"Make This Song Cry" is a song recorded by American singer K. Michelle for her fourth studio album, Kimberly: The People I Used to Know (2017). It was released on October 6, 2017, by Atlantic Records as the third single from the album. The song's lyrics were written by K. Michelle, Phillip Cornish, Jeremiah "Sick Pen" Bethea and Douglas Gibbs. It was produced by Lil Ronnie. "Make This Song Cry" received positive reviews from music critics, with some praising the singer's vocal range. It contains a sample from Jay-Z's 2001 single "Song Cry". The track was performed during Michelle's The People I Used to Know Tour in 2017.
| "Make This Song Cry" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by K. Michelle | ||||
| from the album Kimberly: The People I Used to Know | ||||
| Released | October 6, 2017 | |||
| Recorded | 2017 Amerycan Recording Studios Westlake Recording Studios (Los Angeles) | |||
| Genre | R&B[1] | |||
| Length | 3:27 | |||
| Label | Atlantic Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Lil' Ronnie | |||
| K. Michelle singles chronology | ||||
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The song peaked at number 13 on the Adult R&B Songs chart, spending over twenty-four weeks on the chart. The song also charted at number 44 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart and spent six weeks on that chart. Michelle performed "Make This Song Cry" during her album release party for her album Kimberly: The People I Used to Know.[2] She also performed the song at The Ritz in Raleigh, North Carolina on February 25, 2018.[3]
Production and composition
edit"Make This Song Cry" was written by K. Michelle, Jonas Jeberg, Chloe Angelides, Ashlyn Wilson and James "Gladius" Wong. The track was produced by Lil' Ronnie. Phillip Cornish performed the keyboard and Victor Ekpo performed the violin. Anton Kuhl contributed as the additional producer. Mitch Allan also served as the song's vocal producer, alongside additional vocal producing by Scott Robinson. The track was recorded by Phillip Lynah Jr. at Amerycan Recording Studios, located in Los Angeles. Michelle recorded the vocals with guidance by Jose Balaguer and was assisted by Nicole "Coco" Llorens at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles.[4][5] The track was eventually mixed by Kevin "KD' Dav. The track was finally mastered by Matt Champlin.[6] The lyrics reflect about leaving all of your past sexual partners to be faithful in a romantic relationship with someone, but eventually later getting hurt by that person which leaves you feeling shameful and regretful. The song was released as the third official single from Kimberly: The People I Used to Know on October 6, 2017.[7] The track sold 3,139 copies in its first week of release.[8] During an interview with Hollywood Life, Michelle said about the song,
I decided to release this song because one day I got upset with my significant other and my feelings were really hurt. My album was complete so I was just singing to get some things off my chest, and after it was done I knew it was a record that every single woman who has made the sacrifice for a man will relate to. I want my fans to take some healing knowing that it ain't easy being a woman in love.[9]
Critical reception
editHype's Brent Faulkner praised Michelle's vocal range on the track, saying that she delivered "powerful, dramatic vocals" and also compared it to "You Changed' by Keyshia Cole from her debut studio album The Way It Is (2006).[10] While reviewing Kimberlyː The People I Used to Know, Glenn Gamboa of Newsday described the track as a "wrenching ballad" and said that Michelle lets "her guard down" in it.[11] Em Casalena of Arena praised the concept of the song, saying "Make This Song Cry is a fan favorite off of Kimberly, where K. Michelle laments sacrificing her integrity to make a relationship work. It's definitely got some vintage vibes to it. The track opens with a soulful saxophone introduction and nineties-era violins and piano melodies that carry K. Michelle's strong vocals above and beyond."[12]
Kel & Mel Reviews reviewed the song, stating "K. Michelle is turning her fandom for JAY Z into her own music. Taking the tagline from his track, Song Cry, she tells us that she isn’t going to let a man see her cry from his hurting her and is going to put that energy into this (or some other) song."[13] ThisIsRnB said "Inspired by the JAY-Z classic, “Song Cry,” the Memphis native uses the same sample from Bobby Glenn's “Sounds Like a Love Song,” as she belts out a personal emotional accounting of heartbreak and karma.[14] YouKnowIGotSoul.com added to their blog "K. Michelle reveals yet another layer off of her upcoming album, with the release of the new single Make This Song Cry."[15]
Charts
edit| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Adult R&B Songs (Billboard)[16] | 13 |
| US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (Billboard)[17] | 44 |
References
edit- ^ Hamm, Ken (October 6, 2017). "K. Michelle Just Wants To 'Make This Song Cry' & Shares Tracklist For New Album 'The People I Used To Know'". Soul Bounce. SoulBounce.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "K Michelle Live Kimberly The People I Used To Know Album Release Concert at Highline Ballroom NYC". Archived from the original on 2020-03-01. Retrieved 2019-12-26.
- ^ "K Michelle ( Make this song cry ) Ritz Raleigh". 2018-02-25.
- ^ "Credits". Tidal.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-24. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
- ^ "K. Michelle – Make This Song Cry". Genius.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-24. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
- ^ "Matt Champlin on SoundBetter". SoundBetter. Archived from the original on 2019-09-13. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
- ^ Garwood, Bianca (October 6, 2017). "K. Michelle Shares "Make This Song Cry"". Ebony. Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
- ^ "Nielsen SoundScan charts – Digital Songs – Week Ending: 10/15/2017" (PDF). Nielsen SoundScan. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 14, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
- ^ Stagnitta, Ali (October 6, 2017). "K. Michelle's Empowering 'Make This SongCry' Is For Anyone Who's 'Made ASacrifice For A Man'". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 16, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
- ^ "K. Michelle, 'Make This Song Cry' - Track Review". Hype. 2017-10-17. Archived from the original on 2023-10-02.
- ^ Gamboa, Glenn (December 6, 2017). "Kimberly: The People I Used to Know review: K. Michelle speaks her mind". Newsday. Archived from the original on May 24, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ Casalena, Em (December 13, 2017). "A Review of KIMBERLYː The People I Used to Know". Arena. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ "K. Michelle – Make This Song Cry". Kel & Mel Reviews. 2017-10-06. Archived from the original on 2019-12-24. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
- ^ "New Music: K. Michelle - Make This Song Cry". ThisisRnB.com - New R&B Music, Artists, Playlists, Lyrics. 2017-10-06. Archived from the original on 2019-12-24. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
- ^ "New Music: K. Michelle – Make This Song Cry". YouKnowIGotSoul.com. October 8, 2017. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
- ^ "Adult R&B Songs & Music Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- ^ "Hip Hop/R&B Songs Airplay Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 17, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.