"I Don't Wanna" 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 " ...

. Written and composed by

Johntá Austin Johntá Austin ( ; born June 28, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, vocalist and rapper, signed to Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings. He is known for collaborating with producers Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri an ...

Jazze Pha Phalon Anton Alexander, (born April 15, 1974), professionally known as Jazze Pha ( ), is an American record producer, singer, songwriter and rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Sho'nuff Records, to wh ...

, Donnie Scantz, and Kevin Hicks, it appears on both the ''

Next Friday ''Next Friday'' is a 2000 American stoner comedy film and the sequel to the 1995 film '' Friday''. It is the first film to be produced by Ice Cube's film production company Cubevision. It was directed by Steve Carr and stars Ice Cube, Mike ...

'' (1999) and ''

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 ...

'' (2000) soundtracks. The song was released in January 2000 as an airplay-only single in the United States, where it reached number 35 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number five on the

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 ...

. Internationally, "I Don't Wanna" was released as a double A-side single with "

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, Ge ...

Release

"I Don't Wanna" was released as the fourth single from ''Next Friday'' 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

Priority Records Priority Records is an American distribution company and record label known for artists including N.W.A, Ice-T, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Big L, Silkk the Shocker and Westside Connection. It also distributed hip hop record labels including Death Row ...

. It was serviced 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 ...

and

urban contemporary 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 conte ...

radio stations in the United States in January 2000. The song was later released as a double A-side single with "

" as the second single from ''Romeo Must Die'' by

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 world ...

. While speaking with ''Billboard'' Blackground Records VP Jomo Hankerson mentioned that "I Don't Wanna" was cross-promoted on two movie soundtracks intentionally. He stated, "The intent was to have it as a setup record for Aaliyah, and it is working for everyone". 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,

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 ...

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 v ...

. ''Romeo Must Die: The Album'', including "I Don't Wanna", was re-released on September 3.

Critical reception

Damien Scott 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 ...

'' felt that the song could've blended in well on Aaliyah's second studio album '' One in a Million'' (1996). According to Scott, "I Don't Wanna" was "a sullen record that would have fit perfectly on ''One in a Million'', thanks to its somber keys, halted delivery, and abrasive honesty." He also felt that it made for a perfect song for someone going through a break-up. 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 ...

'' praised the song, saying it showcases "an ode to rekindling love, often in a near-double time delivery", while comparing it to

Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** F ...

's "

Confessions Part II "Confessions Part II" is a song by R&B singer Usher, produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox for Usher's fourth album '' Confessions''. Written by Usher, Dupri and Cox, the song is a confession of a man to his woman about his impregn ...

" (2004) and

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the w ...

's "

We Belong Together "We Belong Together" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her 10th studio album, ''The Emancipation of Mimi'' (2005). The song was released on March 15, 2005, through Island Records, as the second single from the album. "W ...

" (2005).

Live performances

To promote ''Romeo Must Die'', Aaliyah performed "I Don't Wanna" on the April 26, 2000 episode of ''

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 ...

''.

Track listing

"I Don't Wanna"/"Come Back in One Piece" #"I Don't Wanna" (album version) – 4:14 #"

" (no rap) (featuring

DMX Earl Simmons (December 18, 1970 – April 9, 2021), known professionally as DMX, was an American rapper and actor. He began rapping in the early 1990s and released his debut album ''It's Dark and Hell Is Hot'' in 1998, to both critical acclaim ...

) – 3:41 #"Come Back in One Piece" (featuring DMX) – 4:18 #"Come Back in One Piece" (music video) – 3:36

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

Bibliography

External links

Official website
1999 songs 2000 singles Friday (franchise) music Aaliyah songs Songs written by Johntá Austin Songs written by Donnie Scantz Songs written by Jazze Pha Blackground Records singles Virgin Records singles Contemporary R&B ballads 1990s ballads {{2000s-single-stub