Just Dance (song)

"Just Dance" is the debut single by American singer Lady Gaga. She co-wrote the song with Akon and his producer RedOne. It also features vocals from Colby O'Donis and was released on April 8, 2008, as the lead single from Gaga's debut studio album, ''The Fame''. The song was written by Gaga in 10 minutes as "a happy record". "Just Dance" lyrically speaks about being intoxicated at a club.

"Just Dance" received acclaim from music critics, who complimented its club anthem-like nature and the sound associated with it. The song was a sleeper hit, spending almost five months on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 before finally peaking at the chart's summit in January 2009. Outside of the United States, "Just Dance" topped the charts Australia, Canada, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, as well as the top ten of the charts in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. The single is among the best-selling singles of all time, having sold over 10 million copies.

The music video of the song portrayed Lady Gaga appearing in a party where she plays the song, prompting party-goers to start dancing in enjoyment. Gaga compared her experience of shooting the video with being on a Martin Scorsese movie set. "Just Dance" was performed by Gaga in a number of live appearances, such as ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' and ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', all of her concert tours, and the Super Bowl LI halftime show. She usually plays on a keytar while performing the song. In 2009, the song received a Grammy nomination in the Best Dance Recording category but lost to electronic duo Daft Punk for their song " Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Alive 2007)".

Writing and inspiration

"Just Dance" was written by Gaga and Akon with co-writing by RedOne, who also produced the track. In an interview with ''Heat'', Gaga explained her inspiration for writing the song. She said, "I was very hung-over. I wrote the song in about 10 minutes with roducerRedOne. And it was my first time being in a Hollywood studio. Very pristine, big huge room with giant speakers." Gaga wrote "Just Dance" during 2008 and according to her it was "hard work and a lot of people didn't believe in it at first". Later, Gaga reflected on the song by saying,

"That record saved my life. I was in such a dark space in New York. I was so depressed, always in a bar. I got on a plane to LA to do my music and was given one shot to write the song that would change my life and I did. I never went back. I left behind my boyfriend, my apartment. I still haven't been back. My mother went in and cleared it for me."

In an interview with Contactmusic.com, Gaga explained that "Just Dance" is a happy record and is supposed to be appreciated by people going through rough times like losing jobs and homes etc. Gaga further explained with Artistdirect that she wanted to write a beautiful record with "Just Dance". Being asked the reason for which "Just Dance" has become popular, Gaga said that she thought, "Everyone is looking for a song that really speaks to the joy in our souls and in our hearts and having a good time. It's just one of those records. It feels really good, and when you listen to it, it makes you feel good inside. It's as simple as that. I don't think it's rocket science when it comes to the heart. I think it's a heart theme song." In March 2010, the song was released as downloadable content for the music-based videogame series ''Rock Band'', alongside " Poker Face", " Monster" and "Bad Romance" as part of "Lady Gaga Pack 01".

Akon said in 2018 that he was originally the featured artist on the song, and the version with him was the one originally sent to radio stations. However, his record label Interscope blocked him from being featured on the record, leading to the single being quickly recalled and replaced with a new version featuring Akon's protégé O'Donis singing his verse instead. Akon's backing vocals were retained on this final version. In March 2017, Kimberly Wyatt from the Pussycat Dolls said that "Just Dance" was originally written as a demo for the group. Their team passed on the song and Gaga decided to perform the song herself.

Composition

"Just Dance" is an uptempo electropop, synth-pop and dance-pop song, combining synths of clipped marching beats with soaring electronics. It is written in the key of C minor and is set at a moderate dance tempo of 119 beats per minute. Gaga's vocal spans from the low note of G₃ to the high note of C₅. The song begins with a fast tempo following by the synth arrangement and Gaga uttering " RedOne". "Just Dance" has a basic progression of Cm–E–B–Fm. O'Donis sings the interlude in the same range as Gaga followed by an R&B-influenced interlude by her, after which the chorus is repeated with O'Donis providing backup vocals and the marching beats. The song ends with an echoing of the word "dance".

Lyrically, "Just Dance" throws a partial tongue-in-cheek perspective with lyrics like "What's going on on the floor? / I love this record, baby but I can't see straight anymore". The lyrics deal with being completely intoxicated at a party. The opening lyric "RedOne" has often been misinterpreted as "red wine" but in actuality is a reference to music producer RedOne.

Critical reception

Matthew Chisling of AllMusic described the song as "a powerhouse of dance waves and infectiously produced beats". Alexis Petridis of ''The Guardian'' called it a "beguilingly compulsive tale of pulling a drug-induced whitey, with a combination of clipped marching beats, sawing electronics and mild R&B flavor that bears a vague resemblance to Nelly Furtado's ' Maneater'". Ben Norman of About.com said that the song "opens the album like a valkyrie leading the charge ..riding triumphant ahead of her army. If you don't know this song, use your browser. I won't waste time explaining what it sounds like." However he also noted that the song is not groundbreaking and compared it to the music of Rihanna, Chris Brown and The Pussycat Dolls. Bill Lamb from About.com called the song tame but catchy enough for Gaga to be noticed in mainstream. He also added that "'Just Dance' has strong energy and features Lady Gaga's striking voice, but it ultimately adds up to rather bland dance-pop." O'Donis' smooth vocals were also complimented.

Evan Sawdey of ''PopMatters'' said that "Just Dance" is an intensely catchy single and is an excellent indicator of what the album was all about. Ben Hogwood of musicOMH praised the song saying, "You won't get many more catchy party odes than the chart topping Just Dance this year, a polished gem set to lodge in your head for the next few weeks." Freedom lu Lac of ''The Washington Post'' described the song to be "filled with mindlessly frothy synth-pop that matches low-grade dance grooves with GaGa's icy, almost disembodied vocals about dancing bliss". Lynn Saxberg from the ''Ottawa Citizen'', while reviewing Gaga's The Fame Ball Tour, called the song a perfect sing-along club anthem. Sal Cinquemani from ''Slant Magazine'' wrote that the song resembles the "desperate train wreck you're likely to encounter getting wasted at any dive on the L.E.S. at four in the morning" as is emphasized by the lyrics. Talia Kranes from BBC
...