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"Get Your Number"
Song
A-side"Shake It Off"

"Get Your Number" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Johntá Austin and Bryan-Michael Cox, and produced by the former two and LRoc. It was released as the third international single from Carey's tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi (2005). The song is built around a sample of "Just an Illusion" (1982) by British band Imagination. 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 along with "Shake It Off". 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, who also directed Carey's video for "Shake It Off". It was filmed in Los Angeles on September 1 and 2, 2005 and features Jermaine Dupri as the video's secondary artist, while Michael Ealy, 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.

Background

In 2001, Carey suffered a physical and emotional breakdown, causing her to abandon promotion of her then-released studio album Glitter (2001), and its film of the same name.[1] As she was hospitalized for exhaustion, the film project received strong negative critical feedback, with the album faring only slightly better.[2] Following Carey's absence from the public eye, as well as her abandonment of promotional appearances for the film and soundtrack, her unprecedented $100 million five-album record deal with Virgin Records (EMI Records) was bought out for $50 million.[3][4] After recovering from her breakdown, and completing her contractual agreement with Virgin Records, Carey began recording her intended "comeback" and follow-up album, Charmbracelet (2002).[5] Though fueled by strong media attention regarding Carey return to music, as well as her new deal with Island Records, the album failed to deliver the type of sales Carey had been accustomed to throughout the 1990s, and only managed sales of 5 million copies globally.[6] After the album's release, and its succeeding tour, Carey began conceptualizing and working on a new project, eventually titled The Emancipation of Mimi, her tenth studio effort.[7]

Writing and recording

By November 2004, Carey had already recorded several songs for her newly titled tenth studio effort, The Emancipation of Mimi.[8] During a meeting with Island Records head L.A. Reid, he suggested Carey try and compose a few more strong singles, in order to assure the project stay afloat commercially.[8] He told her how she had written some of her best work with Jermaine Dupri, and recommended she travel to Atlanta for a brief studio rendezvous. In an interview with MTV, she recalled how the process came about: "L.A. was like, 'You and Jermaine Dupri make magic together, why aren't you in the studio with him? I said, 'I love Jermaine, is he free? I know he's doing a million things, Usher and this and that'. But Jermaine said, 'Come on down'."[8] During the course of her two day trip in Atlanta, the duo wrote and produced the album's eventual third and fourth singles, "Shake It Off" and "Get Your Number".[8] At that point, Carey and her management at Island decided to re-think the album's first single, originally having been "Say Somethin'", Carey's collaboration with Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams. She recalled how since hearing her demo of "Shake It Off", she knew "It was my favorite song", and decided to substitute it as the album's primary release.[8]

During one of Carey's later meetings with Reid, she decided to fly back to Atlanta, in hopes of possibly creating another batch of strong material.[8] Following a second trip there, Carey and Dupri helmed the final two songs to be added to the album's roster, "We Belong Together" and "It's Like That". According to Carey, "We said, OK, we love 'Shake It Off,'. We don't know how we're going to top that, but let's just try'. It turned out that 'It's Like That' was the right fire-starter, and 'We Belong Together' was the bigger record."[8] After hearing the last two songs they composed, Carey and her management unanimously agreed to releasing "It's Like That" as the album's lead single, however assuring that her favorite, "Shake It Off", would see an eventual release early on in the project.[8] She described her sentiments regarding her trip to Atlanta: "I am so grateful I went to Atlanta. And I have to say, we wrote some of my favorite songs on the album. I'm so proud of Jermaine – he's so focused, and he knew what had to be done. You can never write off talent."[8]

Composition

"Get Your Number"
A 23-second sample of the song; featuring the sampled hook from "Just an Illusion", as well as the computerized musical instrumentation used throughout the song's production.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Get Your Number" is a mid-tempo song lasting three minutes and fifteen seconds, while drawing influence from pop and R&B music genres.[9] Written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri and Johntá Austin, and produced by the former two and LRoc, the song samples the hook from British band Imagination's "Just an Illusion" (1982),[10] and derives its production from "‘80s-esque synthesizers" and several computerized musical instruments.[11][12] Due to its sampling, additional writers such as John Phillips, Steve Jolley, Tony Swain and Ashley Ingram, are credited as songwriters. On "Get Your Number", Dupri performs several ad-libs and sings part of the chorus, earning him a place as a featured artist on the track. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Music Publishing, the song is set in common time with a moderate tempo of 126 beats per minute.[13] The song is composed in the key of F minor, with Carey's vocal range spanning from the low-note of B3 to the high-note of A5.[13] Aside from Dupri's verses, Carey's longtime background singer Trey Lorenz 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.[14] In an interview with MTV News, 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!"[14] Aside from her signature vocals, Carey adopts a breathy rap for parts of the song, which read "I got a big bad house / With a sick hot tub / We can watch a flat screen / While the bubbles filling up."[11] According to Jozen Cummings from PopMatters, the lyrics and Carey's vocal switch make the song "fun and comedic".[11]

Reception

Critical reaction

"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 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."[15] Barry Walters from Rolling Stone complimented her vocal performance, writing "Carey's belabored voice finds a pleasurable medium", however criticizing the song's production.[10] Jozen Cummings from PopMatters called Dupri's verses "annoying gangster twang", and described the song's production as "annoying".[11] Stylus Magazine'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 and Pharrell along the way."[12] Editor Sal Cinquemani writing for Slant Magazine branded "Get Your Number" a "Summer-anthem-in-the-make",[16] while Michael Paoletta from Billboard described it as "bouncy and silly".[17] Jim Abbott from the Orlando Sentinel described the track as a "sexy, slinky dance number", while a writer from Newsweek claimed it to be a song that "worked".[18][19]

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.[20] In the United Kingdom, it was released as a double A-side along with "Shake It Off", the third single serviced to the United States at the same time.[21] 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, it peaked at number forty-one, although spending eleven week within the Austrian charts.[22] In both the Flemmish 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.[23] The song debuted at number five on Finland's Official List 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.[24] On the Dutch Top 40, it made its debut at number ten on November 15, 2005, and spent a total of twelve weeks within the top 40 chart.[25] 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.[26][27] In Switzerland, the song entered the Swiss Singles Chart at its peak of number fourteen, while spending twenty-one weeks in the chart until exiting on April 9, 2005.[28] On the UK Singles Chart, the song debuted at number nine during the week of October 15, 2005.[21] Dropping to number ten the following week, the song lasted a total of eight weeks in the singles chart before making its decent.[29]

Music video

The single's music video was directed by Jake Nava, who also directed Carey's video for "Shake It Off".[30] It was filmed in Los Angeles on Thursday and Friday, September 1 and 2, 2005 and features Jermaine Dupri as the video's secondary artist, while Michael Ealy, plays Carey's love interest at the club.[30] 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, 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

European CD single[31]

  1. "Get Your Number"
  2. "Shake It Off" (Remix featuring Jay-Z and Young Jeezy)

European CD maxi-single[32]

  1. "Get Your Number"
  2. "We Belong Together" (Atlantic Soul Radio Edit)

UK CD single[33]

  1. "Get Your Number"
  2. "Shake It Off"

Australian/European CD maxi-single[34]

  1. "Get Your Number"
  2. "We Belong Together" (Atlantic Soul Radio Edit)
  3. "Secret love"
  4. "Get Your Number" (Video)

UK CD maxi-single[35]

  1. "Get Your Number"
  2. "Shake It Off"
  3. "Secret love"

Credits and personnel

Credits for The Emancipation of Mimi adapted from the album's liner notes.[36]

Charts

Chart (2005) Peak
position
Austrian Singles Chart[22] 41
Belgian Flandres Singles Chart[23] 25
Belgian Wallonia Singles Chart[23] 18
Dutch Singles Chart[25] 10
Finnish Singles Chart[24] 3
German Singles Chart[37] 27
Irish Singles Chart[38] 151
Swedish Singles Chart[27] 49
Swiss Singles Chart[28] 14
UK Singles Chart[21] 91
Chart (2006) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[20] 19
New Zealand Singles Chart[26] 34

1 "Get Your Number"/"Shake It Off"

References

  1. ^ Gardner, Elysa (September 9, 2001). "Mystery Shadows Carey's Career, Pressures Linger After Singer's Breakdown". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  2. ^ Pareles, Jon (January 22, 2002). "Record Label Pays Dearly To Dismiss Mariah Carey". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  3. ^ "EMI Drops Mariah Carey". BBC News. BBC. January 31, 2002. Retrieved February 3, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  4. ^ Zwecker, Bill (January 22, 2002). "Mariah Carries On With Record Deal, Recovery". Chicago Sun-Times. Sun-Times Media Group. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  5. ^ "Bands A-Z: Mariah Carey". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved February 24, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  6. ^ Anderson, Joan (February 6, 2006). "Carey, On!". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Retrieved May 13, 2011.
  7. ^ Meyer, Andre (December 13, 2005). "Carey On". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved February 24, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Vineyard, Jennifer (May 18, 2006). "Road To The Grammys: The Story Behind Mariah Carey's 'We Belong Together'". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved May 10, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  9. ^ Tarradell, Mario (September 15, 2006). "Mariah Carey At The American Airlines Center". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  10. ^ a b Walters, Barry (April 21, 2005). "Mariah Carey: The Emancipation of Mimi". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  11. ^ a b c d Cummings, Jozen (August 9, 2005). "Mariah Carey: The Emancipation of Mimi < Reviews". PopMatters. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
  12. ^ a b Burns, Todd (April 14, 2005). "Mariah Carey: The Emancipation of Mimi". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  13. ^ a b Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Johntá Austin (Composers and Lyricists) (2005). "Get Your Number: Mariah Carey Digital Sheet Music" (Musicnotes). Musicnotes.com. Alfred Music Publishing. MN0068517 (Product Number). Retrieved April 9, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ a b Humfrey, James (August 1, 2006). "Mariah Carey Gives Out Her Number". MTV UK. Viacom. Retrieved July 26, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  15. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (April 1, 2005). "Mariah Carey, The Emancipation of Mimi". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  16. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (April 5, 2005). "Mariah Carey: The Emancipation Of Mimi". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
  17. ^ Paoletta, Michael (April 16, 2005). "Essential Reviews". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  18. ^ Abbott, Jim (April 22, 2005). "Carey Might Need A Break, But This Album Isn't it". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  19. ^ Ali, Lorraine. "Emancipation Proclamation". Newsweek. The Newsweek Daily Beast Company. Retrieved 2011-06-26.
  20. ^ a b "Mariah Carey: Get Your Number". ARIA Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  21. ^ a b c "Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive". The Official Charts Company. British Phonographic Industry. October 12, 2005. Retrieved July 26, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  22. ^ a b "Mariah Carey: Get Your Number". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  23. ^ a b c "Mariah Carey: Get Your Number". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  24. ^ a b "Mariah Carey: Get Your Number". Finland's Official List. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  25. ^ a b "Mariah Carey: Get Your Number". Dutch Top 40. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  26. ^ a b "Mariah Carey: Get Your Number". New Zealand Singles Chart. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  27. ^ a b "Mariah Carey: Get Your Number". Sverigetopplistan. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  28. ^ a b "Mariah Carey: Get Your Number". Swiss Music Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  29. ^ "Mariah Carey: Chart Info". ChartStats. Retrieved July 26, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  30. ^ a b Vineyard, Jennifer (August 31, 2006). "For The Record: Quick News On Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, Andre 3000, Ashlee Simpson, Dillinger Escape Plan & More". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved May 10, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  31. ^ (Media notes). {{cite AV media notes}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Format= ignored (|format= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |PID= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Type= ignored (|type= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  32. ^ (Media notes). {{cite AV media notes}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Format= ignored (|format= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |PID= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Type= ignored (|type= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  33. ^ (Media notes). {{cite AV media notes}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Format= ignored (|format= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |PID= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Type= ignored (|type= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  34. ^ (Media notes). {{cite AV media notes}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Format= ignored (|format= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |PID= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Type= ignored (|type= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  35. ^ (Media notes). {{cite AV media notes}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Format= ignored (|format= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |PID= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Type= ignored (|type= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ Carey, Mariah (2005). The Emancipation of Mimi (Liner Notes) (Media notes). New York City, New York: Island Records. {{cite AV media notes}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |coauthors= and |notestitle= (help); Text "p" ignored (help)
  37. ^ "Chartverfolgung/Carey, Mariah/Single" (in German). musicline.de PhonoNet. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
  38. ^ "Search The Charts". The Irish Charts. Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 2010-10-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)

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