"All for You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson, from her seventh studio album of the same name (2001). Written and produced by Jackson along with her collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the song is a dance-pop and R&B track with influences of neo-disco and funk that heavily samples "The Glow of Love" by Change. Lyrically, it is about flirting with someone on the dance floor, being a reflection of the singer's state of mind at the time. The song was released to radio stations as the lead single from the record in the United States on March 6, 2001, by Virgin Records, becoming the first single to be added to every pop, rhythmic, and urban radio format within its first week of release.

"All for You" received positive reviews from music critics, who complimented the usage of the sample. In the US, the song peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks, making it the longest-reigning hit of the year after setting the record for the highest debut of a song which was not commercially available in the country. To date, it is Jackson's tenth and last number one Hot 100 hit in the US, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song also attained success worldwide, peaking at number one in Canada and South Africa, while reaching the top 10 in countries like Australia, France, and the United Kingdom.

An accompanying music video was directed by Dave Meyers and takes place in a colorful two-dimensional world. It received several nominations at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, and it won Best Dance Video at the 31st Annual International Dance Music Awards. Jackson performed the song several times, including on the inaugural MTV Icon special, which honored her legacy and influence in the music industry, and it was later added to setlists of all of her concert tours, the last being the Janet Jackson: Together Again tour (2023–2024). "All for You" won several accolades, including the prize for Best Dance Recording at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards, and was referenced on the track "Snow on the Beach" (2022) by Taylor Swift featuring Lana Del Rey.

Background and release In 2000, Janet Jackson was separated from René Elizondo Jr., exposing their secret nine-year marriage to the public as he filed for divorce, leading to intense media scrutiny. Amidst the divorce, Jackson started working on a new album, which was described as "upbeat, fun and carefree", in contrast to the dark and sexually explicit previous record The Velvet Rope (1997). The singer's producer Jimmy Jam stated, "This record now, even though it may not be the best of times in her personal life, she feels that the future is bright... She's excited about music and about life in general. She's excited about what the next year will hold for her", and revealed that it would continue her tradition of "happy records" which "have always traditionally been the more successful records", but "with kind of a nod to the dance music of the '80s". Jackson herself characterized the album, titled All for You, as being "about love, the different levels of love. It's a very happy album. I'm always writing about what is going on in my life, what I'm feeling at the moment."

Before starting a new project, Jackson and her longtime producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis usually listen to older songs together to find inspiration. One of the tracks the producers played for the singer was Italo disco band Change's "The Glow of Love" (1980), with lead vocals by Luther Vandross. Jackson did not know the song, but Jam wanted to sample it as he used to play it when he was a DJ, and thought it was a perfect fit to her lyrics for "All for You". Jam wrote the line "All the girls at the party" after Jackson had done all the vocals for the track, which she appreciated. The line originally came in the middle of the number, but it was moved to the beginning after her manager suggested it would be cool if the song started like that. During a photo shoot for a magazine at Jam and Lewis' studio, she requested "All for You" to be played several times; after the fifth play, her makeup artist, the camera assistant, the hairstylist, and everybody involved was singing and dancing to the song, according to the producer. Although the recording sessions for All for You were not finished at that point, Jackson told the producers that she wanted to release the track as the first single from the project after the photo shoot, as it was the first song she wanted people to hear from her after being absent from the public eye for an extended period of time.

In February 2001, MTV News revealed that the first release from the album would be titled "All 4 U"; it would be sent to radio stations in the following weeks, with an accompanying video being filmed shortly thereafter. Jam described the track as an "'80s-sounding" dance number, which "epitomizes the disc's happy vibe". Re-titled as "All for You", the song was made available for download to radio stations on February 27, 2001 as the lead single from the album after being leaked the day prior. On March 6, Virgin Records officially sent the track to contemporary hit, rhythmic contemporary, and urban stations, followed by urban adult contemporary stations a week later. It was made available commercially as a 7-inch vinyl, 12-inch vinyl, cassette, and CD single on March 27, 2001. On April 2, "All for You" was sent to adult contemporary stations in the region, and was released as a maxi CD single in Australia on the same day. In the United Kingdom, the track received a commercial release on April 9, 2001. Afterwards, the song was included on Jackson's greatest hits albums Number Ones (2009) and Icon: Number Ones (2010).

Recording and composition "All for You" was recorded at Flyte Tyme Studios in Edina, Minnesota. It was co-written and produced by Jackson with Jam and Lewis. Due to the sample's usage, Wayne Garfield, David Romani, and Mauro Malavasi also received songwriting credits. Instrumentation included guitar by David Barry, and drums by Alex Richbourg, who also did MIDI programming; Jam and Lewis played all additional instruments on the track. It was recorded and mixed by Steve Hodge, with assistance by Brad Yost and Xavier Smith, and mastered by Brian "Big Bass" Gardner at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood, along with all tracks present on All for You.

Musically, "All for You" is a dance-pop and R&B song with influences of funk and neo-disco. The track is set in common time with a moderate groove tempo of 112 beats per minute. Composed in the key of G major, Jackson's vocal range spans from G3 to E5. It prominently samples Change's "The Glow of Love". Jackson did not know the track or its songwriter, but she found it "so beautiful" and made her dance, and for this reason she included the track on the record. For The Guardians Michael Cragg, the track simultaneously references the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s decades musically, writing in another article for the same publication that it "feels like a throwback to the effortless, loved-up optimism of her 80s imperial phase". Eric Henderson from Slant Magazine described "All for You" as a "sex jam that sounds like a carnival ride". Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly noted that the track "recalls the old McFadden & Whitehead positivity anthem 'Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now'", with some reviewers also comparing the composition to the work of Chic.

Lyrically, the song explores Jackson flirting with someone while she is in a night club: "All my girls at the party, look at that body, shakin' that thing like you never did see. Got a nice package alright, guess I'm gonna have to ride it tonight." However, she becomes disappointed by his inability to approach and ask her for a dance: "Can't be afraid or keep me waiting too long, before you know it I'll be outta here, I'll be gone". Shahzaib Hussain from Clash commented that the lyrics manifest "having the best night out with your girls", while Laura Sinagra wrote on the book The New Rolling Stone Album Guide that the track "conjures sexy girl-talk fun under a disco ball". Kovie Biakolo of Vulture said it characterizes the anticipation and "the thrill of flirting with someone who has caught your eye, from the dance floor", as well as the singer's state of mind at the time, as she let everyone know that she was single and ready for a new love. Jackson based the lyrics on her experiences seeing people at clubs who were attracted to her but too intimidated to approach her, which she described as "pretty funny".

Critical reception "All for You" was described by Chuck Taylor from Billboard as a "veritable vitamin shot in the arm for the airwaves", and "as playful and joyous as the best from Jackson's deep uptempo catalog". He also wrote that the song "audaciously ignores top 40's current trend toward strict R&B inflection" and was "mainstream party pop at its best". Laviea Thomas of Clash commented that "from the funky bass plucks to her smooth vocal delivery", the song was one of Jackson's signature up-tempo tracks. Mark Lindores from Classic Pop wrote that the track was part of the "feelgood songs which are the beating heart of the album". Rolling Stones Anthony DeCurtis praised the song for "swirl[ing] on the dizzying energy of a disco-era sample". Ethan Brown from New York opined that Jackson was at her best "riding great samples" from the disco era, while Wall of Sound's Gary Gruff wrote that it employs "old-school conventions without lapsing into retrograde". According to Cragg of The Guardian, the track "luxuriates in its post-disco influences, while lyrically it's Jackson at her cheeky best". For Cyd Jaymes from Dotmusic, "All for You" was a "dreamy slice of supremely steamy R&B", as well as "the soundtrack to some sweaty summer lovin'".

Bianca Gracie, writing for Grammy.com, noted that Jackson's joyride was "near-tangible" on the song, and was "pure sunshine captured in a song". Stephen Thomas Erlewine, senior editor for AllMusic, said that the song would maintain Jackson and her producers' reputation as the "leading lights of contemporary urban soul". Piers Martin of NME called the song a "faultless funk affair", while Anthony Carew from Neumu described it as a "fine neo-disco/'80s-retro collage", Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly described it as "chirpy computer pop overlaid with a silky Jackson vocal", classifying the track as one of several 1970s-inspired songs that would please both old and new generations. David Browne from the same publication wrote that the song was "a frothy butt shaker and skilled throwback to old-school disco", calling it "another Jackson package with pretty ribbons but little inside". Henderson from Slant Magazine noted that what was striking about the song was not its "unabashed frankness", but "the atmosphere of airless frivolity around it". According to Stereogums Tom Breiham, "All for You" was a "fairly slight, minor track" in comparison to Jackson's other number-one singles, but felt that "its charms are real", writing that he loves the way that Jackson sings on the track.

Accolades At the 2001 Billboard Music Awards, "All for You" received a nomination for Top Hot 100 Single of the Year, and was also nominated at the Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Single, Solo, and at the Teen People Awards in the category of Hottest Song of 2001. The single won the Record of the Year at the Japan Radio Popular Disks Awards. In 2002, "All for You" went on to win the prize for Best Dance Recording at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards, while it won Most Played Song at the BMI Pop Awards, as well as an award for Best Dance Song of the Year at the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards.

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