# My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)

"My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" is a song by American pop/R&B group En Vogue, released in March 1992 by Eastwest Records as the lead single from their multi-platinum second album, Funky Divas (1992).
The single reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming their joint highest-peaking single on the chart alongside "Hold On" and "Don't Let Go (Love)", and it peaked atop the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart for two weeks. Internationally, the song reached number four in the United Kingdom and peaked within the top 10 on the charts of Canada, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). NME ranked it number eight in their list of "Singles of the Year" in December 1992. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Matthew Rolston, and was nominated in six categories at the MTV Video Music Awards, winning one.
VH1 ranked it number 43 on its list for the "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s". In October 2023, Billboard ranked it among the "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time".

## Production

"My Lovin'" contains a sample of the guitar riff from the James Brown song "The Payback" from the album of the same name, which is looped throughout the entire song and forms the basis of the melody. The song features Maxine Jones and Dawn Robinson on lead vocals. In a 1992 article, En Vogue mentioned this was one of the last songs they recorded for Funky Divas, which resulted in its release as a single so close to the album's release date.

## Critical reception

Upon the release, Larry Flick from Billboard named it a "slinky pop/funk trinket that wraps its signature harmonies with Chic-style guitars, jazzy flute fills, and a muscular bass line." A reviewer from Cash Box stated that En Vogue "has returned in full thrust", and noted further that "it's needless to say that the vocal arrangements are outstanding, because you should already know that. The musical production is also above average and featured is a catchy James Brown sample." Glenn Kenny from Entertainment Weekly remarked that it "has a cool, mantra-like hook." Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report stated that "this San Francisco Bay Area foursome clearly demonstrates that their dazzling 1990 debut was only a glimmer of their potential. Writers/producers Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster provide the material and these Funky Divas do the rest. What harmony! What grace! They just don't make them any sweeter." Connie Johnson from Los Angeles Times felt "My Lovin'" "owes a debt to the rugged, rhythmic edge of Brown's "The Payback" to underline its sassy message."
Davydd Chong from Music Week's RM Dance Update declared it as "a sassy combination of lubricated basslines, airy flutes and their trademark, close harmonies, and it's just as funky as 'Hold On'." Gerald Martinez from New Sunday Times called it "a funky workout featuring swooping harmonies with a dazzling a capella jazz-swing breakdown midway". Parry Gettelman from Orlando Sentinel complimented its "glorious, spun-sugar a cappella harmonies". He felt "My Lovin'" "is as assertive and self-assured as it is fast and funky", and noted that the dynamics "are nice and sneaky". A reviewer from People Magazine said the track "should shimmy up the charts nicely." Danyel Smith from Rolling Stone viewed songs like "My Lovin'" as "filler made listenable only by the girls' "sweet, strong singing - the songs should never have made the cut." Adam Higginbotham from Select constated that here, Funky Divas "lives up to its title". Cheo H. Coker from Stanford Daily stated that "it's typical (meaning funkee) En Vogue; soulful, impassioned singing matched with a hip-hop groove that won't upset the sensibilities of the hardcore hip-hop fan."

## Chart performance

"My Lovin'" was the group's fourth number-one on the Hot R&B Singles charts, occupying the position for two weeks. It debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at number 71 on the week of March 21, 1992, and jumped to number 47 the following week. The single peaked at number two on the week of May 16, 1992, where it remained for three consecutive weeks. It remained in the top 10 for 13 weeks and in the top 40 for 22 weeks.
"My Lovin'" reached number four on the UK Singles Chart due to a performance of the single by En Vogue on the UK music show Top Of The Pops, becoming the group's highest-charting single there. In addition, it reached number nine in Ireland, number 10 in Canada and the Netherlands, and number 11 in New Zealand.

## Retrospective review

In a 2017 retrospective review, Quentin Harrison from Albumism noted the "soul sass" of the song. AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis felt that it "combined perfect harmonies, street sass, and 1990s female assertion to create one of the biggest hits of 1992, as well as a catch phrase which became ubiquitous in popular culture." Another AllMusic editor, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, described it as "swaggering". Daryl Easlea for BBC in 2009 noted its "pop sensibility". Christine Werthman from Complex said the song "isn’t some polite rejection; it’s a hope-the-door-hits-your-ass-on-your-way-out tell-off. Maybe next time, you'll give your woman a little respect, Robinson taunts. That just as well may have been an 'R-E-S-P-E-C-T' as the four divas say everything the Chiffons never could." In a 2020 retrospective review, Pop Rescue named it "a masterpiece!" Laura Checkoway from Vibe wrote that on the song, En Vogue was "sassy" and "assertive".

## Music video

The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Matthew Rolston in February 1992. The video features the group singing the song, intercut with footage of two male backup dancers, clad in zentai, dancing. The video was inspired by the "Big Spender" number from the musical Sweet Charity. It was nominated in six categories at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards including Best Group Video, Best Dance Video, Best Direction in a Video, Best Editing in a Video and Best Cinematography in a Video, and won in the category for Best Choreography with choreographers Frank Gatson Jr., Travis Payne and LaVelle Smith Jr. receiving the award.

## Impact and legacy

NME ranked "My Lovin'" No. 8 in their list of "Singles of the Year" in December 1992.
The Village Voice ranked the song No. 37 in their list of "Top Singles of the 90's" in 1999.
Blender ranked it No. 148 on their list of "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born" in 2005. They wrote: "Before En Vogue, girl-group harmonies hadn't been heard in such force on the pop charts for three decades. With Maxine Jones and Dawn Robinson singing lead, this was a female-empowerment anthem that would have done Lilith Fair proud-the repeated harmonized chanting of "You're never gonna get it" was a kiss-off par excellence. The song-and the group-were anachronisms. It was unprocessed feistiness and sass, just before hip-hop took out a monopoly on swagger."
Pitchfork Media ranked it the 166th best track of the 1990s, commenting that "With simmering (not shimmering) James Brown guitars, fidgety new-jack beats, and tightly harmonized "ooh BOP"s, funky divas Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones, Terry Ellis, and Dawn Robinson gave the Sister Act era its "Respect"."
Slant Magazine ranked the song No. 39 in its "The 100 Best Singles of the 1990s"-list in 2011. Billboard named the song No. 6 on their list of "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time" and No. 471 in their "Best Pop Songs of All Time" list in October 2023. The magazine praised its "magic moment"; "The a cappella breakdown that hits about 3:30 in is a showstopping demonstration of the foursome’s butter-smooth vocal harmonies."
The song appeared in the movies The To Do List and Central Intelligence. The song was also featured in numerous TV series such as Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Derry Girls, Euphoria, and Mayor of Kingstown. It also appeared in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, where it can be heard on a fictional radio station CSR 103.9.
The song was featured in the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race, being performed by contestants Nicole Paige Brooks and Raven in a "lipsync for your life".

### Accolades

| Year | Publisher | Country | Accolade | Rank |
| 1992 | NME | United Kingdom | "Singles of the Year" | 8 |
| 1992 | The Village Voice | United States | "Singles of the Year" | 4 |
| 1999 | The Village Voice | United States | "Top Singles of the 90's" | 37 |
| 2004 | Q | United Kingdom | "The 1010 Songs You Must Own" | * |
| 2005 | Blender | United States | "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born" | 148 |
| 2005 | Bruce Pollock | United States | "The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000" | * |
| 2007 | VH1 | United States | "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s" | 43 |
| 2010 | Pitchfork | United States | "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s" | 166 |
| 2011 | Slant Magazine | United States | "The 100 Best Singles of the 1990s" | 39 |
| 2012 | Complex | United States | "The Best 90s R&B Songs" | 19 |
| 2015 | Robert Dimery | United States | "1,001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die", and "10,001 You Must Download (2015 Update)" | * |
| 2017 | Billboard | United States | "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time" | 6 |
| 2019 | Billboard | United States | "Billboard's Top Songs of the '90s" | 209 |
| 2022 | Pitchfork | United States | "The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s" | 172 |
| 2023 | Billboard | United States | "Best Pop Songs of All Time" | 471 |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Result |
| 1992 | MTV Video Music Award | Best Choreography | Won |
| 1992 | MTV Video Music Award | Best Group Video | Nominated |
| 1992 | MTV Video Music Award | Best Dance Video | Nominated |
| 1992 | MTV Video Music Award | Best Direction | Nominated |
| 1992 | MTV Video Music Award | Best Editing | Nominated |
| 1992 | MTV Video Music Award | Best Cinematography | Nominated |

## Track listing

* US 12-inch single
* "My Lovin'" (Theo's Cheaptrick remix) – 6:46
* "My Lovin'" (Radio Active) – 4:50
* "My Lovin'" (The Morning After dub) – 5:37
* "My Lovin'" (Hyperradio) – 5:13
* UK CD single
* "My Lovin'" (radio edit) – 4:16
* "My Lovin'" (extended) – 5:03
* "My Lovin'" (LP version) – 4:44
* "My Lovin'" (extended edit) – 4:11
* US CD single
* "My Lovin'" (Radio Active #2) – 4:41
* "My Lovin'" (Hyper radio mix) – 5:12
* "My Lovin'" (Theo's Cheaptrick remix) – 4:41

## Personnel

* Production – Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy
* Remixing – Theo Mizuhara
* Executive production – Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | 500,000$^^$ |
| $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||

## Release history

| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) |
| United States | March 11, 1992 | 7-inch vinyl12-inch vinylcassette | EastWest America |
| United States | March 16, 1992 | Radio airplay | EastWest America |
| United Kingdom | March 16, 1992 | 7-inch vinyl12-inch vinylCDcassette | EastWest |
| Japan | April 25, 1992 | Mini-CD | EastWest America |