Jump (Madonna song)

Joe Henry (pictured) co-wrote the song with Madonna and Stuart Price.

The idea for "Jump" came from Madonna's brother-in-law Joe Henry, who presented it to her and developed it into a song.[1] During an interview with the singer for the British gay lifestyle magazine Attitude, journalist Matthew Todd suggested that "Jump" was an inspiration for "a whole generation of gay kids to pack their bags and head to the big city", to which Madonna agreed.[2] Initially, the track was set to be released as the third single from Confessions on a Dance Floor, following "Hung Up" and "Sorry"; however, it was decided that "Get Together" would be released instead, spurred by the fact that it was the third best-selling song from the record digitally. Its digital sales stood at 20,000 at that time, whereas digital sales for "Jump" were around 9,000.[3] Additionally, "Get Together" was also chosen as the third single to coincide with the start of Madonna's 2006 Confessions Tour.[4]

On July 12, 2006, it was confirmed by Billboard that "Jump" would be the fourth single from the album.[5] The song was sent to hot adult contemporary radios in the United States on September 11, 2006, by Warner Bros. Records,[6] as the record company wanted to establish the track as a hit at those formats before they attempted to bring it to Top 40 CHR radio stations.[7] They hoped it could fare better on radio following the disappointment of "Get Together", but according to Billboard's Keith Caulfield, "but we're being realistic here: If programmers turned up their collective noses at the super-catchy 'Sorry,' then why would they suddenly come to the table for 'Jump'?".[8] It was made available digitally in the region on October 24, 2006,[9] while it was issued in the United Kingdom on November 6.[10] "Jump" was also used in the soundtrack of the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada,[11] as well as on the Ugly Betty season 2 finale, titled "Jump", aired on May 22, 2008.[12]

"Jump" was written and produced by Madonna and Stuart Price.[13] Musically, the song is a pop,[8] synth-pop,[14] techno[15] and disco[16] song which finds Madonna singing in her lower register.[17] The song is set in common time with moderately fast tempo.[18] It is set in the key of E major. Madonna's voice spans from D₃ to A₄.[18] The track follows in the chord progression of E–D–C–D in the verses, and C–D–E in the chorus, with an E synth drone playing continually.[18] Some reviewers observed that the opening synth line of "Jump" was similar to that of English duo Pet Shop Boys' 1984 single "West End Girls".[19][20][21][22][23][24] For Slant Magazine's Ed Henderson, the song is "paced about a half-dozen BPMs slower than a disco gallop—giving the impression of a DJ pitch-shifting a familiar chestnut to give it a blue, after-hours glow".[25]

Lyrically "Jump" talks about empowerment and the urge to move on from one situation to another.[26][27] For Alan Light from Rolling Stone, the lyrics reflected Madonna's change of style from her previous singles about supremacy like "Everybody" (1982), "Vogue" (1990) and "Music" (2000), which were centered around the subject of music itself, and shifting her focus on self-sufficiency. The line "I can make it alone" in the song demonstrated the shift.[28] Keith Caulfield of Billboard believed that the song has a "positive universal message about believing in yourself, not wasting time and taking a chance in life",[8] whereas according to Samuel R. Murrian from Parade, on the track, Madonna "sings about the possibilities of finding new love, and appears to reflect upon the move to NYC she made as a teen".[20] Idolator's Stephen Sears observed that "Jump" became "a fine addition to a long line of Madonna songs extolling both the power of family and her belief that you won’t get anywhere in life if you don’t take chances".[21] The lyrics were also compared to the lyrics of Madonna's 1990 single "Keep It Together" by some critics, as they shared a similar theme surrounding family.[16][21][29]

Upon release, "Jump" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Keith Caulfield from Billboard complimented the song's "empowerment" theme,[26] while Margaret Moser of The Austin Chronicle called it "slinky and sexy".[30] City Pages' Peter S. Scholtes considered the track "very pretty".[31] While reviewing the album, Alan Braidwood from BBC Music called the song as "lethally catchy" and one of the album's highlights.[32] David Browne from Entertainment Weekly called "Jump", along with "Get Together", as fluid in nature.[15] Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote that Madonna's "somber side sounds best in 'Jump', about the urge to move on".[27] On his review for People, Chuck Arnold stated that "a new wavish energy drives pulsating tracks like 'Jump'".[33] Writing for Salon, Camille Paglia shared her opinion that on the album "there are only two truly strong songs, 'Hung Up' and 'Jump' -- especially the latter, with its magnificent, hymnlike ascensions".[34] Reut R. from New University wrote, "At this point, you are hoping that the album picks up, because only two or perhaps three titles are worthy listens from the first seven tracks. Your prayers are answered with 'Jump.'"[35] Similarly, for David Byrne from RTÉ, the song "comes out of nowhere and we go for one last boogie".[36] From The Times, Mike Pattenden said that "Jump" and "How High" perform a "breathless one-two".[37] Folha de S.Paulo commented that "with a catchy chorus, it sounds like it was made to lift stadiums".[24]

Diego Costa of UWM Post wrote that "Jump" is a "bossy, slightly sadistic spoken intro by Madonna, just like in 'Erotica', so who can resist? A knock-yourself-out, club-tailored take on the wasteful nature of inertia."[38] Similarly, Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani commented that the song is a "gritty club anthem that wouldn't have sounded out of place on Erotica".[17] Isabel Mohan from Heat stated that "Jump" should join the likes of "Vogue" and "Into the Groove" as a Madonna classic.[39] Matt Zakosek of The Chicago Maroon wrote that the stand-out tracks on the album were "Jump" and "Push", which "sound as close to the 80s Madonna as we're probably ever going to get again. The lyrics of Jump' are joyous, recalling the fun, community-minded Madonna of True Blue and Like a Prayer."[40] A negative review came from newspaper Herald Sun, which called it "a little 80's-ish, more bleeps and beats with a smooth dance sheen, but still feels like filler".[41] In another negative review, Johnny Davis of Q magazine stated, "Jump, likewise isn't quite the copper-bottomed pop song it thinks it is".[42] Het Nieuwsblad's Mark Coppens was also negative, observing that "this song already begs for a remix, because this version sounds a bit lame in our opinion. Technopop might be trendy again, but trendwatchers don't mean this plastic melody".[43]

In the United States, "Jump" reached number five on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, failing to progress further and chart on the Billboard Hot 100.[7] The song also reached a peak of 21 on the Adult Contemporary chart on the issue dated January 27, 2007.[44] It reached the top of the Hot Dance Club Songs chart on the issue dated November 18, 2006, becoming Madonna's 37th number-one single on the chart.[45] "Jump" also became Madonna's seventh number-one single on the Hot Singles Sales chart,[46] as well as her fourth consecutive number-one single on the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart.[47] The song sold 31,000 digital downloads and 8,000 physical singles in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[7] In Canada, the single reached numbers 38 and 39 on the Adult Contemporary and CHR/Top 40 charts, respectively.[48][49]

In the United Kingdom, "Jump" debuted at number 59 on the singles chart for the week ending November 11, 2006 and reached a peak of number nine the next week, thus becoming Madonna's fourth top ten single from the Confessions on a Dance Floor album there.[50][51] According to Music Week magazine, 52,038 copies of the single have been sold in the United Kingdom as of August 2008, thus becoming Madonna's 63th best selling single in the region.[52] In other European nations, the track reached number one in Hungary[53] and Italy,[54] as well peaking inside the top ten in countries like Denmark,[55] Finland,[56] Netherlands[57] and Spain,[58] and the top 40 of the rest of the countries such as Austria,[59] Belgium's Flanders and Wallonia,[60][61] Germany,[62] Ireland,[63] Sweden[64] and Switzerland.[65] Across the pan-Eurochart Hot 100 Singles, it reached a peak of number 19.[66] In Australia, "Jump" debuted and peaked at 29 on the national chart.[67]

Madonna sporting a blond bob wig and a leather ensemble, in the music video of "Jump"

While finishing her Confessions Tour in Japan, Madonna took time out from her schedule to shoot the video for "Jump". It was directed by her longtime collaborator Jonas Åkerlund.[68] The shoot took place in various outdoor locations throughout Tokyo, as well as on a soundstage. Madonna and hairstylist Andy LeCompte decided to try a new look for her, a platinum blonde bob wig. She wore this wig in the last two nights of the tour.[69] Madonna also wore a black leather garment, which Entertainment Weekly writer Michael Slezak wrote accentuated her "toned body".[70] The video featured the physical discipline parkour, in which parkour artist Sébastien Foucan performed routines around the buildings of Tokyo.[71] An exclusive sneak peek of the clip was made available on Madonna's official website on October 3, 2006, with the full video being released the next day through AOL Music.[68]

The video begins showing the Tokyo skyline and parkour artists standing on rooftops. As the spoken introduction starts, Madonna is shown in her wig dancing in front of a number of neon signs which contain the words "Madonna" and "Jump" in Japanese. The song continues with the dancers jumping from buildings and running through and over the lanes of the city.[70] Madonna dances to the music and swivels around metallic rods in front of and around her, of the same design present in her tour. Before the final chorus, the dancers cease their parkour routines and stand on a lamppost. As the chorus starts, Foucan is joined by parkour traceur Levi Meeuwenberg and Exo as they continue their routine around and against buildings. The video ends with Madonna stretching her upper body and a shot of the Tokyo evening-sky. Entertainment Weekly's Slezak was not impressed with the video overall writing, "[f]orget about low concept, we're talking no concept! For all the money spent capturing footage of impressive rooftop leaps, I wish Madonna had chosen instead to offer us a visually sumptuous slice of storytelling, something along the lines of 'Express Yourself' or 'Bedtime Story'."[70]

Madonna (center) singing "Jump" while dancers perform parkour routines, on the 2006 Confessions Tour

As part of a promotional tour for Confessions on a Dance Floor, Madonna performed "Jump" during her concert at G-A-Y nightclub in London, on November 18, 2005; Hassan Mirza, writing for the club's website, stated that when Madonna started singing the song, "everyone did the obvious, probably breaking the foundation of the venue".[72] "Jump" was later performed on the 2006 Confessions Tour, as part of the first segment of the show.[73] Madonna wore a skin-tight, full body black leotard. As the performance of "Like a Virgin" ended, Madonna sat on a platform and announced "Ladies and Gentleman! Thank you for coming to our show. The night is young, and the show has just begun."[74] A huge assortment of steel rods and gymnastic equipment were planted on the stage. Madonna started singing the song, as her dancers started running around, displaying routines in parkour.[75] Madonna climbs on blocks to sing the song as well as to strike poses.[74] As the final chorus approached, Madonna went to the front of the stage and struck poses while holding on to the steel rods. The song continued with Madonna swiveling around the rods and the dancers continuing their routine.[74] The performance ends with Madonna disappearing through the middle of the stage and her dancers doing a final vault before the lights are turned off.[74]

Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine commented that the parkour from the performance was "really awesome",[75] while Leslie Gray Streeter of The Palm Beach Post considered it "delightful".[76] According to The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper, musically the most successful numbers of the show were "those free of too much high-concept staging and blessed with catchy tunes", such as "Jump".[77] Corey Moss from MTV News wrote that the performance of "Jump" might have featured "the most impressive eye candy of all". Between the jungle gym that descended onto the runway and the crew of perfectly toned tumblers racing around, it was like the Olympic gymnastics freestyles finals on Red Bull".[78] Thomas Inksweep of Stylus Magazine reported that it was "utterly sensational. Sure, it’s not all that different from the version found on Dance Floor, but it’s so damned exciting to begin with, why mess with it?"[73] Kitty Empire, writer for The Observer, noted that "Jump" was "one of many songs from Madonna's recent Confessions on a Dance Floor album greeted with the sort of cheers usually reserved for old hits".[79] The song was included in both the CD and DVD of the live album, The Confessions Tour (2007).[80] In the 2008–09 Sticky & Sweet Tour, "Jump" was sampled in the song "Into the Groove" during which Madonna performed stunts in the air.[81] The performance was later included in both the CD and DVD of the live album, Sticky & Sweet Tour (2010).[82]

Personnel are adapted from the album's liner notes.[13]

• Madonna – vocals, songwriter, producer
• Stuart Price – songwriter, producer, recording at Shirland Road
• Joe Henry – songwriter
• Alex Dromgoole – assistant engineer
• Mark "Spike" Stent – audio mixing
• Brian "Big Bass" Gardner – master recording

• List of number-one hits of 2006 (Italy)
• List of number-one singles of the 2000s (Hungary)
• List of number-one dance airplay hits of 2006 (U.S.)
• List of Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number ones of 2006