"Love 'Em All"
An image of a white mannequin wearing a crown sits on a throne while surrounded by a group of black, headless mannequins.
Single by K. Michelle
from the album Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart?
ReleasedSeptember 16, 2014
Genre
Length4:06
LabelAtlantic
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)
Producer(s)
  • Shea Taylor
K. Michelle singles chronology
"Can't Raise a Man"
(2014)		 "Love 'Em All"
(2014)		 "Maybe I Should Call"
(2014)

"Love 'Em All" is a song recorded by American singer K. Michelle from the second studio album Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart? (2014). It was released as the lead single from the record on September 16, 2014, through Atlantic. "Love 'Em All" was written by Michelle and Bianca Atterberry and composed by B.A.M., Lil' Ronnie and Shea Taylor. Taylor co-produced the single with Lil' Ronnie and B.A.M. A pop rock and R&B ballad, its lyrics are about sexuality and a woman pursuing multiple relationships. Michelle said that "Love 'Em All" is a response to Chris Brown's 2013 single "Loyal".

Critics responded positively to "Love 'Em All", and it peaked at numbers 26 and 35 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard charts, respectively. An accompanying video, released on November 3, 2014, features Michelle dancing with a chair and singing on a throne. Michelle also promoted "Love 'Em All" through live performances. Atlantic also released remixes of the single, including one featuring American rapper Jeezy.

Recording and release

"Love 'Em All" was written by Kimberly Michelle Pate,[lower-alpha 1] and Bianca Atterberry. It was composed by B.A.M., Lil' Ronnie and Shea Taylor. Taylor co-produced the single with Lil' Ronnie and B.A.M. and played the instruments. Atterberry produced the song's vocals, which were recorded by C Travis Kr8ts.[1] Atlantic released "Love 'Em All" on September 16, 2014 as the lead single from Michelle's second studio album Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart? (2014).[2][3] To precede the song's release, Michelle held a livestream on Google Chat.[4][5] Describing her debut album Rebellious Soul (2013) as "a glorified mixtape" due to her "angry and aggressive" approach, Michelle said that she recorded "Love 'Em All" to pursue a "new vibe" and act "innovative and progressive".[3] Prior to its release, she posted a preview on her Instagram account.[6]

A remix with an additional verse from Jeezy was released on SoundCloud.[7][8] Kevin Goddard of HotNewHipHop described the remix as "adding some hip-hop flavor to the grungy love ballad", and wrote that Jeezy rapped with "braggadocious rhymes and slick analogies for the streets". The remix was not included on the album.[7] On March 10, 2015, additional remixes by Redondo and Toyboy & Robin was made available on Apple Music.[9]

Composition and lyrics

"Love 'Em All" is a pop rock and R&B ballad that lasts four minutes and five seconds.[10][11][12] The instrumental includes "pounding drums",[10] and Emily Tan of The Boombox interpreted the composition as containing a "driving beat".[13] BuzzFeed's Alex Naidus identified Michelle's vocals as "brassy [and] wailing".[14] With lyrics revolving around sexuality and a woman "playing the field",[3][15] "Love 'Em All" is a response to Chris Brown's 2013 single "Loyal".[16][17] Michelle said that the single was based on the line "these bitches ain't loyal", and explained that she wanted to make "a record that basically said what most women do but they won’t say".[16]

Music critics described "Love 'Em All" as a "heartbreaker anthem".[10][12] The song opens with Michelle narrating: "They say I move too fast / Going man to man / Always holding a new hand.” She sings about her relationships in the chorus: 'Cause they think I love 'em / But I love 'em all / I need another one to get over the other one.”[12] Other lyrics include: “I broke another heart today / And I didn’t care, I just walked away / ‘Cause they think I love ’em, but I love ’em all.”[10]

Reception

"Love 'Em All" received primarily positive reviews from music critics. Mike Wass of Idolator praised it as a "killer lead single",[3] and AllMusic's Andy Kellman selected it as one of the album's highlights.[11] Kevin Apaza of Direct Lyrics felt that it would be successful on rhythmic radio, and commended it as "an anthem for many women".[12] Vibe's Michael Arceneaux praised the single, along with the album track "Judge Me" as "the best introduction to the K. Michelle of 2014".[17] Alex Naidus and DJ JusMusic of Singersroom included "Love 'Em All" on their lists of the best R&B releases of 2014.[14][18] In a more negative review, PopMatters' Devone Jones criticized the song as "good enough despite the boring lyrics". While he felt its opening set up an expectation for "a beautiful rock ballad", Jones wrote that it "just becomes another typical R&B song that isn’t a car crash".[19] Commercially, "Love 'Em All" peaked at 26 and 35 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard charts, respectively.[20][21]

Music video and promotion

On November 3, 2014, the single's accompanying music video debuted on VH1. It was shown after the debut of Michelle's reality television K. Michelle: My Life.[22][23] It was uploaded on the singer's YouTube account on the same day.[24] Dressed in a sparkling leotard, Michelle dances with a chair; she appears alongside a group of back-up dancers in a room full of black mannequins.[13][22][25] The singer is also seen singing while sitting on a throne.[13] A writer for Rap-Up praised it as "her fiercest video yet".[22] Comparing Michelle's choreography to that in Britney Spears' music video for her 2000 single "Stronger", Kevin Apaza responded positively to the visual's "sexy treatment".[25] As February 2, 2015, the video received over 7 million views on YouTube.[26]

Michelle also promoted "Love 'Em All" through live performances.[27][28][29] On December 12, 2014, she performed it on Big Morning Buzz Live. Rahsheeda Ali responded positively to Michelle's performance, writing that she "sounded amazing".[27] She sang "Love 'Em All" as part of her 2015 My Twisted Mind Tour.[28][30] The song was also included on the setlist for her 2016 Hello Kimberly Tour.[29][31] Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle praised her performance as "an early highlight" of the show, and described it as "a stunning display of poise and power".[29]

Track listings

Digital download[2]
No.TitleLength
1."Love 'Em All"4:06
2."Love 'Em All (feat. Jeezy) (Remix)"4:19
3."Love 'Em All (Instrumental)"4:05
Digital download[9]
No.TitleLength
1."Love 'Em All (Redondo Remix)"5:30
2."Love 'Em All (Toyboy & Robin Remix)"3:52

Credits and personnel

Credits were adapted from the liner notes from Anybody Wanna Buy A Heart?:[1]

Charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[32] 15
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[20] 35
US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (Billboard)[21] 26

Release history

RegionFormatDateLabel
United States Digital download[2] September 16, 2014 Atlantic
Remix package[9] March 10, 2015

Notes

  1. ↑ K. Michelle is credited under her full legal name Kimberly Michelle Pate on the album's liner notes.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Anybody Wanna Buy A Heart? (Inlay cover). K. Michelle. Atlantic. December 9, 2014.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 3 Love 'Em All (Inlay cover). K. Michelle. Atlantic. September 16, 2014.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. 1 2 3 4 Wass, Mike (September 25, 2014). "K. Michelle Spills The Beans On New Single "Love 'Em All", Her Country Duet & Sophomore Album: Idolator Interview". Idolator.
  4. ↑ https://twitter.com/kmichelle/status/511209015339401217
  5. ↑ https://twitter.com/kmichelle/status/511696554227294208
  6. ↑ DJ JusMusic (September 8, 2014). "K. Michelle Announces New Single 'Love 'Em All' (Preview)". Singersroom. Archived from the original on September 29, 2014.
  7. 1 2 Goddard, Kevin (December 9, 2014). "K. Michelle - Love Em All (Remix) Feat. Jeezy". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  8. ↑ "K. Michelle ft Jeezy - Love Em' All". SoundCloud. 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 "Love 'Em All (Remixes) - Single". Apple Music. March 10, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "New Music: K. Michelle - 'Love 'Em All'". Rap-Up. September 15, 2014. Archived from the original on September 15, 2015.
  11. 1 2 Kellman, Andy. "AllMusic Review by Andy Kellman". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 27, 2017.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Apaza, Kevin (September 16, 2014). "Listen: K. Michelle Premieres Heartbreaker Anthem "Love 'Em All"". Direct Lyrics. Archived from the original on July 12, 2017.
  13. 1 2 3 Tan, Emily (November 4, 2014). "K. Michelle Breaks Hearts in Sexy 'Love 'Em All' Video". The Boombox. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015.
  14. 1 2 Naidus, Alex (December 22, 2014). "54 Amazing R&B Songs From 2014 You Need In Your Life". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on May 30, 2018.
  15. ↑ "K.Michelle Loves Them And Leaves Them In 'Love 'Em All' Video". Vibe. November 4, 2014. Archived from the original on August 29, 2016.
  16. 1 2 Platon, Adelle (September 17, 2014). "Q&A: K. Michelle Talks 'Love 'Em All,' The Truth About Idris Elba & Fake Butt Rumors". Vibe. Archived from the original on August 12, 2015.
  17. 1 2 Arceneaux, Michael (December 11, 2014). "K. Michelle Trades Brashness for Subtlety on "Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart?"". Complex. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  18. ↑ DJ JusMusic (November 6, 2014). "The Scandal Edition: 10 New R&B Songs That Can Fix Your Broken Heart". Singersroom. Archived from the original on July 3, 2015.
  19. ↑ Jones, Devone (January 5, 2015). "K. Michelle: Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart". PopMatters. Archived from the original on January 14, 2018.
  20. 1 2 "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  21. 1 2 "R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  22. 1 2 3 "Video: K. Michelle - 'Love 'Em All'". Rap-Up. November 4, 2014. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015.
  23. ↑ Cho, Diane. "Premiere: Watch K. Michelle's New Video For 'Love 'Em All'". VH1. Archived from the original on November 5, 2014.
  24. ↑ "K. Michelle - Love 'Em All (Official Music Video)". YouTube. November 3, 2014. Archived from the original on April 5, 2018.
  25. 1 2 Apaza, Kevin (November 4, 2014). "K. Michelle Does Chair Routine In "Love 'Em All" Music Video". Direct Lyrics. Archived from the original on November 4, 2014.
  26. ↑ Charlton, Lauretta (February 2, 2015). "Mona Scott-Young Has Created a TV Empire by Keeping Things Real, and She's Not About to Start Faking It Now". Complex. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017.
  27. 1 2 Ali, Radsheeda (December 12, 2014). "K.Michelle + More Chill In Big Morning Buzz Live's Gif Booth". VH1. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  28. 1 2 Hahne, Jeff (February 27, 2015). "Live photos: K. Michelle, The Fillmore (2/26/2015)". Creative Loafing. Archived from the original on July 7, 2016.
  29. 1 2 3 Guerra, Joey (August 8, 2016). "K. Michelle brings star power to Houston". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 20, 2018.
  30. ↑ Wass, Mike (January 8, 2015). "K. Michelle Announces 'My Twisted Mind Tour' Dates". Idolator.
  31. ↑ Johnson, Kevin C. (July 17, 2016). "Super Jam holds its own at Scottrade Center with Fetty Wap, 2 Chainz, 50 Cent". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on October 11, 2017.
  32. ↑ "K. Michelle Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
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