One in a Million (Aaliyah song)
Encyclopedia
"One in a Million" is an R&B
song by American
recording artist Aaliyah
from her second studio album
, One in a Million (1996
). The song was the third main single from One in a Million following "Got to Give It Up
", but in North America the song was the second single, because "Got to Give It Up" was not released until 1998 in the U.S.
"One in a Million" was name-dropped in Foxy Brown's 1997 single "Big Bad Mamma
". Thirteen years later, rapper Diamond
mentioned the song in her verse on Dondria
's single "Shawty Wus Up
".
and Timbaland
, who also produced the song.
An R&B slow jam, "One in a Million" was considered quite atypical and innovative at the time of its release. The song was the first major display of Timbaland's early drum-skitter-style of programming, with its rambunctious influence owing dues to the then burgeoning drum-n-bass movement in Europe. This frantic drum programming juxtaposed against the rather tranquil manner of the vocal arrangement and the remaining instrumentation was, then, immediately distinguishable from most mainstream R&B/pop. Though Timbaland
, Missy Elliott
and Aaliyah
had been previously at work in the industry for some time, the song was a breakthrough/name-making moment for the lot of them. "One in a Million" was recorded at Pyramid Studios in Ithaca, New York
.
R&B charts, reaching number one on the R&B Airplay Chart for six weeks; it also became a U.S. airplay hit based on its R&B and Rhythmic airplay, propelling the song to peak within the top ten of the Hot 100 Airplay Chart at seven. It was also a top twenty hit in the UK
, reaching number fifteen as part of a double A-side
with the re-release of "If Your Girl Only Knew".
for "One in a Million" was directed by Paul Hunter
in the autumn of 1996. An extended version of the video was used for the remix which features Ginuwine
, Timbaland
, and Missy Elliott
in 1997
. The video starts with Aaliyah lying on top of a black Ford Mustang
with Missy Elliott and Timbaland sitting inside of it. Soon, several reporters and fans rush to the car. Then the scene switches to a dark room where Aaliyah is sitting as Ginuwine
approaches her. The scene bears a striking resemblance to the set of 12 Monkeys. In another scene she is watching him in an off white-colored room via security camera. The scene shifts to a completely white room where Aaliyah is dancing with another male and then to the scene where Ginuwine is looking at the security camera. In the latter scene, Aaliyah enters the room and reveals a tattoo of her name on Ginuwine's arm. Once again, the scene goes back to the dark room, but this time Aaliyah is standing up and performing in a white bodysuit. The video ends with Aaliyah riding in a motorcycle with eighteen year old DEALZ, son of Jackie Jackson.
recorded a cover of the song and R&B artist Omarion
covered the song for his mixtape as a tribute to Aaliyah. Also, Canadian singer Keisha Chante did a cover of the song for the late singers 10 year anniversary as a tribute.
U.S. promo 12" remixes single
U.S. promo CD single
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
song by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
recording artist Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
from her second studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, One in a Million (1996
1996 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact...
). The song was the third main single from One in a Million following "Got to Give It Up
Got to Give It Up
"Got to Give It Up" is a funk/disco song by American recording artist Marvin Gaye. Written by the singer and produced by Art Stewart, it was recorded in three studio dates in 1976 with a final mixing in early 1977...
", but in North America the song was the second single, because "Got to Give It Up" was not released until 1998 in the U.S.
"One in a Million" was name-dropped in Foxy Brown's 1997 single "Big Bad Mamma
Big Bad Mamma
"Big Bad Mamma" is a single by Foxy Brown and Dru Hill from the soundtrack to the 1997 film, How to Be a Player. The song also appeared on the re-issue of Foxy Brown's debut album, Ill Na Na....
". Thirteen years later, rapper Diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
mentioned the song in her verse on Dondria
Dondria
Dondria Nicole Fields , better known by her stage names Phatfffat or Dondria, is an American R&B singer, currently signed to So So Def Recordings. Before getting signed, Dondria was known to post YouTube videos singing cover songs.-Discovery and early life:Dondria was discovered on YouTube by So So...
's single "Shawty Wus Up
Shawty Wus Up
"Shawty Wus Up" is a song by American singer Dondria. The song features Johntá Austin and Diamond. It is the second single from her debut album Dondria vs. Phatfffat. The song had so far peaked at number 66 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.- Charts :...
".
Background
"One in a Million" is a R&B song written by Missy ElliottMissy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
and Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, who also produced the song.
An R&B slow jam, "One in a Million" was considered quite atypical and innovative at the time of its release. The song was the first major display of Timbaland's early drum-skitter-style of programming, with its rambunctious influence owing dues to the then burgeoning drum-n-bass movement in Europe. This frantic drum programming juxtaposed against the rather tranquil manner of the vocal arrangement and the remaining instrumentation was, then, immediately distinguishable from most mainstream R&B/pop. Though Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
and Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
had been previously at work in the industry for some time, the song was a breakthrough/name-making moment for the lot of them. "One in a Million" was recorded at Pyramid Studios in Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
.
Chart performance
The song became a U.S. hit on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B charts, reaching number one on the R&B Airplay Chart for six weeks; it also became a U.S. airplay hit based on its R&B and Rhythmic airplay, propelling the song to peak within the top ten of the Hot 100 Airplay Chart at seven. It was also a top twenty hit in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, reaching number fifteen as part of a double A-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...
with the re-release of "If Your Girl Only Knew".
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 "One in a Million" was directed by Paul Hunter
Paul Hunter (director)
Paul Hunter is a music video director known for his high-budget, visually distinctive videos for popular music singles. He has directed over 100 music videos, many television advertisements and was nominated for an Emmy for Nike's Freestyle commercial...
in the autumn of 1996. An extended version of the video was used for the remix which features Ginuwine
Ginuwine
Elgin Baylor Lumpkin , better known by his stage name Ginuwine is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Signed to Epic Records since the mid-1990s, Ginuwine had released a number of multi-platinum and platinum-selling albums and singles, becoming one of R&B's top artists during the late 1990's...
, Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, and Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
in 1997
1997 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...
. The video starts with Aaliyah lying on top of a black Ford Mustang
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
with Missy Elliott and Timbaland sitting inside of it. Soon, several reporters and fans rush to the car. Then the scene switches to a dark room where Aaliyah is sitting as Ginuwine
Ginuwine
Elgin Baylor Lumpkin , better known by his stage name Ginuwine is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Signed to Epic Records since the mid-1990s, Ginuwine had released a number of multi-platinum and platinum-selling albums and singles, becoming one of R&B's top artists during the late 1990's...
approaches her. The scene bears a striking resemblance to the set of 12 Monkeys. In another scene she is watching him in an off white-colored room via security camera. The scene shifts to a completely white room where Aaliyah is dancing with another male and then to the scene where Ginuwine is looking at the security camera. In the latter scene, Aaliyah enters the room and reveals a tattoo of her name on Ginuwine's arm. Once again, the scene goes back to the dark room, but this time Aaliyah is standing up and performing in a white bodysuit. The video ends with Aaliyah riding in a motorcycle with eighteen year old DEALZ, son of Jackie Jackson.
Cover version
In 2010, singer/songwriter The-DreamThe-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
recorded a cover of the song and R&B artist Omarion
Omarion
Omari Ishmael Grandberry better known as Omarion, is an American R&B singer, actor, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and former lead singer of the R&B group, B2K. Omarion was spotted at a young age by a manager, Christopher B. Stokes, who took a liking to his vocal abilities...
covered the song for his mixtape as a tribute to Aaliyah. Also, Canadian singer Keisha Chante did a cover of the song for the late singers 10 year anniversary as a tribute.
Charts
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand RIANZ 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... Top 50 Singles |
11 |
| 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 ... |
15 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay | 25 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 Rhythmic Airplay Chart The Rhythmic Airplay Chart is an airplay chart that is featured weekly in Billboard Magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on Rhythmic stations, whose playlist includes mostly hit-driven R&B/Hip-Hop, Rhythmic pop, and some Dance tracks... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart is the airplay component chart of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. It is not the R&B subset of The Hot 100 Airplay, but rather a separate panel of R&B stations in urban markets used for the R&B/Hip-Hop chart... |
1 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1997) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top R&B Airplay | 10 |
Track listing
UK promo 12" remixes single- "One in a Million" (DarkchildRodney JerkinsRodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
remix) – 4:40 - "One in a Million" (Darkchild remix instrumental) – 4:13
- "One in a Million" (Timbaland remix) featuring GinuwineGinuwineElgin Baylor Lumpkin , better known by his stage name Ginuwine is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Signed to Epic Records since the mid-1990s, Ginuwine had released a number of multi-platinum and platinum-selling albums and singles, becoming one of R&B's top artists during the late 1990's...
– 5:06 - "One in a Million" (Wolf-D'd Big Bass mix) – 4:26
- "One in a Million" (Armand's Drum 'N' Bass mix) – 7:12
U.S. promo 12" remixes single
- "One in a Million" (Timbaland remix instrumental) – 5:07
- "One in a Million" (Darkchild remix instrumental)– 4:40
- "One in a Million" (Timbaland remix) featuring GinuwineGinuwineElgin Baylor Lumpkin , better known by his stage name Ginuwine is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Signed to Epic Records since the mid-1990s, Ginuwine had released a number of multi-platinum and platinum-selling albums and singles, becoming one of R&B's top artists during the late 1990's...
– 5:07 - "One in a Million" (Darkchild remix) – 4:40
U.S. promo CD single
- "One in a Million" (album version) – 4:30
- "One in a Million" (instrumental) – 4:30
- "One in a Million" (a cappella) – 4:30