"Try Again" 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 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 ''

Romeo Must Die ''Romeo Must Die'' is a 2000 American action film directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak in his feature film directorial debut, and featuring fight choreography by Corey Yuen. The film stars Jet Li and Aaliyah in her feature film debut, It follows a C ...

''. It was written by

Static Major Stephen Ellis Garrett (November 11, 1974 – February 25, 2008), known professionally as Static Major (and previously as Static), was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Louisville, Kentucky. He was a member of the R&B tri ...

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 ...

, and produced by the latter. The song features an intro in which Timbaland pays homage to Eric B. & Rakim by rapping the duo's opening verse from " I Know You Got Soul". "Try Again" was released as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from ''Romeo Must Die'' on March 21, 2000, by

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 ...

and

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...

. It was later included as a bonus track on international editions of Aaliyah's eponymous third and final studio album (2001). "Try Again" was met with positive reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

and enjoyed commercial success. In the United States, it peaked atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming the first single to reach number one based solely on airplay. The song peaked within the top five in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. The accompanying

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 the song was directed by

Wayne Isham Wayne Isham (born December 2, 1958) is an American film director and music video director who has directed films and music videos of many popular artists. Early life and education Isham was born in December 2, 1958. He attended the University ...

and won two

MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

in 2000. "Try Again" was also nominated for

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards ...

at the

43rd Annual Grammy Awards The 43rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 21, 2001, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Several artists earned three awards on the night. Steely Dan's haul included Album of the Year for ''Two Against Nature''. U2 took ...

(2001).

Writing and production

In 1999, Aaliyah landed her first movie role in ''

'' (2000), a loose adaptation of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

''. Aaliyah starred opposite martial artist

Jet Li Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese film actor, film producer, Chinese martial arts, martial artist, and retired wushu (sport), Wushu champion. He is a naturalized Singapo ...

, playing a couple who fall in love amid their warring families. It grossed US$18.6 million in its first weekend, reaching number two at the box office. In addition to acting, Aaliyah served as an executive producer of the

film 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 which she contributed four songs, including "Try Again". Aaliyah revealed that the production team "actually talked about the soundtrack before we even shot the movie". "Try Again" was recorded at Sound on Sound Studios in New York City and was originally written as an inspirational song. It was written by Stephen "Static Major" Garrett and Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, and produced by the latter. According to engineer

Jimmy Douglass Jimmy Douglass, also known as "The Senator", is an American recording engineer and record producer. His career has spanned more than four decades. Career In the early 1970s at Atlantic Records studios in New York City, he started his studio ca ...

, it was "written to inspire young people, but Barry ankersonheard it and told them, 'It's got to be about love'." After all the changes were made to the song, the melody and hook remained the same but the lyrics became love-themed.

Music and lyrics

Musically, "Try Again" is an R&B, electro, and

dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...

song. James Poletti from ''

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 ...

'', stated that the song's sound is associated with

Detroit techno Detroit techno is a type of techno music that generally includes the first techno productions by Detroit-based artists during the 1980s and early 1990s. Prominent Detroit techno artists include Juan Atkins, Eddie Fowlkes, Derrick May, Jeff Mil ...

. Other genres that are utilized within the songs instrumental is Hip hop, early

EDM EDM or E-DM may refer to: Music * Electronic dance music * Early Day Miners, American band Science and technology * Electric dipole moment * Electrical discharge machining * Electronic distance measurement *Entry, Descent, and landing demonstrat ...

of the 2000s, and

Acid House Acid house (also simply known as just "acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synthesiz ...

. Lyrically, Aaliyah encourages "a potential partner not to give up on her". Production wise, it "skews more toward the fuzzy electronic sounds of the future than the thumping hip-hop beats of the past". The song features "disembodied backing vocals, electronically treated string and flute samples, speaker-rumbling bass, and the sort of grinding synthesiser riff more usually found on late-1980s acid-house records". It also incorporates, "programmed snares, kicks and shakers for drums and overlays a wide array of synth sounds, sitars, horns, guitars, and a snaky, distorted bass line underneath it all". The "horn blasts straight out of a Renaissance processional and then it thrusts you onto a ripping electro-bass roller coaster with Aaliyah's airy voice serving as the wind blowing through your hair". Throughout the record, "Aaliyah's voice is as nimble as ever, slinkily sliding over the synth line and icing the techno-inspired beat with her R&B finesse". According to Musicnotes, the song is composed in the

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

C minor C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature consists of three flats. Its relative major is E major and its parallel major is C major. The C natural minor scale is: : Cha ...

and is set in

time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

with a

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 ...

of 92

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...

, while Aaliyah's vocal range spans from G₃ to G₄. In the song's intro, Timbaland pays homage to Eric B. & Rakim by interpolating the duo's opening verse from " I Know You Got Soul". The chorus line "If at first you don't succeed, then dust yourself off and try again" is hypnotically repeated in a fashion similar to the sampling and vocal manipulation found in

house music House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...

. "As the song nears the end, a haunting growling noise stalks the edges of the mix like a monster on the prowl".

Release and promotion

On February 18, 2000, it was announced that "Try Again" would be released as the

from the '' Romeo Must Die: The Album'' soundtrack, while an accompanying music video would be directed by

and

officially serviced it to

rhythmic contemporary 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 ...

radio in the United States on March 21, and 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 ...

on April 4. On May 22, a maxi CD single was issued in Europe. In the United Kingdom, the single was released on July 10, 2000, via three formats: a

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 ...

, a

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 ...

, and a 12-inch vinyl single. In August 2021, it was reported that Aaliyah's recorded work for Blackground (since rebranded as Blackground Records 2.0) would be re-released on physical, digital, and, for the first time ever,

streaming services An over-the-top media service is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms, the companies that traditionally act as a controller or distributors of s ...

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 ...

. ''Romeo Must Die'' was re-released on September 3, 2021, including "Try Again".

Live performances

To promote "Try Again" and ''Romeo Must Die'', Aaliyah performed the song during numerous televised appearances. It was first performed alongside "

Come Back in One Piece "Come Back in One Piece" is a song recorded by American singer Aaliyah, featuring a guest appearance by American rapper DMX, for the soundtrack to the 2000 film ''Romeo Must Die''. It was written by DMX, Stephen Garrett, Irv Gotti, Rob Meys, G ...

" on ''Romeo Must Die: The Kickoff Special'', which aired 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 ...

in March 2000. Aaliyah performed it again on ''

The Rosie O'Donnell Show ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show'' is an American daytime variety television talk show created, hosted, and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It premiered on June 10, 1996, and concluded after six seasons on May 22, 2002. This talk sh ...

'' on April 17. On April 26, she performed the song on both ''

Total Request Live ''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...

'' and ''

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 ...

''. To promote "Try Again" in the United Kingdom, Aaliyah performed it via satellite on the July 21, 2000 episode of ''

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 ...

''.

Critical reception

Taylor 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 ...

'' felt that Aaliyah had another smash hit on her hands and praised her vocal styling by saying: "Aaliyah's sultry vocals slide all over the futuristic beat". However, he had a mixed response to the production; although he thought the synth sample and snare alternate lived up to his expectations, he ultimately felt that the synth sample "becomes grating as the song progresses." James Poletti from ''

'' praised the song and felt that the chorus "refuses to leave your brain after a couple of listens". Ultimately he declared that "Try Again" was a "class Timbaland product" and that the song would be equally successful in Europe.

Accolades

Commercial performance

"Try Again" debuted on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 the week of March 18, 2000, at number 58. During the week of June 17 the song jumped 6-1, becoming the first song ever to peak atop the chart based solely on airplay, as it was not commercially released in the United States. At the time of "Try Again" reaching the top spot it gained 5.5 million listeners, in total reaching 92 million audience impressions. The song also peaked at number one on

Hot 100 Airplay The Radio Songs chart (previously named Hot 100 Airplay until 2014 and Top 40 Radio Monitor until 1991) is released weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine and measures the airplay of songs being played on radio stations throughout ...

, number three on

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 number four 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 ...

. On the year-end ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart for 2000, the song placed 12th. It placed 98th on the 2000s decade-end ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, "Try Again" debuted and 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 ...

on July 16, 2000―for the week ending July 22, 2000―while staying within the top 75 for twelve weeks. The song has sold over 209,000 copies and remains Aaliyah's best-selling single in the country. "Try Again" also achieved commercial success elsewhere in Europe, peaking within the top five in Belgium, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal. In Australia, the song reached number eight 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 ...

. It became the country's 51st best-selling single of 2000.

Music video

Synopsis and Fashion

The accompanying music video for "Try Again" was directed by

. It begins with

entering a hall of mirrors and Aaliyah stepping in, wearing a revealing low-cut bra and tight low-rise leather pants,

is also shown. The room is dim with a shallow pool and circle light in the center to resemble the moon shining over the ocean represented by said pool. In an interview with

Nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from petro ...

, Lee mentioned that he knew Try Again was going to be a dance video and that she was going to "wear one outfit for the entire thing". For the music video Aaliyah is wearing a crystal bra top with a matching choker by

Dolce & Gabbana Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, and cosmetic ...

. According to her former stylist Derek Lee "the crystal bra top offered so little coverage that LeGrand had to add some extra rows of rhinestones so Aaliyah felt more comfortable". Prior to the video Lee had a working relationship with Dolce & Gabbana , and he seen an ad for the top, in

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

"for something that was coming out for pre-order". After seeing that ad he knew that outfit would be the look for the video "Because if we needed to level up on her little bra tops with the baggy pants, maybe we should go this route". Dolce & Gabbana had multiple colors of the bra but Lee opted for the plain crystal because it had the matching belt and choker.

Reception

The music video for "Try Again" made its official television debut on

during the week of March 5, 2000. On the week of March 12, the video debuted on the cable network channel VH1. Meanwhile, during the week of March 19, the video debuted on The Box, while it debuted 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 ...

on April 3. During its chart run, the video received heavy television airplay on multiple music video countdown shows. For the week ending May 8, the video was the most played video on BET. On MTV, the video was the third most-played video during the week ending May 22.

Legacy

"Try Again" became the first airplay track to reach No. 1 on The Billboard Hot 100 without the benefit of a retail single. Alexis Petridis from ''

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 ...

'' felt that, "Try Again" was "one of the most remarkable and forward-thinking pop singles of 2000". According to Jonathan Keefe from ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

'', the song "influenced hip-hop, dance, and pop over the nine years that followed". He also felt that "After "Try Again", much of the decade's rhythmic music rested on the shoulders of thin-voiced, icily detached singers like Rihanna, Alison Goldfrapp, Ciara, and Annie, none of whom have been able to match the presence or the lived-in soulfulness Aaliyah conveyed with her ethereal wisp of a voice".

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...

sampled "Try Again" in his 2002 song "

Freeek! "Freeek!" is a song written and performed by English singer George Michael. The song contains samples from " Try Again" by Aaliyah, "Breathe and Stop" by Q-Tip, and "N.T." by Kool & the Gang. A remastered version called "Freeek! '04" was la ...

". German

NDH The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It was established in p ...

band

Knorkator Knorkator is a German band from Berlin that combines heavy metal with comical elements. They proclaim themselves to be "Germany's band in the world" (german: Deutschlands meiste Band der Welt), as the title "The best band in the world" was al ...

covered the song on their album ''

Ich hasse Musik Knorkator is a German band from Berlin that combines heavy metal with comical elements. They proclaim themselves to be "Germany's band in the world" (german: Deutschlands meiste Band der Welt), as the title "The best band in the world" was al ...

''. In a 2013 episode of ''

The Mindy Project ''The Mindy Project'' is an American romantic comedy television series created by and starring Mindy Kaling that began airing on Fox in September 2012 and finished its run of six seasons on Hulu in November 2017. The series was co-produced by Uni ...

'', Dr. Danny (portrayed by

Chris Messina Christopher Messina (born August 11, 1974)Hochberg, Mina.Chris Messina stars in 'Ruby Sparks'��. ''Newsday'' (Long Island, New York). August 8, 2012: “...the actor, who turns 38 Saturday ugust 11, 2012 After graduating from Northport ew Yor ...

) showed Mindy (portrayed by

Mindy Kaling Vera Mindy Chokalingam (born June 24, 1979),Additional archive on June 25, 2015. known professionally as Mindy Kaling (), is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter and producer. She first gained recognition starring as Kelly Kapoor in the N ...

) the choreography from the song's music video. The song is ranked at number 225 on ''Billboards'' Greatest of All Time Songs of the Summer chart. On August 21, 2019, the

Madame Tussauds Las Vegas Madame Tussauds Las Vegas is a wax museum located in the Las Vegas Strip at The Venetian Las Vegas casino resort in Paradise, Nevada. The attraction opened in 1999, becoming the first Madame Tussauds venue to open in the United States. It featur ...

revealed a wax figure of Aaliyah. The life-sized figure was modelled on Aaliyah's appearance in the music video for "Try Again". It was unveiled by Aaliyah's brother

Rashad Haughton Rashad Hasan Haughton (born August 6, 1977) is an American writer, film director and screenwriter. Haughton is the older brother of American singer and actress Aaliyah and nephew of Blackground Records founder Barry Hankerson. Early life Rashad ...

to an invited audience.

Track listings

*US 7-inch vinyl single # "Try Again" – 4:05 # "

" (featuring DMX) – 4:18 *UK CD single # "Try Again" (Album Version) – 4:44 # "Try Again" (Timbaland Remix) – 4:59 # "Try Again" (D'Jam Hassan Remix) – 4:50 # "Try Again" (Instrumental) – 4:38

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

*
Official website
{{Authority control 2000 singles Aaliyah songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video Music videos directed by Wayne Isham Song recordings produced by Timbaland Songs written by Static Major Songs written by Timbaland Blackground Records singles 1999 songs Songs written for films Electro songs