"Get Your Number" is a song by American singer-songwriter

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

. It was written by Carey,

Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Early life Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...

Johntá Austin Johntá Austin ( ; born June 28, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, vocalist and rapper, signed to Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings. He is known for collaborating with producers Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri an ...

and

Bryan-Michael Cox Bryan-Michael Paul Cox (born December 1, 1977) is an American record producer and songwriter who is notable for his work with artists such as Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Toni Braxton. Among his most notable productions are "Be Wit ...

, and produced by the former two and

LRoc LRoc (born James Elbert Phillips) is an American in-house songwriter and producer at Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings. He has co-written and co-produced singles like Janet Jackson's " Call on Me", Monica's " Everytime Tha Beat Drop", M ...

. It was released on October 3, 2005 by

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...

, as the third international and fourth overall single from Carey's tenth

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

, ''

The Emancipation of Mimi ''The Emancipation of Mimi'' is the tenth studio album by American singer Mariah Carey, released through Island Records on April 12, 2005. The album was considered Carey's "comeback album" by critics and became her highest-selling release in t ...

'' (2005). The song is built around a sample of "

Just an Illusion "Just an Illusion" is a song by the British trio Imagination. Co-written by Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Ashley Ingram and Leee John, the song was a major European hit, peaking at number 2 in the group's native UK. In the United States, "Just an ...

" (1982) by British band

Imagination Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations ...

. Due to the inclusion of the sample, several other writers are credited as songwriters. Lyrically, the song features the protagonist persistently asking for the phone number of an individual at a club. The song received generally mixed reviews from music critics at the time of its release, with many both praising and criticizing the inclusion of the sample, as well as the song's production and lyrical content. "Get Your Number" was released as the third single throughout Europe, where it peaked within the top-ten in Finland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, where it was sold as a

double A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

along with "

Shake It Off "Shake It Off" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her fifth studio album, ''1989''. Swift wrote the lyrics and composed the melody with producers Max Martin and Shellback. An uptempo dance-pop song featuring a saxop ...

". Similarly, the song found release in Australasia in early 2006, as the fifth single from the album, and peaked in the top-twenty in Australia, and at number thirty-four in New Zealand. The single's music video was directed by

Jake Nava Jake Nava is a British director, mostly known for his work in music videos for Beyoncé, Arctic Monkeys, Adele, Britney Spears and The Rolling Stones. He also directs TV commercials, notably for Guinness and Levi Strauss & Co. Early life and ed ...

, who also directed Carey's video for "Shake It Off". It was filmed in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

in September 2005, and features

as the video's secondary artist, while

Michael Ealy Michael Brown (born August 3, 1973), professionally known as Michael Ealy, is an American actor. He is known for his roles in '' Barbershop'' (2002), '' 2 Fast 2 Furious'' (2003), ''Takers'' (2010), ''Think Like a Man'' (2012), ''About Last Ni ...

plays Carey's love interest at the club. The main setting is a nightclub where Carey slips her phone number to a man, one digit at a time. Carey is shown in a variety of locations wearing, amongst other outfits, a yellow latex dress. Dupri makes a guest appearance as a man receiving the numbers of three girls in the club.

Composition

"Get Your Number" is a

mid-tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

song lasting three minutes and fifteen seconds, while drawing influence from pop and R&B music genres. Written by Carey,

and

, and produced by the former two and

, the song samples the

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 ...

from British band

's "

" (1982), and derives its production from "‘80s-esque synthesizers" and several computerized musical instruments. Due to its sampling, additional writers such as John Phillips, Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Ashley Ingram and

Leee John Leslie McGregor "Leee" John (born 23 June 1957) is a British musician, singer, and actor of St Lucian descent. He was born in Hackney, London, and educated in New York City, later studying drama at the Anna Scher Theatre School. He is perhaps b ...

are credited as songwriters. On "Get Your Number", Dupri performs several

ad-libs In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation. The r ...

and sings part of the

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

, earning him a place as a featured artist on the track. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by

Alfred Music Publishing Alfred Music is an American music publishing company. Founded in New York in 1922, it is headquartered in Van Nuys, California, with additional branches in Miami, New York, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. History In New York Cit ...

, the song is set in

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

with a moderate

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 126

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...

. The song is composed in the key of

F minor F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature consists of four flats. Its relative major is A-flat major and its parallel major is F major. Its enharmonic equivalent, E-sharp mi ...

, with Carey's vocal range spanning from the low-note of B₃ to the high-note of A₅. Aside from Dupri's verses, Carey's longtime background singer

Trey Lorenz Trey Lorenz (born Lloyd Lorenz Smith; January 19, 1969) is an American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. He was born in Florence, South Carolina and is a graduate of Wilson High School. Lorenz is best known for his duet with recording a ...

makes a notable impression on the song, and earned credits for providing background vocals. Lyrically, the song is written in a female perspective, where they ask the man for their number at a club. In an interview with

MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...

, Carey jokingly addressed the lyrics, claiming Dupri "really wanted it to be coming from the girl, like 'can I get your number' to the guy. But in all honesty that would never be me!" Aside from her signature vocals, Carey adopts a breathy rap for parts of the song, which read "I got a pimp penthouse / With a sick hot tub / We can watch a flat screen / While the bubbles filling up." According to Jozen Cummings from

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

, the lyrics and Carey's vocal switch make the song "fun and comedic".

Critical reception

"Get Your Number" received generally mixed reviews from music critics, with many complimenting the song's inclusion of the "Just an Illusion" hook, however, drawing criticism at some of its lyrics, and Dupri's verses. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' editor Caroline Sullivan outed "Stay the Night" and "Get Your Number" as "the first Mariah Carey tunes in years I wouldn't have to be paid to listen to again." Barry Walters from ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' complimented her vocal performance, writing "Carey's belabored voice finds a pleasurable medium", however criticizing the song's production. Jozen Cummings from

called Dupri's verses "annoying gangster twang", and described the song's production as "annoying".

Stylus Magazine ''Stylus Magazine'' was an American online music and film magazine, launched in 2002 and co-founded by Todd L. Burns. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog. Addi ...

's Todd Burns called the duet "ill-advised" and wrote "Carey does all in her power to save from Jermaine Dupri’s machinations. It barely comes off, despite every attempt from Dupri to sound like

Lil Jon Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971) better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, producer and former frontman of the rap group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. He was instrumental in the emergence of the hip hop subgenre cru ...

and

Pharrell Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...

along the way." Editor Sal Cinquemani writing for

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

branded "Get Your Number" a "Summer-anthem-in-the-make", while Michael Paoletta from ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' described it as "bouncy and silly". Jim Abbott from the ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...

'' described the track as a "sexy, slinky dance number", while a writer from ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...

'' claimed it to be a song that "worked".

Commercial performance

"Get Your Number" was released throughout Europe and Asia as the third single from ''The Emancipation of Mimi'' in late 2005, and as the fifth single in Australasia in early 2006. In the United Kingdom, it was released as a

along with "

", the third single serviced to the United States at the same time. In Australia, "Get Your Number" entered the singles chart at number nineteen during the week dated March 12, 2006. Spending ten weeks fluctuating in the chart, it exited on May 14, 2006. On the

Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Tuesdays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as ...

, it peaked at number forty-one, although spending eleven weeks within the Austrian charts. In both the Flemish and Wallonian territories in Belgium, "Get Your Number" peaked at number twenty-five and eighteen, while spending fourteen and thirteen weeks in the charts, respectively. The song debuted at number five on

Finland's Official List The Official Finnish Charts ( fi, Suomen virallinen lista; sv, Finlands officiella lista) are national record charts in Finland compiled and published by Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. The name ''Suomen virallinen lista/Finlands officiell ...

on October 12, 2005. The following week, it moved up two spots to its peak of number three, before exiting the chart two weeks later. On the

Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 ( nl, Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veronica ...

, it made its debut at number ten on November 15, 2005, and spent a total of twelve weeks within the top 40 chart. In both New Zealand and Sweden, "Get Your Number" saw relatively low peaks, placing at numbers thirty-four and forty-nine, for only two and three weeks. In Switzerland, the song entered the

Swiss Singles Chart The Swiss Hitparade (german: link=no, Schweizer Hitparade) is Switzerland's main Record chart, music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland. The Swiss charts include: * ...

at its peak of number fourteen, while spending twenty-one weeks in the chart until exiting on April 9, 2005. On the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, the song debuted at number nine during the week of October 15, 2005. Dropping to number ten the following week, the song lasted a total of eight weeks in the singles chart before making its descent.

Music video

The single's music video was directed by

, who also directed Carey's video for "

". It was filmed in

on September 1, 2, 12 and 13, 2005 and features

as the video's secondary artist, while

, plays Carey's love interest at the club. The original shoot was scheduled to finish on September 2, but shooting for several of Carey's scenes on the second day was delayed for several days due to her being ill. The main setting is a nightclub where Carey slips her phone number to a man, one digit at a time. Carey is shown in a variety of locations wearing, amongst other outfits, a yellow latex dress. Dupri makes a guest appearance as a man receiving the numbers of three girls in the club. The video begins with shots of Carey as the star of a club, wearing a yellow latex mini and gold necklace. As the music plays, Carey is seen on a variety of large props, the first of which is a large red phone. As Dupri scouts the club for females, Carey in a different ensemble passes the number '5' to Ealy on a card, while making eye contact with him. As other scenes of Carey in the latex mini and by the large red hone prop are interspersed, the club scene alters to a poker table, where Ealy reveals three of his card, '556', completing four of the seven digits of Carey phone number. The next scene finds Carey sitting on a large pink sofa in an empty room in the club, sporting only a white man's suit jacket and stilettos. As the song reaches the

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

, Carey is shown back in the club's main room dancing, as she leaves a number '4' on a nearby table for the man to find. As Carey once again is shown in the yellow latex dress, she walks down a small aisle, placing another card with the number '4' into Ealy's jacket pocket, before storming through the club by several followers. As the video ends, the number '555-6464' are shown lying on a small table, while Carey sits on the large pink sofa, and Ealy is seen on the other side gazing at her. The video concludes with Ealy slowly approaching Carey on the large sofa, as she winks and smiles to the camera.

Formats and track listings

''Get Your Number / Shake It Off'' UK CD single # "Get Your Number" – 3:18 # "Shake It Off" – 3:54 ''Get Your Number / Shake It Off'' European maxi-CD single # "Get Your Number" – 3:18 # "Shake It Off" – 3:54 # "Secret Love" – 3:09 European CD single # "Get Your Number" – 3:18 # "Shake It Off" (Remix feat. JAY-Z & Young Jeezy) – 5:03 DACH 2-track CD single # "Get Your Number" (Album Version) – 3:15 # "We Belong Together" (Atlantic Soul Radio Edit) – 4:27 International enhanced CD single # "Get Your Number" – 3:16 # "We Belong Together" (Atlantic Soul Radio Edit) – 4:23 # "Secret Love" – 3:10 # "Get Your Number" (Video)

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from ''The Emancipation of Mimi'' liner notes. *

–

songwriting A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

– songwriting, producer,

– songwriting * Ashley Ingram – songwriting * John Phillips – songwriting * Steve Jolley – songwriting * Tony Swain – songwriting * Phil Tan –

audio mixing Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated or enhanced. This practical, aesthetic, ...

* Herb Power – mastering * Brian Frye –

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

* John Horesco – engineer *

–

background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2005 singles 2005 songs Island Records singles Jermaine Dupri songs Mariah Carey songs Music videos directed by Jake Nava Song recordings produced by Jermaine Dupri Songs about telephone calls Songs written by Ashley Ingram Songs written by Bryan-Michael Cox Songs written by Jermaine Dupri Songs written by Johntá Austin Songs written by Leee John Songs written by LRoc Songs written by Mariah Carey Songs written by Steve Jolley (songwriter) Songs written by Tony Swain (musician)