"Young Love" is a song by American recording artist

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

from her self-titled debut album (1982). It was written and produced by

René Moore René Moore (born Ivan Rene Moore;Angela Winbush Angela Lisa Winbush (born January 18, 1955) is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who rose to fame first in the 1980s R&B duo René & Angela, also scoring hits as a solo artist. To date, Winbush has sold over ...

, with additional production by Bobby Watson. It was released as Jackson's debut single on July 7, 1982, 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 ...

. Prior to her rise to fame, the singer had no interest in pursuing a musical career. Despite this, she was motivated to pursue a career in entertainment, and considered the idea after recording herself in the studio. After acting in the variety show ''

The Jacksons The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

'', she began starring in several TV series and commenced recording her debut album. "Young Love" received generally positive reviews from

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 ...

, who highlighted it as a standout song from ''Janet Jackson'' and praised its catchiness. It peaked at number 64 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was a success on the

R&B chart 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 p ...

, additionally peaking at number 16 in New Zealand. In order to promote her album, she performed the song on ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series w ...

'' and ''

American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pro ...

''. In recent years, she has included the song on her 2008

Rock Witchu Tour Rock Witchu Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson, in support of her tenth studio album '' Discipline'' (2008), and her first in nearly seven years, following a total blacklist of the singer's music, due to ...

and 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 ...

Background

Jackson had initially desired to become a horse racing jockey or entertainment lawyer, with plans to support herself through acting. Despite this, she anticipated pursuing a career in entertainment, and considered the idea after recording herself in the studio. When Jackson was sixteen, she had a contract arranged with

and began recording her debut album with the assistance of her father, working with a number of songwriters and producers such as

, and Bobby Watson, who produced her first single, titled "Young Love", released on July 7, 1982.

Composition and reception

Lou Broadus, music director of WASC Radio, described the song as an "

uptempo 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 mus ...

, happy song with a good

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

". After the single "Young Love" was released, it became a hit with young people.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

from website

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

noted that Jackson demonstrated "no distinctive musical personality of her own, which isn't surprising considering that she was in her teens. ..Only "Young Love" stands out among the undistinguished, sub-disco thumpers and drippy ballads. In the United States, "Young Love" received little notoriety on the principal singles chart, the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; it was able to reach a peak of number 64. However, on 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 ...

, the single managed to reach number six. As of June 1993, the single had sold 200,000 copies in the region. In New Zealand, "Young Love" debuted at number 46 on its singles chart, on the issue dated March 13, 1983. Several weeks later, on April 17, 1983, the song reached its peak of number 16. It fell off the chart on May 1, at number 33. A year later, it re-entered the singles chart, at number 45.

Live performances

In order to promote ''Janet Jackson'', she performed the song on American TV shows Solid Gold, ''

'', and ''

'' in 1982. She also performed the song on a West German television program

Musikladen ''Der Musikladen'' (german: The Music Shop) was a West German music television programme that ran from 13 December 1972 to 29 November 1984. The show continued the 1960s ''Beat-Club'' under a new name, and in turn was replaced by ''Extratour''. ...

. Several years later, Jackson included the song on her 2008

in the "Pre-Control Medley" section of the show. It was later added to her performance at the 2010

, held in New Orleans, Louisiana, which she headlined. The song was also used during the DJ intermission on the 2017-2019

State of the World Tour The State of the World Tour was the eighth concert tour by American singer Janet Jackson. Launched in promotion of her eleventh studio album ''Unbreakable'' (2015), the tour is produced by Live Nation and is under the creative direction of Gil ...

Official versions

* Album Version - 4:58 * Seven Inch Version° - 3:41 * 12" Dance Mix^ - 5:07 °Unavailable on CD ^The 12" Dance Mix was first released in 1995 on the Limited Edition Bonus Disc of '' Design of a Decade: 1986–1996''

Track listings and formats

*US vinyl / 7" single #"Young Love" – 3:39 #"The Magic is Working" - 4:08

Credits and personnel

- vocals *

- songwriter, producer *Bobby Watson - producer *Harry Langdon - protography *Allen Zentz - mastering Source:

Charts

References

{{Janet Jackson singles 1982 debut singles Janet Jackson songs Songs written by Angela Winbush Songs written by René Moore 1982 songs A&M Records singles