If I Never See Your Face Again

Background

The song was written by Adam Levine and James Valentine, two members of Maroon 5. Production was handled by Mike Elizondo, Mark Endert, Mike "Spike" Stent, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, and Maroon 5. Recording took place at Conway Studios in Hollywood, Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, and Phantom Studios in Westlake Village, all in California. The track was originally intended as a duet with Janet Jackson for her 2008 album Discipline, but label problems prevented that collaboration; Rihanna later appeared on the song.

The original version, without Rihanna, was included on the standard edition of Maroon 5's 2007 album It Won't Be Soon Before Long. Levine told MTV News that he wanted to try something different for the album's re-release, asked Rihanna to record "bits and pieces," and the collaboration came together quickly. Rihanna confirmed the song would be the only collaboration on her re-release Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded, and said she had always wanted to work with the group. The single was released in the United States on May 2, 2008.

Critical reception

Critics gave mixed responses to the song. Jerome Blakeney of BBC described it, along with "Makes Me Wonder," as "monster weapons of mass-marketing aimed at the feet and riding on swathes of string-drenched, synth-crunching disco." A reviewer for IGN found the song hard to resist and noted that Levine's vocal style resembled Justin Timberlake's high-pitched tenor falsetto and sinewy grooves. Bill Lamb of About.com observed that the track seemed inspired by British jazz funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai. Sal Cinquemani was critical, labeling the song "nasty." Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy disapproved of the collaboration, writing that Levine and Rihanna's voices clashed and that their "sexual chemistry radar registers at zero," adding that the song should never have left the recording studio.

Chart performance

"If I Never See Your Face Again" saw a modest run on charts across the globe. In Australia, the single entered the chart at number 28 on June 1, 2008, climbing to its peak of number 11 five weeks later. Across the Tasman, it debuted at number 37 on the New Zealand chart on June 9, 2008, and reached its highest point of number 21 the very next week. In Europe, Italy gave the song its strongest showing, where it landed and peaked at number 15 on July 17, 2008, staying for just a single week.

The Netherlands saw it enter at number 35 on June 14, 2008, before rising to number 20 the following week; it then bounced between the twenties and seventies for thirteen weeks. Denmark’s chart welcomed it at number 36 on July 27, 2008, with a peak of number 31 in its sixth week. Switzerland saw a debut at number 61 on June 29, 2008, peaking at number 52 a week later, while Austria had it enter at number 67 on September 5, 2008, rising to number 54 the next week.

The United Kingdom saw a debut and peak of number 28 on June 14, 2008, before it slipped out of the top forty after two weeks, though it briefly re-entered at number 36 on July 7. In the United States, the song reached number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 26, 2008, and climbed to number 10 on the Adult Pop Songs chart.

Music video

The music video for the song was filmed on an indoor soundstage in Castaic, California, on April 23, 2008, with Anthony Mandler directing. Its concept was labeled "high-end erotica." During an interview with MTV News on set, Levine described it as an "ultra-glamorous, photography-based, late-'70s/early-'80s situation" and called it the most choreographed work he had ever done. Rihanna mentioned that she rarely experienced such strong chemistry with another artist in a video and noted this was only her second duet in one.

The video became available for digital download on iTunes on May 13, 2008. It starts with a ticking clock and Levine and Rihanna seated across from each other at a table, tapping their hands and locking eyes. Maroon 5 begins playing instruments while Rihanna observes. The table scenes and band scenes alternate during the first verse and chorus.

In the second verse, the two seem to argue and resist each other's flirtations. For the bridge, Rihanna lies suggestively on a bed while Levine sits in a chair facing away. During the final chorus, they make up, and Levine walks to the end of the table, strokes Rihanna's neck, and she leans in seductively; they almost kiss as the clip ends. A second video for the original version, titled "Japan Tour 2008," was released on July 11, 2008, by Amnesty International. Directed by Bob Carmichael, it is an animated slideshow of photographs from Maroon 5's March 2008 tour in Japan.