Go Deep


"Go Deep" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope. It was written and produced by Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with additional writing by René Elizondo Jr. The song was released as the fourth single from the album on June 15, 1998, by Virgin Records. A song with funk elements, "Go Deep" lyrically talks about Jackson's desire to cruise a club, get a man and take him home to make the man "scream and moan". Official remixes for the song were released, featuring Missy Elliott, Teddy Riley and Timbaland.
"Go Deep" received mixed reviews from music critics; several found the song irresistible while others called it tedious. Commercially, it fared well worldwide, reaching number two in Canada, charting within the top twenty in Iceland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and topping the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. A music video directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris depicts a boy having a daydream with Jackson giving a party in his house after his parents had left town for the weekend. The singer performed the song on The Velvet Rope Tour, Number Ones, Up Close and Personal tour, as well as on the residency.

Background and composition

Before recording her sixth album, Jackson became subject to an industry bidding war between several recording companies. She ultimately renewed her contract with Virgin for $80 million—the largest recording contract in history at that time and a breakthrough she achieved for the second time in her career. This led her to record The Velvet Rope, which chronicled her emotional breakdown, stemming from self-hatred, childhood humiliation, physical abuse, and distorted body image. Its lead single, "Got 'til It's Gone", peaked at number three on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. The following singles "Together Again" and "I Get Lonely" were commercial successes, with the former reaching the top and the latter peaking within the top three in the United States. "Go Deep" was released in June 1998, as the fourth international single from The Velvet Rope, through Virgin Records.
"Go Deep" was written and produced by Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with additional writing by René Elizondo Jr. Lyrically, the song talks about Jackson's desire to cruise a club, get a man, drag him home and do him, with her asserting, "Gotta take him home/When I get him alone/I'll make him scream and moan". Musically, it is a pop song with funk elements. It was described by Billboard as a "danceable track with deep, syncopated beats" with a "pulsive erotic groover", with her vocals performed in a "girlish breathiness". Official remixes for the song were released, featuring rappers Missy Elliott and Timbaland and musician Teddy Riley.

Reception

"Go Deep" received mixed reviews from music critics. Larry Flick from Billboard called the song "infectious" and "irresistible", while praising the singer's choice for the artists featured on the remix, saying that she deserved "props for having good taste in friends", although he noted that it was "a risky move that could alienate longtime mainstream listeners". Sarah Davis from Dotmusic website noted that "Go Deep" was a "finely-tuned piece designed for late-night dancefloor business – and classic radio. What more can I say? Brilliant!". Daryl Easlea from BBC found the song "sleek, slippery". The Daily Vault gave a negative review for the song, calling it "tedious" and further commenting that it "doesn't have that drive to make it a good club number it's supposed to be".
Although "Go Deep" was released on physical formats only in international markets, it received moderate success in the US through radio airplay, and had success as a club single, peaking at number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart in early August 1998. The single entered and peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1998 and spent five weeks on the chart. It also charted inside the top forty in most other European countries and Australia, but fared better in the US and Canada.

Music video

An accompanying music video for "Go Deep" was directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and released in July 1998. Among the cameo appearances are American actor Ty Hodges as a teen boy whose parents have left town for the weekend and future Japanese pop singer AI as a backup dancer. The doorbell suddenly rings and it turns out to be Jackson and her dancers, who are asked to be let in. Jackson and company invite more friends over and a large house party ensues. The video ends with the young boy realizing it was all an elaborate daydream with Jackson, woken up by a pizza guy ringing the doorbell. The video was ranked number 50 on Complex magazine's "The 50 Best R&B Videos of the '90s". It also appears on the DVD edition of 2001's All for You as well as the 2004 video compilation .

Live performances

Jackson sang the song during the encore of her The Velvet Rope Tour in 1998, with the stage decorated with chandeliers, while she wore sensible clothes. The performance of the song at the October 11, 1998 show in New York City, at the Madison Square Garden, was broadcast during a special titled The Velvet Rope: Live in Madison Square Garden by HBO. It was also added to the setlist at its DVD release, The Velvet Rope Tour – Live in Concert in 1999. During her 2011 Number Ones, Up Close and Personal tour, Jackson dedicated the song to her fans in Manila, stating on her website, "I dedicate 'Go Deep' to all my fans in Manila. It was a dream for me to start my Number Ones—Up Close and Personal tour in your magical city and country. There is a truth in the Philippines that enchants people all over the world. I can't wait to get there and be with you". Jackson included the Timbaland remix on her 2019 Las Vegas residency.

Track listings

CD single
  1. "Go Deep " – 4:42
  2. "Go Deep " – 5:40
  3. "Go Deep " – 7:25
  4. "Go Deep " – 8:32
  5. "Go Deep " – 5:20
12" single
  1. "Go Deep " – 9:05
  2. "Go Deep " – 5:32
  3. "Go Deep " – 5:33

    Remixes

; Masters at Work Mixes
; Roni Size Mixes
; Timbaland & Missy Elliot Mixes
; Teddy Riley Mixes
; Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Mix
; Tchami Remix

Weekly charts

Year-end charts