"Make Me Feel" is a song by American singer Janelle Monáe, released on February 22, 2018 as the lead single from her third studio album, ''

Dirty Computer ''Dirty Computer'' is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Janelle Monáe, released on April 27, 2018, by Wondaland Arts Society, Bad Boy Records and Atlantic Records. It is the follow-up to her studio albums '' The ArchAndr ...

''. This marks her return after a 3 year hiatus. A departure from her longtime songwriting-production team of Nathaniel Irvin III and Roman GianArthur Irvin, Monáe co-wrote the song with Julia Michaels, Mattias Larsson, Robin Fredriksson, and Justin Tranter. Several critics compared it to the work of Prince, while Monáe herself has stated that Prince helped create sounds for the album, including for "Make Me Feel". It became Monáe's second single as a lead artist to chart on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, debuting at number 99 on the week of March 10, 2018.

Critical reception

Writing for '' Pitchfork'', Marcus J. Moore says of Monáe and the song, "The polymath unpacks a rubbery funk tune that recalls the likes of Prince and

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Her 1980s influences are clear, down to each massive synth line and the feeling of raw sensual energy woven throughout the song." Tatiana Pile of ''

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'' wrote, "The single is a high-energy funk song with some reverent similarities to Prince's ' Kiss' ... With this bouncy single, Monáe taps into her unique soul-pop sound to deliver a song reminiscent of past tracks such as '

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' and '

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'." In 2019, ''

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'' included the song in its list of the "30 Lesbian Love Songs".

Music video

The single's official music video was uploaded to YouTube on February 22, 2018, the day of the single's release. Directed by frequent music video collaborator Alan Ferguson, the music video features Monáe and actress Tessa Thompson in a nightclub. Referred to by Monáe as an "emotion picture", the video heavily resembles the nightclub and plot shown in the '' Black Mirror'' episode, " San Junipero". Throughout the video, Monáe is seen flirting with both Thompson and a man; at one point she runs between the two as if she cannot decide which one she wants. Ultimately, she dances with both. Also throughout the video, the colors of the bisexual pride flag are displayed in the overhead lighting, so-called " bisexual lighting". The music video, as well as the song, was praised as a "

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anthem." Writing for ''

'', Natalie Maher states the video, "takes a more Prince-inspired approach, both musically and aesthetically, with the actress hitting an '80s-esque club with actress Tessa Thompson, and serving some of the best moves and looks we've seen from her. The video also features what seems to be an allusion to Robert Palmer's iconic '80s videos, with Monae playing a similarly white guitar, backed by her own group of funky female dancers." The video received two nominations at the 35th MTV Video Music Awards in the categories "Best Art Direction" and "Best Editing".

Live performances

Monáe has performed the song live on '' The Voice'', '' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'', '' Austin City Limits'', 61st Annual Grammy Awards, and 2019 Lollapalooza.

Use in media

The song is the theme song for '' Big Mouth'' spin-off '' Human Resources''. A cover of the song was also used in a TV advertisement for the international fashion brand Calzedonia. The song was used as the finale lip-sync for

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Track listings

* Kaskade Remixes single # "Make Me Feel" ( Kaskade Sunsoa Remix) # "Make Me Feel" (Kaskade REDUX Remix) * EDX Dubai Skyline Remix single # "Make Me Feel" ( EDX Dubai Skyline Remix) * KC Lights Remix single # "Make Me Feel" (KC Lights Remix) # "Make Me Feel" (KC Lights Dub)

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Make Me Feel (Janelle Monáe song) 2018 singles 2018 songs Janelle Monáe songs Songs written by Janelle Monáe Bisexuality-related songs Funk songs Song recordings produced by Mattman & Robin Songs written by Julia Michaels Songs written by Justin Tranter Songs written by Mattias Larsson Songs written by Robin Fredriksson Music videos directed by Alan Ferguson (director)