"Doesn't Really Matter" is a song by American singer

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

from the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

to the 2000 film '' Nutty Professor II: The Klumps'' and her seventh studio album, '' All for You'' (2001). It was written and produced by Jackson,

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most ...

. The track was sent to

contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...

in the US on May 23, 2000, after an unmastered version was leaked to several radio stations. It is an upbeat

electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...

, R&B and

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

song with a syncopated drum loop and

bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched Part ( ...

. Based on a previously discarded poem Jackson wrote, the lyrics are about her film character's love for

The Nutty Professor The Nutty Professor may refer to: * ''The Nutty Professor'' (1963 film), directed by and starring Jerry Lewis * ''The Nutty Professor'' (1996 film), directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Eddie Murphy ** ''The Nutty Professor'' (soundtrack), sound ...

. The track received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its upbeat sound and Jackson's

breathy voice Breathy voice (also called murmured voice, whispery voice, soughing and susurration) is a phonation in which the vocal folds vibrate, as they do in normal (modal) voicing, but are adjusted to let more air escape which produces a sighing-like ...

. "Doesn't Really Matter" topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks, becoming the singer's ninth US chart-topper. It was Jackson's 19th single to be certified gold by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA), making her only the third singer, after

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

and

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

, to achieve this feat. The song peaked at number five on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, becoming Jackson's 15th single to reach the top 10 in the UK. It also peaked within the top 10 in Canada, Denmark, Poland, Italy, and Spain. The

Joseph Kahn Joseph Kahn may refer to: *Joseph Kahn (director) (born 1972), a film and music video director *Joseph Kahn (journalist) (born 1964), American journalist * Joseph Kahn (shipping executive) (1916–1979), American businessman See also *Joseph Hahn ...

-directed music video resembles an abstract, futuristic environment based on Japanese culture. It features an

AIBO AIBO (''stylized aibo, Artificial Intelligence Robot'', homonymous with , "pal" or "partner" in Japanese) is a series of robotic dogs designed and manufactured by Sony. Sony announced a prototype Aibo in mid-1998, and the first consumer model wa ...

, a prototype of the

Acura CL The Acura CL is a midsize grand tourer manufactured by Honda's Acura brand from 1996 until 2003. The CL is often thought to have been a replacement for the Acura Legend coupe. It was not directly related to the first gen TL either, a Japanese- ...

-X, morphing clothes, and a dance sequence on a tilting platform. Production of the video cost over $2.5 million (equivalent to $ million in ), making it one of the most expensive music videos of all time. To promote the single, Jackson performed it on British television program ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...

'' and at the

2000 MTV Video Music Awards The 2000 MTV Video Music Awards (stylized as MTV Video Music Awards vma.00) aired live on September 7, 2000, honoring the best music videos from June 12, 1999, to June 9, 2000. The show was hosted by Marlon and Shawn Wayans at Radio City Music Ha ...

. The song was also performed during four of the singer's concert tours, and her 2019 Las Vegas residency, Janet Jackson: Metamorphosis.

Background and development

"Doesn't Really Matter" was written and produced by

as the theme for the

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

film '' Nutty Professor II: The Klumps'', starring Jackson and actor

Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...

. When asked to contribute a single for the movie's soundtrack, Jackson stated that she would consider if she found an appropriate song. The single would allow Jackson to continue releasing music, while simultaneously devoting time to her film career. To help inspire Jackson, director

Peter Segal Peter Segal (born 1962) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Segal has directed the comedic films ''Tommy Boy'' (1995), ''My Fellow Americans'' (1996), '' The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps'' (2000), ''Anger Managemen ...

brought a rough cut of the film to Flyte Tyme Studios where the singer was recording her seventh album, '' All for You''. She decided to write an uptempo love song rather than a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

, inspired by Segal finding her love for Murphy's unattractive character in the film convincing. The lyrics of "Doesn't Really Matter" were based on a poem Jackson found which she previously wrote and disposed of. The poem's lyrics were kept intact, although its structure was altered. Jackson wrote further lyrics for the song during the same night Jam came up with the melody alongside drum programmer Alex Richburg. After an early version of the song was created, Jackson requested Jam and Richburg to add more instrumentation, however Jam decided to record from

live to tape Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began wi ...

after Richburg left the studio. Initially conceived as a "slow melody", Jam chose to increase its

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

. Two different choruses were written by Jam and Jackson; Jam wrote "Nutty, nutty, nutty, my love for you" while Jackson wrote "Doesn't really matter". They decided to use Jackson's chorus, and include Jam's chorus towards the end of the track. Jackson presented three songs to Segal on May 12, 2000, three days prior to his set deadline for the soundtrack. He chose "Doesn't Really Matter", believing it was a better fit and a "summertime record". A slightly modified version was included on ''All for You'', featuring an alternate introduction and elements from the song's

Rockwilder Dana Stinson (born February 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Rockwilder, is an American hip hop record producer and rapper. A long term friend of Def Jam rapper Redman, Rockwilder got his start producing for East Coast hip hop artists ...

remix.

Composition

"Doesn't Really Matter" is an

, R&B, and

song. Although making using of

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

production, common in R&B music at the time of its 2000 release, the track was viewed as an R&B-pop take on

lounge music Lounge music is a type of easy listening music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It may be meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place, usually with a tranquil theme, such as a jungle, an island paradise or outer space. The rang ...

. Its upbeat pop sound is akin to Jackson's 1995 single "

Runaway Runaway, Runaways or Run Away may refer to: Engineering * Runaway reaction, a chemical reaction releasing more heat than what can be removed and becoming uncontrollable * Thermal runaway, self-increase of the reaction rate of an exothermic proce ...

", a stark contrast to the sparse R&B of her previous album, ''

The Velvet Rope ''The Velvet Rope'' is the sixth studio album by American singer Janet Jackson. The album was released on October 7, 1997, through Virgin Records. Prior to its release, she renegotiated her contract with Virgin for US$80 million, the largest rec ...

''. Music critic Jim Farber compared the retro-style melody in "Doesn't Really Matter" to compositions by

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; born May 12, 1928) is an American composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist who composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. A six-time Gra ...

. The production makes use of sparse, programmed percussion. The majority of the track was played live to tape, even though it sounded

sequenced In genetics and biochemistry, sequencing means to determine the primary structure (sometimes incorrectly called the primary sequence) of an unbranched biopolymer. Sequencing results in a symbolic linear depiction known as a sequence which suc ...

. Jam recalled that only a small portion was sequenced, which was used to double the

melody A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...

. The song utilizes both a syncopated drum loop and a

, which passes the

circle of fifths In music theory, the circle of fifths is a way of organizing the 12 chromatic pitches as a sequence of perfect fifths. (This is strictly true in the standard 12-tone equal temperament system — using a different system requires one interval ...

to reach the V chord. The bassline allows space for the

snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...

to be heard on the second and fourth beats, as well as accentuating the snare before the fourth beat is played. The song begins with a 20-second mid-tempo introduction performed by Jackson in

. Jackson performs a

falsetto ''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...

trill TRILL (Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links) is an Internet Standard implemented by devices called TRILL switches. TRILL combines techniques from bridging and routing, and is the application of link-state routing to the VLAN-aware custom ...

on the lyrics "My love / For you / Is unconditional too". The chorus has nearly twice the speed of the stop-start verses. A more fluid

breakdown Breakdown may refer to: Breaking down *Breakdown (vehicle), failure of a motor vehicle in such a way that it cannot be operated *Chemical decomposition, also called chemical breakdown, the breakdown of a substance into simpler components *Decompo ...

features halfway, offsetting the pace and high-energy dynamic of the chorus. The song also utilizes a

key change In music, modulation is the change from one tonality ( tonic, or tonal center) to another. This may or may not be accompanied by a change in key signature (a key change). Modulations articulate or create the structure or form of many pieces, as ...

. According to Jackson, the lyrics for "Doesn't Really Matter" are about her film character's love for

and refers to "how it doesn't matter what is on the exterior, but the interior".

Critical reception

"Doesn't Really Matter" received generally positive reviews from music critics.

Chuck Eddy Chuck Eddy (born November 26, 1960) is an American music journalist. Life and career Chuck Eddy was born in Detroit, Michigan. After starting his journalism career with ''The Village Voice'' and ''Creem'', where he published one of the first nati ...

of ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

'' regarded it as Jackson's best single since 1990's "

Black Cat A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bombay b ...

", stating that "the melody's subliminal Asianness makes the nothingness of her piddly voice pretty—fragile like

rice paper "Rice paper" has many varieties such as rice paper made from tree bark to make drawing and writing paper or from rice flour and tapioca flour and then mixed with salt and water to produce a thin rice cake and dried to become harder and paper-like ...

". In the ''

New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...

'', Jim Farber viewed the track as innovative, noting that it "dodges current clichés" and has "the yearning freshness of a summer breeze". According to him, "the baby's-breath tune and lightly skittish beat provide the perfect accompaniment for Jackson's coo of a voice". Carol Cooper of ''Sonicnet'' wrote that Jackson's vocals "deserve special mention for the deft way she speed-sings verses and choruses so as to accent their underlying rhythmic patterns". In his review of the single for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, Jose F. Promis called it "impossibly catchy". Melissa Marschheuser of ''

The Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, ''Tribune Pu ...

'' wrote that the song has "a beat you just can't help but hum along to". Matt Diehl of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' viewed the track as "effervescent", and cited it and

R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwid ...

's "Just a Touch" as the only two consequential R&B songs on the soundtrack. In his review of ''All for You'' for ''Entertainment Weekly'', Tom Sinclair regarded the song as "competent hack pop". Sean Piccoli of the ''

Sun-Sentinel The ''Sun Sentinel'' (also known as the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'', known until 2008 as the ''Sun-Sentinel'', and stylized on its masthead as ''SunSentinel'') is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as well as surrounding Br ...

'' believed it had "a less suffocating shade of pop" than other tracks on ''All for You''. ''

Neumu Neumu is a music website that features news, reviews, columns and downloads. The website was founded by Emme Stone and Michael Goldberg, who currently serves as the Editor in Chief. The site's album reviews are excerpted by Metacritic Meta ...

''s Anthony Carew found the song "surgically clean" and the production "suitably slick", noting that Jam and Lewis were "so self-conscious of their skills they cut-in the word 'edit' as a cute cut-up gimmick". Chuck Taylor of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' called the song "frothy" and "a leftover from another time", but argued that it was "innocent fun" and "a smile-bearing throwback" that highlighted Jackson's "still-youthful vocal musings". ''

Dotmusic ''Dotmusic'' was a music webzine that existed as a standalone website from 1 June 1995 to December 2003. Initially intended as the web complement to the UK music industry trade magazine ''Music Week'', the site was relaunched in December 1998 as a ...

''s Gary Crossing was more critical, calling it a "disappointing fare" with a "bland" vocal mix, writing that "apart from the key changes there's barely anything of interest here". ''Billboard'' included "Doesn't Really Matter" in its list of The Greatest Songs of 2000 at number 78. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' placed it at number eight in its 2015 list of Jackson's best songs.

Commercial performance

"Doesn't Really Matter" received early attention a week ahead of its US radio release on May 23, 2000, after an unmastered version

leaked A leak is a way (usually an opening) for fluid to escape a container or fluid-containing system, such as a tank or a ship's hull, through which the contents of the container can escape or outside matter can enter the container. Leaks are usuall ...

to several radio stations, some of who made their own

radio edit In music, a radio edit or radio mix is a modification, typically truncated or censored, intended to make a song more suitable for airplay, whether it be adjusted for length, profanity, subject matter, instrumentation, or form. Radio edits may als ...

from the leak. It became the most added song on pop, rhythmic, and urban radio formats upon release. On the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 issue dated June 17, 2000, "Doesn't Really Matter" debuted at number 59 on airplay alone. Following its CD and

cassette single A cassette single (CS), also known by the trademark cassingle, or capitalised as the trademark Cassette Single, is a music single supplied in the form of a Compact Cassette. The cassette single was first introduced in 1980. History The debu ...

release on August 8, 2000, "Doesn't Really Matter" climbed to number one, selling 96,000 copies during its first full week of sales. The song spent three consecutive weeks at number one before being replaced by "

Music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

" by

. It was Jackson's ninth US number-one single and made her the first singer to achieve a number one in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s in the US. The track peaked at number two on the

Rhythmic Top 40 The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and previously named Rhythmic Songs, Rhythmic Top 40 and CHR/Rhythmic) is an airplay chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on ...

, number three on

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

and

Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

, and at number nine on the

Hot Dance Singles Sales In the issue dated March 16, 1985, '' Billboard'' magazine debuted its first chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales. The 50-position weekly ranking joined ''Billboard''s established Club Songs chart, reduced to the same 50 positions, ...

. It also registered a 75-1 climb on the

Hot Singles Sales This is a compendium of the best-selling music singles. The criterion for inclusion is to sell at least ten million copies worldwide. The singles listed here were cited by reliable sources from various media, such as digital journalism, news ...

chart, after debuting before its physical release because of street date violations. "Doesn't Really Matter" was certified gold by the

(RIAA) on September 25, 2000, for selling 500,000 copies in the US. According to the RIAA, Jackson became the third female singer, after Madonna and

, to achieve 19 gold-selling singles. The song was the 13th best-selling single of 2000 in the US with sales of 600,000 copies (rounded off to the nearest 100,000). In Canada, "Doesn't Really Matter" debuted at number 45 on the ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' Top 100 Singles chart dated July 3, 2000. On the October 2 issue, it peaked at number two. In Australia, the song bowed at number 28 on the

ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

. On the

New Zealand Singles Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...

, it peaked at number 27 and spent a total of six weeks on the chart. "Doesn't Really Matter" fared better on the

where it debuted at number five, making it Jackson's 15th single to reach the top 10 in the UK. The song was present on the chart for 11 weeks and was certified silver by the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...

(BPI) for selling 200,000 copies. In Europe, "Doesn't Really Matter" charted in the top 10 in Denmark, Italy, Poland and Spain. It also reached the top 20 in Belgium (Wallonia), the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. In Japan, "Doesn't Really Matter" received a

Japan Gold Disc Award The is an award presented by the Recording Industry Association of Japan The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Associa ...

from the

Recording Industry Association of Japan The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969. The RIAJ's activities include pr ...

(RIAJ) for Top Selling Song of the Year by a foreign artist.

Music video

Background

The music video for "Doesn't Really Matter" was directed by

, with the setting portraying a futuristic city inspired by Tokyo. It showcases Jackson in an abstract

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

-based environment, featuring an

, which was the very first consumer Artificial Intelligence robot and was created for the companionship of adults and elderly people. Morphing clothes, levitating platforms, and a futuristic

Acura Acura is the luxury vehicle, luxury and performance division of Japanese automaker Honda, based primarily in North America. The brand was launched in the United States and Canada on March 27, 1986, marketing luxury and performance automobiles. It ...

vehicle, the

-X Concept Prototype, are featured in the video. The music video was filmed in

Universal City, California Universal City is an unincorporated area within the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Approximately 415 acres (1.7 km) within and around the surrounding area is the property of Universal Picture ...

on June 4–8, and premiered on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

's ''

Making the Video ''Making the Video'' is an MTV show, consisting of half-hour episodes, which chronicles the process of filming various music videos. Usually the director outlines the concept of the video (or treatment) and the show often includes light-hearted ...

'' on June 28, 2000. Production costs were over $2.5 million (equivalent to $ million in ), making it one of the most expensive music videos of all time. Kahn described the video's premise as "epic minimalism" in an attempt to differentiate from the large sets of other music videos airing during the same time. He wanted to use minimal sets that would appear larger. Jackson contacted Kahn to direct the music video, explaining that she wanted to experiment with make-up and costuming in order to take risks. One of the dancers,

Jenna Dewan Jenna Lee Dewan (; born December 3, 1980) is an American actress and dancer. She started her career as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson, and later worked with artists including Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Missy Elliott. She is known for her ...

, received the role in the music video at the age of 19 as the only spot the choreographers were looking for in an audition. All the dancers performed choreography on a moving platform while harnessed on bungee cords. The platform was implemented to tilt and slant, which would cause Jackson and the dancers to slide and fall off. The original scene was designed on a set, but was taken apart and replaced with a

green screen Chroma key compositing, or chroma keying, is a visual-effects and post-production technique for compositing (layering) two images or video streams together based on colour hues ( chroma range). The technique has been used in many fields to r ...

. The music video was one of the first appearances by Dewan, who stated "I was fortunate enough to work with Janet who treats her dancers amazing". Following the video shoot, Jackson asked Dewan to appear in the music video for her 2001 single " All for You", and be a dancer on her two-year

All for You Tour The All for You Tour was the fourth concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson, in support of her seventh studio album '' All for You'' (2001). The show was designed by Mark Fisher and Jackson. It was originally scheduled to start in ...

Synopsis

The video opens with a postcard, featuring the song's title and Jackson's name, drifting on a sidewalk and being stepped on by pedestrians. It then pans from a panoramic nighttime city view to a scene of Jackson singing from her bed in a confined apartment. During this scene, the AIBO and various objects in her room are shown, including a television displaying ''Nutty Professor II: The Klumps'', and a pair of

moon shoes Moon shoes are shoes for children fitted with trampoline-like springs. They were billed as "mini-trampolines for your feet". They were part of a merchandising effort by Nickelodeon. The original moon shoes were introduced in the 1950s and were ...

. Jackson then grabs a beverage from her fridge and starts singing in front of a mirror containing visually animated animal stickers. Four of her friends knock at her door and Jackson leaves with them. They dance through the apartment block hallway as their shoes morph into black futuristic high-heels, walking into an area filled with display screens and a circular platform. During the song's breakdown, they perform a choreographed dance routine on the tilting platform. The scenes are intercut with Jackson drawing an orange swirl and the AIBO watching the film in her apartment. Various people are also seen drawing orange swirls. In the next segment, Jackson is shown in the passenger seat of a car driving through a tunnel, as scenes from ''Nutty Professor II: The Klumps'' appear as a reflection in the front window. The video concludes with a

slow motion Slow motion (commonly abbreviated as slo-mo or slow-mo) is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger in the early 20th century. This can be accomplished through the use o ...

shot of Jackson falling backwards onto her bed and the AIBO resting in front of her.

Reception

Writing for DVD Movie Guide, Colin Jacobson praised the music video for deviating from the standard "lip-synch/film snippet formula" used among pop videos at the time, stating that it "stands on its own". Rod Stafford Hagwood of the ''Sun-Sentinel'' included "Doesn't Really Matter" among several videos which set fashion trends and increased the popularity of "bright colorful clothes" among youth. Aaron Beierle of

DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...

likened the video's setting to

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstellar ...

The Fifth Element ''The Fifth Element'' is a 1997 English-language French science fiction action film conceived and directed by Luc Besson, as well as co-written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Chris Tucker, and Milla Jov ...

''. Matthew Trammell of ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'' wrote that it is "one of the most forward-leaning music videos of its time". However, Luke Bather of ''

Highsnobiety Highsnobiety is a global fashion and lifestyle media brand founded in 2005 by David Fischer. It was bought by German e-commerce giant Zalando in 2022. Highsnobiety is headquartered in Berlin and has offices in Amsterdam, London, Milan, New York ...

'' was critical of the music video, calling the CGI "primitive" and describing how it portrays a

dystopia A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...

n future where everyone feels "bizarrely happy" while only being able to watch ''The Nutty Professor'' on television.

Live performances

Jackson performed "Doesn't Really Matter" on the August 4, 2000 episode of the British music chart television program ''

''. She also performed the song at the

on September 7, opening the show from a three-tiered aerial set with 10 backing dancers. Jackson wore a black leather outfit and her long hair obscured her face most of the performance. Jeff Stark of ''

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

'' found the dance routine "elaborate". ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...

'' included the performance in its 2015 list of 10 Iconic Janet Jackson Performances. The song was also performed during the

encore An encore is an additional performance given by performers after the planned show has ended, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford University Pres ...

of the All for You Tour. The renditions were viewed as more intimate in contrast to the spectacle of earlier performances. "Doesn't Really Matter" was also performed during Jackson's 2008

Rock Witchu Tour Rock Witchu Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson, in support of her tenth studio album '' Discipline'' (2008), and her first in nearly seven years, following a total blacklist of the singer's music, due to ...

, her first concert tour in six years. She insisted on the tour being "dance-heavy" after fans left messages on Jackson's

phone-in In broadcasting, a phone-in or call-in is a programme format in which viewers or listeners are invited to air their live comments by telephone, usually in respect of a specific topic selected for discussion on the day of the broadcast. On radio ( ...

number, which was used by Jackson to directly communicate with them. During Jackson's 2011

Number Ones, Up Close and Personal Number Ones, Up Close and Personal World Tour was the sixth concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. It showcased her sophomore compilation album, '' Number Ones'' and visited Asia, North America, Europe, Australia, and Africa. Ja ...

tour, the song was performed in a medley with " Escapade", "

Love Will Never Do (Without You) "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson. Composed by songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it was recorded for the singer's fourth studio album, ''Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'' ( ...

", "

When I Think of You "When I Think of You" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her third studio album, ''Control'' (1986). It was released on July 28, 1986, as the album's third single. Composed by songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Le ...

" and "All for You". The music video appeared on screen before the start of the concert. The song was also included in the set lists for the second leg of Jackson's 2018

State of the World Tour The State of the World Tour was the eighth concert tour by American singer Janet Jackson. Launched in promotion of her eleventh studio album ''Unbreakable'' (2015), the tour is produced by Live Nation and is under the creative direction of Gil ...

, and her 2019 Las Vegas residency, Janet Jackson: Metamorphosis.

Cover versions

Japanese singer

Hitomi Shimatani is a Japanese pop singer signed to the Avex Trax label. Shimatani started her career as an Enka singer with the release of her debut single in 1999, but later decided to get into the dance/ pop style for her music. Shimatani's music has also ...

covered the song under the title "Papillon" for her 2001 debut album of the same name. Jackson initially prevented Shimatani's label Avex Trax from shipping the CD because the lyrics differed from Jackson's image of the song. She finally allowed the CD's release after a month's negotiation, stating that she appreciated seeing a new aspect of "Doesn't Really Matter" arranged in an Asian style. The song's

katakana is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji and in some cases the Latin script (known as rōmaji). The word ''katakana'' means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana characters are derived fr ...

lyrics include

orient The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the c ...

al themes such as

lotus flowers ''Nelumbo nucifera'', also known as sacred lotus, Laxmi lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a water lily, though this more often re ...

, gods, beliefs, dreams, and smiles. The single was released on February 7, 2001, and peaked at number 14 on Japan's

Oricon Singles Chart The Oricon Singles Chart is the Japanese music industry-standard singles popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Chart rankings are based on physical singles' sales. Until 2017, Oricon did not track download sales. In J ...

where it charted for 23 weeks. An eastern butterfly version was later issued on the song's maxi release on June 27, 2001. Puerto Rican flautist

Néstor Torres Néstor Torres is a jazz flautist born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, in 1957. He took flute lessons at age 12 and began formal studies at the Escuela Libre de Música, eventually attending Puerto Rico’s Inter-American University. At 18, he moved ...

recorded a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

version of "Doesn't Really Matter" for his seventh album, ''This Side of Paradise'', released on March 13, 2001.

Track listing

CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...

12-inch single The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12″) is a type of vinyl ( polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a 'single' or a few related sound tracks on each surfac ...

maxi single A maxi single or maxi-single (sometimes abbreviated to MCD or CDM) is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an A-side song and a B-side song. The first maxi singles Mungo Jerry's first single, "In the Summertime" was the ...

UK 12-inch single UK cassette single UK maxi single

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

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Urban contemporary radio Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contem ...

, rowspan="2" , {{hlist,

Def Jam Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

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Rhythmic contemporary radio Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and upbeat R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary never uses ...

, {{center, , - ! scope="row", Germany , August 4, 2000 ,

Maxi single A maxi single or maxi-single (sometimes abbreviated to MCD or CDM) is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an A-side song and a B-side song. The first maxi singles Mungo Jerry's first single, "In the Summertime" was the ...

Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, Dutch law. UMG's cor ...

, {{center, , - ! scope="row", United Kingdom , August 7, 2000 , {{hlist,

Cassette single A cassette single (CS), also known by the trademark cassingle, or capitalised as the trademark Cassette Single, is a music single supplied in the form of a Compact Cassette. The cassette single was first introduced in 1980. History The debu ...

, maxi single ,

Mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

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Barclay Barclay may refer to: People * Barclay (surname) * Clan Barclay Places * Barclay, Kansas * Barclay, Maryland, a town in Queen Anne's County * Barclay, Baltimore, Maryland, a neighborhood * Barclay, Nevada, a town in Lincoln County * Barclay, ...

, {{center, {{cite web, url=https://www.fnac.com/a1122151/Janet-Jackson-Doesn-t-really-matter-CD-single, title=Doesn't really matter – Janet Jackson – CD single, publisher=

Fnac Fnac () is a large French retail chain selling cultural and electronic products, founded by André Essel and Max Théret in 1954. Its head office is in ''Le Flavia'' in Ivry-sur-Seine near Paris. It is an abbreviation of Fédération Nationale d ...

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References

{{reflist {{Janet Jackson singles {{authority control 2000 singles 2000 songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Def Jam Recordings singles Electropop songs Janet Jackson songs Music videos directed by Joseph Kahn Song recordings produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Songs written by Janet Jackson Songs written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Songs written for films Virgin Records singles