Again (Janet Jackson song)
Encyclopedia
"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.
at the 66th Academy Awards
, where Jackson performed the song live. The janet. jazz-funk
y 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
.
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
.
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.
on his 2010 single "Solo
".
U.S. CD maxi single (V25H-38411)
CD single
UK CD maxi single (VSCDG 1481)
Japanese 3" CD single (VJDP-10212)
UK 7" single (VS1481)
U.S. 7" promo single (S717582)
Japanese CD single (VJCP-12021)
UK CD single (VSCDX1481)(limited edition with calendar
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.
at the 66th Academy Awards
, where Jackson performed the song live. The janet. jazz-funk
y 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
.
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
.
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.
on his 2010 single "Solo
".
U.S. CD maxi single (V25H-38411)
CD single
UK CD maxi single (VSCDG 1481)
Japanese 3" CD single (VJDP-10212)
UK 7" single (VS1481)
U.S. 7" promo single (S717582)
Japanese CD single (VJCP-12021)
UK CD single (VSCDX1481)(limited edition with calendar
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.
at the 66th Academy Awards
, where Jackson performed the song live. The janet. jazz-funk
y 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
.
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
.
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.
on his 2010 single "Solo
".
U.S. CD maxi single (V25H-38411)
CD single
UK CD maxi single (VSCDG 1481)
Japanese 3" CD single (VJDP-10212)
UK 7" single (VS1481)
U.S. 7" promo single (S717582)
Japanese CD single (VJCP-12021)
UK CD single (VSCDX1481)(limited edition with calendar
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
from her fifth studio album, janet.
Janet.
Janet is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released on May 18, 1993 by Virgin Records. Prior to its release, Jackson was at the center of a high-profile bidding war over her recording contract. Her original label A&M sought to renew her contract, while others, such...
(1993). Written and produced by Jackson, James Harris III, and Terry Lewis
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
, the ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
was released as the album's third single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in October 1993. "Again" topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in late 1993 and received nominations for the Golden Globe
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
and Academy Award
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
for Best Original Song.
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 SongAcademy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
at the 66th Academy Awards
66th Academy Awards
The 66th Academy Awards were presented March 21, 1994, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The show was landmark in that it featured a female African American host for the first time, Whoopi Goldberg, and represented a direct contrast in edgy style from Billy Crystal who had hosted the...
, where Jackson performed the song live. The janet. jazz-funk
Jazz-funk
Jazz-funk is a sub-genre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat , electrified sounds, and often, the presence of the first electronic analog synthesizers...
y track "Funky Big Band" appears on the single as a B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
. A French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
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
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, staying atop for two weeks.
Since its release, Jackson has performed the song on all of her tours, including the janet. Tour
Janet. Tour
The Janet. World Tour is the second concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. It was launched in support of her fifth studio album Janet . It began in November, 1993 and continued through April, 1995...
, The Velvet Rope Tour
The Velvet Rope Tour
The Velvet Rope World Tour is the third concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Launched in support of her sixth studio album The Velvet Rope , the tour embarked on an international trek that included Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.Due to the fact...
, All for You Tour
All for You Tour
The All for You Tour was a worldwide concert tour in 2001 by American pop/R&B singer Janet Jackson in support of her multi-platinum album All for You...
, and Rock Witchu Tour
Rock Witchu Tour
The Rock Witchu Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Janet Jackson, in support of her tenth studio album Discipline. This was Jackson's first tour in nearly seven years. The tour visited North America...
. It was also included in her current tour, Number Ones: Up Close and Personal
Number Ones: Up Close and Personal
Number Ones: Up Close and Personal is the sixth concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Described as her "largest world tour", the show is in support of her second compilation album, Number Ones...
where it was dedicated to Phoenix, Ariz and Oslo, Norway. She also performed it on the season 9 finale of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
.
Composition
"Again" is set in common timeCommon Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a key of C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
. 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
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
being set like C–Am–C–G/F–G in the first verse and C–Em–Am–G/F in the chorus
Chorus effect
In music, a chorus effect occurs when individual sounds with roughly the same timbre and nearly the same pitch converge and are perceived as one...
.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was directed by Jackson's then-husband René Elizondo, Jr. in 1993. It features actor Gary Dourdan
Gary Dourdan
Gary Robert Dourdan is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Warrick Brown on the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.-Early years:...
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.
Janet. (video)
Janet is a video compilation released by American R&B/pop singer Janet Jackson.-Release information:Released on VHS on November 15, 1994, it was Jackson's first compilation of music videos produced under her then-label Virgin Records...
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 IyazIyaz
Keidran Jones , better known by his stage name Iyaz, is a singer signed with the record label Beluga Heights Records from the British Virgin Islands. His debut single "Replay", was released in 2009 and reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, number-one in the UK, Australia and the top ten...
on his 2010 single "Solo
Solo (Iyaz song)
"Solo" is a song performed by British Virgin Islands recording artist Iyaz. It is the second single released from his album titled "Replay", released on 8 June 2010. The single "Solo" was produced by J. R. Rotem and written by August Rigo. It was released for digital download on 9 February 2010 and...
".
Track listings
U.S. promo CD single (DPRO-12801)- Album Version – 3:44
- Piano/Vocal – 3:48
- Instrumental – 3:50
U.S. CD maxi single (V25H-38411)
CD single
UK CD maxi single (VSCDG 1481)
- Album Version – 3:44
- Piano/Vocal – 3:48
- Instrumental – 3:50
- "Funky Big Band" – 5:25
Japanese 3" CD single (VJDP-10212)
UK 7" single (VS1481)
U.S. 7" promo single (S717582)
- Album Version – 3:44
- Piano/Vocal – 3:48
Japanese CD single (VJCP-12021)
UK CD single (VSCDX1481)(limited edition with calendar
- Album Version – 3:44
- Piano/Vocal – 3:48
- French Version – 3:50
- "That's the Way Love Goes" (We Aimista Win Mix) – 5:38
Official versions
- Album Version – 3:47
- Instrumental – 3:50
- Piano/Vocal – 3:46
- French Version – 3:50
Peak positions
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
19 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
31 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
20 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 20 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
12 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
7 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
4 |
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
59 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
29 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
13 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
5 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
20 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 74 |
| End of year chart (1994) | Position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |
End of decade charts
| Chart (1990-1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 56 |
Chart procession and succession
"Again" is a song by American singer Janet JacksonJanet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
from her fifth studio album, janet.
Janet.
Janet is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released on May 18, 1993 by Virgin Records. Prior to its release, Jackson was at the center of a high-profile bidding war over her recording contract. Her original label A&M sought to renew her contract, while others, such...
(1993). Written and produced by Jackson, James Harris III, and Terry Lewis
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
, the ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
was released as the album's third single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in October 1993. "Again" topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in late 1993 and received nominations for the Golden Globe
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
and Academy Award
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
for Best Original Song.
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 SongAcademy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
at the 66th Academy Awards
66th Academy Awards
The 66th Academy Awards were presented March 21, 1994, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The show was landmark in that it featured a female African American host for the first time, Whoopi Goldberg, and represented a direct contrast in edgy style from Billy Crystal who had hosted the...
, where Jackson performed the song live. The janet. jazz-funk
Jazz-funk
Jazz-funk is a sub-genre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat , electrified sounds, and often, the presence of the first electronic analog synthesizers...
y track "Funky Big Band" appears on the single as a B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
. A French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
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
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, staying atop for two weeks.
Since its release, Jackson has performed the song on all of her tours, including the janet. Tour
Janet. Tour
The Janet. World Tour is the second concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. It was launched in support of her fifth studio album Janet . It began in November, 1993 and continued through April, 1995...
, The Velvet Rope Tour
The Velvet Rope Tour
The Velvet Rope World Tour is the third concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Launched in support of her sixth studio album The Velvet Rope , the tour embarked on an international trek that included Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.Due to the fact...
, All for You Tour
All for You Tour
The All for You Tour was a worldwide concert tour in 2001 by American pop/R&B singer Janet Jackson in support of her multi-platinum album All for You...
, and Rock Witchu Tour
Rock Witchu Tour
The Rock Witchu Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Janet Jackson, in support of her tenth studio album Discipline. This was Jackson's first tour in nearly seven years. The tour visited North America...
. It was also included in her current tour, Number Ones: Up Close and Personal
Number Ones: Up Close and Personal
Number Ones: Up Close and Personal is the sixth concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Described as her "largest world tour", the show is in support of her second compilation album, Number Ones...
where it was dedicated to Phoenix, Ariz and Oslo, Norway. She also performed it on the season 9 finale of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
.
Composition
"Again" is set in common timeCommon Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a key of C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
. 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
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
being set like C–Am–C–G/F–G in the first verse and C–Em–Am–G/F in the chorus
Chorus effect
In music, a chorus effect occurs when individual sounds with roughly the same timbre and nearly the same pitch converge and are perceived as one...
.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was directed by Jackson's then-husband René Elizondo, Jr. in 1993. It features actor Gary Dourdan
Gary Dourdan
Gary Robert Dourdan is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Warrick Brown on the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.-Early years:...
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.
Janet. (video)
Janet is a video compilation released by American R&B/pop singer Janet Jackson.-Release information:Released on VHS on November 15, 1994, it was Jackson's first compilation of music videos produced under her then-label Virgin Records...
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 IyazIyaz
Keidran Jones , better known by his stage name Iyaz, is a singer signed with the record label Beluga Heights Records from the British Virgin Islands. His debut single "Replay", was released in 2009 and reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, number-one in the UK, Australia and the top ten...
on his 2010 single "Solo
Solo (Iyaz song)
"Solo" is a song performed by British Virgin Islands recording artist Iyaz. It is the second single released from his album titled "Replay", released on 8 June 2010. The single "Solo" was produced by J. R. Rotem and written by August Rigo. It was released for digital download on 9 February 2010 and...
".
Track listings
U.S. promo CD single (DPRO-12801)- Album Version – 3:44
- Piano/Vocal – 3:48
- Instrumental – 3:50
U.S. CD maxi single (V25H-38411)
CD single
UK CD maxi single (VSCDG 1481)
- Album Version – 3:44
- Piano/Vocal – 3:48
- Instrumental – 3:50
- "Funky Big Band" – 5:25
Japanese 3" CD single (VJDP-10212)
UK 7" single (VS1481)
U.S. 7" promo single (S717582)
- Album Version – 3:44
- Piano/Vocal – 3:48
Japanese CD single (VJCP-12021)
UK CD single (VSCDX1481)(limited edition with calendar
- Album Version – 3:44
- Piano/Vocal – 3:48
- French Version – 3:50
- "That's the Way Love Goes" (We Aimista Win Mix) – 5:38
Official versions
- Album Version – 3:47
- Instrumental – 3:50
- Piano/Vocal – 3:46
- French Version – 3:50
Peak positions
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
19 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
31 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
20 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 20 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
12 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
7 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
4 |
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
59 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
29 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
13 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
5 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
20 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 74 |
| End of year chart (1994) | Position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |
End of decade charts
| Chart (1990-1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 56 |
Chart procession and succession
"Again" is a song by American singer Janet JacksonJanet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
from her fifth studio album, janet.
Janet.
Janet is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released on May 18, 1993 by Virgin Records. Prior to its release, Jackson was at the center of a high-profile bidding war over her recording contract. Her original label A&M sought to renew her contract, while others, such...
(1993). Written and produced by Jackson, James Harris III, and Terry Lewis
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
, the ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
was released as the album's third single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in October 1993. "Again" topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in late 1993 and received nominations for the Golden Globe
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
and Academy Award
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
for Best Original Song.
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 SongAcademy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
at the 66th Academy Awards
66th Academy Awards
The 66th Academy Awards were presented March 21, 1994, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The show was landmark in that it featured a female African American host for the first time, Whoopi Goldberg, and represented a direct contrast in edgy style from Billy Crystal who had hosted the...
, where Jackson performed the song live. The janet. jazz-funk
Jazz-funk
Jazz-funk is a sub-genre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat , electrified sounds, and often, the presence of the first electronic analog synthesizers...
y track "Funky Big Band" appears on the single as a B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
. A French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
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
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, staying atop for two weeks.
Since its release, Jackson has performed the song on all of her tours, including the janet. Tour
Janet. Tour
The Janet. World Tour is the second concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. It was launched in support of her fifth studio album Janet . It began in November, 1993 and continued through April, 1995...
, The Velvet Rope Tour
The Velvet Rope Tour
The Velvet Rope World Tour is the third concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Launched in support of her sixth studio album The Velvet Rope , the tour embarked on an international trek that included Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.Due to the fact...
, All for You Tour
All for You Tour
The All for You Tour was a worldwide concert tour in 2001 by American pop/R&B singer Janet Jackson in support of her multi-platinum album All for You...
, and Rock Witchu Tour
Rock Witchu Tour
The Rock Witchu Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Janet Jackson, in support of her tenth studio album Discipline. This was Jackson's first tour in nearly seven years. The tour visited North America...
. It was also included in her current tour, Number Ones: Up Close and Personal
Number Ones: Up Close and Personal
Number Ones: Up Close and Personal is the sixth concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Described as her "largest world tour", the show is in support of her second compilation album, Number Ones...
where it was dedicated to Phoenix, Ariz and Oslo, Norway. She also performed it on the season 9 finale of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
.
Composition
"Again" is set in common timeCommon Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a key of C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
. 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
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
being set like C–Am–C–G/F–G in the first verse and C–Em–Am–G/F in the chorus
Chorus effect
In music, a chorus effect occurs when individual sounds with roughly the same timbre and nearly the same pitch converge and are perceived as one...
.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was directed by Jackson's then-husband René Elizondo, Jr. in 1993. It features actor Gary Dourdan
Gary Dourdan
Gary Robert Dourdan is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Warrick Brown on the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.-Early years:...
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.
Janet. (video)
Janet is a video compilation released by American R&B/pop singer Janet Jackson.-Release information:Released on VHS on November 15, 1994, it was Jackson's first compilation of music videos produced under her then-label Virgin Records...
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 IyazIyaz
Keidran Jones , better known by his stage name Iyaz, is a singer signed with the record label Beluga Heights Records from the British Virgin Islands. His debut single "Replay", was released in 2009 and reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, number-one in the UK, Australia and the top ten...
on his 2010 single "Solo
Solo (Iyaz song)
"Solo" is a song performed by British Virgin Islands recording artist Iyaz. It is the second single released from his album titled "Replay", released on 8 June 2010. The single "Solo" was produced by J. R. Rotem and written by August Rigo. It was released for digital download on 9 February 2010 and...
".
Track listings
U.S. promo CD single (DPRO-12801)- Album Version – 3:44
- Piano/Vocal – 3:48
- Instrumental – 3:50
U.S. CD maxi single (V25H-38411)
CD single
UK CD maxi single (VSCDG 1481)
- Album Version – 3:44
- Piano/Vocal – 3:48
- Instrumental – 3:50
- "Funky Big Band" – 5:25
Japanese 3" CD single (VJDP-10212)
UK 7" single (VS1481)
U.S. 7" promo single (S717582)
- Album Version – 3:44
- Piano/Vocal – 3:48
Japanese CD single (VJCP-12021)
UK CD single (VSCDX1481)(limited edition with calendar
- Album Version – 3:44
- Piano/Vocal – 3:48
- French Version – 3:50
- "That's the Way Love Goes" (We Aimista Win Mix) – 5:38
Official versions
- Album Version – 3:47
- Instrumental – 3:50
- Piano/Vocal – 3:46
- French Version – 3:50
Peak positions
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
19 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
31 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
20 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 20 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
12 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
7 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
4 |
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
59 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
29 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
13 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
5 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
20 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 74 |
| End of year chart (1994) | Position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |
End of decade charts
| Chart (1990-1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 56 |