| "What Have You Done for Me Lately" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Janet Jackson | ||||
| from the album Control | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | January 13, 1986 | |||
| Recorded | September 1985 | |||
| Studio | Flyte Tyme (Minneapolis, Minnesota) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:59 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis | |||
| Janet Jackson singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "What Have You Done for Me Lately" on YouTube | ||||
"What Have You Done for Me Lately" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her third studio album, Control (1986). It was released as the album's lead single on January 13, 1986, by A&M Records. Jackson co-wrote the song with its producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. After two unsuccessful albums and a management change, Jackson began developing a new album. "What Have You Done for Me Lately" was penned for one of Jam and Lewis's own records, but the lyrics were rewritten to convey Jackson's feelings about her recent separation from James DeBarge in January 1985. The song revolves around a woman's frustration with her partner in a relationship. Musically, it is a dance-pop, funk and R&B song.
Critical reviews for "What Have You Done for Me Lately" were positive, with music critics believing it erased the former "pop-ingénue image" of Jackson's first two albums, re-establishing her as an "independent woman" figure. It has since been featured in critic lists as one of the greatest songs of all time. The song received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song at the 29th Annual Grammy Awards. "What Have You Done for Me Lately" peaked at No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It also peaked at No. 2 on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart and topped the US Hot Black Singles chart. Outside of the United States, "What Have You Done for Me Lately" topped the singles chart in the Netherlands and peaked within the Top 10 in Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
The accompanying music video for "What Have You Done for Me Lately" was directed by Brian Jones and Piers Ashworth, and choreographed by Paula Abdul. In the clip, Jackson goes to a diner with her friends to talk about her relationship problems. It won a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video in 1987. The song was first performed live by Jackson at the 29th Annual Grammy Awards in 1987. She has also performed it live in each of her concert tours, beginning with the Rhythm Nation World Tour 1990 through the State of the World Tour. The song has been included in each of Jackson's greatest hits albums; Design of a Decade: 1986–1996 (1995), Number Ones (2009) and Icon: Number Ones (2010). "What Have You Done for Me Lately" has been sampled and covered by various artists, and is also regarded as one of Jackson's signature songs which helped establish her as a pop culture icon.