Again (Janet Jackson song)

Did You Know?

• The music video for "Again" was directed by Jackson's then-husband René Elizondo Jr. and features actor Gary Dourdan.
• The song was covered by How to Dress Well on his 2012 album Total Loss.
• Iyaz sampled the song on his 2010 single "Solo".

Background and recording

In 1992, Janet Jackson made her film debut in Poetic Justice, then started work on a new album. She said the movie inspired a lighter but still bold musical direction, and that she remained in a poetic mindset influenced by Maya Angelou. Producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis had an experimental track called "Again" in mind for the album. Jackson liked the melody, but the trio didn't focus on it until the film's producers asked for a ballad for the soundtrack. Jackson then wrote the lyrics to fit Jam's melody. The song closed the movie but wasn't on its soundtrack. It became the third single from janet. on October 12, 1993. The single included the B-side "Funky Big Band" and a French version of "Again," which also appeared on a limited edition of the album. For that version, Jackson was assisted by André Manoukian.

Composition and lyrics

"Again" was written and produced by Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis. It is set in common time in the key of C major, with Jackson's vocal range spanning from G3 to D5. The song has a moderate tempo of 64 beats per minute. It is a lightweight pop crossover piano ballad about lost love, telling the story of running into an old friend and discovering that the feelings are as strong as ever.

Critical reception

Critical reception of "Again" was divided. Alex Henderson of AllMusic called it a "throwaway" but named it a highlight from the album. Larry Flick of Billboard described it as "a delicate ballad" with evocative vocals and melancholy lyrics. Another Billboard editor, Andrew Hampp, remarked that Jackson's plea at the song's close makes it hard not to get misty. Essence ranked it the number-four Greatest Break-up song of all time. John Martinucci from the Gavin Report called it "a tender love song." James Masterton viewed it as "a slushy ballad." Alan Jones from Music Week gave it a score of four out of five and named it Single of the Week. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine called it "the most treacly, saccharine ballad Janet has ever recorded."

Chart performance

"Again" was a success on the US Billboard Hot 100, debuting in October 1993 and topping the chart for two weeks in December 1993. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and spent 15 weeks in the top 10, making it Jackson's longest-running top-10 single. The song also reached number one on the Cash Box Top 100. In Canada, it peaked at number two. In the United Kingdom, it reached number six, becoming her sixth top-10 single. Elsewhere, it peaked at number 19 in Australia, number 13 in New Zealand, and number five in Sweden, becoming her highest-charting single there.