Turn Me On — David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj
Written with Ester Dean, sung by Nicki Minaj and staged as a steampunk video: how “Turn Me On” reached No. 4 in the US and matched David Guetta’s best Hot 100 peak.
- Fifth single from David Guetta’s album Nothing but the Beat, featuring Nicki Minaj.
- Written by Ester Dean, Guetta and Giorgio Tuinfort; sent to US radio on 13 December 2011.
- No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the US dance club and dance airplay charts.
“Turn Me On” paired David Guetta with Nicki Minaj, and it became one of his biggest US hits: No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, level with “Without You” as his best US peak.
Writing and production
The song was written by Ester Dean, Guetta and Giorgio Tuinfort, with an additional rap by Minaj. Guetta, Tuinfort and Black Raw produced it. Released by Astralwerks and Capitol, it runs 3:19 and was the fifth single from Nothing but the Beat (2011), the album that also carried “Sweat” with Snoop Dogg. Minaj added it as a bonus track to the deluxe edition of her own album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded in 2012.
Release and charts
The single went to US Top 40 and Rhythmic radio on 13 December 2011, with digital releases following in January 2012. Besides its No. 4 on the Hot 100, it topped both the US Dance Club Songs and Dance Airplay charts. Abroad, it reached No. 2 in New Zealand, No. 3 in Canada and Australia, No. 4 in Ireland, No. 6 in Germany, No. 8 in the UK (No. 2 on the UK Dance Chart) and No. 10 in France, and went to No. 1 in Poland.
In the US it was certified double platinum, with about 2.6 million units by December 2014. It went triple platinum in Australia and Canada, double platinum in Switzerland, platinum in the UK, Mexico and New Zealand, and gold in Germany. On the 2012 year-end charts it finished No. 35 in both the US and the UK, and No. 29 in Canada.
Reception
Reviews were mostly positive, with praise for Minaj’s performance and complaints about the Auto-Tune on her voice. For BBC Music’s Al Fox, Guetta works best when he “mercilessly rips artists from their comfort zone”. PopMatters’ Joe Copplestone was more mixed but praised its “massive hooks”, while Genevieve Koski of The A.V. Club was less convinced.
The steampunk video and live shows
Sanji directed the video in November 2011. A preview appeared on 27 January 2012 and the full clip on 31 January: a steampunk story in which Guetta, as a mad scientist, builds a Minaj doll from mechanical parts. The pair opened the 2011 American Music Awards with the song, and Minaj later performed it on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and at the opening show of the 2012 NBA All-Star Game. It has featured in the setlists of several of her tours, including the Pink Friday Tour. For another Guetta hit of the same period, read about “Titanium”.
FAQ
When was Turn Me On released?
It was sent to US radio on 13 December 2011, with digital releases from January 2012. It was the fifth single from David Guetta’s album Nothing but the Beat.
Who wrote Turn Me On?
Ester Dean, David Guetta and Giorgio Tuinfort, with an additional rap written by Nicki Minaj. Guetta, Tuinfort and Black Raw produced it.
Who directed the Turn Me On video?
Sanji. Filmed in November 2011 and released on 31 January 2012, it casts Guetta as a mad scientist who builds a Nicki Minaj doll from mechanical parts.
