I Wanna Sex You Up

A reviewer from Cashbox described the song as "naughty and suggestive yet not particularly explicit R&B/pop".{{cite magazine|title= Pop Reviews: Singles |magazine= Cashbox |date= April 27, 1991 |page= 5 |access-date= October 31, 2020 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1991/CB-1991-04-27.pdf}} Arion Berger from Entertainment Weekly complimented it as "irresistible".Berger, Arion (August 9, 1991). "C.M.B.". Entertainment Weekly. Dennis Hunt from Los Angeles Times found that all it "has going for it is sexy lyrics."{{cite news|first=Dennis|last=Hunt|title=In Brief|work=Los Angeles Times|date=September 15, 1991|page=|accessdate=January 22, 2023|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-15-ca-3486-story.html}} James Hamilton from Music Week's RM Dance Update called it a "sweetly cooing young guys crooned gorgeous sineous sexy swayer".{{cite magazine|first= James |last= Hamilton |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1991/MW-1991-05-04.pdf |title= DJ Directory: Hot Vinyl |magazine= Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert) |date= May 4, 1991 |page= 6 |access-date= October 3, 2020 |author-link= James Hamilton (DJ and journalist)}} Stephen Holden from New York Times wrote, "'I Wanna Sex You Up' has a loping pop Latin beat that is similar to the Young Rascals' 'Groovin'' and Laura Nyro's 'Stoned Soul Picnic', and a piercing lead vocal by Bryan Abrams, whose voice resembles that of the late-1960's Stevie Wonder."Holden, Stephen (May 8, 1991). "The Pop Life". New York Times. David Fricke from Rolling Stone declared it as "a crafty blend of doo-wop doo-wah and hip-hop clatter so irresistible it makes you willing to forgive the utter banality of the lyrics."Fricke, David (December 12, 1991-December 26, 1991). "The year in records". Rolling Stone. Issue 619/620. Mark Frith from Smash Hits felt that Color Me Badd "sound excellent" when "they do manage to break into a sweat", like on "I Wanna Sex You Up".{{cite magazine|first= Mark |last= Frith |title= Review: LPs |magazine= Smash Hits |date= August 7, 1991 |page= 46 |access-date= October 20, 2020 |url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/smashhits90s/31206939338/in/album-72157702019922435/ |author-link= Mark Frith}}

Alex Henderson from AllMusic named the song as one of the "moments" on the C.M.B. album, describing it as a slow jam which samples rapper Slick Rick "in a rather clever fashion".{{cite web|first= Alex |last= Henderson |title= Color Me Badd – C.M.B. |publisher= AllMusic |access-date= November 4, 2020 |url= https://www.allmusic.com/album/cmb-mw0000264421}} "I Wanna Sex You Up" was ranked number 40 on Blender's list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever"[http://www.blender.com/lists/61412/the50worstsongseverwatchlistenandcringe.html?p=3 The 50 Worst Songs Ever! Watch, Listen and Cringe!] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226224442/http://www.blender.com/lists/61412/the50worstsongseverwatchlistenandcringe.html?p=3 |date=December 26, 2010 }} from Blender.com and VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s".{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} In a 2017 retrospective review, Pop Rescue commented, "This song stood out from the rest of the charts when it was released in the UK, and that along with the boys’ breathy sexy promises and the inclusion of ‘sex’ in the song title made this track a sure-fire hit. Musically it's quite a simple song, allowing the vocals to really shine here – and to their credit, their vocals worth together really well."{{cite web|url=https://poprescue.com/2017/03/29/review-c-m-b-by-color-me-badd-1991-cd/|title=Review: "C. M. B" by Color Me Badd (CD, 1991)|publisher=Pop Rescue|date=March 29, 2017|access-date=October 4, 2020}}

The song spent three weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart and reached number two for four consecutive weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was the 10th-best-selling single of 1991 in the UK and the second-best-selling single of the year in the US. In 1992 the song won the group a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo and Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Song of the Year.

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• 7-inch single

1. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Master mix) – 4:05
2. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Smoothed Out mix) – 3:38

• 12-inch maxi

1. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Smoothed Out mix) – 3:38
2. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Smoothed Out—long version) – 5:13
3. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (instrumental) – 4:04
4. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Master mix) – 4:05
5. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Freeze mix) – 4:06

• CD single

1. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Master mix) – 4:06
2. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Smoothed Out mix / long version) – 5:13
3. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Freeze mix) – 4:07
4. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (instrumental) – 4:04

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• CD maxi

1. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Smoothed Out mix) – 3:39
2. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Smoothed Out mix—long version) – 5:14
3. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (instrumental) – 4:04
4. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Master mix) – 4:05
5. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Freeze mix) – 4:07

• Cassette

1. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Master mix)
2. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Smoothed Out mix)
3. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Master mix)
4. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Smoothed Out mix)

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• Co-production : Howie Tee, Spyderman
• Engineering : Angela Piva, Warren Woods
• Mastering: Eddy Schreyer
• Mixing: Dr. Freeze, Howie Tee
• Production : Dr. Freeze

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{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1991|certyear=1991|certref=|access-date=April 29, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Color Me Badd|title=I Wanna Sex You Up|award=Platinum|relyear=1991|id=1991-09-27|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|certyear=1991}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Color Me Badd|title=I Wanna Sex You Up|award=Silver|relyear=1991|certyear=1991|id=3155-830-1|access-date=April 29, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Color Me Badd|title=I Wanna Sex You Up|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1991|certyear=1991|access-date=April 29, 2020|refname="riaa"}}

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A sample of "I Wanna Sex You Up" was used in the Kardinal Beats remix of "Tick Tock" by Lemar.{{cite web | url = http://www.rcalabelgroup.co.uk/releases/417/ | title = Lemar – Tick Tock | author = RCA | author-link = RCA | access-date = July 1, 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927021523/http://www.rcalabelgroup.co.uk/releases/417/ | archive-date = September 27, 2007 }}

• R&B number-one hits of 1991 (USA)
• List of number-one singles from the 1990s (UK)
• List of number-one singles in 1991 (NZ)

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.whosampled.com/Color-Me-Badd/I-Wanna-Sex-You-Up Whosampled]

{{Color Me Badd}}

{{American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Song}}

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Category:1991 debut singles

Category:1991 songs

Category:Color Me Badd songs

Category:Giant Records (Warner) singles

Category:Music videos directed by Lionel C. Martin

Category:Music Week number-one dance singles

Category:New jack swing songs

Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand

Category:Song recordings produced by Dr. Freeze

Category:Songs written by Dr. Freeze

Category:UK singles chart number-one singles