"What Have You Done for Me Lately" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her third studio album, Control (1986). Jackson co-wrote the song with its producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It was released January 13, 1986, by A&M Records as the album's lead single. After two unsuccessful albums and a management change, the singer 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. It revolves around a woman's frustration with her partner in a relationship.

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, reestablishing her as an "independent woman" figure. The song has been featured in critic lists as one of the greatest songs of all time and received a nomination for Best Rhythm & Blues Song at the 1987 Grammy Awards. The song peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It also peaked at number two on the US Dance Club Songs and topped the US Hot Black Singles charts. Outside of the US, it topped the singles chart in the Netherlands and peaked within the top ten 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 singer Paula Abdul. In it, Jackson goes to a diner with her friends to talk about her relationship problems. The video 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 (2017). It 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 known artist.

Background After arranging a recording contract with A&M Records in 1982 for a then sixteen-year-old Janet, her father Joseph Jackson oversaw the entire production of her debut album, Janet Jackson, and its follow-up, Dream Street (1984); the latter of which was written and produced by Jesse Johnson and Janet's brothers Marlon and Michael. Jackson was initially reluctant to begin a recording career, commenting, "I was coming off of a TV show that I absolutely hated doing, Fame. I didn't want to do [the first record, Janet Jackson]. I wanted to go to college. But I did it for my father ..." and elaborated that she was often in conflict with her producers. Amidst her professional struggles, she rebelled against her family's wishes by marrying James DeBarge of the family recording group DeBarge in 1984. The Jacksons disapproved of the relationship, citing DeBarge's immaturity and substance abuse. Jackson left her husband in January 1985 and was granted an annulment later that year.

Jackson subsequently fired her father as her manager and hired John McClain, then A&M Records' senior vice president of artists and repertoire and general manager. She also subsequently left the Jackson home in Encino, California, and moved into her own apartment around this time. Commenting on the decision, she stated, "I just wanted to get out of the house, get out from under my father, which was one of the most difficult things that I had to do, telling him that I didn't want to work with him again." Joseph Jackson resented John McClain for what he saw as an underhanded attempt to steal his daughter's career out from under him. McClain responded by saying "I'm not trying to pimp Janet Jackson or steal her away from her father." He subsequently introduced her to the songwriting and production duo James "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Lewis, former Prince associates and ex-members of The Time.

Development and theme Although Joseph Jackson initially demanded that his daughter's new album be recorded in Los Angeles so that he could keep an eye on her, Jam and Lewis refused. They required the entire production of the album to be done at their own studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota, "far from the glitter and distractions of Hollywood and the interference of manager-fathers." Control was recorded at Flyte Tyme Studios, the site for Flyte Tyme Records, founded by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in Minneapolis. Jackson recorded the whole album, but A&M label executive and manager John McClain wanted one more uptempo song to compose the album. She then went back to Minneapolis to record one more track, titled "What Have You Done for Me Lately", which was originally penned for one of Jam and Lewis's own records. Jam remembered, "She was sitting outside in the lounge and said, 'Man, that's a funky track. Who's that for?' And we said, 'It's for you', and she said, 'Oh, cool'. I think she was very pleased when she heard the track".

The lyrics were rewritten to convey Jackson's feelings about her recent annulment from James DeBarge. It was the last song to be recorded for Control, and was ultimately chosen as the lead single for the album, as Jam and Lewis felt it best represented Jackson's outlook on life: "I think it was very representative of the sparseness and the funkiness that the rest of the album had and the attitude Janet had about being in control, being mature to the point where she had definite opinions about what she wanted to say". The song was inspired by one of her experiences in Minneapolis when a group of men made sexual advances towards her outside the hotel she resided at during the recording of Control. She recalled, "They were emotionally abusive. Sexually threatening. Instead of running to Jimmy or Terry for protection, I took a stand. I backed them down. That's how songs like 'Nasty' and 'What Have You Done for Me Lately' were born, out of a sense of self-defense."

Composition

Musically, "What Have You Done for Me Lately" is described as an uptempo dance song. It begins with a conversation with one of her friends, who asks Jackson the title question. Lyrically, it involves the singer asking why her lover was not as attentive as he once was. He was not treating her as well as he used to, and she calls him a "loser" in response. "I never ask for more than I deserve, you know it's the truth. You seem to think you're God's gift to this earth. I'm telling you no way", Jackson sings. Veda A. McCoy in the book Lifepower: Six Winning Strategies to a Life of Purpose, Passion & Power expressed that the song reminded that "life is about more than just what you say. Life is also about what you do". Vibe noted that with "What Have You Done for Me Lately", Jackson stands up to men. New York magazine's Chris Smith called the song's chorus "fully belligerent". In a Billboard publication, Nelson George noted its "taunting, tigerish" beat. Ed Gonzalez from Slant Magazine commented, "Nothing sends me into a trembling, corner-cowering stupor than a giggly, under-enunciated Janet Jackson jam."

Critical reception Critical reviews for "What Have You Done for Me Lately" were positive. Rolling Stone's Rob Hoerburger expressed that "What Have You Done for Me Lately" erased the former "pop-ingénue image" of Jackson's first two albums. According to William Ruhlmann of AllMusic, Jackson was an "aggressive, independent woman" on the song. Connie Johnson from the Los Angeles Times gave the song a positive review, emphasizing her "spunky authority". Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine praised the song, calling it "female-empowering" and wrote, "'What Have You Done for Me Lately' predates TLC's 'No Scrubs' by over a decade".

For Spin magazine's J.C. Stevenson, most of the album's power is in its dance floor authority, with songs such as "What Have You Done for Me Lately". Blues & Soul considered it "supreme in its execution". Nelson George in his book Post-Soul Nation: The Explosive, Contradictory, Triumphant, and Tragic 1980s called it an "instant dance anthem". Billboard and The Guardian both ranked the song number four on their lists of the greatest Janet Jackson songs. For the 29th annual Grammy Awards of 1987, "What Have You Done for Me Lately" received one nomination for Best Rhythm & Blues Song but lost to Anita Baker's "Sweet Love".

Commercial performance

"What Have You Done for Me Lately" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 95 on the issue dated February 22, 1986, before peaking at number four on the issue dated May 17, 1986. It spent 21 weeks on the chart and became the first top ten single for Jackson. The song also reached numbers one and two on the Hot Black Singles and Hot Dance Club Songs charts, respectively. It was placed at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart for 1986. On the Radio & Records Airplay chart the song debuted at number 37 on the March 21, 1986, issue. Five weeks later, it peaked at number eight, staying there for two weeks. It was in the top 10 of the chart for three weeks and remained on it for eleven. The song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for the shipments of 500,000 copies. In Canada, the single entered the RPM 100 Singles chart at number 92 on March 29, 1986. It peaked at number six on June 14, becoming Jackson's first top-10 entry and spending 24 weeks on the chart. It placed at position 53 on the RPM Year-end chart for 1986.

"What Have You Done for Me Lately" debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 67 and peaked at number three on May 3, 1986. It spent 14 weeks on the chart and was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for the shipments of 200,000 copies. In New Zealand, the song entered and peaked at number 27 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and spent nine weeks on the chart. In Australia, the song debuted at number 99 and peaked at number six on the Kent Music Report, the song spent a total of 17 weeks on the top 100 chart. In the Netherlands, the song became her first number-one single, topping the Dutch Top 40 for three weeks. Across Europe, the song reached the top 10 in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, and Switzerland.

Music video

The accompanying music video for "What Have You Done for Me Lately" was directed by Brian Jones and Piers Ashworth and filmed in December 1985. The video's choreographer Paula Abdul, appears in the video as Jackson's friend. According to a Jet magazine publication in 1990, the video "combined sexual energy with classy, alluring moves. The combination propelled Janet into the classification of sexy superstar. Any who saw the videos witnessed the fact that Janet was, indeed, a full-grown woman." The video also featured Tina Landon who would later become Jackson's choreographer. Jackson shared in her book True You in 2011 that her recording company thought it was important that she appeared thinner in the video: "I'd been told that my whole life, but at this critical juncture, with my career taking off, I didn't have the wherewithal to argue. [...] We [she and Paula Abdul] shared a house and spent weeks exercising [in Canyon Ranch]. [...] I was as motivated as ever to come out on top. [...] I felt good when it was over. I enjoyed the compliments about my "new" shape. I shot the video and did in fact reshape my image."