Back & Forth (Aaliyah song)

"Back & Forth"
Single by Aaliyah
from the album Age Ain't Nothing
but a Number
Released May 10, 1994
Format CD single, cassette single, 12-inch single
Recorded Chicago Recording Company
(Chicago, Illinois)
Genre Dance,[1] pop[2]
Length 3:51
Label Blackground/Jive
Songwriter(s) R. Kelly
Producer(s) R. Kelly
Aaliyah singles chronology
"Back & Forth"
(1994)		 "At Your Best (You Are Love)"
(1994)

"Back & Forth"
(1994)		 "At Your Best (You Are Love)"
(1994)
Age Ain't Nothing But a Number track listing
"Throw Your Hands Up"
(2)		 "Back & Forth"
(3)		 "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number"
(4)

"Back & Forth" is the debut single performed by singer Aaliyah for her debut studio album Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. The song was written and produced by R&B singer R. Kelly, and chronicles a teenage girl's excitement to celebrate the weekend by going to a party and having fun with her friends. The music video for the song was shot in her hometown of Detroit and features Aaliyah and Kelly performing in a gym with her real-life friends from high school. Kelly performs the rap in the song.

The song was released as the album's lead single in early 1994 (see 1994 in music). It sold 700,000 copies domestically, earning a gold certification from the RIAA on June 9, 1994.[3][4] It spent three weeks at number-one on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart, and peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first single to hit the top-ten. The single was ranked second on the year-end chart of Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs.[5] The single also went top-ten in Canada.

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single-releases of "Back & Forth".

U.S. CD (May 20, 1994)

  1. "Back & Forth" (LP version) - 3:51
  2. "Back & Forth" (Mr. Lee & R. Kelly's Remix) - 3:44
  3. "Back & Forth" (Ms. Mello Remix) - 5:58
  4. "Back & Forth" (Mr. Lee's Club Mix) - 5:40
  5. "Back & Forth" (Ms. Mello Instrumental) - 5:58
  6. "Back & Forth" (Mr. Lee's Bonus Beats) - 5:13

US 12" vinyl
(01241-42173-1; Released: 1994)

Side A

  1. "Back & Forth" (LP version) - 3:51
  2. "Back & Forth" (Mr. Lee & R. Kelly's Remix) - 3:44
  3. "Back & Forth" (Ms. Mello Remix) - 5:58

Side B

  1. "Back & Forth" (Mr. Lee's Club Mix) - 5:40
  2. "Back & Forth" (Ms. Mello Instrumental) - 5:58
  3. "Back & Forth" (Mr. Lee's Bonus Beats) - 5:13

UK CD
(JIVE CD 357; Released: 20 June 1994)

  1. "Back & Forth" (LP version) - 3:51
  2. "Back & Forth" (Mr. Lee & R. Kelly's Remix) - 3:44
  3. "Back & Forth" (UK Flavour - Alternative Mix) - 4:37
  4. "Back & Forth" (Ms. Mello Remix) - 5:58
  5. "Back & Forth" (Mr. Lee's Club Mix) - 5:40

UK 12" vinyl
(JIVE T 357; Released: 1994)

Side A

  1. "Back & Forth" (LP version) - 3:51
  2. "Back & Forth" (Mr. Lee & R. Kelly's Remix) - 3:44
  3. "Back & Forth" (Ms. Mello Remix) - 5:58

Side B

  1. "Back & Forth" (UK Flavour) - 4:37
  2. "Back & Forth" (Mr. Lee's Club Mix) - 5:40

Music video

The music video for "Back & Forth" was directed by Millicent Shelton. "Back & Forth" was filmed in February 1994 as Aaliyah's first music video. It opens with a male entering a (school) gym, bouncing a basketball. When the song kicks in, there are cuts of people entering the gym and people playing basketball. Aaliyah enters wearing baggy clothing, a bandana and shades. She sings the song by the gym's entrance. In other parts of the clip she is seen dancing in the middle of the gymnasium with a crowd moving around her, sitting with R. Kelly in the bleachers and performing on a stage to her fans. The original setting was chosen for the music video in Los Angeles, but was relocated to her hometown of Detroit because of an earthquake.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1994)[6][7] Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart[8] 100
Canada Top 50 Singles 7
Dutch Singles Chart 38
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[9] 10
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart 48
UK Singles Chart 16
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 5
US Billboard Hot R&B Singles & Tracks 1
US Billboard Top 40 Mainstream 16
US Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1994) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[11] 24
U.S. Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Chart[12] 2
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[9] 87

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[13] Gold 700,000[14]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

References

  1. ↑ "A Parent's Guide to Pop Music". Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  2. ↑ "The top 10 best Aaliyah songs". Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "Best-Selling Records of 1994". Billboard. BPI Communications. 107 (3): 57. January 21, 1995. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  4. ↑ "American certifications – Aaliyah – Forth". Recording Industry Association of America.
  5. ↑ "Rock On The Net: Billboard Year-End Chart-Toppers: 1994". Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  6. ↑ "Chart Data: Aaliyah". Mariah Charts. Archived from the original on 17 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
  7. ↑ "allmusic: Aaliyah-Charts & Awards-Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
  8. ↑ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart - Week Ending 16 Oct 1994". ARIA. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  9. 1 2 "DOCOMO OSAKAN HOT 100｜CHART［YEARLY CHART］". Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  10. ↑ "Aaliyah – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Aaliyah.
  11. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 1994". Archived from the original on 2009-03-01. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  12. ↑ "R&B Rap Hip-Hop Year-End Charts - 1994 - Soul System". Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  13. ↑ "American single certifications – Aaliyah – Back & Forth". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 10, 2015. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  14. ↑ "Best-Selling Records of 1994". Billboard. BPI Communications. 107 (3): 57. January 21, 1995. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
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