"One in a Million" is a song recorded by American singer
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton (; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer and actress. She has been credited for helping to redefine contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop, earning her the nicknames the "Princess of R&B" and " ...
for her second studio album
of the same title (1996). It was written by both
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...
and
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
with the latter producing the song. Musically, the song is an
R&B and
club
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea''
Brands and enterprises
...
ballad with
trip hop
Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...
and
drum and bass
Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...
influences. Lyrically, it is about Aaliyah professing her love for a man whom she identifies as being her "one in a million". "One in a Million" was released as the third single from ''One in a Million'' by
Blackground
Blackground Records 2.0 (legal name Blackground Records, LLC, formerly known as Blackground Records) is an American record label founded and owned by Jomo and Barry Hankerson. Initially named Blackground Enterprises, the label switched its name t ...
and
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
on November 26, 1996.
Upon its release, it was met with generally positive reviews from critics, with many praising the song's innovative production. "One in a Million" was a moderate commercial success, peaking at number 25 on the US
Radio Songs and atop the
R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay
R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (previously known as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay) is a chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the top R&B and hip hop songs in the United States, based on audience impressions from a panel of radio stations monitored ...
chart. Released as a
double A-side single with "
If Your Girl Only Knew" in the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number 15 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 ...
. "One in a Million" was nominated for
Best R&B/Soul Single – Female at the
1998 Soul Train Music Awards.
Recording and production
Along with "
If Your Girl Only Knew", "One in a Million" was one of the earliest songs which Aaliyah recorded with
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
and
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...
.
According to Elliot, she wrote the song in a
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
-singing style because she didn't know how to write songs for singers, explaining: "Because I wasn’t really a singer like that, that's why I wrote like that, because I was a rapper, but I didn't know how to do a bunch of runs, so every record that I would attack, I would attack it like I'm rap-singing it."
During the earliest stages of the recording process, Elliot was scared to play the record to Aaliyah because the song's sound was very different.
[ However, once Aaliyah heard the song, she liked it. In regards to Aaliyah enjoying the song, Elliot said that "she had an ear and she knew what that music made her feel like. She was next level to understand that this is some next level usic This is not just the sound that’s going on right now — this is a new sound that is being created. This whole movement is new".][
Once the song was completed and sent to radio, radio stations initially didn't want to play it.][ Many stations made excuses as to why they couldn't play the song by saying "they couldn't blend it in, they couldn't mix it in with records before it or after it because the cadence hadn't been done before".][ According to ]Blackground Records
Blackground Records 2.0 (legal name Blackground Records, LLC, formerly known as Blackground Records) is an American record label founded and owned by Jomo and Barry Hankerson. Initially named Blackground Enterprises, the label switched its name t ...
CEO Jomo Hankerson, many radio station program directors had a problem with what they called "cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
sounds" in the song. Hankerson recalled that a program director in Chicago stated that he would not play a record that had crickets in it.[ When trying to create a solution so that "One in a Million" could get played on the radio, ]Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
suggested that the song be remixed and made more radio-friendly.[ Hankerson refused to change the song and took the tapes out of the studio so that no one could remix it, stating: "Atlantic thought we should remix the record and take the triple-beat down to make it more radio-friendly, but we were very bullheaded about it. We heard they were trying to get remixes done, so we took the tapes out the studio! Back in those days before ]Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed and released by Avid Technology (formerly Digidesign) for Microsoft Windows and macOS. It is used for music creation and production, sound for picture (sound design, audio post-productio ...
you could really control where the music went. If you had that two-inch reel, you had the record. So we grabbed the two-inch reels and all the tapes so nobody could do any unauthorized remixes and we stuck to our guns on that version of the record".[
]
Music and lyrics
"One in a Million" is a mid-tempo ethereal club
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea''
Brands and enterprises
...
ballad with "seductive" 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 ...
, electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
, trip hop
Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...
and drum and bass
Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...
influences.[ The song was described by Andrew Unterberger from '']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 ...
'' as being a "twitchy, booming slow jam that sounded both lush and minimal, expansive and intimate, alien and sexy". Its production, "bursts of rapid-fire staccato beats", that features, "shimmering" synths and crickets
Crickets are orthopteran insects which are related to bush crickets, and, more distantly, to grasshoppers. In older literature, such as Imms,Imms AD, rev. Richards OW & Davies RG (1970) ''A General Textbook of Entomology'' 9th Ed. Methuen 8 ...
.[ According to Craig Jenkins from '']Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'', other sounds are utilized within the record such as, "sultry funk accented by hyperactive drum programming and the sounds of birds, crickets and aircraft scattered around the mix". The song "immediately captures your full attention with its pounding bass, quirky synths and chopped vocal samples".
Melodically, "One in a Million" "cadences are similar to those of a rapper", while lyrically, it is about Aaliyah professing her love for a man whom "she views as one in a million and a love she can't resist".[ "Baby you don't know, what you do to me/Between me and you, I feel a chemistry/Won't let no one come and take your place/Cause the love you give can't be replaced", she sings.][ According to Bob Waliszewski from ]Plugged In
Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF) is a fundamentalist Protestant organization founded in 1977 in Southern California by James Dobson, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The group is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations t ...
, "Aaliyah communicates love and commitment to her man" on the song.
Critical reception
According to Khal from ''Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'', "One in a Million" "showcased an unstoppable trio, with Aaliyah being a perfect muse for the futuristic vibes that Missy and Timbaland were creating, and truthfully helped change the game. No longer did your slow songs have to have slow drum beats; you could establish that vibe and throw as many fills and skittery hi-hats into the track and make it something unique instead of the flavor of the week (although being so future means that everyone was in demand)". Georgette Cline from ''The Boombox
Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wi ...
'' praised the song, saying "The instrumental itself dripped with sex appeal and Aaliyah's musical stylings only enhanced the vibe. The then 17-year-old struck lyrical gold with, Won't let no one come and take your place/ 'Cause the love you give can't be replaced/ See no one else love me like you do/ That's why I don't mind to spend my life with you." Quentin B. Huff from ''PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' felt that the song represented Aaliyah "better in the slow jam department". He also praised the production of the song, saying: "The beat for "One in a Million" is awfully hard for a romantic song, but that's the point, actually: love—or, at least the type of love portrayed in this song—is beautiful but continual and inexorable". Music publication udiscovermusic felt that Aaliyah's "ethereal vocals" was on full display on the song and that overall the song was "the perfect distillation of all the pervasive sounds of the era". In a retrospective review, ''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 ...
'', praised Aaliyah's vocals on the track, saying that she "effortlessly dominates the beat through her inexplicably captivating swagger and tone".[ Overall, the publication felt that the songs sound "remained untouched" and that it stood apart from other songs from its time period - "Aaliyah was simply ahead of her time — and as always, truly one in a million".][
]
Accolades
, -
! scope="row", 1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
, Soul Train Music Award
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of ''Soul Train'', the pro ...
, Best R&B/Soul Single – Female
, "One in a Million"
,
,
Commercial performance
"One in a Million" peaked atop the US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay
R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (previously known as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay) is a chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the top R&B and hip hop songs in the United States, based on audience impressions from a panel of radio stations monitored ...
chart on January 4, 1997. On the Rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to:
* Related to rhythm
* Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics
* Rhythmic (chart)
The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...
chart, the song peaked within the top five at number two on March 1, 1997. On March 22, 1997, the song peaked within the top 40 on the Radio Songs chart at number 25. "One in a Million" also peaked at number two on the US Dance Club Songs
Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
on May 10, 1997. Due to its radio-only release in the United States, "One in a Million" was ineligible to enter the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, as ''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 ...
''s rules at the time allowed only commercially-available singles to chart.
"One in a Million" was released as a double A-side single with "If Your Girl Only Knew" in the United Kingdom, peaking within at number 15 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 ...
. The song peaked within the top five on the UK Dance Chart
The UK Dance Singles Chart and the UK Dance Albums Chart are music charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company from sales of songs in the dance music genre (e.g. house, trance, drum and bass, garage, synthpop) in record ...
on May 25, 1997, and on the UK R&B Chart
The UK Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart and the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart (also known as The Official UK Hip Hop and R&B Charts, the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Singles and the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Albums, or simply the UK Urban Chart) are 40-posi ...
on June 29, 1997. According to the Official Charts Company
The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France.
In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...
(OCC), "One in a Million" is Aaliyah's sixth best-selling single in the United Kingdom. The song also peaked within the top 20 in New Zealand, at number 11, on June 15, 1997.
In August 2021, it was reported that the album and Aaliyah's other recorded work for Blackground (since rebranded as Blackground Records 2.0) would be re-released on physical, digital, and streaming services in a deal between the label and Empire Distribution
EMPIRE Distribution, Records and Publishing Inc. (marketed as EMPIRE) is an American distribution company and record label founded in by Ghazi Shami with offices in New York City, London, Nashville, and Atlanta. It has released albums in vario ...
. ''One in a Million'' was reissued on August 20, 2021, despite Aaliyah's estate issuing a statement in response to Blackground 2.0's announcement, denouncing the "unscrupulous endeavor to release Aaliyah's music without any transparency or full accounting to the estate". Following the album's re-release, "One in a Million" debuted at number seven on the US Digital Song Sales
The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally start ...
the week of September 4, 2021.
Music video
Background
The music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for "One in a Million" was directed by Paul Hunter
Paul Alan Hunter (14 October 1978 – 9 October 2006) was an English professional snooker player. He was a three-time Masters champion, winning the event in 2001, 2002, and 2004, recovering from a deficit in the final to win 10–9 on a ...
and was filmed in Los Angeles. Hunter first met Aaliyah through her uncle while at a meeting in a New York studio; soon after their meeting, he was chosen as the director for the video.[
According to Hunter, everything went well during the filming and they remained on schedule.][
Hunter also recalled that when they were moving to another shooting location, Aaliyah drove in the car with the production crew.][ He stated: "She was this young superstar and we need to go to the next location and she just rides over with the crew", adding: "She didn't call for a limo or anything. It was really cute. She was just a regular girl in that respect, y'know?".][
]
Fashion
For the music video she worked with stylist Derek Lee for the first time. In an interview with ''Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'', Lee recalled that his agent referred him to Aaliyah due to her having issues with other stylists.[ “My agent said stylists were always bringing her stuff she didn’t like because they always wanted to put her in a dress,”. “And once I found out it was Aaliyah, I was like yeah. This is right up my alley.”][ After meeting with Aaliyah, Lee got a call asking if he could immediately fly back to Los Angeles to style the “One In A Million” video.][ Due to it being short notice "he had to bring completely new pieces and only had a few hours to retrieve them".][ He retrieved clothes from sex shops on Christopher Street in New York’s West Village because it was "the only clothing stores open late at night".][ He also asked his "stylist assistant in LA to request the motorcycle jumpsuit she wore to be sent from New York to Los Angeles overnight".][
]
Synopsis
The video starts with Aaliyah lying on the hood of a black Cadillac DeVille
The Cadillac DeVille is the nameplate used by Cadillac over eight generations, originally used to designate a trim level of the 1949 Cadillac Series 62 and later to designate a standalone model in the brand range. The last model marketed specif ...
convertible with Missy Elliott and Timbaland sitting inside of it. Soon, several reporters and fans rush to the car. Then, the scene switches to a dark room where Aaliyah is sitting as Ginuwine
Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (born October 15, 1970), better known by his stage name Ginuwine, is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He began his career as a member of Swing Mob in the early 1990s. Signing to Epic R ...
approaches her. In another scene, she is watching him in an off white-colored room via security camera. The scene shifts to a completely white room where Aaliyah is dancing with another male and then to the scene where Ginuwine is looking at the security camera. In the latter scene, Aaliyah enters the room and reveals a tattoo of her name on Ginuwine's arm. Once again, the scene goes back to the dark room, but this time Aaliyah is standing up and performing in a white bodysuit. The video ends with Aaliyah riding a motorcycle with Dealz (the son of Jackie Jackson
Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson (born May 4, 1951) is an American singer best known as a founding member of the Jackson 5, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Jackson is the second child of the Jackson family, a ...
).
Reception
During its chart run, the video for "One in a Million" received heavy television airplay on multiple music video countdown shows. For the week ending November 10, 1996, the video made its television debut on BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
and The Box. Eventually, the video became the eighth most-played video on BET for the week ending February 16, 1997. For the week ending January 5, 1997, the video made its television debut 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 ...
. The video became the seventh most-played video on MTV the week ending February 23, 1997. In February 1997, the video for "One in a Million" made its television debut on the cable network channel VH1.
In a 1997 article discussing the video, MTV felt that Aaliyah was getting "all grown up and steamy in the video". Jordan Simon from Idolator
An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry.
Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books
*''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music
* Idolator (website), an American music blog
* ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
felt that the video for "One in a Million" displayed a striking resemblance to various futuristic science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
films, such as ''Aliens
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...
'', ''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 ...
'' and ''The Matrix
''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in ''The Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantolia ...
''. The video was also featured on ''Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
''s list "The Best R&B Videos of the '90s".
Live performances
On February 14, Aaliyah performed "One in a Million" on ''Live with Regis and Kathie Lee
''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American syndicated morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show formula has aired under various hosts since ...
'' ; Four days later on February 18, she performed the song on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014.
The fourth incarnation of the ...
''. On February 21, 1997 Aaliyah Performed "If Your girl Only Knew" and "One in a Million", on ''Showtime at the Apollo
''Showtime at the Apollo'' (formerly ''It's Showtime at the Apollo'' and ''Apollo Live'') is an American variety show that first aired in syndication from September 12, 1987 to May 24, 2008. In 2018, the series returned on Fox with Steve Harvey h ...
''. In March, Aaliyah made an appearance at the annual ''MTV Spring Break
''MTV Spring Break'' refers to MTV, the channel's annual spring break coverage, featuring numerous live performances from artists and bands on location. The annual tradition continued into the 2000s, when it became de-emphasized and handed off to ...
'' event in Panama City, Florida
Panama City is a city in and the county seat of Bay County, Florida, United States. Located along U.S. Highway 98 (US 98), it is the largest city between Tallahassee and Pensacola. It is the more populated city of the Panama City–Lynn Ha ...
. During the event, Aaliyah performed "One in a Million" and hosted a segment from '' The Grind'', where she interviewed the Spice Girls
The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vict ...
before their performance. In September 1997, Aaliyah performed "One in a Million" on the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
sketch comedy show ''All That
''All That'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by Tollin/Robbins P ...
''.
Legacy
In 2010, singer-songwriter The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash (born September 20, 1977), better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His co-writing credits include songs with "Me Against the Music" (2003) for Britney Spears, "Ride ...
recorded a cover of "One in a Million". In May 2011, Omarion
Omari Ishmael Grandberry (born November 12, 1984), better known by his stage name Omarion, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actor and dancer. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the boy band B2K. The group achieved success in the e ...
covered the song for his mixtape as a tribute to Aaliyah. Also, Canadian singer-songwriter Keshia Chanté
Keshia Chanté Harper (born June 16, 1988) is a Canadian singer, television host, actress, songwriter and philanthropist. As a teenager, Chanté gained recognition with the release of her singles "Unpredictable", "Bad Boy" and "Does He Love Me" " ...
, who was once set to play as Aaliyah in her biopic movie, covered the song as a tribute for the tenth anniversary of Aaliyah's death. On August 25, 2012, hip hop artist Blizzy Ballard and Aaliyah's former collaborator Smoke E. Digglera
Playa was an American Contemporary R&B, R&B/Hip hop music, hip hop group, formed in 1990. The original lineup consisted of Jawaan "Smoke E. Digglera" Peacock, Benjamin "Digital Black" Bush and Static Major, Stephen "Static Major" Garrett. Playa i ...
, lead singer of R&B group Playa, released a tribute cover of the song. The song was also sampled by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea
Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea (), is an Australian rapper. At the age of 16, Azalea moved from Australia to the United States in order to pursue a career in music. Azalea earned public recognitio ...
for her song "Backseat Trill $hit". R&B and hip hop artist Tink released a song titled "Million", sampling "One in a Million", with production by Timbaland. American singer Normani
Normani Kordei Hamilton ( ; born May 31, 1996) is an American singer and dancer. She auditioned as a solo act for the American television series ''The X Factor'' in 2012, after which she became a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, which wen ...
's 2021 single " Wild Side", featuring American rapper Cardi B
Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus (, ; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper and songwriter. She first gained popularity as an influencer on Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to early 2017, she appeared as ...
, interpolates the drum pattern from "One in a Million".
According to ''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 ...
'', “One in a Million bridged often-juxtaposed worlds: The track is a gentle ballad over a tough beat, melding together rugged and smooth with ease. Across the song’s 4:30 runtime, the trio joined forces to pioneer an unprecedented R&B lane, defined by its versatility".[ Journalist ]Craig Seymour
Craig Seymour (born November 25, 1968) is an American writer, photographer, celebrity interviewer, music critic and former stripper. He was born in Washington, D.C. He has written for ''The Washington Post'', ''Entertainment Weekly'', ''Vibe'', an ...
from ''The Buffalo News
''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It recently sold its headquarters to Uniland Development Corp. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by W ...
'', stated that "One In a Million" "changed the sound of pop and R&B radio", and that "it's the reason that polyrhythmic smashes such as Christina Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle
"Genie in a Bottle" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her self-titled debut studio album (1999). It was written by Pam Sheyne, Steve Kipner and David Frank, and produced by Kipner and Frank. The song was released on May 11, 1 ...
" and Destiny's Child's "Say My Name
"Say My Name" is a song by American group Destiny's Child from their second studio album, ''The Writing's on the Wall'' (1999). It was written by Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson, Kelly Rowland, LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerkins I ...
" exist". Writer Da’Shan Smith from Revolt
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
, credits the song for creating the "Electro-Hop
Hip house, also known as rap house or house rap, is a musical genre that mixes elements of house music and hip hop, that originated in both London, United Kingdom and Chicago, United States in the mid to late 1980s.
British group the Beatmast ...
& B" sub-genre that was popular in the late 90s & 2000s. According to Smith, "The first to truly place her foot on the gas with the help of Virginia’s finest was Aaliyah. In 1996, at Pyramid Studios in Ithaca, New York, the trio would record Aaliyah’s titular track from her sophomore album, One In A Million. Unlike anything else on radio, “One In A Million” stood out for incorporating London’s drum and bass electronic sound with slow-winding R&B synthesizers".[
]
Track listings and formats
European maxi CD single and 12-inch vinyl
#"One in a Million" (album version) – 4:31
#"One in a Million" (remix featuring Ginuwine
Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (born October 15, 1970), better known by his stage name Ginuwine, is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He began his career as a member of Swing Mob in the early 1990s. Signing to Epic R ...
) – 5:07
#"One in a Million" (instrumental) – 4:31
#"One in a Million" (a cappella) – 4:31
Australian maxi CD single
#"One in a Million" (album version) – 4:31
#"One in a Million" (remix featuring Ginuwine) – 5:07
#"One in a Million" ( Dark Child Remix) – 4:42
#"One in a Million" (Geoffrey C Edit) – 4:01
#"One in a Million" (Nitebreed Bootleg Mix) – 7:15
#"One in a Million" ( Armand's Drum & Bass Mix) – 7:09
"If Your Girl Only Knew"/"One in a Million"
#" If Your Girl Only Knew" (radio edit) – 3:55
#"If Your Girl Only Knew" (The New Remix) – 4:58
#"One in a Million" (Dark Child Remix) – 4:41
#"One in a Million" (Armand's Drum & Bass Mix) – 7:11
"The One I Gave My Heart To"/"One in a Million"
#"The One I Gave My Heart To
"The One I Gave My Heart To" is a song recorded by American singer Aaliyah for her second studio album '' One in a Million'' (1996). The song was written by Diane Warren and was produced by Daryl Simmons. Musically, it is a pop and R&B power ...
" (Soul Solution club mix)
#"The One I Gave My Heart To" (Soul Solution dub)
#"One in a Million" (Nitebreed Mongolidic mix)
#"One in a Million" (Geoffrey's House mix)
#"One in a Million" (Armand's Drum & Bass mix)
#"One in a Million" (Wolf-D Big Bass mix)
#"One in a Million" (Nitebreed dub)
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Release history
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1996 singles
Aaliyah songs
Music videos directed by Paul Hunter (director)
Song recordings produced by Timbaland
Songs written by Missy Elliott
Songs written by Timbaland
1996 songs
Blackground Records singles
Contemporary R&B ballads
1990s ballads