Turnin' Me On
Encyclopedia
"Turnin Me On" is a song by American singer-songwriter
Keri Hilson
, taken from her debut album, In a Perfect World...
. The song features American rapper Lil Wayne
who co-wrote the song alongside Hilson and Zachary Anson Wallace. Production credits are shared between Danja and Polow da Don
, who also co-wrote the song. Following the minimal chart success of Hilson's worldwide lead single
"Energy
" in the United States, international markets received "Return the Favor
", while "Turnin Me On" was released as the third single in the US.
After experimenting with more pop
-oriented music in her previous mentioned songs, Hilson opted for a more urban, hip-hop flavored sound for the song, due her to wanting to keep to her roots. While noting her less than stellar vocals on the track, critics praised Hilson's sassiness and attitude on the track and complimented Lil Wayne's verse, which has been called the best surprise rap since Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes on TLC's "Waterfalls." The song's accompanying music video features intricate Aaliyah
and "Soldier"-esque choreography, dance scenes such as the Bird Walk
, and Hilson being flaunted by men. The scenes are intercut with mirror
scenes with younger kids.
The song was a commercial success in the United States, reaching number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100
, whilst reaching two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart. "Turnin Me On" received two nominations at the 2009 BET Awards
, and a "Song of the Year" nomination at the 2009 Soul Train Music Awards
. A leaked remix of the song caused controversy, with rumors that Hilson was taking shots at fellow female R&B
singers Beyoncé Knowles
and Ciara
, however Hilson has fervently denied the rumors that it was a diss. Hilson performed the song as a part of a medley at the 2009 Soul Train Music Awards and BET Awards.
originally reported the song as "Turn Off", while Hilson was playing it at Interscope-Geffen-A&M
Records' second annual "Creme of the Crop" post-BET Awards
dinner on June 25, 2008. Then an unmastered version of "Turn Off" was leaked online in September 2008. After selecting the predominately pop
-sounding "Energy
" and "Return the Favor
", Hilson selected "Turnin Me On" as In a Perfect World...
' s third single. When asked in an interview with That Grape Juice if choosing the song was a conscious effort, since the song had a different sound than the previous singles, Hilson responded,
, synth-driven, bass-heavy urban song, featuring "bouncy" horn samples. Written in the key
of C minor
the song is in a "moderate R&B groove". It is set in common time
and Hilson's vocals span from the low note of G3 to the high note of C5 " "Turnin Me On" is lyrically about physical attraction and composed in a hard-edged tone." MTV Buzzworthy
described the song "as one-part Rihanna
'Umbrella
' and two parts Beyoncé 'Ring the Alarm
'"
Naming it a standout track from In a Perfect World... Andy Kellman of Allmusic called the song a "coquettish trunk rattler." Barry Walters of Spin complimented Hilson's "sassiness" on the song which she "wore well." MTV Buzzworthy
called the Wayne's verse "the best surprise rap since Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes' verse in TLC's 'Waterfalls.'" J.K. Glei of Cincinnati Metromix called the track "playful" and said the track was easily the album's standout, commenting that Lil Wayne's cameo "steals the show." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
commended the song, calling it "tight." Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
said called the song "slinky" and said, "the busyness coheres, with Ms. Hilson neatly gliding among the song’s many layers. And she may need the crutch; she is a careful, slight singer." Mikael Wood of The Los Angeles Times called the song "impeccably arranged." After watching the video, a writer for BET Sound Off
said after it seemed Hilson and her label were losing faith, that "out of nowhere, Keri got her ish together", and said, "I’m sure she’ll regain the steam she lost during her first two singles." Rap-Up
called "Turnin Me On" a standout track from In a Perfect World.... The song received several accolades, as it was nominated for "Viewers' Choice" and "Best Collaboration" at the 2009 BET Awards
. Additionally it was nominated for "Song of the Year" at the 2009 Soul Train Music Awards
.
at number ninety. In its sixth week on the chart, it reached number thirty-five, giving Hilson her second top forty hit at a solo or featured artist. It later reached number fifteen, where it spent two weeks, becoming Hilson's biggest hit until the top five hit, "Knock You Down
." Overall, the song had a twenty-two week stint on the Hot 100. Additionally it charted at twenty-eight on the now defunct Pop 100
, and twenty-five on the Pop Songs chart, reaching the peak after seven weeks. On the week of February 18, 2009 in its eighteenth week on the chart, it peaked at two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart. It debuted at number eighty in Canada, where it peaked, spending a total of four weeks on the Canadian Hot 100
. The song peaked and debuted at twenty-nine on the New Zealand Singles Chart. It fell to thirty-three the following week, and falling off the next week, completing a two-week stint on the chart.
and shot in Atlanta, Georgia
. It premiered on November 19, 2008, two weeks before the single was released for airplay or download. It was featured on E! News
on December 15, 2008. Rich Boy
, Polow da Don
, and Leah LaBelle make cameos in the clip. While it was reported that T.I.
would appear in the video, a doppelgänger does instead. The video is set almost entirely behind white and black backdrops, besides one club scene. Hilsonperforms choreography such as the Bird Walk
, which according to MTV Buzzworthy
is Aaliyah
-style choreography, while being flaunted by shirtless, muscular men and donning "on" and "off" finger rings. BET Sound Off
noted that some of the choreography was similar to Destiny Child's "Soldier." As Hilson continues to be flaunted and performs additional choreography, which includes crumping-like moves, the scenes are interspersed with younger kids re-enacting the same scenes. Hilson appears alongside a speaker and a group of men dancing before the video cuts to Wayne. In this scene the rapper delivers his verse alongside Hilson in front of a black backdrop and on a couch. Near the end the younger girls and boys are shown performing Hilson and her dancers' moves, as the latter also continue to be flaunted by men. The video ends with Hilson being turned off by men at a club, with women in the club wearing "off" earrings like on Hilson's fingers.
MTV Buzzworthy said, "give it up for her sleek biker chick-meets-Park-Slope wardrobe and feel free to ogle/drool over the parade of shirtless dudes who look like they jumped off the cover of Abs Weekly magazine." The review also complimented "rapper/pants-dropper extraodinaire Lil Wayne" who helped "push her chest-bumpin' vid into must-see territory." Although commenting it a "Soldier" knock-off, BET Sound Off blog said, "the visual is pretty entertaining." Tracey Ford of AOL Boombox
said, "the diva makes it perfectly clear how easy it is to turn a woman on and off." The video ranked at number two on BET: Notarized Top 100 Videos of 2009 countdown.
. Hilson performed the song on March 17, 2009 on Dogg After Dark
. Lil Wayne
joined her to perform the song with "Energy
" on Jimmy Kimmel Live
. "Turnin Me On" was performed by Hilson at BET's Spring Bling 2009, and at BET's Rip the Runway
2009. She performed the song as part of medleys at the 2009 BET Awards
as well as the 2009 Soul Train Music Awards
.
. It was leaked on March 3, 2009. The leaked version of the official remix also features background vocals by Polow da Don, which was removed on the final version. The final version of the remix can be found Atlanta DJ Greg Street's mixtape, "Sertified Worldwide".
Several remixes for the song were released. Busta Rhymes
is featured on one remix, to which BET Sound Off
preferred to the original version, commenting, "Not that I don’t appreciate Keri and Weezy’s version because it’s actually a snazzy lil ditty, but Busta’s ambiance over Polow’s sound scape gives me a different vibe, that 'stand on your desk and mean mug everyone in your office who tells you to turn down your music' vibe." In January 2010, a remix featuring T.I.
was released. A MSTRKRFT
remix of the original version was released on iTunes
.
and Ciara
, in lines like "You can dance, she can sing but need to move it to the left..", possibly referencing Ciara's acclaimed dancing ability, and Beyoncé's hit "Irreplaceable
." The lyrics also point at other possible shots taken toward the artists such as Hilson stating one needs to "go sit down and have babies" and points out several songs written for the other. A BET columnist wrote, "critics couldn't fathom the purpose or reasoning behind the malicious gesture", while a writer for BET Sound Off
noted that if Hilson or her management intended to engage in this, that it would be "career suicide."
However in an interview with Hardknocktv, Hilson denied the claims that the remix was directed at dissing Knowles or Ciara. According to Hilson, Polow da Don gave her the idea to do a "fiery" record. Although she said she was not retracting anything in the song, calling her response a "blanket statement" she said she was not going to feel some sort of way about how other people interpret, and that blatantly dissing anyone was not the energy behind the record. Hilson commented she wanted to address the haters, and all the media speculation about the remarks was something they did not intend to accomplish with the song. She also addressed that the release of the song was not an intentional leak, stating most remixes are meant to be done when a record is hot, and although admitting that while "Turnin Me On" was not "a number one record", the remix was done three months prior.
While calling into WVEE during their interview with Ciara and Polow da Don, Hilson said,
’s on my album. I’ve worked with Ciara many times. I’m a fan of Beyoncé’s." When asked exactly who the song is about, Hilson said the targets knew who they were, responding, "It’s anybody that ever tried to take me down and didn’t want to see me succeed. I’m not gonna call their names because I feel I’ve addressed it." She further clarified, commenting "I will say this, my journey has been 12 years long and there have been many people, specifically girls, and it really just isn't one person, it's been a lot of people."
Rumors circulated once again when Ciara released a viral video "Basic Instinct (U Got Me)
" to kick off promotion for her album of the same name
. Ciara addressed claims that remarks in the song were referring to Hilson in an interview with Rap-Up
, stating that the song was dedicated to her haters, gave her a chance to express herself, and was about trusting her first instinct on everything.
Source
|-
!scope="col"|Country
!scope="col"|Provider
!scope="col"|Certification
|-
|USA
|style="text-align:center;"|RIAA
|style="text-align:center;"|Platinum
!Chart (2009)
!Position
|-
|Hungarian Singles Chart
|align="center"|134
|}
|-
! Region
! Date
! Format
|-
|rowspan="4"|United States
|December 2, 2008
|Urban
airplay
|-
|rowspan="2"|December 9, 2008
|Rhythmic
airplay
|-
|Digital download
|-
|February 10, 2009
|Mainstream
airplay
|-
|Brazil
|May 15, 2009
|Digital download
|}
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
, taken from her debut album, In a Perfect World...
In a Perfect World...
In a Perfect World... is the debut studio album of American singer-songwriter Keri Hilson, released March 24, 2009 on Zone 4. Originally planned for a 2007 release, it was pushed back numerous times into 2009, amid her label's budget issues and minor single releases...
. The song features American rapper Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
who co-wrote the song alongside Hilson and Zachary Anson Wallace. Production credits are shared between Danja and Polow da Don
Polow Da Don
Polow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones , better known by known by professional name Polow da Don or Awesome Jones, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. His cousin is Atlanta singer Monica. He has produced for a variety of artists including Usher, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, T.I...
, who also co-wrote the song. Following the minimal chart success of Hilson's worldwide lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
"Energy
Energy (Keri Hilson song)
"Energy" is the debut single by American recording artist Keri Hilson. The song was written and produced by The Runaways, consisting of Louis Biancaniello, Sam Watters, Rico Love, and Wayne Wilkins, for her studio album In a Perfect World… and In a Perfect World.....
" in the United States, international markets received "Return the Favor
Return the Favor (song)
"Return the Favor" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Keri Hilson. The song features Timbaland, who wrote the song with Hilson and her songwriting/production team The Clutch, as well as Walter Milsap...
", while "Turnin Me On" was released as the third single in the US.
After experimenting with more pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
-oriented music in her previous mentioned songs, Hilson opted for a more urban, hip-hop flavored sound for the song, due her to wanting to keep to her roots. While noting her less than stellar vocals on the track, critics praised Hilson's sassiness and attitude on the track and complimented Lil Wayne's verse, which has been called the best surprise rap since Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes on TLC's "Waterfalls." The song's accompanying music video features intricate Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
and "Soldier"-esque choreography, dance scenes such as the Bird Walk
Bird Walk
"Bird Walk" is the first single from Soulja Boy's 2008 album iSouljaBoyTellem. Soulja Boy performed the song at MTV's Made Head-to-Head Hip Hop Challenge with the contestants doing the "Bird Walk".-Song information:...
, and Hilson being flaunted by men. The scenes are intercut with mirror
Mirroring (psychology)
Mirroring is the behaviour in which one person copies another person usually while in social interaction with them. It may include miming gestures, movements, body language, muscle tensions, expressions, tones, eye movements, breathing, tempo, accent, attitude, choice of words/metaphors and other...
scenes with younger kids.
The song was a commercial success in the United States, reaching number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, whilst reaching two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart. "Turnin Me On" received two nominations at the 2009 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
, and a "Song of the Year" nomination at the 2009 Soul Train Music Awards
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
. A leaked remix of the song caused controversy, with rumors that Hilson was taking shots at fellow female R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singers Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
and Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
, however Hilson has fervently denied the rumors that it was a diss. Hilson performed the song as a part of a medley at the 2009 Soul Train Music Awards and BET Awards.
Background
In June 2008, Rap-UpRap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
originally reported the song as "Turn Off", while Hilson was playing it at Interscope-Geffen-A&M
Interscope-Geffen-A&M
Interscope-Geffen-A&M is an umbrella label, owned by Universal Music Group. The company was formed in 1999, when Geffen Records and A&M Records were merged into Interscope Records—the flagship imprint of the operation....
Records' second annual "Creme of the Crop" post-BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
dinner on June 25, 2008. Then an unmastered version of "Turn Off" was leaked online in September 2008. After selecting the predominately pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
-sounding "Energy
Energy (Keri Hilson song)
"Energy" is the debut single by American recording artist Keri Hilson. The song was written and produced by The Runaways, consisting of Louis Biancaniello, Sam Watters, Rico Love, and Wayne Wilkins, for her studio album In a Perfect World… and In a Perfect World.....
" and "Return the Favor
Return the Favor (song)
"Return the Favor" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Keri Hilson. The song features Timbaland, who wrote the song with Hilson and her songwriting/production team The Clutch, as well as Walter Milsap...
", Hilson selected "Turnin Me On" as In a Perfect World...
In a Perfect World...
In a Perfect World... is the debut studio album of American singer-songwriter Keri Hilson, released March 24, 2009 on Zone 4. Originally planned for a 2007 release, it was pushed back numerous times into 2009, amid her label's budget issues and minor single releases...
"Absolutely! I mean, there’s another side of me. I’m from Decatur, Georgia and that is a predominantly black neighbourhood with a lot of lower-class and some middle-class neighbourhoods. I guess that is the song that probably properly describes the type of girl I am, in relation to where I’m from. So yeah, it was definitely a conscious effort to make sure that I stay close to home on some records."
Composition and critical reception
The song is a futuristic-esque R&BContemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, synth-driven, bass-heavy urban song, featuring "bouncy" horn samples. Written in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of C minor
C minor
C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. The harmonic minor raises the B to B. Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with naturals and accidentals as necessary.Its key signature consists of three flats...
the song is in a "moderate R&B groove". It is set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
and Hilson's vocals span from the low note of G3 to the high note of C5 " "Turnin Me On" is lyrically about physical attraction and composed in a hard-edged tone." MTV Buzzworthy
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
described the song "as one-part Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
'Umbrella
Umbrella (song)
"Umbrella" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, featuring a rap verse by Jay-Z. The song was written by The-Dream, Christopher Stewart, Kuk Harrell and Jay-Z, and was produced by Stewart and The-Dream for Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad...
' and two parts Beyoncé 'Ring the Alarm
Ring the Alarm
"Ring the Alarm" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her second studio album, B'Day . It was composed by Knowles, Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, and Sean Garrett...
'"
Naming it a standout track from In a Perfect World... Andy Kellman of Allmusic called the song a "coquettish trunk rattler." Barry Walters of Spin complimented Hilson's "sassiness" on the song which she "wore well." MTV Buzzworthy
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
called the Wayne's verse "the best surprise rap since Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes' verse in TLC's 'Waterfalls.'" J.K. Glei of Cincinnati Metromix called the track "playful" and said the track was easily the album's standout, commenting that Lil Wayne's cameo "steals the show." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an 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 Film Festival.- History :...
commended the song, calling it "tight." Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said called the song "slinky" and said, "the busyness coheres, with Ms. Hilson neatly gliding among the song’s many layers. And she may need the crutch; she is a careful, slight singer." Mikael Wood of The Los Angeles Times called the song "impeccably arranged." After watching the video, a writer for BET Sound Off
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
said after it seemed Hilson and her label were losing faith, that "out of nowhere, Keri got her ish together", and said, "I’m sure she’ll regain the steam she lost during her first two singles." Rap-Up
Rap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
called "Turnin Me On" a standout track from In a Perfect World.... The song received several accolades, as it was nominated for "Viewers' Choice" and "Best Collaboration" at the 2009 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
. Additionally it was nominated for "Song of the Year" at the 2009 Soul Train Music Awards
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
.
Chart performance
On the issue date of January 3, 2010, "Turnin Me On" entered the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number ninety. In its sixth week on the chart, it reached number thirty-five, giving Hilson her second top forty hit at a solo or featured artist. It later reached number fifteen, where it spent two weeks, becoming Hilson's biggest hit until the top five hit, "Knock You Down
Knock You Down
"Knock You Down" is a song by American singer-songwriter Keri Hilson, taken from her debut studio album, In a Perfect World... . The song features guest vocals from American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo and American rapper Kanye West. The song was written by Hilson, West, and Ne-Yo along with Kevin...
." Overall, the song had a twenty-two week stint on the Hot 100. Additionally it charted at twenty-eight on the now defunct Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
, and twenty-five on the Pop Songs chart, reaching the peak after seven weeks. On the week of February 18, 2009 in its eighteenth week on the chart, it peaked at two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart. It debuted at number eighty in Canada, where it peaked, spending a total of four weeks on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
. The song peaked and debuted at twenty-nine on the New Zealand Singles Chart. It fell to thirty-three the following week, and falling off the next week, completing a two-week stint on the chart.
Music video
The music video for the single was directed by Erik WhiteErik White
Erik White is an American director, primarily with music videos. He directed the 2010 comedy film Lottery Ticket, starring rappers Ice Cube and Bow Wow. White is also the nephew of music video director Hype Williams....
and shot in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. It premiered on November 19, 2008, two weeks before the single was released for airplay or download. It was featured on E! News
E! News
E! News, previously known as E! News Daily and E! News Live, is a nightly entertainment newsmagazine program airing on E!: Entertainment Television. The program debuted on September 1, 1991 and talks about Hollywood celebrities and gossip...
on December 15, 2008. Rich Boy
Rich Boy
Marece Richards , better known by his stage name Rich Boy, is an American rapper from Mobile, Alabama. He is best known for the hit single "Throw Some D's". His self-titled debut album was released in early 2007.- Early career :...
, Polow da Don
Polow Da Don
Polow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones , better known by known by professional name Polow da Don or Awesome Jones, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. His cousin is Atlanta singer Monica. He has produced for a variety of artists including Usher, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, T.I...
, and Leah LaBelle make cameos in the clip. While it was reported that T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
would appear in the video, a doppelgänger does instead. The video is set almost entirely behind white and black backdrops, besides one club scene. Hilsonperforms choreography such as the Bird Walk
Bird Walk
"Bird Walk" is the first single from Soulja Boy's 2008 album iSouljaBoyTellem. Soulja Boy performed the song at MTV's Made Head-to-Head Hip Hop Challenge with the contestants doing the "Bird Walk".-Song information:...
, which according to MTV Buzzworthy
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
is Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
-style choreography, while being flaunted by shirtless, muscular men and donning "on" and "off" finger rings. BET Sound Off
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
noted that some of the choreography was similar to Destiny Child's "Soldier." As Hilson continues to be flaunted and performs additional choreography, which includes crumping-like moves, the scenes are interspersed with younger kids re-enacting the same scenes. Hilson appears alongside a speaker and a group of men dancing before the video cuts to Wayne. In this scene the rapper delivers his verse alongside Hilson in front of a black backdrop and on a couch. Near the end the younger girls and boys are shown performing Hilson and her dancers' moves, as the latter also continue to be flaunted by men. The video ends with Hilson being turned off by men at a club, with women in the club wearing "off" earrings like on Hilson's fingers.
MTV Buzzworthy said, "give it up for her sleek biker chick-meets-Park-Slope wardrobe and feel free to ogle/drool over the parade of shirtless dudes who look like they jumped off the cover of Abs Weekly magazine." The review also complimented "rapper/pants-dropper extraodinaire Lil Wayne" who helped "push her chest-bumpin' vid into must-see territory." Although commenting it a "Soldier" knock-off, BET Sound Off blog said, "the visual is pretty entertaining." Tracey Ford of AOL Boombox
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
said, "the diva makes it perfectly clear how easy it is to turn a woman on and off." The video ranked at number two on BET: Notarized Top 100 Videos of 2009 countdown.
Live performances
In promoting her album, Hilson performed the song on February 2, 2009 on 106 & Park106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
. Hilson performed the song on March 17, 2009 on Dogg After Dark
Dogg After Dark
Dogg After Dark is an American variety show starring rapper Snoop Dogg. The show will feature celebrity interviews, sketch-comedy segments and musical performances by Snoop's own in-house band, the "Snoopadelics." Dogg After Dark takes place on location at Kress, a Los Angeles club on Hollywood...
. Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
joined her to perform the song with "Energy
Energy (Keri Hilson song)
"Energy" is the debut single by American recording artist Keri Hilson. The song was written and produced by The Runaways, consisting of Louis Biancaniello, Sam Watters, Rico Love, and Wayne Wilkins, for her studio album In a Perfect World… and In a Perfect World.....
" on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
. "Turnin Me On" was performed by Hilson at BET's Spring Bling 2009, and at BET's Rip the Runway
Rip The Runway
Rip The Runway is an annual fashion show and music show broadcast by BET, held at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.-2007:The 2007 Rip The Runway show was hosted by Ciara and Chris Brown.-2008:...
2009. She performed the song as part of medleys at the 2009 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
as well as the 2009 Soul Train Music Awards
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
.
Remixes
The official remix of the song features new verses from Hilson & Lil Wayne and an additional verse & intro by R&B singer T-PainT-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
. It was leaked on March 3, 2009. The leaked version of the official remix also features background vocals by Polow da Don, which was removed on the final version. The final version of the remix can be found Atlanta DJ Greg Street's mixtape, "Sertified Worldwide".
Several remixes for the song were released. Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
is featured on one remix, to which BET Sound Off
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
preferred to the original version, commenting, "Not that I don’t appreciate Keri and Weezy’s version because it’s actually a snazzy lil ditty, but Busta’s ambiance over Polow’s sound scape gives me a different vibe, that 'stand on your desk and mean mug everyone in your office who tells you to turn down your music' vibe." In January 2010, a remix featuring T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
was released. A MSTRKRFT
MSTRKRFT
MSTRKRFT is a Canadian electronic music duo from Toronto, Ontario. The group was started in 2005 by Jesse F. Keeler of Death from Above 1979 and Al-P formerly of the Mississauga, Ontario electropop group Girlsareshort...
remix of the original version was released on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
Diss controversy
On March 3, 2009, a remix version of the song, entitled "Turnin' Me Off", featuring a new verses from Hilson, Lil Wayne, and an additional by T-Pain surfaced online. In the remix, Hilson takes jabs at two unnamed female entertainers. Referred to as "the remix heard round the industry", media rumored that Hilson was taking shots at Beyoncé KnowlesBeyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
and Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
, in lines like "You can dance, she can sing but need to move it to the left..", possibly referencing Ciara's acclaimed dancing ability, and Beyoncé's hit "Irreplaceable
Irreplaceable
"Irreplaceable" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her second studio album, B'Day . The song was written by Knowles, Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Espen Lind, Amund Bjørklund, and produced by Stargate and Knowles...
." The lyrics also point at other possible shots taken toward the artists such as Hilson stating one needs to "go sit down and have babies" and points out several songs written for the other. A BET columnist wrote, "critics couldn't fathom the purpose or reasoning behind the malicious gesture", while a writer for BET Sound Off
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
noted that if Hilson or her management intended to engage in this, that it would be "career suicide."
However in an interview with Hardknocktv, Hilson denied the claims that the remix was directed at dissing Knowles or Ciara. According to Hilson, Polow da Don gave her the idea to do a "fiery" record. Although she said she was not retracting anything in the song, calling her response a "blanket statement" she said she was not going to feel some sort of way about how other people interpret, and that blatantly dissing anyone was not the energy behind the record. Hilson commented she wanted to address the haters, and all the media speculation about the remarks was something they did not intend to accomplish with the song. She also addressed that the release of the song was not an intentional leak, stating most remixes are meant to be done when a record is hot, and although admitting that while "Turnin Me On" was not "a number one record", the remix was done three months prior.
While calling into WVEE during their interview with Ciara and Polow da Don, Hilson said,
"I just want to tell Ciara it’s not about you. People are just reading way too far into it. People take things and make it what they want it to be. It wasn’t taking shots at nobody." I just want to let Atlanta know and Ciara know that this is a true leak. I did, and I don't know if Polow said this on the radio, but I did fight this coming out. I didn't want this coming out because we played it for people when I did it and that's what people said it was about; they started throwing out names. We were like 'No, it's not about that' and we tried to let them know what it was really about. But the fact that people brought back names, it was like ok, that wasn't the reaction we need, so I told Polow, 'let's not do this and he agreed".Ciara happened to call in during the time period and said she was happy of where Hilson was at in her career, to which Hilson responded the same, saying how proud she was, and "watching her from ground zero." Hilson went on to state she was not jealous of anyone's career, noting how all female R&B artists are the same, pointing out that "Keyshia
Keyshia Cole
Keyshia Myeshia Cole Gibson born October 15, 1981) is an American singer–songwriter and actress. She gained nationwide acclaim when her 2005 debut album, The Way It Is went platinum. Her sophomore album Just Like You went into production shortly after that and was released in September 2007...
’s on my album. I’ve worked with Ciara many times. I’m a fan of Beyoncé’s." When asked exactly who the song is about, Hilson said the targets knew who they were, responding, "It’s anybody that ever tried to take me down and didn’t want to see me succeed. I’m not gonna call their names because I feel I’ve addressed it." She further clarified, commenting "I will say this, my journey has been 12 years long and there have been many people, specifically girls, and it really just isn't one person, it's been a lot of people."
Rumors circulated once again when Ciara released a viral video "Basic Instinct (U Got Me)
Basic Instinct (album)
Basic Instinct is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Ciara, released from December 10, 2010 by LaFace Records . Executively produced by A&R agent Mark Pitts, Ciara, Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, Basic Instinct returnes Ciara to her urban roots with mid-tempo R&B cuts and...
" to kick off promotion for her album of the same name
Basic Instinct (album)
Basic Instinct is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Ciara, released from December 10, 2010 by LaFace Records . Executively produced by A&R agent Mark Pitts, Ciara, Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, Basic Instinct returnes Ciara to her urban roots with mid-tempo R&B cuts and...
. Ciara addressed claims that remarks in the song were referring to Hilson in an interview with Rap-Up
Rap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
, stating that the song was dedicated to her haters, gave her a chance to express herself, and was about trusting her first instinct on everything.
Track listing
- US Digital Download - Single
- "Turnin Me On" (feat. Lil Wanye) – 4:08 [Clean or Explicit]
- US Digital Download - MSTRKRFTMSTRKRFTMSTRKRFT is a Canadian electronic music duo from Toronto, Ontario. The group was started in 2005 by Jesse F. Keeler of Death from Above 1979 and Al-P formerly of the Mississauga, Ontario electropop group Girlsareshort...
Remix Single
- "Turnin Me On" (feat. Lil Wanye) – 4:04 [Explicit]
Personnel
- SongwritingSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
- Keri Hilson, Dwayne Carter, Jamal JonesPolow Da DonPolow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones , better known by known by professional name Polow da Don or Awesome Jones, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. His cousin is Atlanta singer Monica. He has produced for a variety of artists including Usher, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, T.I...
, Zachary Anson Wallace - ProductionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Polow da Don, Danja (additional) - Vocal arrangement and production - Keri Hilson
- Recording - Tony Terrebone, Marcella Araica, Njason Schweitzer
- MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Marcella Araica
Source
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
28 |
Certifications
{| class="wikitable"|-
!scope="col"|Country
!scope="col"|Provider
!scope="col"|Certification
|-
|USA
|style="text-align:center;"|RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
|style="text-align:center;"|Platinum
Year-end charts
{|class="wikitable sortable"!Chart (2009)
!Position
|-
|Hungarian Singles Chart
|align="center"|134
|}
Release history
{| class="wikitable"|-
! Region
! Date
! Format
|-
|rowspan="4"|United States
|December 2, 2008
|Urban
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
airplay
|-
|rowspan="2"|December 9, 2008
|Rhythmic
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
airplay
|-
|Digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
|-
|February 10, 2009
|Mainstream
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
airplay
|-
|Brazil
|May 15, 2009
|Digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
|}