It was released as a single on 18 August 1989[6] by Swanyard and SBK Records and was a worldwide hit, reaching number two in the United Kingdom in late 1989 and on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1990.
[1] Technotronic's vocalist Ya Kid K was initially overshadowed by Congolese model Felly Kilingi, who appears lip-syncing in the music video and was featured on the first album cover as a marketing tactic.
[8] Ya Kid K was ultimately recognized upon a U.S. tour and a repackaged album cover that featured her instead of Felly appeared thereafter.
Belgian musician, songwriter, and record producer Jo Bogaert had previously had a few successes in his native Belgium, but struggled with exporting the music to other countries.
Eric Martin), Bogaert used Ya Kid K's lyrics and vocals and they constructed what would become "Pump Up the Jam", a fresh, compelling fusion of hip hop and deep house elements.
[7] On the unexpected success of the song, Bogaert commented, "I knew, yeah, this was a good track, but my farthest expectation was that it would be a club hit.
Although it used Ya Kid K's lyrics and voice on the track, it was Congolese model Felly Kilingi who was pictured on the album and in the accompanying music video.
The reason was because the Belgian ARS record company, who bought the rights to the song, wanted a face fronting it.
[11] Bill Coleman from Billboard complimented "Pump Up the Jam" as "yet another uptempo club track that doesn't try to be anything but a party song.
Memorable hook both instrumentally and in the chorus keeps the crowd humming and is sure to find success stateside when it's released imminently on SBK Records.
"[13] Harry Sumrall from Knight Ridder felt it has "a beat the size of Boston, but Felly also sings with an unstoppable R&B swagger.
"[14] Dennis Hunt from Los Angeles Times named it "a hyperkinetic, booming-bass number that may be the most popular dance-club tune since M.A.R.R.S.'
"[8] Bob Stanley from Melody Maker wrote, "Not only was it a compelling dance music track with a chorus so contagious it could keep you awake at night, it also formed part of the best Top Three in years when it was sandwiched between Black Box and Sidney Youngblood.
"[15] Diana Valois from The Morning Call described it as a "sensuous groove" that "featured an irresistible bass line that threatened to start an avalanches; unleashed in the clubs, it motivated happy dancers instead.
It also reached number-one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and the Cash Box Top 100.
On the Billboard Hot 100, it reached number two, being held off the top spot by Michael Bolton's "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You".
"[32] In 2018, Insomniac said it's "one of the best dance songs of all time, because—while it should have disappeared in our cultural memory as a sort of punchline or joke or some one-hit wonder—it's still an infinitely playable tune that works in literally any dancefloor context.
As a running gag, the 2022 British mockumentary television series Cunk on Earth repeatedly segues to the release of Pump Up the Jam, despite its irrelevance to the historical events being discussed.