"Come & Get It" is a song recorded by American singer Selena Gomez for her debut solo studio album, Stars Dance (2013). It was released as the album's lead single on April 7, 2013, through Hollywood Records, and served as her first official release outside of either her acting work or her former band, Selena Gomez & the Scene. The song was written by Norwegian production team Stargate, consisting of Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, along with Ester Dean. Eriksen and Hermansen handled the tracks production, while Dean served as the vocal producer. The song was one of the last songs to be recorded for the album in early 2013. "Come & Get It" features a change in style from Gomez's previous releases, and features elements of electropop, dance-pop and Punjabi music.
Music critics mostly praised the song for its tabla beat and its Bollywood themes. In the United States, the single became her first top ten entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (topped at position No. 6), and was certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Additionally, it peaked at number two on the Mainstream Top 40 chart. It became her second top ten single in both Canada and the United Kingdom, and was certified multi-platinum in the former. It also reached the top ten in Brazil, Ireland, Lebanon, and Turkey. The music video for "Come & Get It" was released on May 7. The song and its video received several awards and nominations, including at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.
Gomez performed "Come & Get It" at a number of awards shows and televised events, with its first performance being at the 2013 MTV Movie Awards. She opted to incorporate choreography into performances of the song, inspired by artists such as Britney Spears. During its initial promotional run, Gomez came under fire from religious groups for donning a bindi during performances of the song. The single was performed during the encore of her worldwide Stars Dance Tour (2013–14). Gomez performed the song on numerous occasions while promoting her second studio album, Revival (2015). The song is featured on Gomez's first compilation album, For You (2014), which served as her final release through Hollywood Records.
Background and release Norwegian producers Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, better known as Stargate, both produced and wrote the song along with Ester Dean. Dean recorded a demo of the song, which was originally written for inclusion on Barbadian artist Rihanna's sixth studio album, Talk That Talk (2011). Rihanna ultimately decided not to record the song, thus it was given to Gomez for inclusion on Stars Dance. Gomez later spoke to Billboard on the collaboration with the trio, claiming "I'm a huge Stargate fan – I think their beats and what they produce is just gold [...] And Ester Dean is just an incredible vocalist that a lot of people know, but if you actually hear her voice just solely on her own, it's just stunning, and it's really haunting." "Come & Get It" was one of the last songs to be recorded for the album, which was completed in February 2013. While recording the song, Gomez knew she wanted it to be the lead single, stating "I just remember recording it and being in the studio and just thinking of how the place I was in and what I was going through and I was just so excited about it and I wanted it to be the first single." Gomez shared a similar sentiment in a later interview as well, adding "The reason I wanted it to be the first single was because radiates, as I said before, trust and out and that's something I'm willing to share with the world. This is the place I want to be and want to represent something good and be a good example, so I think it's fun."
Prior to the announcement of the single, it was speculated that Gomez had collaborated with her friend Taylor Swift on the lead single to her upcoming album; Gomez denied this. Gomez first announced "Come & Get It" in March 2013, and confirmed an April 8, 2013 release date. Following the announcement, pieces of the song's single cover began being posted on Gomez's official website and social media; the cover was released in full on March 27. Philippe Bond and David Bond, also known as The Blonds, designed the costumes and clothing adorned by Gomez for the cover of the single. The pair stated "Working with Selena Gomez and her stylist Basia Richards is always an amazing experience [...] Selena's style is what The Blonds are all about. It's daring, glamorous, and always fun!" She later uploaded an eleven-second teaser for the song on April 1, with yet another teaser following on April 4. "Come & Get It" was leaked online on April 6, leading to the track being released for digital download a day prior to what was initially planned. On Air with Ryan Seacrest later began streaming the song earlier than initially planned due to the unexpected leak. Gomez released an extended play featuring six remixes of the song to digital retailers on May 28, 2013.
Production and lyrics
"Come & Get It" is an electropop, dance-pop and bhangra song that lasts for a total of three minutes and fifty-one seconds. The song is composed in the key of G minor and features a moderate tempo of 80 beats per minute. Gomez's vocal range spans from the low tone of F3 to the high note of D5. The song opens with a "Bollywood inspired" theme, before transitioning into a more dubstep influenced sound. Gomez said the song was inspired by works from pop singer Britney Spears and Skrillex, the latter of which worked on the soundtrack to the film Spring Breakers (2013), starring Gomez. Lewis Corner of Digital Spy said the song featured a "dirty, fuzzy bassline" and "grinding beats and one-night-stand synths" before comparing it to recent releases by Rihanna. MTV also compared it to work by Rihanna and stated the song was a "whirling mix of tablas and robo-vocals." Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone said the song was an "unimpeachably catchy big-pop stomp, with come-hither lyrics and a string of moody vocal hooks."
The song helped Gomez develop a more mature image than she had in the past. Gomez stated that she had hoped to "create something fun, sassy, and playful, but unexpected" with the song. Lyrically, the song speaks of Gomez's desire to rekindle a former romance, claiming she is willing when he is ready to "come & get it".
Controversy "Come & Get It" drew some criticism from listeners, some of whom found the song to be anti-feminist. New Zealand recording artist Lorde praised the song "on a sonic level", but added "I'm a feminist and the theme of her song is, 'When you're ready come and get it from me.' I'm sick of women being portrayed this way." Songwriter Amy S. Foster felt similarly, adding "It's not the idea that she is having sex, or singing about sex or wearing sexy clothes that bothers me. It's the fact that she sings quite proudly about being a total doormat with the notion that THAT is sexy."
Critical reception
Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly described it as "an easy, breezy tune with an ambling melody and a hint of reggae lilt." Bradley Stern of MuuMuse.com also praised the song, stating that "'Come & Get It' is fairly monotone, but repeat listens reveal the song's infectiousness: The chorus – especially with that stuttered chant at the end – is pure sticky pop goodness, the stomping beat is smutty enough to inspire a sick strut, and that whirring Bollywood-meets-tribal-electro synth sound lends itself well to some grind-up-against-the-wall make-out action up in the club." Lewis Corner of Digital Spy wrote, "As the bhangra music-inspired intro merges into a dirty, fuzzy bassline, it's clear from the off Selena has ditched the pop sheen she has become known for." Corner later gave the song three out of five stars. Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone gave the song three and a half stars, writing, "Call it Gomez's Justin Bieber breakup song if you want. The more accurate description, though, is 'Rihanna-wannabe anthem.' Stargate and Ester Dean, the team behind some of Rih's biggest smashes, have given Gomez the good stuff" Newsday gave Stars Dance a somewhat negative review, though listed "Come & Get It" and "Slow Down" as highlights of the project. AllMusic praised the song and stated that "the tablas add a nice mystical touch" to the track. The Boston Globe praised the song in their review of Stars Dance, and positively compared it to releases from Rihanna. Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian praised the song, and compared it to releases from Miley Cyrus. Sputnikmusic praised the "bass drop" in the song, and listed "Come & Get It" and "Birthday" as the highlights of the album.
Common Sense Media gave the song two stars, claiming that "While the beats are infectious, Gomez just doesn't have the vocal chops to hold up during the verses, and mostly just sounds sleepy." Billboard gave the track a mixed review, and negatively compared it to her prior single "Love You like a Love Song" (2011). Slant Magazine criticized both the song and its parent album, even accusing Gomez of cultural appropriation, claiming "The tabla-infused lead single 'Come and Get It' exhibits similar issues, emptying its Indian influences of any apparent meaning by treating them as mere sonic decoration." The Los Angeles Times wrote "[Stars Dance's] productions are rooted in today's pop-EDM default mode, but as that stuff goes, 'Slow Down' is pretty capable, and the bhangra-appropriating 'Come & Get It' is guilelessly silly enough to work." Ron Harris with Yahoo! Music gave Stars Dance a negative review, though wrote that "Gomez's lead single and Billboard top 10 hit, the catchy "Come & Get It," is about the best offering here, thanks to Stargate's club-heavy beat."
Chart performance "Come & Get It" sold a total 115,000 copies in its week of release, causing it to debut at number seventeen on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart in the United States. The following week it sold 76,088 copies, debuting at number forty-five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending April 14, 2013. The next week it rose to number twenty-two on the chart, selling over 98,000 copies for the week.Pink extends lead on US singles chart – Music News – Digital Spy The single fell one spot on the Hot 100 the following, though rose to number fourteen the week after, aided by an increase in sales and the release of its music video. It sold just under 115,000 copies for that week, bringing its total sales to over 400,000 in the United States. One week later it rose again to a new peak of number six on the Hot 100, boasting sales of 143,000 copies and a 264% in overall streaming. This made "Come & Get It" Gomez's highest-charting song in the United States at the time, and was the first top ten hit of her career. Despite falling one spot the week after, it rose number six on the chart for a second time after selling 171,000 downloads for the week. This made it the highest sales week for the single at the time. It sold 157,000 copies the following week, bringing it sales to over one million copies.