Come Back to Me (Janet Jackson song)

Background and release

While writing for her fourth studio album, Rhythm Nation 1814, Jackson felt a lot of pressure to follow up the success of previous album, Control (1986). Jackson enlisted previous collaborators and record producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis to work with her on the album, and according to the duo, she was excited, and creative juices were flowing." Jam claimed, "It was me, Janet, Terry and [executive producer] John McClain -- and Rene Elizondo also. Let me include him on the creative mix. If the ideas weren't flowing from that group of people, they weren't really being listened to." The album's concept was developed after Jackson, Jam and Lewis watched many social problems that were going on in the world on TV, such as racism, homelessness, drugs and illiteracy. However, the second half of the record is composed with love songs, with "Come Back to Me" being one of them.

Following "Alright", "Come Back to Me" was announced to be "Rhythm Nation"'s fifth single and it was released on June 18, 1990. Its CD single contains the B-side "The Skin Game Pt. 1", while "The Skin Game Pt. 2" is an instrumental which appears exclusively on selected releases. Jackson also recorded the song in Spanish, titled "Vuelve a mí" which also appears on selected releases. In the UK, the song was released as a double A-side co-featuring "Alright".

Composition

"Come Back to Me" was written by Janet Jackson with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with the latter two also serving as the song's producers. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, "Come Back to Me" is composed in common time with an "easy ballad" tempo of 78 beats per minute. It is set in the key of A-flat, following a basic chord progression from D♭-E♭-F-G. Jackson's vocals on the track span from the low-note of Eb3 to the high-note of Bb5. Lyrically, "Come Back to Me" talks about a lover trying to recapture the rapture of a romance that blossomed and faded away a long time ago. The song is a quiet storm ballad, featuring chord changes and a bridge with a soaring, cinematic outro.

Recording

While commenting over the song to Billboard's Kenneth Partridge, producer Jimmy Jam claimed that, "At the time we did it, it was one of my favorite songs. I loved the lyrics and the vocal on it." However, for him, "the interesting thing [...] was the live strings." He further commented:

Critical reception

The song received positive reviews from most music critics, who went on to praise Jackson's delivery and the strings used on the song. Alex Henderson of AllMusic praised the song, calling it a "caressing, silky ballad," while Jon Pareles of The New York Times labeled it a "glistening ballad for adult contemporary outlets. Pareles also noted that it "recalls the production by Mr. Harris and Mr. Lewis for the Human League's Only Human, and "caresses the ear with overdubbed voices." Wendy Robinson wrote for PopMatters that the song shows "a more reflective, dramatic side of Janet Jackson." Chris Gerard of Metro Weekly went on to call it a "sexy ballad," featuring "a beautifully layered vocal by Jackson and some lovely instrumentation by Jam and Lewis." Stephen McMillian of Soul Train named it a "romantic ballad" and "one of the more memorable songs during the summer of 1990." Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine praised the track, writing:

"'Come Back to Me' smartly obscures Janet's nondescript pillow-talk delivery within luscious folds upon folds of gut-wrenching chord changes, topping the tragic, plunging bridge with a soaring, cinematic outro that leaves Janet speechless, admitting, 'I don't know what else to say.' It's the quintessential song in the key of heartbreak, but its despair leaves listeners properly stripped and ready to receive the pornography of 'Someday Is Tonight,' which I'm still not sure I'm old enough to listen to."

Chart performance

The song reached number two on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (behind Mariah Carey's "Vision of Love") and on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (behind The Time's "Jerk Out)", becoming another top five single from Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (the fifth at the time). It also became Jackson's first—and so far only—number-one hit on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart. Internationally, the song became a success, reaching number 3 in Canada, while also reaching number 20 in the United Kingdom and number 21 in Ireland.

Music video

Directed by Dominic Sena, the video is set in Paris, France, where Jackson deals with a former lover leaving her, reminiscing about the good moments spent together. The male lead in the video was René Elizondo, Jr., whom she would marry a year later. The video shows the Pont de Bir-Hakeim, the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais, the Gare d'Austerlitz, the Champs de Mars area, and the view from Montmartre, among others. It appears on the video compilation Design of a Decade 1986/1996 and was released on iTunes on May 4, 2007.

Live performances and covers

Jackson has performed the song on most of her tours, including the Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour, janet. Tour, All for You Tour, Rock Witchu Tour, Number Ones: Up Close and Personal tour, and the Unbreakable World Tour. It was not included on The Velvet Rope Tour. During the "All for You Tour" (2001-2002), Jackson performed a mellow medley of "Come Back to Me", "Let's Wait Awhile" and "Again". Denise Sheppard of Rolling Stone commented that, "Without question, [it was] one of the night's most beautiful and verklempt moments arrived out of nowhere forty-five minutes into the set. It was the first time that a break in the action occurred - no dancers, no music -- and as a close-up captured Jackson looking genuinely happy, the audience spontaneously burst into what became a five-minute standing ovation. Looking on, shocked by the sincerity of the moment, she shed sincere tears, simultaneously overwhelmed and overjoyed. 'I love you so much, Vancouver. Thank you'." The February 16, 2002 final date of the tour at the Aloha Stadium in Hawaii, was broadcast by HBO, and included a performance of it. The medley was also added to the setlist at its DVD release, Janet: Live in Hawaii, in 2002. On the Number Ones: Up Close and Personal tour, Jackson used a diamond-encrusted lavender gown to perform a ballad medley of "Nothing", "Come Back to Me" and "Let's Wait Awhile". Annabel Ross of Sydney's "Everguide" praised Janet for "hitting some impressive high notes herself". In 1992, saxophonist Marion Meadows covered the song from his album Keep It Right There with additional vocals by Will Downing. In 2008, American rapper Plies sampled the song for his single "Bust It Baby (Part 2)", which featured Ne-Yo, while Janet appears on the official remix of the song.

Track listings

1. "Alright" (12" House Mix) – 7:07
2. "Alright" (Hip House Dub) – 6:40
3. "Alright" (a cappella) – 3:26
4. "Alright" (12" R&B Mix) – 7:17
5. "Alright" (House Dub) – 5:58
6. "Alright" (7" House Mix With Rap) – 5:35
7. "Alright" (7" House Mix) – 4:21
8. "Alright" (R&B Mix) – 4:34
9. I'm Beggin' You Mix – 5:33
10. The Abandoned Heart Mix – 5:19
11. LP instrumental – 5:15

1. The Abandoned Heart Mix – 5:19
2. "Alright" (12" R&B Mix) – 7:17
3. "Alright" (House Dub) – 5:58

1. 7" I'm Beggin' You Mix – 4:46
2. "Alright" (7" R&B Mix) – 4:34
3. "Alright" (7" House Mix With Rap) – 5:35

1. 7" I'm Beggin' You Mix – 4:46
2. I'm Beggin' You Mix – 5:33
3. LP Instrumental – 5:15
4. "The Skin Game, Part I" – 6:43
5. "The Skin Game, Part II" – 6:37

1. 7" I'm Beggin' You Mix – 4:46
2. "Vuelve a Mi" – 5:15

1. 7" I'm Beggin' You Mix – 4:46
2. I'm Beggin' You Mix – 5:33
3. "Vuelve a Mi" – 5:15
4. The Abandoned Heart Mix – 5:19
5. LP Version – 5:35
6. LP Instrumental – 5:15
7. "Vuelve a Mi" (Spanish) – 5:21
8. "The Skin Game, Part I" – 6:43
9. "The Skin Game, Part II" – 6:37

Official remixes