Songoftheday 10/23/23 - Off to college yes you went away, straight from high school you up and left me...

 

 

"Miss You" - Aaliyah

from the album I Care 4 U (2002)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #3 (one week)

Weeks in the Top-40: 28

 

Today's song comes from the late R&B singer Aaliyah, who returned to the top-40 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 a year after her tragic plane crash death with "I Care 4 U". As that song was cresting in October of 2002, a new single, "Miss You" was released. Written by Johnta Austin with producer Teddy Bishop, the song was recorded during the sessions for her self-titled third album, but cut from the tracklist. The lyrics have Aaliyah pining over a past young love that went away for school, but then circles that depression drain for the rest of the song (I can understand why it was left off Aaliyah). But the weight of the singers passing of course gave a heavier context to this, and any song named "Miss You" from her would gain attention. The production is simple and spacious enough to let Aaliyah's gentle vocals center the record, along with the electronic bird chirps. All and all, the result is heavier that the song really is, but as we were still swept up in the loss, it caught on, giving the singer her highest charting pop hit after "Try Again". The music video combined snippets of her past videos and photos with celebrities and musical peers lipsynching to the record...

"Miss You" became Aaliyah's fifth top ten hit on Billboard's Hot 100 in April of 2003, while spending three weeks at #1 on their R&B Singles chart. On the radio, the song peaked at #10 on the Mainstream Top-40 airplay chart, #19 on the older-skewing Adult R&B list, and #6 on the dance/R&B-oriented Rhythmic format. Internationally, the single reached the top-40 in Germany (#8), the Netherlands (#14), Canada (#14 sales), Denmark (#15), Switzerland (#15), Austria (#29), and Sweden (#40), while stalling down at #76 in the United Kingdom.

Both Aaliyah and the I Care 4 U album will be back to the series.

(5/10)

Up tomorrow: An R&B boyband skip stones to #1.