Released: February 4, 1986

Songwriter: Jimmy Jam Terry Lewis Janet Jackson

Producer: Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

[Intro]
"What's up, girl?"
"He stood me up again"
"Again?"
"Mmhmm"
"Well, what's up with this guy?
Do you really like him that much?"
"Yes honey, I love him, he is fun
He does a lot of nice things for me"
I know he used to do nice stuff for you
But what has he done for you lately?

[Verse 1]
Used to be a time when you would pamper me
Used to brag about it all the time
Your friends seem to think that you're so peachy keen
But my friends say neglect is on your mind
Who's right?

[Refrain]
What have you done for me lately?
Ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah
What have you done for me lately?
Ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah

[Verse 2]
Used to go to dinner almost every night
Dancing 'til I thought I'd lose my breath (Ah)
Now it seems your dancing feet are always on my couch
Good thing I cook or else we'd starve to death
Ain't that a shame?

[Refrain]
What have you done for me lately?
Ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah
What have you done for me lately?
Ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah

[Bridge]
I never ask for more than I deserve
You know it's the truth
You seem to think you're God's gift to this Earth
I'm telling you, no way
You ought to be thankful for the little things
But little things are all you seem to give
You're always putting off what we can do today
Soap opera says, you've got one life to live
Who's right, who's wrong?

[Refrain]
What have you done for me lately?
Ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah
What have you done for me lately?
Ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah
What have you done for me lately?
Ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah
What have you done for me lately?
Ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah
Get with it
What have you done for me lately?
Ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah
What have you done for me lately?
Ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah
What have you done for me lately?
Ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah
What have you done for me lately?
Ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah
What have you done for me lately?
Ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah
What have you done for me lately? (This is wild, I swear)

Janet Jackson

Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an iconic R&B/pop artist who has sold over 100 million records worldwide and has amassed a number of awards in her illustrious music career.

Born in Gary, Indiana on May 16, 1966, Janet is the youngest of the Jackson family, who rose to prominence a few years after her birth when they signed with Motown Records. Janet joined the family business when she appeared on The Jacksons variety show in 1976, leading to her role as Penny Gordon in Season 5 of the CBS sitcom Good Times. She released two overlooked albums in the early 1980s—Janet Jackson (1982) and Dream Street (1984)—and continued to act during this time, appearing in Diff'rent Strokes and Fame.

The legend of Janet was created after she connected with the legendary Minneapolis production duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis to work on her seminal third album, Control. Control and her following album, 1989’s Rhythm Nation 1814, featured several #1 pop hits and made her a worldwide superstar. The trio would go on work on Janet’s subsequent hit albums, including janet., The Velvet Rope, as well as her 2015 comeback album, Unbreakable.