Throb (song)

1994 single by Janet Jackson

"Throb" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her fifth studio album, Janet (1993). It was written and produced by Jackson, James Harris III and Terry Lewis and is a house song with a nu jazz influence. It was released commercially in the Netherlands as the album's sixth single on June 18, 1994, while in the United States it was a radio only release. "Throb" was well received by critics who appreciated its production. In the Netherlands, the song peaked at 20 on the Tipparade—a chart of 30 positions below the Top 40. It peaked at number 2 on the U. S. Hot Dance Club Play and UK Dance Charts respectively as well as peaking at number 66 on the U. S. airplay chart. The song was performed on five of Jackson's tours.

"Throb" begins with Jackson saying "come for me", before promising to "boom, boom, boom until noon, noon, noon" Chuck Arnold from Philadelphia Daily News noted the song's "surprisingly frank dirty talk" with the lyric "I can feel your body/Pressed against my body/When you start to poundin'/Love to feel you throbbin'". MuuMuse described the song writing that the track "swells and deflates in an aching, circular motion–not unlike a sensual rhythm". Peter Rauhofer remixed "Throb" in 2013 and released the remix on Valentine's Day.

"Throb" received positive reviews from music critics. Billboard, while reviewing the album on its twentieth anniversary, said, "If the production sounds a little dated now, the overtly sexual vibes on this track are pretty timeless – and still risqué for the early 90s.". MuuMuse gave a positive review for "Throb", defining it as "a '90's purist's house track, featuring classic dance rhythms and beat breaks". The reviewer continued saying the song is "a much grittier experience than the slinky seduction" of Madonna's "Erotica" single released the year before, and finished saying "Surprisingly however, the track has aged brilliantly, and listening to it now is still an overly enjoyable experience". Sputnikmusic considered that "Throb" has a "sexy workout feel". Philadelphia Daily Newss Chuck Arnold called the song a "deep house jam with a pumpin' bass line". Complex noted that "Throb" is "the hip house tantric jam". Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine commented: "Even the nearly structure less 'Throb', [ ] feels like a (perhaps unintentional) parody of Madonna's 'Erotica', right down to the hard, house beats. Alexis Petridis from The Guardian was more negative, stating that "Throb's awkward patchwork of moans [was] the first sign that the more explicit Jackson’s work got, the less sexy it would be".