Jealous (I Ain't With It)

Album: White Women (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Chromeo is a Canadian Electrofunk duo formed in 2004 in Montreal by vocalist David "Dave 1" Macklovitch and keyboardist Patrick "P-Thugg" Gemayel. This song finds Dave 1 singing:

    I get a shiver when I see you with those other guys
    Wearing the jacket I bought
    I can't help but lose my temper and I don't know why


    "There's no other ode to the castrated male on the radio today," Dave said to Radio.com of the song. "In that sense our music means something in the context of other songs that are like, 'I know you want it, I know you want it.' How about a song where it's like, 'Man, I'm so jealous, but I can't even say it.'"
  • Speaking on AMP Radio's 97.1 Seconds With series, Chromeo admitted that they expected a backlash after hearing this song on the radio, but it proved to be the contrary. "We took almost ten years to build a solid underground foundation," they said. "We did everything, all the credible steps that a band could take. Putting out vinyl, getting remixes, working with the right people. And basically showing that this is going to come when its right. But we're not chasing a hit."

    "When our fans hear us on the radio, or new people hear us on the radio and learn about us, it's like the underdog made it," Chromeo continued. "So everybody is actually really proud and supportive. And they feel like its a victory for them as well."

    "Instead of feeling betrayed by their band. They're like "HA HA! I've loved Chromeo for 10 years, and I was right!" We didn't change the music to get there," they concluded. "That's the crucial part. 'Jealous' is the most Chromeo song ever!"
  • Chromeo made their third appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on April 22, 2014 when they performed this song and "Come Alive."
  • Dave 1's younger brother is DJ and producer A-Trak, who is best known as one half of Duck Sauce, who had an international hit single in 2010 with "Barbra Streisand."
  • The song is from Chromeo's fourth studio album, White Women. The pair chose the title for the record as it's the name of photographer Helmut Newton's first book. Dave 1 explained to HMV.com: "As you know, he's always been a big influence on us, visually, with the legs and all, our album artwork and such."

    "I was at his retrospective in Paris a couple of years ago and they had the titles of all his publications on the wall," he continued. "White Women struck me. I called P and said: 'wouldn't that make a great title for a Bowie album? Or a Roxy Music album?…Why don't we use it?' After a bit of deliberation, we went with it. We knew it'd come as a bit of a shock, but we like it. It sparks conversation."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Don Brewer of Grand Funk

Don Brewer of Grand FunkSongwriter Interviews

The drummer and one of the primary songwriters in Grand Funk talks rock stardom and Todd Rundgren.

Concert Disasters

Concert DisastersFact or Fiction

Ozzy biting a dove? Alice Cooper causing mayhem with a chicken? Creed so bad they were sued? See if you can spot the real concert mishaps.

Kevin Godley

Kevin GodleySongwriter Interviews

Kevin Godley talks about directing classic videos for The Police, U2 and Duran Duran, and discusses song and videos he made with 10cc and Godley & Creme.

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.

Judas Priest

Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford, Richie Faulkner and Glenn Tipton talk twin guitar harmonies and explain how they create songs in Judas Priest.

Annie Haslam of Renaissance

Annie Haslam of RenaissanceSongwriter Interviews

The 5-octave voice of the classical rock band Renaissance, Annie is big on creative expression. In this talk, she covers Roy Wood, the history of the band, and where all the money went in the '70s.