on September 11, 2006, by Warner Bros. Records. The song incorporates pop, synth-pop, techno and disco music with tributes to Pet Shop Boys. Madonna sings in her lower register in the song. Its lyrics talk about self-empowerment and sufficiency while looking for the prospects of a new relationship.

Upon release, "Jump" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised the club anthem-like quality of the song. Commercially, "Jump" peaked inside the top ten of the charts of some European countries, topping the charts in Italy and Hungary. In the United States, "Jump" placed in several ''Billboard'' dance charts, although it did not enter the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. The music video for the song was shot in Tokyo during Madonna's 2006 Confessions Tour stopover. It portrayed Madonna in a blond bob wig and a leather ensemble singing the song in front of a number of neon signs. The video also featured dancers who performed the physical discipline parkour. It was also performed on her Confessions Tour, where Madonna and her dancers jumped around the stage actively, while singing the song. The song was used in the movie '' The Devil Wears Prada'' (2006) and the '' Ugly Betty'' season 2 finale in 2008.

Background and release

The idea for "Jump" came from Madonna's brother-in-law Joe Henry, who presented it to her and developed it into a song. During an interview with the singer for the British gay lifestyle magazine ''Attitude'', journalist Matthew Todd suggested that "Jump" was an inspiration for "a whole generation of gay kids to pack their bags and head to the big city", to which Madonna agreed. Initially, the track was set to be released as the third single from ''Confessions on a Dance Floor'', following " Hung Up" and "Sorry"; however, it was decided that " Get Together" would be released instead, spurred by the fact that it was the third best-selling song from the record digitally. Its digital sales stood at 20,000 at that time, whereas digital sales for "Jump" were around 9,000. Additionally, "Get Together" was also chosen as the third single to coincide with the start of Madonna's 2006 Confessions Tour.

On July 12, 2006, it was confirmed by ''Billboard'' that "Jump" would be the fourth single from the album. The song was sent to hot adult contemporary radios in the United States on September 11, 2006, by Warner Bros. Records, as the record company wanted to establish the track as a hit at those formats before they attempted to bring it to Top 40 CHR radio stations. They hoped it could fare better on radio following the disappointment of "Get Together", but according to ''Billboard''s Keith Caulfield, "but we're being realistic here: If programmers turned up their collective noses at the super-catchy 'Sorry,' then why would they suddenly come to the table for 'Jump'?". It was made available digitally in the region on October 24, 2006, while it was issued in the United Kingdom on November 6. "Jump" was also used in the soundtrack of the 2006 film '' The Devil Wears Prada'', as well as on the '' Ugly Betty'' season 2 finale, titled " Jump", aired on May 22, 2008.

Composition and lyrics

"Jump" was written and produced by Madonna and Stuart Price. Musically, the song is a pop, synth-pop, techno and disco song which finds Madonna singing in her lower register. The song is set in common time with moderately fast tempo. It is set in the key of E major. Madonna's voice spans from D₃ to A₄. The track follows in the chord progression of E–D–C–D in the verses, and C–D–E in the chorus, with an E synth drone playing continually. Some reviewers observed that the opening synth line of "Jump" was similar to that of English duo Pet Shop Boys' 1984 single " West End Girls". For ''Slant Magazine''s Ed Henderson, the song is "paced about a half-dozen BPMs slower than a disco gallop—giving the impression of a DJ pitch-shifting a familiar chestnut to give it a blue, after-hours glow".

Lyrically "Jump" talks about empowerment and the urge to move on from one situation to another. For Alan Light from '' Rolling Stone'', the lyrics reflected Madonna's change of style from her previous singles about supremacy like "Everybody" (1982), " Vogue" (1990) and " Music" (2000), which were centered around the subject of music itself, and shifting her focus on self-sufficiency. The line "I can make it alone" in the song demonstrated the shift. Keith Caulfield of ''Billboard'' believed that the song has a "positive universal message about believing in yourself, not wasting time and taking a chance in life", whereas according to Samuel R. Murrian from ''Parade'', on the track, Madonna "sings about the possibilities of finding new love, and appears to reflect upon the move to NYC she made as a teen". ''Idolator''s Stephen Sears observed that "Jump" became "a fine addition to a long line of Madonna songs extolling both the power of family and her belief that you won’t get anywhere in life if you don’t take chances". The lyrics were also compared to the lyrics of Madonna's 1990 single " Keep It Together" by some critics, as they shared a similar theme surrounding family.

Critical reception

Upon release, "Jump" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Keith Caulfield from ''Billboard'' complimented the song's "empowerment" theme, while Margaret Moser of '' The Austin Chronicle'' called it "slinky and sexy". ''City Pages'' Peter S. Scholtes considered the track "very pretty". While reviewing the album, Alan Braidwood from BBC Music called the song as "lethally catchy" and one of the album's highlights. David Browne from '' Entertainment Weekly'' called "Jump", along with " Get Together", as fluid in nature. Jon Pareles of '' The New York Times'' wrote that Madonna's "somber side sounds best in 'Jump', about the urge to move on". On his review for '' People'', Chuck Arnold stated that "a new wavish energy drives pulsating tracks like 'Jump'". Writing for ''Salon'', Camille Paglia shared her opinion that on the album "there are only two truly strong songs, 'Hung Up' and 'Jump' -- especially the latter, with its magnificent, hymnlike ascensions". Reut R. from '' New University'' wrote, "At this point, you are hoping that the album picks up, because only two or perhaps three titles are worthy listens from the first seven tracks. Your prayers are answered with 'Jump.'" Similarly, for David Byrne from RTÉ, the song "comes out of nowhere and we go for one last boogie". From '' The Times'', Mike Pattenden said that "Jump" and "How High" perform a "breathless one-two". '' Folha de S.Paulo'' commented that "with a catchy chorus, it sounds like it was made to lift stadiums".

Diego Costa of ''UWM Post

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