This Is for the Lover in You

"This Is for the Lover in You" is a song written by Howard Hewett, member of the trio Shalamar, and songwriter Dana Meyers. The track was originally recorded by Shalamar and appeared on their 1980 Platinum album, Three for Love.

"This Is for the Lover in You"
US 7-inch single of the Shalamar recording
Single by Shalamar
from the album Three for Love
B-side	"Some Things Never Change"
Released	May 25, 1981
Recorded	1980
Length	5:04 (Album version) 3:58 (Single edit)
Label	SOLAR
Songwriter(s)	Howard Hewett Dana Meyers
Producer(s)	Leon Sylvers III
Shalamar singles chronology
"Make That Move" (1981) "This Is for the Lover in You" (1981) "Sweeter as the Days Go By" (1981)

The song was the third single released from their album, Three for Love. The single peaked at No. 17 on the U.S. R&B chart in 1981.

In 2009, Essence magazine included the song in their list of the "25 Best Slow Jams of All Time".^[1]

The song's main melody bears resemblance to Teddy Pendergrass' hit "Close the Door" (1978) and Michael Jackson's hit "Rock with You" (1979).

Charts

Chart (1981)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles	17

Babyface version

"This Is for the Lover in You"
US CD variant of standard artwork
Single by Babyface featuring LL Cool J, Howard Hewett, Jody Watley, and Jeffrey Daniel
from the album The Day
Released	October 5, 1996
Recorded	1996
Genre	R&B hip hop
Length	5:26
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Howard Hewett Dana Meyers
Producer(s)	Babyface Samuel J. Barnes Jean-Claude Olivier James Todd Smith Bryce Wilson
Babyface singles chronology
"Slow Jams" (1996) "This Is for the Lover in You" (1996) "Talk to Me" (1996)
LL Cool J singles chronology
"Loungin'" (1996) "This is for the Lover in You" (1996) "Ain't Nobody" (1996)
Jody Watley singles chronology
"Affection" (1995) "This is for the Lover in You" (1996) "Off the Hook" (1998)

"This Is for the Lover in You" was later remade by American singer, songwriter, and record producer Babyface for his fourth studio album, The Day (1996). It features LL Cool J and the former members of Shalamar: Howard Hewett, Jody Watley, and Jeffrey Daniel.^[2] The Babyface version was a successful hit, reaching #6 on the US Hot 100 chart, #2 on the US R&B chart, and #12 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was considered to be atypical for Babyface when it was released.^[3][4] The song's main melody bears resemblance to Teddy Pendergrass' hit "Close the Door".

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard described Babyface's version as "a smoldering, jeep-fashioned revision" of a Shalamar chestnut that reunites the original members of that act on background vocals. He added, "It's a nice touch, though nothing diverts the ear from Babyface's suave and soulful vocals for longer than a second or two. Added juice is provided by LL Cool J, who freestyles in the background with macho flair—a vibrant contrast to Babyface's performance. No need to speculate on this single's success. Just get used to hearing it on the radio nonstop for the next couple of months."^[5]

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (1996) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[6] 50 Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[7] 14 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[8] 23 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9] 19 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] 12 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[11] 34 UK Singles (OCC)[12] 12 US Billboard Hot 100[13] 6 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[14] 2 US Rhythmic (Billboard)[15] 6

Year-end charts Chart (1996) Position US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[16] 74 Chart (1997) Position US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[17] 61

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[18]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

In 1994, saxophonist Gerald Albright released a rendition from the album Smooth.^[19]

The song was also sampled by British singer Ella Mai for her 2022 single This Is.

The song was sampled by rapper A+ for his song "All I See", recorded for his 1996 debut album The Latch-Key Child.