You Don't Know What to Do

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"You Don't Know What to Do"
Olubowale Akintimehin
  • Patrick Adams
  • Terri Gonzalez
  • Producer(s)
    • Carey
    • Dupri
    • Cox
    Mariah Carey singles chronology
    "You're Mine (Eternal)"
    (2014)
    "You Don't Know What to Do"
    (2014)
    "Infinity"
    (2015)
    Wale singles chronology
    "Clappers"
    (2013)
    "You Don't Know What to Do"
    (2014)
    "Don't Shoot"
    (2014)

    "You Don't Know What to Do" is a song by American singer and songwriter

    photoshopping
    and re-using images of herself. Carey herself later expressed her discontent on the matter, stating that she had no knowledge of the single's artwork until it was released.

    A

    Today
    show in the United States.

    Background and release

    A man wearing a woollen hat holding a microphone, looking to his left.
    American rapper Wale features on "You Don't Know What to Do".

    "You Don't Know What to Do" was written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox, with featured artist Wale. The song interpolates a song called "I'm Caught Up in a One Night Affair", written by Patrick Adams and Terri Gonzalez and originally performed by Inner Life in 1979. Adams and Gonzalez are credited as songwriters as a result.[1] In August 2012, Cox revealed that he, Carey and Dupri had started working on Carey's then untitled fourteenth studio album, later revealed to be Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse, before the singer became pregnant with twins in 2010, and then resumed working on the project after she gave birth in 2011. "She was committed to making it before she got pregnant. Then she got pregnant and she took the time off. Then after she came back, we started really vibing again and we picked up right where we left off. I just feel like between Jermaine, myself and her, we came up with a few things that [are] really, really a solid body of work".[2]

    In August 2013, Wale revealed that he had been in the studio with Carey, posting the message "Mariah x Wale x JD = coming soon" on his

    urban contemporary radio on June 30, 2014 and rhythmic contemporary radio on July 1, 2014, as the third single to be released from the album.[8][9]

    Artwork controversy

    When Carey released "You Don't Know What to Do" as single fans noticed that its accompanying single artwork looked odd.

    had been swapped for another image in favor of one which was forward-facing, as well as an edited background.[11][12] Various media outlets criticized Carey for continuing to heavily airbrush and "recycle" images of herself.[13] In response, Carey expressed her discontent on Twitter, stating she had nothing to do with the selection of the single's artwork and in turn asked for fans to send in their artwork designs as alternatives, ending the message with "'cause at this point IDKWTD!", an abbreviation of the song's title.[10][13]

    Composition and lyrics

    "You Don't Know What to Do" is a

    Pitchfork Media writer Jordan Sargent compared "You Don't Know What to Do" to Carey's previous singles "Fantasy" (1995) and "Heartbreaker" (1999), but noted that it felt like a "logical extension of post-Pharrell disco revivalism".[20] Christina Lee for Idolator thought that the 70s disco feel embodied Daft Punk's 2013 single, "Get Lucky".[4]

    Reception

    Critical reception

    A woman with blond hair wearing a blue dress.
    Fashion designer Donatella Versace described Carey and Wale's collaboration as "poetry".[21]

    PopMatters writer Devone Jones described the song as "the most energetic track" on the album, and continued to write that the "skillful" lyrics allow Carey to perform "genuine harmonies" which are reminiscent of seventies dance songs.[20] Both Andy Kellman of AllMusic and Eric Henderson for Slant Magazine noted that Carey appeared to be channeling American dance singer Jocelyn Brown, with the former writer that she sounded like Brown more prominently in the intro, while the latter described "You Don't Know What to Do" as a "stunning" tribute to Brown's 1984 single "Somebody Else's Guy".[14][22] Henderson continued to write that "You Don't Know What to Do", along with another album track called "Meteorite", are two of Carey's "most serious-minded performances" on the album, further describing them as "galaxies away" from her 2008 single "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time".[14]

    Billboard writer Kenneth Partridge complimented the song for its dance appeal, adding that the only thing missing was a cameo from

    Idolator thought that "You Don't Know What to Do" would have been worthy of being recorded by American disco singer Donna Summer.[25]

    Jordan Sargent of

    Pitchfork Media praised its composition and noted that the disco and gospel genres are where middle-aged woman can "thrive", whereby Carey "fits in unsurprisingly well". He was, however, critical of the decision to include Wale on the song.[16] Similarly, Aisha Harris of Slate Magazine praised the song's production and Carey's vocals too, but also thought that Wale's rap verses were not required.[18] Conversely, fashion designer Donatella Versace, a friend of Carey's, told Vogue that she thought Carey's singing and Wale's rapping complimented each other on the song, describing it as "poetry", and that it made her want to get up and dance "all summer".[21]

    Chart performance

    "You Don't Know What to Do" debuted at number 45 on the Belgium chart, in the region of Wallonia on August 2, 2014, however, it was the Ultratip chart, which ranks the top songs that have yet to enter the main

    Ultratop 50 chart.[26] The song broke into the top 40 the following week, charting at number 36.[27] It peaked at number 14 on September 6, spending six weeks on the chart in total.[28] The song also debuted at number 73 in South Korea, on the main Digital Chart, for the week ending May 31, 2014.[29] It also debuted at number two on the International Download Chart, with sales of 32,945 units.[30] In its second week, the song fell to number seven with sales of 11,991 units,[31] and again to number 11 in its third week with sales of 7,326 units.[32] It also charted in Russia, peaking at number 152.[33]

    Live performance

    Carey and Wale performed "You Don't Know What to Do" on the

    Today show on May 16, 2014.[4] The performance also included renditions of Carey's previous singles "Always Be My Baby" (1996) and "Touch My Body" (2008).[15]

    Carey started performing the song for the first time after 5 years on Caution World Tour in 2019.

    Credits and personnel

    Credits adapted from the liner notes of Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse.[1]

    Recording
    • Recorded at Rapture Studios, Bel Air, CA; Metrocity Studios, New York, NY; Studio at the Palms, Las Vegas, NV; Capital Studios, Hollywood, CA.
    Sampling credits
    • Contains an interpolation of "I'm Caught Up in a One Night Love Affair", written by Patrick Adams and Terri Gonzalez.
    Personnel

    Charts

    Weekly charts

    Chart (2014) Peak
    position
    Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[34] 14
    CIS (TopHit)[35] 152
    South Korea (
    Gaon)[36]
    73

    Release history

    Country Date Format Label
    United States June 30, 2014
    Urban contemporary radio[8]
    Def Jam
    July 1, 2014 Rhythmic contemporary radio[9]

    References

    1. ^ a b Carey, Mariah (2014). Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse (Liner Notes) (Compact Disc). Mariah Carey. New York City, New York: Def Jam.
    2. ^ Mitchell, John (August 2, 2012). "Mariah Carey's 'Triumphant' Single Is 'Close To Her Heart'". MTV News. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
    3. ^ Morgan, Nakiya (August 5, 2013). "Wale Teases Mariah Carey And Jermaine Dupri Collaboration". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 31, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
    4. ^
      Idolator
      . Retrieved June 4, 2015.
    5. ^ Lee, Christina (June 6, 2015). "Mariah Carey's "You Don't Know What To Do" Makes Its Radio Debut: Listen". Idolator. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
    6. ^ "New Music: Mariah Carey f/ Wale – 'You Don't Know What To Do'". Rap-Up. May 19, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
    7. ^ Wass, Mike (June 23, 2014). "Mariah Carey Does Not Approve Of Her "You Don't Know What To Do" Cover, Releases Solo Version". Idolator. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
    8. ^ a b "You Dont Know What To Do". Frequency News. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
    9. ^ a b "Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on June 28, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
    10. ^ a b Corner, Lewis (June 23, 2014). "Mariah Carey criticises her own single artwork: 'Ugh!'". Digital Spy. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    11. ^ "Mariah Carey Unveils Airbrushed Artwork For New Single 'You Don't Know What To Do'". PopDust. June 20, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    12. ^ "Mariah Uses Photoshop To Revamp Old Photo For New Single Cover Art". Entertainment Tonight Canada. June 22, 2014. Archived from the original on June 27, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    13. ^ a b Wass, Mike (June 23, 2014). "Mariah Carey Does Not Approve Of Her "You Don't Know What To Do" Cover, Releases Solo Version". Idolator. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    14. ^ a b c Henderson, Eric (May 25, 2014). "Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse". Slant Magazine. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    15. ^ a b c d Newman, Melinda (May 16, 2014). "Mariah debuts sassy new tune, 'You Don't Know What To Do' with Wale on 'Today'". HitFix. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
    16. ^
      Pitchfork Media
      . Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    17. ^ "Me. I Am Mariah…The Elusive Chanteuse". iTunes Store (U.S.). Retrieved June 6, 2015.
    18. ^ a b Harris, Aisha (May 19, 2014). "Mariah Carey Boards the Disco Revival Train With 'You Don't Know What To Do'". Slate. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    19. ^ a b Partridge, Kenneth (May 23, 2014). "Mariah Carey, 'Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse': Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    20. ^ a b Jones, Devone (July 7, 2014). "Mariah Carey: Me. I Am Mariah: The Elusive Chanteuse – PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    21. ^ a b "Donatella Reviews Mariah's New Album". Vogue. June 24, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    22. ^ Kellman, Andy (May 27, 2014). "Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse – Mariah Carey | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    23. ^ Maerz, Melissa (May 21, 2014). "Me. I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 21, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    24. ^ Corner, Lewis (June 7, 2015). "Mariah Carey: Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse – Album review". Digital Spy. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
    25. ^ Wass, Mike (May 27, 2014). "Mariah Carey's 'Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse': Album Review". Idolator. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    26. ^ "50 Ultratip – 02/08/2014". Ultratop (in French). August 2, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    27. ^ "50 Ultratip – 09/08/2014". Ultratop (in French). August 9, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    28. ^ "50 Ultratip – 06/09/2014". Ultratop (in French). September 6, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    29. Gaon
      . Retrieved January 26, 2021.
    30. ^ "South Korea Gaon International Download Singles Chart (Week: 2014.05.25 to 2014.05.31)". Gaon. June 1, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
    31. ^ "South Korea Gaon International Download Singles Chart (Week: 2014.06.01 to 2014.06.07)". Gaon. June 7, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
    32. ^ "South Korea Gaon International Download Singles Chart (Week: 2014.06.08 to 2014.06.014)". Gaon. June 14, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
    33. Tophit
      .ru. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
    34. Ultratip
      . Retrieved January 7, 2017.
    35. ^ Mariah Carey — You Don't Know What to Do. TopHit. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
    36. Gaon
      . Retrieved January 26, 2021.