"4 Seasons of Loneliness" is a song by

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

-based vocal quartet Boyz II Men. Written and produced by

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 song was issued as the first single from their fourth studio album, ''

Evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

'' (1997), on September 8, 1997. Already a success on US radio, the release of the single prompted a ''Billboard'' Hot 100 debut at number two. The following week, the song moved up to number one, becoming Boyz II Men's fifth chart-topper and, as of , the last Hot 100 number-one hit under the Motown banner. "4 Seasons of Loneliness" was also the group's last top-10 hit in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom, debuting at number two 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 ...

and number 10 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 ...

Critical reception

Larry Flick from '' Billboard'' stated, "The long-anticipated "Evolution" is previewed with a heart-rending ballad that underlines the act's signature harmonies with a quietly rumbling R&B groove. Producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis wisely do not fuss too much with the act's hit-making formula, which still sounds fresh after all these years - thanks mostly to the friendly and often romantic personalities the lads bring to the material. Others may be able to duplicate Boyz II Men's technical sound, but you can't manufacture vibe and personality, both of which are in ample supply here. The countdown to No. 1 starts now."

Track listings

US CD, 7-inch, and cassette single # "4 Seasons of Loneliness" (LP version) — 4:51 # "4 Seasons of Loneliness" (B II M version) — 5:30 Canadian, UK, Australian, and Japanese CD single # "4 Seasons of Loneliness" (radio edit) — 4:27 # "4 Seasons of Loneliness" (B II M version) — 5:30 # "4 Seasons of Loneliness" (instrumental) — 4:51 # "4 Seasons of Loneliness" (a cappella) — 4:41 UK cassette single # "4 Seasons of Loneliness" (radio edit) — 4:27 # "4 Seasons of Loneliness" (extended Wannya mix) — 5:30

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1997 songs 1997 singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Boyz II Men songs Motown singles Music videos directed by Paul Hunter (director) Song recordings produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Songs written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis