If I Ain't Got You
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"If I Ain't Got You" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After d ...
for her second studio album '' The Diary of Alicia Keys'' (2003). Inspired by the 2001 death of singer
Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton ( ; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, actress, dancer, and model. Known as the " Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop", she is credited with helping to redefine contemporary R&B, p ...
, the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, and other events in the world and in Keys' life, the song is about "how material things don't feed the soul". It was released as the second single from ''The Diary of Alicia Keys'' on February 17, 2004, by
J Records J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG's record labels in late 2008 at the end of their merger. It was distribut ...
. The single cover depicts Keys similarly to the subject of
Man Ray Man Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky; August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976) was an American naturalized French visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris. He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealism, Surrealist movements, ...
's 1924 photograph '' Le Violon d'Ingres''. "If I Ain't Got You" peaked at number four on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and became Keys' second consecutive R&B chart-topper, remaining atop of 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 ...
chart for six weeks. The song received two nominations at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards (2005), for Song of the Year and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, winning the latter. It was ranked at number 440 on ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
s "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time". Since its release, Keys has said that it is one of her favorite songs. In 2023 the song was reinterpreted in a classical version by Keys and Kris Bowers for ''Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Soundtrack'', which the singer performed with a 70-piece orchestra of women of color.


Background and composition

Keys said that the idea of the song was inspired by
Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton ( ; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, actress, dancer, and model. Known as the " Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop", she is credited with helping to redefine contemporary R&B, p ...
's death: "The song idea came together right after Aaliyah passed away. It was such a sad time and no one wanted to believe it. It just made everything crystal clear to me—what matters, and what doesn't." In September 2020, Keys revealed that she almost offered the song to
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
, as the singer wanted to work with Keys. She eventually wrote the song "Impossible" for Aguilera's album '' Stripped''. There is a remix of the song that features additional vocals by Usher.


Critical reception

"If I Ain't Got You" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Ranking "The 100 Greatest Songs of 2004" ''Billboard'' listed the song at 16, describing it as an "instant-classic love song boils true romance down to one simple phrase" finding it "timeless and lived-in that was also a perfect hit for modern pop and R&B", thanks to "her signature piano playing and yearning vocal". Matthew Singer of ''Time Out'' wrote that the song "is a reminder to live in the present, and hold the one we love close as everything is transient", finding it congruent with the inspiration at the death of Aaliyah. In February 2025, ''
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 advertis ...
'' ranked the song at number thirteen on their list of The Top 50 R&B Love Songs of All Time.


Commercial performance

"If I Ain't Got You" debuted on the '' Billboard'' Hot 100 at number sixty-four on the issue dated March 6, 2004, peaking at number four, four months later, on July 3, 2004. It spent twenty non-consecutive weeks in the top ten, one of the longest stays of any song that year and outlasting many number-one singles. The song topped 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 ...
on May 1, 2004, and spent six non-consecutive weeks atop the chart. It was also successful on '' Billboard'' component charts, reaching number five on the Rhythmic Top 40 and number nine on the
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 ...
. The single was ultimately placed at number three on the ''Billboard'' Year-End Hot 100 chart of 2004. In the United Kingdom, "If I Ain't Got You" debuted and peaked at number eighteen on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending April 10, 2004. In late September 2009, the single returned to the chart at number fifty-four. In September 2016, Keys appeared on '' The Voice'' as a coach, with a contestant singing the song, and it made a new entry into the R&B/Hip Hop singles charts, driving total sales up to 1.5  million units. By August 2020, the song had reached 4× Platinum certification.


Music video

The music video for "If I Ain't Got You", directed by Diane Martel, was filmed in
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
, New York City, and features a cameo by rapper and actor Method Man as Keys' on-screen boyfriend. The October 25, 2009 upload of the music video on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
prematurely ends in the final cutscene of Method Man getting out of the car, so the final chorus of the song doesn't finish. Despite the fake HD remaster of the music video in April 2024, the issue was never fixed. An unofficial upload of the original video on
Dailymotion Dailymotion is a French online video platform, online video sharing platform owned by Canal+ S.A., Canal+. Prior to 2024, the company was owned by Vivendi. North American launch partners included Vice Media, Bloomberg L.P., Bloomberg, and Hears ...
, dated September 27, 2006 and clocking in at 5 minutes and 12 seconds, is the only surviving copy of the full version on any online platform currently available.


Accolades


Track listings and formats

*European CD single # "If I Ain't Got You" (Album Version) – 3:54 # " You Don't Know My Name/Will You Ever Know It" (Reggae Mix) – 5:06 *European CD maxi-single # "If I Ain't Got You" (Album Version) – 3:48 # "If I Ain't Got You" (Piano/Vocal Version) – 3:54 # "You Don't Know My Name/Will You Ever Know It" (Reggae Mix) – 5:06 # "If I Ain't Got You" (Video) *European CD single (Remix) # "If I Ain't Got You" (featuring Usher) – 3:52 # "If I Ain't Got You" (Album Version) – 3:51 # "If I Ain't Got You" (Piano/Vocal Version) – 3:51 *Japanese CD single # "If I Ain't Got You" (Album Version) – 3:49 # "If I Ain't Got You" (Piano + Vocal Only Version) – 3:49 # "If I Ain't Got You" (Acappella Version) – 3:33 *US 7-inch single :A. "If I Ain't Got You" (Album Version) – 3:48 :B. "
Diary A diary is a written or audiovisual memorable record, with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. Diaries have traditionally been handwritten but are now also often digita ...
" (Album Version) (featuring Tony! Toni! Toné!) – 3:43 *US 12-inch single :A1. "If I Ain't Got You" (Radio Mix) – 3:48 :A2. "If I Ain't Got You" (Instrumental) – 3:48 :B1. "If I Ain't Got You" (Radio Mix) – 3:48 :B2. "If I Ain't Got You" (Acappella) – 3:36 *Digital EP # "If I Ain't Got You" (featuring Usher) – 3:51 # "If I Ain't Got You" (Radio Edit) – 3:51 # "If I Ain't Got You" (featuring Arturo Sandoval) (Spanish Version) – 3:51 # "If I Ain't Got You" (
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
Radio Mix #1) – 3:47 # "If I Ain't Got You" (Piano & Vocal Version) – 3:51 # "If I Ain't Got You" (
The Black Eyed Peas The Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group formed in Los Angeles in 1995, composed of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo (rapper), Taboo. Fergie (singer), Fergie was a member during the height of their popularity in the 2000s, and ...
Remix) – 3:14 *Digital download # "If I Ain't Got You" (The Black Eyed Peas Remix) – 3:14


Personnel

Personnel are adapted from the liner notes of ''The Diary of Alicia Keys''. * Alicia Keys – piano, producer, background vocals, vocals * Katreese Barnes – background vocals * Adamo Simione – engineering * Kerry Brothers Jr. – digital programming * Fred Cash Jr. – bass * Darryl Dixon – horn * L. Green – background vocals * Steve Jordan – drums *
Manny Marroquin Manny Marroquin (born September 21, 1971) is a Guatemalan-American record mixing engineer. He has been credited on albums for high-profile pop, R&B, hip hop and rock acts. He has worked with artists including Rihanna, Kanye West, Katy Perry ...
– mixing * Hugh McCracken – guitar * Cindy Mizelle – background vocals * Herb Powers Jr. – mastering * Joe Romano – horn * Arcell Vickers – organ * David Watson – horn


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications


Release history


Notable covers

* In 2015,
James Bay James Bay (, ; ) is a large body of water located on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. It borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, and is politically part of Nunavut. Its largest island is Akimiski Island. Numerous waterways of the ...
covered the song as part of his ''James Bay Spotify Session 2015''. The song was certified Gold by
Recorded Music NZ Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded ...
(RMNZ) in 2024.


See also

* Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2004 * List of Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks number ones of 2004


References

{{authority control 2000s ballads 2003 songs 2004 singles Alicia Keys songs Contemporary R&B ballads J Records singles Music videos directed by Diane Martel Songs written by Alicia Keys