"Make Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson included on her second greatest hits compilation '' Number Ones'' (2009). The song was written by Jackson,

Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...

, Thomas Lumpkins, and Michaela Shiloh. Initially presented as an

audio stream Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...

to those who joined her web site's official mailing list in September 2009, it was released via digital download later that month, on September 22, 2009, as the lead and only single from ''Number Ones'' by

A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

. "Make Me" features an

up-tempo A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special mu ...

disco beat and lyrical hook reminiscent of her material from the 1980s. The song received critical praise, with

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 ...

comparing the song favorably to her hit " All for You" (2001) and her brother

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 1979 number one single "

Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a single written and recorded by American singer Michael Jackson. Released under Epic Records on July 10, 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson's fifth studio album '' Off the Wall'' (1979). It was t ...

", both of which carry a distinct disco beat. It became her 19th number one hit single on the '' Billboards Hot Dance Club Songs chart, and made her the first artist to earn number one singles on the chart across four decades. The song's music video, directed by

Robert Hales Sir Robert Hales ( – 14 June 1381) was Grand Prior of the Knights Hospitaller of England, Lord High Treasurer, and Admiral of the West. He was killed in the Peasants' Revolt. Career In 1372 Robert Hales became the Lord/Grand Prior of th ...

, was shot entirely in black and white, and it received positive critical reception for its vintage aesthetic.

Background

In 2009, the 26th Annual MTV Video Music Awards were held a few months after Jackson's brother

died Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

on June 25, 2009. The awards dedicated the night to her brother with a retro-music video montage, and pop singer Madonna opened the show with a speech about Jackson. Additionally, Janet Jackson made an appearance to perform the 1995 song "

Scream Scream may refer to: *Screaming, a loud vocalization Amusement rides * Scream (Heide Park), a gyro drop tower in Soltau, Germany * Scream! (ride), a tower ride at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags New England * Scream! (roller coaster), at ...

". Following the awards show on September 13, 2009, a song titled "Make Me" was released on Jackson's official website as an audio stream for those who joined the site's e-mail newsletter. On September 22, it was released as a digital download for purchase. Although claims were made that "Make Me" is a tribute song to Michael's 1979 single "

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a single written and recorded by American singer Michael Jackson. Released under Epic Records on July 10, 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson's fifth studio album '' Off the Wall'' (1979). It was t ...

", Jackson later stated in an interview with Ryan Seacrest it is not, despite the similarity of the lyrics in the song's outro. "Make Me" was written by Janet Jackson, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Thomas Lumpkins, and Michaela Shiloh. Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers have also been credited as the song samples Fonzi Thornton's song "I Work For A Livin'", written and produced by them for the 1982 '' Soup For One'' motion picture soundtrack. Darkchild, who produced music from Jackson's tenth studio album '' Discipline'' (2008), co-produced the song with her. He reported to MTV that he had been working on new material with Jackson since her departure from Island Records in September 2008. Of the new material, he commented, "It's about dancing ... It's all about her. It's about aying 'Listen, if you really want to get with me, you gotta make me feel a certain way' ... We're going back to basics and fundamental sounds of Janet. We're trying to target her fans y makingthe records that her fans will embrace." In October 2009,

Universal Music Enterprises Universal Music Enterprises (UME, stylized as UMe) is the catalogue division of Universal Music Group. It includes Hip-O Records, Universal Chronicles, and UM3 or UMC (which is the international division of the company). Under various divisions, ...

issued a press release stating "Make Me" would be included in Jackson's second greatest hits album, '' Number Ones'', a compilation of her 33 global number one singles.

Reception

Critical reception

Following her performance at the VMA's, Gil Kaufman of MTV reported, "Janet gave the ultimate thank you to her beloved sibling by posting a new single, 'Make Me,' on her Web site ... Easing up on the darker S&M themes of her recent albums, 'Make Me' is a fun, breezy tune with an elastic disco beat" adding that " e chorus twists Michael's refrain into a Janet-worthy, sexy come-on, with the lyrics, 'Don't stop 'til you get it up'." Clover Hope of ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...

'' magazine commented: "Fun, rhythmic, buoyant—it's the type of rebound we'd hoped for with 2008's Discipline, where Jackson teamed up with Rodney Jerkins in search of a youthful edge that only seemed to date her. They got it right here though, as Jerkins taps into Janet's sense of fanciful pleasure, rewinding time in a Janet way." Jerkins also had

Larry Ryckman Lawrence G. Ryckman (born August 28, 1959, Toronto) is a music industry executive known for his knowledge of audio production and mastering and the development of patented audio and video technologies used in the music and entertainment industr ...

and Ari Blitz Master "Make Me" with AfterMaster HD Audio which gave it a uniquely powerful presence. Michael Menachem of '' Billboard'' magazine hailed the song as her best dance recording since " All for You" (2001). Noting the single's similarity to Michael Jackson's disco themed "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" from '' Off the Wall'', Menachem comments " tisn't just Jackson's best dance song in years—it's a hit that would make her brother proud." Glenn Gamboa of '' Newsday'' referred to the single as "remarkably upbeat, blending a bit of the playfulness that has been missing in her recent work with a high-energy Euro-dance backdrop."

Chart performance

Entering at number fifty, "Make Me" became her nineteenth number one hit single on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Songs chart. It became her 19th number one hit single on the chart, and made her the first artist to earn number one singles on the chart across four decades. Following its peak on the Dance/Club chart, it entered the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

at number ninety-one, eventually peaking at number seventy-one. In the UK, the single become her first release since her collaboration with Nelly on "Call on Me" in 2006 to chart inside the Top 75.

Music video

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 ...

for the song was directed by

and choreographed by Gil Duldulao. It premiered on ''

20/20 Visual acuity (VA) commonly refers to the clarity of vision, but technically rates an examinee's ability to recognize small details with precision. Visual acuity is dependent on optical and neural factors, i.e. (1) the sharpness of the retinal ...

'' on November 20, 2009. Nick Levine from Digital Spy commented: "There's lots of dancing, Janet looks fantastic and the whole thing's as slick as a classic Jam & Lewis groove. In short? A thoroughly enjoyable way to spend the next three-and-a-half-minutes. Right, back to ' Escapade' for us". Jefferson Reid and Lindsay Miller of E! Online stated the video "features a vintage Janet vibe, including space-age shoulder pads and countless hat-tips to brother Michael."

Live performances

While promoting her second greatest hits album '' Number Ones'', the singer performed an eight-minute medley of six hits during the American Music Awards of 2009. It included "

Control Control may refer to: Basic meanings Economics and business * Control (management), an element of management * Control, an element of management accounting * Comptroller (or controller), a senior financial officer in an organization * Controllin ...

", "

Miss You Much "Miss You Much" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson. Composed by songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it was recorded for the singer's fourth studio album, '' Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'' (1989). As with all ...

", "

What Have You Done for Me Lately "What Have You Done for Me Lately" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her third studio album, ''Control'' (1986). Jackson co-wrote the song with its producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It was released on January 13, 1986, by A&M Re ...

", " If", "Make Me", and finished with " Together Again". At the end of the performance, the singer received applause and standing ovation from the audience. Jackson also performed the track on ''

The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...

'' results show on December 6, 2009. She pre-recorded the performance so she could perform as the headliner of the

Jingle Bell Ball The Jingle Bell Ball is a concert held annually in December since 2008 (except for 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic), by the radio station Capital FM at The O2. Artists that have headlined the concert include Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, ...

in London. She closed the concert with a medley of her greatest hits including "Make Me", wearing half hareem-pant, half skirt concoction, jackets and high-top trainers. Jackson also included the song in her performance at the 2010

Essence Music Festival The Essence Festival, known as "the party with a purpose", is an annual music festival which started in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of ''Essence'', a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women. It becam ...

, held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The song was also included on the Number Ones: Up Close and Personal tour which happened the following year.

Track listing

;Digital download #"Make Me" (Album Version) - 3:38 #"Make Me" (Moto Blanco Club Mix) - 7:11 #"Make Me" (Bimbo Jones Club Mix) - 6:46 #"Make Me" (Ralphi Rosario Vocal Club Mix) - 9:20 #"Make Me" (Ralphi's Martini Mix) - 7:44 #"Make Me" (Craig J's Get It Up! Mix) - 6:46 #"Make Me" (DJ Dan Extended Vocal Mix) - 4:27 #"Make Me" (DJ Dan Peaktime Mix) - 6:13 #"Make Me" (Dave Aude Club Mix) - 8:01 #"Make Me" (Bimbo Jones Dub) - 8:25

Charts

References

{{authority control 2009 singles Janet Jackson songs Music videos directed by Robert Hales Song recordings produced by Rodney Jerkins Songs written by Janet Jackson Songs written by Rodney Jerkins 2009 songs Songs written by Nile Rodgers Songs written by Bernard Edwards A&M Records singles Nu-disco songs Songs written by Michaela Shiloh Songs written by Thomas Lumpkins