Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (Aaliyah song)

"Age Ain't Nothing but a Number"
Song

"Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" is a song performed by contemporary R&B singer Aaliyah. It appears on her debut album of the same name (see 1994 in music) and was released as the third single from the album; it became her first single in the U.S. to miss the top spot. The music video was directed by Millicent Shelton.

Commercial response

The song "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" features lyrics of a girl wanting to date an older boy, saying that their ages don't matter. In late 1994, a rumor surfaced that 15-year-old Aaliyah and 27-year-old R. Kelly had secretly married. Both Aaliyah and Kelly initially denied the rumor, but VIBE magazine published a copy of their marriage license, which showed that Aaliyah's age had been falsely listed as eighteen. The marriage was annulled a few months later.

Critics claim that this is the reason for the song's moderately successful on the U.S. pop chart and success on the U.S. R&B chart and in the UK, peaking at #8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, #3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, and #32 on the UK charts.

Music video

The video was released in early 1995. The video was mainly in black-and-white and is simple. Aaliyah was featured in the video with a large entourage. Like the single, the video was a failure and did not boost the single's sales or airplay. The late rapper, Proof of D12 and Aaliyah's brother, Rashad Haughton made cameos in the video.

Track listings

U.S./UK CD single

1. Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (LP Version)
2. Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (LP Version (No Intro))
3. Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (Instrumental)
4. I'm Down
5. The Thing I Like

U.S. Promotional single

1. LP Version
2. LP Version (No Intro)

Charts

Chart (1994/1995)	Peak Position
UK Top 75 Singles	10
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	8
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	3
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay	3
U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40	14