Can't B Good
| "Can't B Good" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Janet Jackson | ||||||||||
| from the album Discipline | ||||||||||
| Released | March 18, 2008 (Urban adult contemporary radio)[1] | |||||||||
| Format | Digital download | |||||||||
| Genre | R&B | |||||||||
| Length | 4:13 | |||||||||
| Label | Island | |||||||||
| Writer(s) | David DoRohn Gough, Shaffer Smith | |||||||||
| Producer(s) | D. DoRohn Gough, Ne-Yo | |||||||||
| Janet Jackson singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Can't B Good" is a song by American recording artist Janet Jackson, taken from her tenth studio album Discipline (2008). The song was written and produced by D. DoRohn Gough and Ne-Yo, and was released as the fourth and final single from "Discipline", on March 18, 2008. The song is a soulful, "jazzy" R&B track about Janet's relationship with Jermaine Dupri.
The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics who deemed it for being smooth, tender and lovely, picking the song as one of the best tracks on "Discipline", with some others comparing the song to "Human Nature", performed by her brother Michael Jackson. Commercially, the song only managed to reach number 76 on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Background and composition
"Can't B Good" was written and produced by D. DoRohn Gough and Ne-Yo,[2] and even though not writing by herself, Janet described "Can't B Good" as a song reflecting her seven-year relationship with songwriter/producer Jermaine Dupri, saying, "I'd been hurt before, and I was trying to protect myself. I'm glad I allowed myself to accept it. He's very attentive and affectionate, a beautiful soul.[3]
Princess P. of MWZA described the lyrics as "standard falling-in-love-too-deep far," with the thwack of the snare contrasting heavily with the layers of cooing vocals.[4] Musically, the song is a midtempo[5] "smooth and jazzy" ballad,[6] featuring thundering bass, piano,[7] with eighties keyboard sounds and cooing harmonies.[8]
Critical reception
"Can't B Good" reveived mostly positive reviews from music critics. Andy Kellman of Allmusic picked the song as one of the album's best tracks, highlighting that "it's a descendent of her brother Michael's 'Can't Help It,' with that gentle and affecting self-examination that only a Jackson can do so well."[2] Chuck Taylor of Billboard magazine wrote that "'Can't B Good' serves up a smooth, jazzy groove and Jackson's soft, supple vocal, fluffed with multiple background layers that duly merit adult R&B love."[6] Princess P. of MWZA wrote the song resembles "Aaliyah's "Rock the Boat" with a more punishing beat, Michael Jackson's "Butterflies" and/or Janet’s own "Spending Time With You" from "Damita Jo" (2004). She also saw that, "The layers pile and pile so that by the bridge, the song is virtually dizzying", calling it "extremely well-produced."[4] Joan Anderman of Boston Globe perceived the song is "eerily reminiscent of 'Human Nature', one of brother Michael's most elegant records."[9] Margeaux Watson of Entertainment Weekly agreed, calling "a tender throwback to brother Michael's Human Nature."[10]
Ann Powers of Los Angeles Times called it "a waterfall of mixed emotions enfolding a sunlit morning-after," and "the most emotionally vulnerable ballad Jackson's recorded in years."[11] Dan Gennoe of Yahoo! Music wrote that the song "proves that ballads don't have to be inane and that she doesn't have to spell out exactly where she wants it and how to be sexy."[12] Glenn Gamboa of Newsday praised the track, writing that "it could be one of her best."[5] Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian simply wrote that "Can't B Good", "is completely lovely."[13] Andy Battaglia of The A.V. Club called it a "majestic song produced by Ne-Yo, with an ear for those classic Jackson-family quivers and trills."[14] Tom Young of BBC News called it "a potential diamond."[15] For Nick Levine of Digital Spy, the song was created "presumably in a bid to recall classic Jackson ballads like 'Come Back to Me' and 'Let's Wait Awhile', but it's hampered by a crippling lack of melody."[8] Chad Grischow of IGN was less favorable, calling it "cheesy late-eighties ballad, featuring wafer-thin breathy vocals that sounds like someone calling you to their hospital bed rather than the bedroom."[7]
Release and chart performance
"Can't B Good" was released to Urban adult contemporary radio stations on March 18, 2008.[1] A remix of the song was released, featuring Jamaican rapper Red Rat, and produced by HardWork.[16] Also more than 10 unofficial remixes had been released on certain download venues.
"Can't B Good" was the fifth most added song on R&R's Urban AC panel, where it debuted at No. 40 on R&R's Urban AC Chart for the chart week dated March 28, 2008.[17] The song debuted and peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay chart the week ending April 5, 2008.[18] It peaked at No. 76 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[19]
Official versions
- Album version – 4:13
- Radio edit – 3:55[20]
- A cappella – 3:47
- Instrumental – 3:55
- Red Rat Remix – 5:10
- G Music Remix – 4:09[21]
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[19] | 76 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay[18] | 20 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Impact songs - March 18, 2008". Retrieved 2012-06-18.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kellman, Andy. "Discipline – Janet Jackson". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
- ↑ Gardner, Elysa (2008-02-25). "Still youthful Janet Jackson runs on imagination". USA Today. Retrieved 2011-06-26.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 P., Princess (January 23, 2008). "Janet Jackson "Discipline" Album Review". MWZA. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Gamboa, Glenn (February 26, 2008). "Review: Janet Jackson's latest CD 'Discipline'". Newsday. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Can't B Good". Billboard.com. 2008-10-22. Archived from the original on 2008-10-22. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Grischow, Chad (February 28, 2008). "Janet Jackson - Discipline - IGN". IGN. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Janet Jackson: 'Discipline'". Digital Spy. 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-04-30.
- ↑ Anderman, Joan (2008-02-26). "Janet Jackson's hot and heavy act grows old". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
- ↑ Watson, Margeaux (2008-02-15). "Discipline Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
- ↑ Powers, Ann (2008-02-25). "Still nasty after all these years - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
- ↑ "Janet Jackson Discipline Album Review, New album reviews and latest album releases on Yahoo! Music". Yahoo! Music UK. May 2012. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
- ↑ Sullivan, Caroline (2008-03-02). "CD: Janet Jackson, Discipline". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 2010-07-19.
- ↑ Battaglia, Andy (March 10, 2008). "Janet Jackson: Discipline | The A.V. Club". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ↑ Young, Tom (2008). "BBC - Music - Review of Janet Jackson - Discipline". BBC News. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ↑ "Red Rat remix". JamaicaObserver.com. 2008-06-05. Archived from the original on 2008-06-05. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
- ↑ "R&R - Radio & Records, Inc". Radioandrecords.com. Archived from the original on 2009-03-14. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Billboard Adult R&B Airplay". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ↑ "Janet Jackson - Can't B Good (CDr) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
- ↑ "Janet* - Can't B Good (CDr) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
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