Again (Janet Jackson song)

"Again"
Single by Janet Jackson
from the album janet.
B-side "Funky Big Band"
Released October 12, 1993
Format CD single, 7" single, 12" single, cassette single
Recorded September 1992; Flyte Tyme Studios
(Edina, Minnesota)
Genre Pop
Length 3:47
Label Virgin
Writer(s) Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis
Producer Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Certification Platinum (RIAA)
Janet Jackson singles chronology
"If"
(1993)
"Again"
(1993)
"Because of Love"
(1994)

"Again" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her fifth studio album, janet. (1993). Written and produced by Jackson, James Harris III, and Terry Lewis, the ballad was released as the album's third single in October 1993. "Again" topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in late 1993 and received nominations for the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Original Song.[1][2]

Contents

Song information

Based on a lost love, "Again" was included as the closing song to her 1993 box-office film debut in Poetic Justice. While not included on its soundtrack album, the song was nominated for Best Original Song at the 66th Academy Awards, where Jackson performed the song live. The janet. jazz-funky track "Funky Big Band" appears on the single as a B-side. A French version of the song was also recorded by Jackson and appears on the CD single as well as the limited edition of the janet. album. The track became her seventh number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, staying atop for two weeks.

Since its release, Jackson has performed the song on all of her tours, including the janet. Tour, The Velvet Rope Tour, All for You Tour, and Rock Witchu Tour. It was also included in her current tour, Number Ones: Up Close and Personal where it was dedicated to Phoenix, Ariz and Oslo, Norway. She also performed it on the season 9 finale of American Idol.

Composition

"Again" is set in common time with a key of C major. Jackson's vocal chords ranges between the tonal nodes of high-tone G3 to low-tone D5. The song is in a moderate tempo of 64 beats per minute with the chord progression being set like C–Am–C–G/F–G in the first verse and C–Em–Am–G/F in the chorus.[3]

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by Jackson's then-husband René Elizondo, Jr. in 1993. It features actor Gary Dourdan as Jackson's lost love, with Jackson writing in her diary as she reminisces about her love through flashbacks. The alternate version of the video contains scenes from Poetic Justice playing on a television. The original video appears on the 1994 compilation janet. and the 2004 DVD From janet. to Damita Jo: The Videos, while the Poetic Justice version is included on the 2001 DVD edition of All for You.

Covers and samples

The song was sampled by Iyaz on his 2010 single "Solo".[4]

Track listings

U.S. promo CD single (DPRO-12801)[5]
  1. Album version – 3:44
  2. Piano/Vocal – 3:48
  3. Instrumental – 3:50
U.S. CD maxi single (V25H-38411)[6]
CD single
UK CD maxi single (VSCDG 1481)[7]
  1. Album version – 3:44
  2. Piano/Vocal – 3:48
  3. Instrumental – 3:50
  4. "Funky Big Band" – 5:25
Japanese 3" CD single (VJDP-10212)[8]
UK 7" single (VS1481)[9]
U.S. 7" promo single (S717582)[10]
  1. Album version – 3:44
  2. Piano/Vocal – 3:48
Japanese CD single (VJCP-12021)[11]
UK CD single (VSCDX1481) (limited edition with calendar)[12]
  1. Album version – 3:44
  2. Piano/Vocal – 3:48
  3. French version – 3:50
  4. "That's the Way Love Goes" (We Aimista Win Mix) – 5:38

Official versions

Charts

Peak positions

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[13] 19
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[14] 31
Dutch Top 40[15] 20
Finnish Singles Chart[16] 20
Irish Singles Chart[17] 12
UK Singles Chart[18] 6
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[19] 1
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[19] 7
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary[19] 4
Chart (1994) Peak
position
French Singles Chart[20] 59
German Singles Chart[21] 29
New Zealand Singles Chart[13] 13
Swedish Singles Chart[13] 5
Swiss Singles Chart[13] 20

End-of-year charts

End-of-year chart (1993) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[22] 74
End of year chart (1994) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[23] 12

End-of-decade charts

Chart (1990–1999) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[24] 56

Chart procession and succession

Preceded by
"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meat Loaf
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
December 11, 1993 – December 18, 1993
Succeeded by
"Hero" by Mariah Carey

References

  1. ^ Biddle, Frederic M. (1994-03-22), "Fashion and fame team on Oscar night", The Boston Globe: 61 
  2. ^ HFPA - Awards Search, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, 1993, http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/member/30554, retrieved 2010-09-18 
  3. ^ "Janet Jackson - Again Sheet Music (Digital Download)". MusicNotes. Alfred Publishing. http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0074897. Retrieved 2009-12-24. 
  4. ^ Again Songfacts
  5. ^ Janet Jackson - Again
  6. ^ Janet Jackson - Again
  7. ^ Janet Jackson - Again
  8. ^ Janet Jackson Again Japan 3" CD SINGLE (21637)
  9. ^ Janet Jackson Again UK 7" Yellow Vinyl Single (192890)
  10. ^ Janet Jackson Again - Gold Vinyl USA Promo 7" RECORD (22837)
  11. ^ Janet Jackson Again Japan 5" CD SINGLE (86871)
  12. ^ Janet Jackson Again UK 5" CD SINGLE (32384)
  13. ^ a b c d "Janet Jackson – Again – swisscharts.com". swisscharts.com. http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Janet+Jackson&titel=Again&cat=s. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 
  14. ^ "Janet in Belgium". MJJ Charts. http://www.mjjcharts.com/BelgiumJanet.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 
  15. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 48 – 1993" (in Dutch). Top 40. http://www.top40.nl/index.aspx?week=48&jaar=1993. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 
  16. ^ "Janet in Finland". MJJ Charts. http://www.mjjcharts.com/FinlandJanet.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 
  17. ^ "The Irish Charts". IRMA. http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 
  18. ^ "Chart Stats – Janet Jackson – Again". Chart Stats. http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=21396. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 
  19. ^ a b c "janet. > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r170306. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 
  20. ^ "Janet in France". MJJ Charts. http://books.google.com/books?id=tynOwh1E_GAC&pg=PA9&dq=%22other+chart+action%22+%22again%22+%22janet%22+%221993%22&lr=&cd=1. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 
  21. ^ "Musicline.de – Janet Jackson – Again" (in German). Musicline.de. http://musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/title/JACKSON%2CJANET/Again/single. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 
  22. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1993". http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1993. Retrieved 2010-08-27. 
  23. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1994". http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1994. Retrieved 2010-08-27. 
  24. ^ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). "1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s". Billboard. http://books.google.co.kr/books?id=9w0EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&lr&rview=1&pg=RA1-PA4#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved October 15, 2010.