Genre R&B
soul "PrimeTime"
(2013) "What Is Love"
(2014) | Label Bad Boy
Wondaland | |
Released August 19, 2013 (2013-08-19) Writer(s) Janelle Monáe Robinson
Roman GianArthur Irvin
Nathaniel Irvin III
Charles Joseph II
Miguel Jontel Pimentel Producer(s) Nate "Rocket" Wonder
GianArthur
Monáe
Chuck Lightning | ||
"PrimeTime" is a song by American psychedelic soul and R&B singer Janelle Monáe featuring Miguel. It was released on August 19, 2013 as the third single from Monáe's second studio album, The Electric Lady.
Contents
The song has charted at number 20 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, and at number 36 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
A single containing two remixes of the song was released digitally on February 25, 2014.
Critical reception
Mark Rozeman of Paste magazine commented that with "PrimeTime" Monáe was "taking things at a slower pace" than in the first two singles from The Electric Lady – "Q.U.E.E.N." and "Dance Apocalyptic" – and called the song a "romantic slow jam" with "soulful guitar".
Spin's Chris Martins wrote that the song is "a classic R&B ballad shaded in with Lynchian '50s haze and powered by the strength of the featured duet. Monáe and the Kaleidoscope dreamer are a natural fit, trading verses and uniting for the chorus ... which should be enough to make Mariah Carey just a little bit jealous," referring to Miguel's collaboration with Carey on "Beautiful".
Music video
A music video for the song, directed by Alan Ferguson, was released on October 10, 2013. It stars Janelle Monáe in the role of Cindi Mayweather, the protagonist of Monáe's Metropolis concept album series, and Miguel as Joey Vice, Mayweather's love interest.