I Care 4 U (song)

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This article is about the song by Aaliyah. For the song by Jennifer Braun, see I Care for You (Jennifer Braun song).
"I Care 4 U"
Single by Aaliyah
from the album Aaliyah and I Care 4 U
B-side"Don't Worry"
ReleasedAugust 12, 2002 (2002-08-12)[1]
Recorded2000[2]
StudioMagic Mix Studios and Music Grinder Studios (Los Angeles)
GenreNeo soul[3]
Length4:34
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Timbaland
Aaliyah singles chronology
"Miss You"
(2002) 		"I Care 4 U"
(2002) 		"Don't Know What to Tell Ya"
(2003)

"I Care 4 U" is a song by American R&B recording artist Aaliyah. It is a romantic R&B ballad written by Missy Elliott and Timbaland. The song was originally recorded for Aaliyah's 1996 album One in a Million, but the recording was withdrawn after its completion and re-recorded in 2000 for her 2001 self-titled third album.

"I Care 4 U" charted for 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2002, peaking at number 16. It was released as a radio single in 2003 in promotion of Aaliyah's posthumuous compilation album of the same name (2002).

Background[]

"I Care 4 U" was written by Missy Elliott and Timbaland, who also produced the song, and recorded at Magic Mix Studios and Music Grinder Studios in Los Angeles.[4] Aaliyah originally recorded the song for her 1996 album One in a Million, but it was completed after the album had finished post-production, and she chose to save it for her next album.[5] The song is a soft romantic R&B ballad whose female narrator,[6] according to Aaliyah, says "don't cry, I'll wipe your tears. I love you, just give me the chance to show you."[5]

Musically, "I Care 4 U" is a neo soul ballad and it has been compared to the work of R&B singer Angie Stone. The song features beatboxing, an electric piano and multi-tracked vocals provided from Aaliyah.[3] According to Bob Waliszewski from Plugged In, "I Care 4 U" offers support to a guy stinging from a breakup".[7]

Critical reception[]

Ross Scarano from Complex praised the production of the song and went as far as comparing the song to the work of Angie Stone. According to Scarano "If it weren't from some low-in-the-mix beatboxing and complicated drum programming, "I Care 4 U" wouldn't register as a Timbaland production. The electric piano and extremely earnest multi-tracked vocals give off the sheen of neo-soul; this is Aaliyah doing Angie Stone".[3] Luke McManus from the Irish publication RTE felt that Aaliyah showcased her voice more on the song and that her newfound vocal ability matched the "brilliance of the backing tracks" on the song.[8] Daryl Easlea from BBC UK praised Aaliyah's voice on the song saying. "I Care 4 U, a Missy Elliot co-write, would be a conventional ballad on a more obvious soul star's album. It's what Aaliyah doesn't do that make it still sound stunning – it would have been so easy to over-ladle the emoting here".[9] Michael Odell from The Guardian praised the song and compared it to the work of singer Gladys Knight. Odell stated,"I Care 4 U, cowritten by Missy Elliot, is the sort of 1970s style ballad that Aaliyah's aunt, Gladys Knight, would approve of - but again it's stripped down and rebuilt with layers of haunting keyboard and lo-tech vocal percussion".[10] Russell Baillie from The New Zealand Herald described the song as "soul-sass" and he felt that "Aaliyah's voice weaves through the sparse but punchy arrangements with a mix of sultriness" on the song [11]

Chart performance[]

In the United States, "I Care 4 U" debuted at number 75 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs due to heavy airplay in the week of June 1, 2002.[12] It eventually peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the week of October 16;[13] it spent 20 total weeks on that chart.[14] "I Care 4 U" also charted for twenty weeks on the Hot 100 Airplay (Radio Songs).[14] Along with "More Than a Woman" and "Rock the Boat", the song helped give Aaliyah a strong presence on the radio following her death in 2001.[15] "I Care 4 U" was released as a promotional recording for the compilation album of the same name in 2003.[16] In April 2003, it was released as a 12-inch single with the B-side "Don't Worry".[17]

Track listing[]

Promotional single[16]
No.TitleLength
1."I Care 4 U" (LP version)4:34
2."Don't Worry" (LP version)3:55

Personnel[]

Credits adapted from Aaliyah (2001) liner notes.[4]

Charts[]

References[]

  1. ^ "I Care 4 U/Don't Worry". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on December 27, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  2. ^ "Exclusive: The Producers of "Aaliyah" Take Us Behind the Scenes Into Making of This Classic". You Know I Got Soul. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c "The 25 Best Aaliyah Songs". Complex. May 19, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Aaliyah (CD liner). Aaliyah. New York: Blackground Records. 2001. CDVUS199.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Hall, Rashaun (July 11, 2001). "Blackground Readying Aaliyah's Return". Billboard. New York. 113 (29): 16, 18. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  6. ^ Smith, Graham. "Aaliyah - I Care 4 U (Independiente)". musicOMH. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  7. ^ "Aaliyah-Aaliyah". Plugged In. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  8. ^ "Aaliyah - Aaliyah". RTE. August 2, 2001. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  9. ^ "Review of Aaliyah". BBC. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  10. ^ Odell, Michael (July 12, 2001). "Sex on the menu". The Guardian. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  11. ^ "Aaliyah: Aaliyah". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  12. ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc (June 1, 2002). "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks". Billboard. New York: 43. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  13. ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc (October 16, 2012). "Hot 100". Billboard. New York: 71. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b "I Care 4 U - Aaliyah". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  15. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: I Care 4 U". People. 58 (26). December 23, 2002. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b I Care 4 U (Media notes). Aaliyah. Blackground Records. Universal Music Distribution. 2003. B0000241-11. Retrieved December 27, 2012.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ Strong, Martin C. (November 30, 2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Canongate U.S. p. 4. ISBN 1841956155.
  18. ^ "Aaliyah Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  19. ^ "Aaliyah Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  20. ^ "R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – 2002 Year End Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  21. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2003". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2021.

External links[]

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