"Please Me" is a song by American rapper Cardi B and American singer Bruno Mars, released as a single on February 15, 2019. Produced by Mars and The Stereotypes, "Please Me" is a mid-tempo retro groove, R&B song. It is the artists' second collaboration after the remix of Mars' "Finesse" released in January 2018. The single debuted at number five on the US BillboardHot 100, and later reached a peak of number three. The song's accompanying music video was released on March 1, 2019 and features both performers meeting after a party and going for a ride in Los Angeles. "Please Me" was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
0n February 10, 2019, Cardi B won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album for her debut studio album Invasion of Privacy at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. On the same date, after receiving criticism due to her win at the ceremony, the rapper deactivated her social media account on Instagram due to the frustration these caused. Nevertheless, Cardi B returned on February 13 to announce the release of a new song, on the following friday, with American singer-sowngwriter Bruno Mars. The rapper first shared the cover art on her Instagram account. Atlantic Records released "Please Me" for digital download and streaming on February 15, 2019. On the same date, the aforementioned label issued the song to American contemporary hit radio and rhythmic contemporary stations. It was also released on contemporary hit radio in the United Kingdom and by Warner Music Group to Italian contemporary hit radio stations. On February 19, 2019, the single was re-released to active rock contemporary hit radio by Atlantic Records. "Please Me" was written by Cardi B, Bruno Mars, James Fauntleroy, Jonathan Yip, Ray Romulus, Jeremy Reeves, and Ray McCullough II. The production and programming was handled by Mars and the latter four, known as The Stereotypes.
Composition
"Please Me" is a 90's styled R&B song described as a "smooth slow jam with trap stylings". According to Rolling Stone, in the lyrics Cardi B and Mars' characters flirt with each other, with him "emotively pleading for some loving" and her answering with the desire of "getting down on the dancefloor before taking it to another level."
Critical reception
Rhian Daly of NME praised the song by saying that Cardi B "dominates" the track as most songs have "the man calling the shots", but that with "Please Me", Cardi "snatches control while making sure she's getting what she wants too". Daly also felt that "Bruno's silky, begging vocals" show "sensual R&B", as Cardi B's rapping is "something far more x-rated". Daly described the single as a "mix of modern and classic". Writing for Pitchfork, Michelle Kim criticized the song, saying Mars "attempts to make his own bump'n'grind anthem" but that "his request feels painfully safe and vanilla, like if a bot was programmed to write sexts". Kim summarized that the song has an "awkward tempo" and is "definitely not sexy enough to be played in the bedroom".
Music video
The music video premiered on March 1, 2019 on YouTube. It was directed by Florent Dechard and Mars, and was choreographed by Tanisha Scott, Phil Tayag and also Mars. Cardi B's outfit is composed by a purple leather jacket with fringe and a bustier. It was inspired by Selena's look during her performance at the Memorial Coliseum in Corpus Christi, Texas, 1993. Filmed in Los Angeles, it takes place in a taqueria after a party, with Cardi B and Mars hanging with their respective group of friends. Filtring and performing dance moves in a effort to impress each other, both groups get together as the pair goes for a ride. In NPR, Joshua Bote opined they "bask in the early '90s glow of the time when Jodeci, low-riders and pencil 'staches reigned supreme. It's Saved By The Bell with a dash of Chicano-charmed spice."
Commercial performance
In the United States, "Please Me" debuted at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Cardi B's seventh top-ten song and Mars' 16th top ten on the chart. It started with 27.9 million streams and debuted at number-one on Digital Song Sales with 51,000 digital downloads sold, it became Cardi B's third number-one on the latter chart and Mars' ninth. The song peaked at number three on the Hot 100 in its third week, and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts.
