"Just Dance" is the debut single by American singer Lady Gaga. She co-wrote the song with Akon and his producer RedOne. It also features vocals from Colby O'Donis and was released on April 8, 2008, as the lead single from Gaga's debut studio album, The Fame. The song was written by Gaga in 10 minutes as "a happy record". "Just Dance" lyrically speaks about being intoxicated at a club.
"Just Dance" received acclaim from music critics, who complimented its club anthem-like nature and the sound associated with it. The song was a sleeper hit, spending almost five months on the Billboard Hot 100 before finally peaking at the chart's summit in January 2009. It is certified eleven times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Outside of the United States, "Just Dance" topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, as well as the top ten of the charts in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. The track is among the best-selling singles of all time, having sold over 10 million copies.
Its music video portrayed Gaga appearing in a party where she plays the song, prompting party-goers to start dancing in enjoyment. Gaga compared her experience of shooting the video with being on a Martin Scorsese movie set. "Just Dance" was performed by her in a number of live appearances, such as the Miss Universe 2008, So You Think You Can Dance, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, all of her concert tours, and the Super Bowl LI halftime show. She usually plays on a keytar while performing the song. At the 51st Grammy Awards, "Just Dance" was nominated in the Best Dance Recording category—Gaga's first Grammy nomination.
"Just Dance" was featured in an episode of The Office by the name of "Michael Scott Paper Company", in which Steve Carell's character mistakes it for a Britney Spears song.[94]
"Just Dance" also appears on the 2010 video game Dance Central. The song was also planned to be on the main track list of the video game Just Dance 2, but it was scrapped for unknown reasons. The song eventually made a final appearance in the series in Just Dance 2014. "Just Dance" was also featured in the 2013 romance television film Lovestruck: The Musical.
