I Care 4 U (song)
| "I Care 4 U" | |||||||||||
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| Single by Aaliyah | |||||||||||
| from the album Aaliyah | |||||||||||
| B-side | "Don't Worry" | ||||||||||
| Released | August 6, 2002 | ||||||||||
| Format | CD single | ||||||||||
| Recorded | August 1996 Music Grinder Studios Magic Mix Studios (Los Angeles, California) |
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| Genre | Neo soul | ||||||||||
| Length | 4:33 | ||||||||||
| Label | Blackground/Virgin | ||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Tim Mosley, Missy Elliott | ||||||||||
| Producer | Timbaland | ||||||||||
| Aaliyah singles chronology | |||||||||||
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"I Care 4 U" is a neo soul song written by American hip hop singer-songwriters Timbaland and Missy Elliott, and also produced by Timbaland. It is the fourth and final single overall from Aaliyah's third studio album, Aaliyah (2001).
The song was released by Blackground/Virgin Records in 2002. It managed to reach number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number three on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[1] Although the single was released in the U.S. only, the song achieved minor airplay on R&B stations in Europe.
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[edit] Background
In a 2001 interview, Aaliyah explains the background of the song:
"Well my favorite song on the album, it's hard to pick 'cause I love them all, but if I had to pick one, I'd say 'I Care 4 U' because that song is, it's just gorgeous to me. It's five years old, Tim and Missy did that song, right when I finished "One In A Million", and I really wanted to put it in that album but, the album was already mastered and there was no way I could put it on... so we put it aside and waited, and it doesn't sound like it's five years old at all. It's just classic, it's timeless and I like what the song is saying it's a female, you know, being the strong person in a relationship, you know saying to a guy you know, if you're upset, let me wipe your tears, let me care for you, let me prove to you that I can love you, and I just really liked that, I thought it was different."
[edit] Song
The song was originally written by Missy Elliott and Timbaland, also the song's producer. Aaliyah recorded the song for her second album One in a Million in 1996, but the song was not finished in time to make the album but was later included on Aaliyah's final studio album, Aaliyah, in 2001, and released as a single a 12 months after her death in August 2001. The classic sound of the song received great praise and became Aaliyah's third posthumous urban hit. Aaliyah's character is asking a man if she can comfort him and be with him through his sadness after a breakup. "I Care 4 U" sold approximately 126,000 copies and was #3 on the U.S. R&B chart and #16 on the US Hot 100 chart. The song's music was sampled from The Newcomers' 1974 Stax song, "(Too Little in Common to Be Lovers) Too Much Going to Say Goodbye".
[edit] Music video
The concept of the music video was to be for Aaliyah to perform live in a concert hall similar to Janet Jackson's 1986 music video for "Control". Aaliyah had not had the chance to shoot a video for the single due to her death. The music video for "I Care 4 U" was directed by Little X as his personal tribute to Aaliyah. He edited together clips from a Japanese anime Macross Plus II. Aaliyah is portrayed as a beautiful ghostly female figure serenading a concert audience as she floats around the stadium. In the later half she is portrayed as a bright angel flying through a city. Aaliyah leaves behind several small feathers.
[edit] Chart
| Chart[1] | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 16 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 | 30 |
[edit] I Can Be
Before the release of "I Care 4 U" another track from Aaliyah started to gain airplay, "I Can Be". As it was an unofficial single and not promoted, "I Can Be" received very minor airplay on urban contemporary radio stations. The song was one of many tracks on the album to be influenced by a genre outside of R&B and hip hop, having a hard rock and trip hop influence.
[edit] Chart
| Chart[1] | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles | 2 |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Aaliyah: Artist Chart History". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=36610&model.vnuAlbumId=484174. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
[edit] External links
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