Try Again by Aaliyah

Album: Romeo Must Die soundtrack (2000)

Charted: 5 1

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Songfacts®:

This was featured in the movie Romeo Must Die. Aaliyah stared in the movie opposite Jet Li. It was her first film role, and a promising start to her acting career. Unfortunately, Aaliyah appeared in just one more movie: Queen of the Damned, which was released after her death.
Timbaland produced this song and wrote it with Stephen Garrett; the pair had previously collaborated on the Ginuwine song "Pony" and on Aaliyah's first hit "Are You That Somebody?," which was used on the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack. Garrett, who was in a group called Playa, died in 2008 from a rare medical condition. He was 33.
The "It's been a long time, we shouldn't have left you... without a dope beat to step to" line is a variation on a lyric from the 1987 Eric B. & Rakim song "I Know You Got Soul," where Rakim raps: "It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you... without a strong rhyme to step to."
This was the first song to top the Hot 100 based on airplay alone, without any sales figures being included. Until December 5, 1998, a song had to be issued as a single to make the chart (which is why songs like "Stairway To Heaven" and "Don't Speak" didn't place). "Try Again" wasn't released as a commercial single until it fell from #1 - if you wanted to own it before then, you had to buy the Romeo Must Die soundtrack.
This won MTV Video Music Awards for Best Female Video and Best Video For A Film.
This got a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. It lost to "He Wasn't Man Enough" by Toni Braxton.
The video features Aaliyah's Romeo Must Die co-star, Jet Li. It was directed by Wayne Isham, whose many credits include "Piece Of Me" by Britney Spears and "All The Right Moves" by OneRepublic.
This was used in a 2013 episode of The Mindy Project in a scene where the character Danny does a dance routine to it as a secret Santa gift for Mindy.

Comments: 10

Dave from Cardiff, WalesHello Stefanie - you are right, Aaliyah was just 22. Too young, and such a promising career cruelly cut short
Elmer from Honolulu, Hii miss aaliyah...
Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScDave I think she was 22 not 24 years old. The notorious B.IG whom you also speak of, was 24 years old though.
Dave from Cardiff, WalesIt was sad to hear that Aaliyah died in a plane crash at just 24. But in the UK and Europe, she was relatively unknown, and, like the late Notorious B.I.G., did not really become a major contender in this part of the world until after, and - to an extent - because of, her death. In particular in the UK, in terms of commercial success, she lagged far behind other female artists such as Mary J. Blige, Tatyana Ali and Erykah Badu, but the media flurry caused by her untimely death made her very suddenly more successful than any other female R&B artist of the time, but her popularity in the UK has proved somewhat short-lived since then...
Katerina from New Britain, CtI agree with all of you!!!
Ashley from Auckland, New ZealandAaliyah did R&B really well, not like the modern women trying to do it. It's a shame she died so young, she had here whole career and life ahead of her. RIP
Melissa from Green Bay, WiThe intro is from "I Know You Got Soul" by Eric B and Rakim
Chantal from Liverpool, Canadashe'll be missed..RIP
Deanna from Washington, IlAaliyah is the most beautiful female artist I know. Her untimely death is more than a tragedy.
Jade from Gympie, Australiathis person is very talented, it was sad to hear that she died in a plane crash.

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