In the Closet

"In the Closet"
Original album artwork by Mark Ryden
Single by Michael Jackson
from the album Dangerous
ReleasedApril 9, 1992 (1992-04-09)[1]
RecordedMarch–May 1991[2]
GenreNew jack swing[3][4]
Length
  • 6:31 (album version)
  • 4:49 (single version)
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Michael Jackson
  • Teddy Riley
Michael Jackson singles chronology
"Remember the Time"
(1992) 		"In the Closet"
(1992) 		"Jam"
(1992)
Music video
"In the Closet" on YouTube

"In the Closet" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, released on April 9, 1992, as the third single from his eighth album, Dangerous (1991). The song was intended as a duet between Jackson and Madonna, and features female vocals by "Mystery Girl", who was later revealed to be Princess Stéphanie of Monaco. Written and produced by Jackson and Teddy Riley, it became the album's third consecutive top ten pop single, reaching number six on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also became its second number one R&B single. In Europe, the song peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart, while reaching number one in Greece and number two in both Italy and Spain. In 2006, the song re-entered the UK chart, peaking at number 20.[5] Its accompanying music video was directed by Herb Ritts and features supermodel Naomi Campbell.

Background

The song, written and composed by Michael Jackson and Teddy Riley, is about keeping a relationship secret between lovers. "In the closet" is an English idiom used when one is not open about an aspect of one's life, particularly in regard to sexual orientation. Despite the song's suggestive name, its lyrics do not allude to hidden sexual orientation but rather a concealed relationship; "Don't hide our love / Woman to man." The New York Times stated, "Only Jackson would use that title for a heterosexual love song..."[6] The song's female vocal was credited to "Mystery Girl" who was later revealed to be Princess Stéphanie of Monaco.[7]

Collaboration with Madonna

"In the Closet" was conceived as a duet between Jackson and Madonna. According to a 1992 interview with British journalist Jonathan Ross, Madonna said she worked on some lyrical ideas for the song but when she presented them to Jackson, he decided they were too provocative and they decided not to continue with the project.[8]

Critical reception

In an retrospective review, Chris Lacy from Albumism described "In the Closet" as a "hormone-soaked dance track".[9] AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that this song is fine and there's a lot to be said for professional craftsmanship at its peak and he highlighted it.[10] Upon the release, Larry Flick from Billboard felt that the third single from Dangerous "proves to be his strongest single to date." He added, "Jackson's signature whoops and whispers are put at home within an intense and unusual jack-swing/funk arrangement. The track is brightened by an immediately memorable, sing-along chorus. Of course, much speculation surrounds the identity of the "mystery girl" who chats and groans in the background. Any ideas?"[11] Clark and DeVaney from Cash Box commented, "Okay, we heard this song when the album first came out, except it only was the one mix, this CD-single contains seven mixes of various lengths totaling almost 45 minutes of the same whispering, whining, heavy breathing and mouth noises that seem to make perfect sense when considering it's Michael Jackson doing a song called 'In the Closet'. To find out what the hell it's all about, we'll have to watch the video premiere on Fox after The Simpsons."[12]

American essayist and music journalist Robert Christgau observed of the parent album, "he's hawking the most credible sex-and-romance of his career. 'In the Closet' implores his mystery woman to keep their—get this—'lust' behind closed doors. Soon he's going wild, or fabricating desperate nostalgia for their used-to-be."[13] The Daily Vault's Michael R. Smith called it a "tongue-firmly-in-cheek hit".[14] Pan-European magazine Music & Media stated that the song "is aimed at fast footwork reminiscent of his sister Janet's style."[15] A reviewer from People Magazine complimented the "catchy chorus" as an "appealing element".[16] Alan Light of Rolling Stone said "we get repressed lust in the titillatingly titled (and determinedly heterosexual)" song. He added that it has a "snaky, unexpected bridge."[17]

Music video

The accompanying sepia colored music video for "In the Closet" was directed by Herb Ritts and features Jackson performing sensual dance routines with supermodel Naomi Campbell. The spoken vocals by Princess Stéphanie of Monaco were re-recorded by Campbell for the video. The short film was shot in late March 1992 in Salton Sea, California, and premiered on April 23, 1992.[18][19] The video was later published by Vevo on YouTube in 2010, and had generated more than 82 million views as of January 2024.[20]

Formats and track listings

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album Dangerous.[28]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[64] Gold 35,000^
United States (RIAA)[65] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ^ "In the Closet – Single". Amazon. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  2. ^ "Celebrity Buzz Fight against Trump condos". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. May 15, 1991. p. D/2. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  3. ^ Byron, Tim (November 29, 2012). "Music Dump: Rihanna's Pitbull Stopped Frank Ocean's New Jack Swing". The Vine. Archived from the original on October 22, 2014.
  4. ^ Powers, Ann (March 10, 2009). "'American Idol' needs to open the closet door". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 14, 2014. A tight, New Jack Swing track co-produced by Teddy Riley, the song expresses bald lust in the face of a lover's wish to retreat.
  5. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  6. ^ Pareles, Jon (November 24, 1991). "RECORDINGS VIEW; Michael Jackson in the Electronic Wilderness". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2000). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. Billboard Books. p. 320. ISBN 978-0-8230-7690-1.
  8. ^ "Madonna speak working with MJ". YouTube. July 7, 2008. Retrieved June 14, 2014.[dead YouTube link]
  9. ^ Lacy, Chris (November 21, 2016). "Tribute: Celebrating 25 Years of Michael Jackson's 'Dangerous'". Albumism. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  10. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Michael Jackson – Dangerous". AllMusic. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  11. ^ Flick, Larry (April 18, 1992). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 16. p. 68. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  12. ^ Clark, Randy; DeVaney, Bryan (April 25, 1992). "Music Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. LV, no. 35. p. 5. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  13. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Michael Jackson: Dangerous". Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  14. ^ Smith, Michael R. (July 21, 2009). "Dangerous – Michael Jackson". The Daily Vault. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  15. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 19. May 9, 1992. p. 26. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  16. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Dangerous". People. Vol. 36, no. 24. December 23, 1991. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  17. ^ Light, Alan (January 1, 1992). "Michael Jackson – Dangerous". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  18. ^ Landis, David (March 26, 1992). "Asthma Costs". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 23, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  19. ^ Scaduto, Anthony; Vaughan, Doug; Stasi, Linda (March 20, 1992). "Inside New York". Newsday. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  20. ^ "Michael Jackson - In the Closet (Official Video)". YouTube. December 12, 2010. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
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  22. ^ "Michael Jackson In the Closet – Green USA Promo CD single (CD5 / 5")". Eil.com. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  23. ^ "Michael Jackson In the Closet – Mixes Behind Door #1 Japan CD single (CD5 / 5")". Eil.com. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  24. ^ "Michael Jackson In the Closet – Mixes Behind Door #2 Japan CD single (CD5 / 5")". Eil.com. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  25. ^ "Michael Jackson In the Closet – Mixes Behind Door 3 Japan CD single (CD5 / 5")". Eil.com. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  26. ^ "Michael Jackson In the Closet UK Dual Disc". Eil.com. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  27. ^ "Visionary: The Video Singles [Box Set, Dual Disc]". Amazon. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  28. ^ Dangerous (liner notes). Michael Jackson. Epic. 1991. EK 45400. Retrieved April 27, 2021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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  30. ^ "Michael Jackson – In The Closet" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
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  32. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2144." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  33. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2153." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  34. ^ a b Lwin, Nanda (2000). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. p. 142. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
  35. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 21. May 23, 1992. p. 39. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  36. ^ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 21. May 23, 1992. p. 40. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  37. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Michael Jackson". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 113. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
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  40. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 25. June 20, 1992. p. 16. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  41. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – In the Closet". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
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  55. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Pop Singles – Week ending JUNE 13, 1992". Cash Box. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012.
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  64. ^ "ARIA Top 50 – Week Ending 19th July, 1992". Australian Recording Industry Association. July 19, 1992. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  65. ^ "American single certifications – Michael Jackson – In the Closet". Recording Industry Association of America.
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