“Turn Me On” by Kevin Lyttle
You got me goin' craazzzyyyy.
It's the end of the week, and I want to send everyone off into the weekend with the best vibes possible. That’s why the Daily Music Picks newsletter features a weekly segment called Fun Song Fridays! Regardless of era, genre, or style, the criterion is simple: it must deliver the joy and excitement we all need in our lives.
You can access the entire Fun Song Fridays archive here. A playlist featuring the songs covered in this segment is coming soon!
Hello! 😊👋
Welcome to a new edition of the Best Music of All Time newsletter!
Today’s music pick is one of the most timeless one-hit wonders of the 21st century.
Genre: Pop, Soca
Label: Atlantic
Release Date: October 13, 2003
Vibe: 💃💃
Originally recorded as a soca ballad in 2001, Kevin Lyttle’s “Turn Me On” has become one of modern pop’s most transcendent dance tunes. No matter where you are in the world, if you’re attending a wedding reception or closing down your city’s hottest club, chances are this track will get hips moving and bodies gyrating.
The beat, which features a sped-up sample of 112’s steamy bedroom anthem “All My Love,” follows in the tradition of niche subgenres crossing over into the mainstream long before streaming platforms enabled artists to own this entire process. The formula, used to great effect by Sean Paul and, early in her career, Rihanna, was simple back then: take some indigenous sonic flavor, pour it into a pop music mold, and hopefully get a co-sign from a major label or artist.
The template paid enormous dividends for Lyttle and Atlantic, as “Turn Me On” exceeded commercial expectations. According to the singer, it made $2.5 million in estimated sales during its first year of availability, back when you were forced to track down the CD single instead of obtaining it through iTunes or another online seller. Lyttle says the track has moved over 6 million units, easily making it the most successful song by an artist hailing from St. Vincent (it was voted the island’s most influential song ever at its 2007 Silver Jubilee Independence Anniversary Carnival).
More often than people might think, timeless music is straightforward and, perhaps more accurately, uncomplicated. That doesn’t mean it’s dumbed down or not executed at a high level. Instead, it’s boiled down to its essence. Sometimes, like with “Turn Me On,” all you need is a great beat, even better vocals, and more than a bit of sex appeal.