One in a Million (Aaliyah album)

One in a Million is the second studio album by American singer Aaliyah. It was released on August 13, 1996, by Blackground Records and Atlantic Records. Recorded periodically from August 1995 through 1996, the album features collaborations with a variety of producers and writers, including Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Carl-So-Lowe, J. Dibbs, Jermaine Dupri, Kay Gee, Vincent Herbert, Rodney Jerkins, Craig King, Darren Lighty and Darryl Simmons, as well as several guest appearances, including those from Elliott, Timbaland, Treach and Slick Rick.

One in a Million
Studio album by
Aaliyah
ReleasedAugust 13, 1996 (1996-08-13)
RecordedAugust 1995 – 1996
Studio
  • Vanguard (Detroit)
  • Pyramid (Ithaca)
  • Battery
  • House of Sound
  • Manhattan Center
  • Mystic
  • Soundtrax
  • The Hit Factory (New York City)
  • Full Spectrum (Chicago)
  • Krosswire
  • LaCoCo (Atlanta)
  • Larrabee (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length73:18
Label
Producer
  • Timbaland
  • Carl-So-Lowe
  • J. Dibbs
  • Jermaine Dupri
  • Kay Gee
  • Vincent Herbert
  • Rodney Jerkins
  • Craig King
  • Darren Lighty
  • Daryl Simmons
Aaliyah chronology
Age Ain't Nothing but a Number
(1994)		 One in a Million
(1996)		 Aaliyah
(2001)
Singles from One in a Million
  1. "If Your Girl Only Knew"
    Released: July 15, 1996
  2. "Got to Give It Up"
    Released: November 4, 1996
  3. "One in a Million"
    Released: November 12, 1996
  4. "4 Page Letter"
    Released: April 8, 1997
  5. "The One I Gave My Heart To"
    Released: August 25, 1997
  6. "Hot Like Fire"
    Released: September 16, 1997

One in a Million garnered generally positive reviews from music critics. It debuted at number 20 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 40,500 copies during its first week and later peaked at number 18; following its 2021 reissue, it reached a new peak at number 10. Within several months, the album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It has sold over three million copies in the United States and eight million worldwide.

One in a Million produced six singles—"If Your Girl Only Knew", "Got to Give It Up", "One in a Million", "4 Page Letter", "The One I Gave My Heart To" and "Hot Like Fire"—with "The One I Gave My Heart To" becoming the album's highest-charting single, peaking at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100. Retrospectively, the album has been listed among the best albums of its era by numerous critics and has been credited for elevating careers of Timbaland and Elliott.

Background and development

After Aaliyah's uncle Barry Hankerson obtained a distribution deal with Jive Records, he signed her to his label Blackground Records when she was 12 years old.[3][4] He introduced her to R. Kelly, who became her mentor, as well as the lead songwriter and producer for her debut studio album Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (1994).[4][5][6] A commercial success, the album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),[7] selling three million copies in the United States and six million worldwide.[8][9] To promote the album, Aaliyah embarked on a 1994–1995 world tour throughout the US, Europe, Japan and South Africa.[10][11][12] After facing allegations of an illegal marriage with Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed with Atlantic Records.[5] According to Aaliyah's cousin and Blackground Records executive Jomo Hankerson, the music industry "villainized" Aaliyah for her scandal with Kelly and it was hard to get producers for One in a Million.[13] In an interview, he said: "We were coming off of a multi-platinum debut album and except for a couple of relationships with Jermaine Dupri and Puffy, it was hard for us to get producers on the album."[13] Aaliyah commented on the situation by saying: "I faced the adversity, I could've broken down, I could've gone and hid in the closet and said, 'I'm not going to do this anymore.' But I love singing, and I wasn't going to let that mess stop me. I got a lot of support from my fans and that inspired me to put that behind me, be a stronger person, and put my all into making One in a Million."[14]

In a press release accompanying One in a Million, Aaliyah admitted to being "a little anxious about jumping from Jive to Atlantic and changing up her sound, but that uncertainty never filters into the music."[13] However, with a new distributing deal with Atlantic and a new team of producers, One in a Million was going to re-establish Aaliyah's fanbase and broaden her mainstream appeal, as the album featured a wide range of producers, unlike Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, which was produced solely by Kelly.[15] While speaking with the Associated Press Aaliyah said, the album showcased her growth over the past two years, especially her vocal range.[16] In addition she said "I took a lot of risks on this album. I tried different things. And that's the main change from the two albums."[16] She further explained her new musical direction saying, "I love all kinds of music, and I want to be known as the kind of singer that can do all of that. So, that's why I wanted the different varieties on the album to showcase that—showcase each part of my personality".[16]

Recording and production
To produce One in a Million, Aaliyah collaborated with Timbaland and Missy Elliott.

Production for One in a Million dates back to August 1995, when Billboard reported that Aaliyah "was beginning to work on a new album". At that time the album was slated for an early 1996 release and it was to be produced by Sean "Puffy" Combs, J.Dibbs and Dave Hall.[17] The finished product of the album includes Craig Kallman, Barry Hankerson and Jomo Hankerson all serving as executive producers.[18] Other producers involved in crafting the album include Rodney Jerkins, Jermaine Dupri, Daryl Simmons, Vincent Herbert, Craig King, Carl-So-Low, KayGee from Naughty by Nature, Missy Elliott and Timbaland. While speaking with Billboard about the development of the album, Atlantic Records' product-development director Eddie Santiago mentioned: "We wanted Aaliyah to keep growing, so we didn't want to have the same suspects on her new project". In the same interview, Aaliyah discussed the direction of the album saying: "I wanted to maintain my smooth street musical image but wanted to be funky and hot yet sophisticated".[15] With One in a Million, Aaliyah was more involved with crafting the album's material by taking co-writing credits and assisting in the creative direction of the project.[15] She co-wrote and was involved with the vocal arrangement of the song "No Days Go By", which was produced by Herbert and King along with Rheji Burrell.[19] Initially, Sean Combs was to helm the production of One in a Million but the songs in which he collaborated with Aaliyah were never finished. According to Aaliyah, "I went to [Combs'] studio in Trinidad for a week, we started working together but we couldn't finish the songs on time. I had to leave, because I had to go to Atlanta to record with Jermaine Dupri."[14]

After plans to have Combs produce the album fell through, Herbert and King were asked to work on the album. King stated: "We came in right as she got her budget ready to go. Vincent and I were the first people she called, we were the first group. That's why we had so much freedom to go in and create a sound because we didn't have to do a song here or there. They wanted us to go in and build a sound. We built a sound and it was a departure from R. Kelly."[19] Aaliyah recorded about eight songs with King at the Vanguard Studios but only four made the album, including a cover of "Got to Give It Up" by Marvin Gaye and "Never Givin' Up".[19] When discussing her reasoning for covering "Got to Give It Up" Aaliyah stated, "I wanted some real party songs, so when my uncle played me that [original track], I thought of how I could make it different. Slick Rick [who had been in jail] was on work release at the time, so Vincent got him on the song". Overall, she was hopeful about the song adding: "I don't know how Marvin Gaye fans will react, but I hope they like it, I always think it's a great compliment when people remake songs. I hope one day after I'm not here that people will cover my songs".[14]

"Never Givin' Up" was written by King and Monica Payne, and according to King, "We started to work on the track, writing lyrics. She sat on the floor and the first line, 'Sitting here in this empty room,' because the room was fairly empty because I had just moved into that house".[19] The song was King's way of showing love to The Isley Brothers; it was also an ode to the gospel group The Clark Sisters.[19] Originally, the song was meant to be a solo song but after Aaliyah heard an earlier demo with singer Tavarius Polk, she loved his voice and the producers decided to keep him on the song, which turned it into a duet.[19] The song was recorded in one session, with Aaliyah recording the song with the lights turned completely off in the recording booth, so people could not see her face.[19] Aaliyah recorded “I Gotcha Back” in Atlanta with Carl-So-Lowe and Dupri in which she collaborated with them for three to four days. Initially when she came to Atlanta they had nothing prepared for her, but once they started to brainstorm she told them she wanted songs that were "simplified" and "really good".[19]

The song "The One I Gave My Heart To" came into fruition when Diane Warren expressed interest in working with Aaliyah; Warren said: "I remember really liking Aaliyah and wanting to work with her."[19] Warren reached out to Kallman to express her wish to work with Aaliyah and Kallman agreed to the collaboration. Warren's goal in working with Aaliyah was to have her perform a certain song that she would not have normally performed to showcase a different side of her, which included displaying her vocal range in a different way than what she was used to doing.[19] Once Warren was on board, producer Babyface was chosen to produce the song. Due to unforeseen circumstances, he was unable to complete the work, so he enlisted producer Daryl Simmons to replace him instead.[19] Simmons would go on to produce the album version of the song, while producer Guy Roche would go on to produce the single version.[20]

When Aaliyah signed with Atlantic, she and Kallman discussed that it was important to find innovative producers who were not widely known to produce the album, as the ultimate goal was to find Aaliyah her own new sound which would define her as an artist.[19] Eventually, Kallman started meeting with multiple unknown songwriters and producers, stating: "I really just started meeting with tons and tons of new songwriters and producers, just looking for someone creative that had their own spin on things. And one day, this young kid came in. His name was Tim Mosley. He started playing me beats and it was a really obvious meeting of, 'This doesn't sound like anything that's out there and really had its own super exciting and electric, just dynamic properties."[19] According to Kallman, "I called up Aaliyah, and I said, 'You need to meet this guy. His name's Timbaland, and he's new. He's out of the Devonte [Swing] camp.' I said 'I think this could be your muse to really create something special.' And they hit it off".[19]

Prior to meeting Timbaland and Elliott Aaliyah's label received a demo from them, of a song called "Sugar and Spice".[21] The label felt that the song was too childish content-wise but they liked both its structure and melody so they sent it to Aaliyah. After hearing the song, she thought that record was the best thing that she had ever heard. Consequently, Timbaland and Elliott were flown to Detroit to work with her.[21] Aaliyah stated: "At first, Tim and Missy were skeptical if I would like their work, but I thought it was tight, just ridiculous. Their sound was different and unique, and that's what appealed to me", adding: "Before we got together, I talked to them on the phone and told them what I wanted. I said, 'You guys know I have a street image, but there is a sexiness to it, and I want my songs to complement that'; I told them that before I even met them. Once I said that, I didn't have to say anything else. Everything they brought me was the bomb."[14] Subsequently, Aaliyah began recording with Timbaland and Elliott at the Vanguard Studios in Detroit; the first songs she recorded with the duo were "One in a Million" and "If Your Girl Only Knew".[14] After spending a week recording songs at the Vanguard Studios, the trio flew to Ithaca, New York, to work on more songs at the Pyramid Studios.[14]

Music and lyrics

According to Micha Frazer-Carroll from The Independent, One in a Million "had a bold, expansive vision, with tracks effortlessly bouncing from trip-hop to sensual slow jams to jungle beats".[22] While, BET said the material was "a unique fusion of R&B, hip-hop, and electronic beats that was light-years ahead of its time".[23] The album opens with an "alarm call" from the jungle-inspired intro "Beats 4 Da Streets", featuring commentary from Missy Elliott. Throughout the intro, Elliott repeatedly calls Aaliyah's name and tells her to wake up, while various sounds such as echoing amid bells, blippy synths, and heavy bass are playing in the background.[24][25][13] The second track "Hot Like Fire" is a "fine" trip hop song and it is described as a "panting minimalist controlled-blaze baby-maker" with suggestive lyrics.[26][13][27] On "Hot Like Fire", Aaliyah "hums and moans promises to her new bae that his patience will be rewarded".[28] The album's title track is an ethereal club ballad with "seductive" trip hop, funk, electronica, and drum and bass influences; it features "shimmering" synths and crickets within its production.[29][30][25][31] On "One in a Million", Aaliyah "communicates love and commitment to her man."[32]

The fourth track "A Girl Like You" is a hip hop-inspired track with a "standard 90s boom-bap beat", where Aaliyah "holds her own" against featured rapper Treach from Naughty by Nature.[29][13] During the chorus, both Aaliyah and Treach engage in a "cute back-and-forth".[28] The fifth track "If Your Girl Only Knew" is a "bouncing" funk, pop and hip hop song described by critics as "teasingly witchy".[33][34][35][36] On "If Your Girl Only Knew", Aaliyah "chides a man for hitting on her when he already has a girlfriend".[33] The song features heavy keyboard and organ work along with live drums and a thumping bassline.[15] The sixth and seventh tracks "Choosey Lover (Old School/New School)" and "Got to Give It Up" are both covers, of songs originally performed by The Isley Brothers and Marvin Gaye, respectively, with the latter featuring a guest appearance from rapper Slick Rick.[15] "Choosey Lover (Old School/New School)", "mimics the 1983 original faithfully for the first four minutes before departing into a more modern extended outro".[29] While, on "Got to Give It Up", Aaliyah places her falsetto "toe to toe against the liquid overlapping rhyme scheme of hip hop's ultimate storyteller Slick Rick".[37] On the eighth track "4 Page Letter", Aaliyah tells her "crush to keep an eye out for the mailman" because she has sent him a love letter, while recalling and following her parents' advice.[13][32]

The ninth track "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" has been described as a "carefree anthem for the summertime block party",[24] while the tenth track "Giving You More" was described as being a suggestive song with Aaliyah playing a "reassuring lover".[27][13] The eleventh track "I Gotcha' Back" has been described as a "jeep-friendly" mid-tempo G-funk song and contains an interpolation from the song "Lean on Me" performed by Bill Withers.[13][27][28] On "I Gotcha' Back", Aaliyah is promising devotion to her potential boyfriend: "When no one else is there, with me you can chill".[27][28] The twelfth track "Never Givin' Up" is a duet with singer Tavarius Polk, as Aaliyah "plays reassuring lover" on the song.[13] While the jungle-inspired thirteenth track "Heartbroken" has been described as being a "beautifully composed ballad"[25][27] in which, "drums fill out the space surrounding the low, shifting two-tone synth hum that serves as the song's backbone".[28] On "Heartbroken", Aaliyah is "tired of being the more loving one in a lousy relationship and she's tired of having her heart broken".[28]

The fourteenth track "Never Comin' Back" features "Timbaland aping the sound of a live band vamping on a laid back groove, while Aaliyah does a call-and-response harmony routine with an imaginary concert audience over canned crowd noise".[29] On the song, Aaliyah is "Feeling used in a relationship, she stands up for herself and dumps the bum".[32] The fifteenth track "Ladies in da House" features guest appearances from both Missy Elliott and Timbaland. The sixteenth track "The One I Gave My Heart To" is a Pop and R&B power ballad, where Aaliyah is "highlighting a broken heart and sense of betrayal".[38][28] In a review by Billboard, the production of the song was described as having a "careful balance of straight ahead pop and R&B sensibilities in producer Guy Roche's instrumental arrangement".[20] The final track on the album is the outro "Came to Give Love", featuring Timbaland.

Marketing

Imagery

The cover artwork and overall packaging for One in a Million were photographed by Marc Baptiste, who had previously photographed Aaliyah's cover shoot for Seventeen. After the Seventeen shoot, the two crossed paths again, after mutual friend Kidada Jones introduced them at The Mercer Hotel.[19] A month later, they met to discuss possible concepts for the artwork and after hearing his ideas, Aaliyah decided that she wanted to work with him.[19] The 14-hour photo shoot for One in a Million occured at various locations throughout New York City, with the cover itself being photographed at the Canal Street station late into the session.[19] On the concept for the artwork, Baptiste said: "I wanted to keep her real. The fact that she grew up in Detroit and was born in Brooklyn, I wanted to give the album cover a street-chic vibe so that she's more approachable to an audience. I didn't want to bring her in a Bentley or anything like that. That wasn't her. She was a down to Earth person. I wanted to keep it street chic and play off her beauty".[19] The finished product saw Aaliyah "defiantly staring down the camera, dressed in a power jacket and silver-rimmed glasses that once again hid her eyes from ours. The look is pissed-off and unbreakable, not unlike the aggrieved spouse of a politician caught in a sex scandal."[39]

Throughout the promotional cycle for One in a Million, Aaliyah adapted a more mature and feminine image as opposed to her previous tomboy style, a switch quickly noticed by the public.[40][41] She incorporated slimmer garments, such as bra tops, into her style alongside her signature "sweeping deep-parted bang" hairstyle, which heavily contrasted the loose-fitting, baggy and masculine clothing she sported while promoting Age Ain't Nothing but a Number.[41] Furthermore, she became the face of Tommy Hilfiger's Tommy Jeans advertising campaign upon the release of One in a Million, and frequently wore the label's clothing items while promoting the album.[42] In an April 1997 article discussing the accompanying music video for its title track, MTV staff felt that Aaliyah was getting "all grown up and steamy in the video", to which Aaliyah responded by stating: "[As] far as it being sexy, I would prefer to say sensual. Sensual is being in tune with your sensual self. Sexy, I mean that's in the eye of the beholder, such as beauty is in the eye of the beholder."[40] The modification of Aaliyah's image throughout the One in a Million era helped solidify her status as a fashion icon in the decades following her death.[43][44][45]

Release

In an effort to generate visual awareness for One in a Million, Blackground Records ran advertisements on cable channels such as BET and The Box from June 24 to August 6, 1996.[15] The accompanying music video for the album's lead single "If Your Girl Only Knew" was serviced to both local and national video shows on July 8.[15] Immediately after the video's premiere, the label launched a vigorous print advertisement campaign, featuring Aaliyah in publications such as Hits, Seventeen, The Source, Sister 2 Sister and YSB.[15] Due to Aaliyah's outstanding academic performance in high school, Blackground planned to run advertisements in React, an educational teen publication inserted in various daily and weekly papers across the US.[15] Since Aaliyah was an advocate for breast cancer screenings and crusades against Alzheimer's disease, Blackground also planned for her to do a series of public service announcements on those topics.[15]

One in a Million was first released in France on August 13, 1996,[46] before being released in the United States two weeks later, by Blackground Records and Atlantic Records.[47] In order to support it, Aaliyah embarked on an international promotional tour from August to September, touring the US, the United Kingdom, Germany, South Africa and Japan.[48] Years after its release and Aaliyah's death, the album was reissued across Europe alongside its 2001 successor, starting March 2004 in Germany and including the bonus track "Come Over".[49] In August 2021, it was reported that Aaliyah's post-Jive recordings would be re-released on physical and digital formats–and be made available on streaming services for the first time–in a deal between Blackground (since rebranded as Blackground Records 2.0) and Empire Distribution. One in a Million was reissued on August 20,[50][51] despite Aaliyah's estate issuing a statement in response to Blackground's announcement, denouncing the "unscrupulous endeavor to release Aaliyah's music without any transparency or full accounting to the estate".[52] In addition, the album was reissued on vinyl on August 5, 2022.[53]

Live performances

In September 1996, Aaliyah made an appearance at MTV's sixth annual Rock N' Jock event, which aired on October 26.[54] During the event, she participated in a celebrity basketball game and performed "If Your Girl Only Knew" during the halftime show.[54][55] On October 11, Aaliyah performed on Soul Train.[56][57] To promote the album in the UK, she made an appearance on The O-Zone on October 24,[58] and on Sky One's "The Hit Mix" on November 2.[59] Aaliyah made an appearance on the Fox television series New York Undercover's January 16, 1997-dated episode as a musical guest, performing "Choosey Lover (Old School/New School)".[60][61] She performed "One in a Million" on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee on February 14,[62][63] and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on February 18.[64][65][66] On February 21, she performed "If Your Girl Only Knew" and "One in a Million" on Showtime at the Apollo.[67][68] In March, Aaliyah made an appearance at the annual MTV Spring Break event in Panama City, Florida;[69] during the event, she performed "One in a Million" and hosted a segment from The Grind, where she interviewed the Spice Girls before their performance.[70][71] Aaliyah was also planning a 1997 tour co-headlined with Az Yet and Foxy Brown, but the plans never materialized.[40]

On July 25, 1997, it was announced that Aaliyah was performing at KUBE 93 FM's Summer Jam '97 concert at The Gorge Amphitheatre in Grant County, Washington.[72][73] In August, MTV News reported that she was going on a nationwide tour with Dru Hill, Ginuwine, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Mary J. Blige; the tour commenced on August 28 in Buffalo, New York, and ended on October 5 in Phoenix, Arizona.[74] In August, Aaliyah made a televised appearance on the short-lived talk show Vibe, where she performed "Hot Like Fire" and gave the show's host a gift basket filled with promotional items.[75][76] She also performed at KKBT's annual Summer Jam concert at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre the same month.[77] In September, Aaliyah performed "One in a Million" on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy show All That.[78][79][80] She performed "The One I Gave My Heart To" on The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show on October 6,[81][82] and at Nickelodeon's fourth annual The Big Help event in Santa Monica, California on October 19.[83][84][85] She additionally performed the song on the BET show Planet Groove on November 26,[86][87] and at the UNICEF Gift of Song benefit gala, which aired live on TNT on December 10.[88][89][90] In December, she performed on the annual Christmas in Washington television special.[91] Aaliyah also co-headlined the B-96 B-Bash, hosted by the Chicago radio station B96, in January 1998.[92]

Singles

"If Your Girl Only Knew" was released as the lead single from One in a Million on July 15, 1996. It peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and has sold over 600,000 copies in the United States.[93][94] The song peaked atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, staying at the summit for two consecutive weeks. It was a moderate success in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 21 on the UK Singles Chart when it was originally released as a standalone single. In 1997, it was re-released with "One in a Million" as a double A-side single and reached a new peak position of number 15.[95] The song also peaked within the top ten on both the UK Dance Chart and the UK R&B Chart at numbers six and four, respectively.[96] [97] In New Zealand, "If Your Girl Only Knew" peaked at number 20.[98]

"Got to Give It Up" was released as the second single in select international markets on November 4, 1996. It peaked at numbers 37 and 34 in New Zealand and the UK, respectively.[95][99] "Got to Give It Up" peaked at numbers ten and four on the UK Dance Chart and the UK R&B Chart, respectively.[100][101]

"One in a Million" was released as the second single in the United States and third overall on November 26. In the US, the song was ineligible to enter the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs due to its airplay-only release, as Billboard's rules at the time allowed only commercially-available singles to chart. Consequently, it peaked at number 25 on the Radio Songs chart and atop R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.[102][103] The song peaked at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart and reached numbers five and four on the UK Dance Chart and the UK R&B Chart, respectively.[104] [105] It also peaked at number 11 in New Zealand.[95][106]

"4 Page Letter" was released as the fourth single on March 18, 1997. Like its predecessor, the song was released as an airplay-only single in the US, therefore was able to enter only airplay charts. It peaked at number 59 on the Radio Songs and at number 12 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts.[107][108] Internationally, it peaked at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart and numbers 14 and nine on the UK Dance Chart and the UK R&B Chart, respectively.[95] [109] [110]

"The One I Gave My Heart To" was released as the fifth single on August 25. It debuted at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went on to peak at number nine, becoming the highest-peaking single from One in a Million.[111] On the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, it debuted at number 18 and peaked at number seven.[112] The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on October 21, and sold 900,000 copies in the US by the end of 1997.[113][114] Internationally, the song peaked at number 28 in New Zealand.[115]

"Hot Like Fire" was released as the sixth and final single on September 16, as a double A-side single with "The One I Gave My Heart To". "Hot Like Fire" was ineligible to enter both Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, peaking at number 31 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.[116] The double single peaked at number 30 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as at numbers 25 and three on the UK Dance Chart and the UK R&B Chart, respectively.[95][117][118]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[47]
Cash Box(favorable)[2]
Christgau's Consumer Guide(choice cut)[119]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[120]
Los Angeles Times[121]
Muzik[122]
Q[123]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[124]
Slant Magazine[125]
Sputnikmusic3/5[126]

One in a Million received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Writing for AllMusic, Leo Stanley viewed the album as a significant improvement over Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, noting a larger variety of material and producers, and described Aaliyah's voice as "smoother, more seductive, and stronger than before".[47] Peter Miro from Cashbox felt that the material was strong and that Aaliyah was self assured as she "addresses ballads and uptempo hip hop forms with equal skill".[2] Connie Johnson of the Los Angeles Times found the album, "offer no shortage of great material, ranging from the teasingly witchy “If Your Girl Only Knew” to the gently poignant “4 Page Letter.”[36] Ultimately, she felt that between Aaliyah's "self-assurance and production from a variety of young sources, all of this album’s winning elements are right on the money".[36] MTV.com praised her vocals on the album and felt that she "glides easily between vocal ranges" and "Her soft style is more refined than the over-exaggerated riffs of other R&B; songstresses".[127]

People felt that the album offered more variety in content as opposed to Aaliyah's debut studio album Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (1994), saying: "At least she's keeping good company. While R. Kelly produced Aaliyah's debut with a one-dimensional musical vision, One in a Million's production posse (which includes Jermaine Dupri and Timbaland) dips into a languid and seductive trip hop on the title track; then stutters jungle rhythm on 'Beats 4 da Streets' and 'Heartbroken.'"[25] Bob Waliszewski from Plugged In gave the album a mixed review as he felt that Aaliyah had positive things to say on the album but the message got lost in certain songs, stating: "Sexually suggestive lyrics spoil whatever good this disc has going for it".[32] Q stated: "With her smooth, sweetly seductive vocal firmly to the fore, [Aaliyah] works through a set of predominantly slow and steamy swingbeat numbers, all clipped beats, luxurious melodies and dreamy harmonies".[123] Sputnikmusic's Nick Butler deemed it a "strange" record with an overemphasis on "unusually good" and "occasionally brilliant" ballads but plagued by upbeat tracks that were not on-par, except for "Hot Like Fire".[126] J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun gave the album a mixed review, as he felt that the material on the album "rarely give her a chance" to show off her strengths vocally. However he highlighted that "Aaliyah is capable of handling a full-strength melody is made plain by her version of The Isley Brothers oldie Choosey Lover, which she handles with precisely the sort of suave assurance the song demands."[128] The Source felt that One in a Million "resides on a different plane than the legion of sophomore attempts that produce only one or two gold singles, Aaliyah is ready to showcase her mature side, her best songs are about relationship woes".[123] Robert Christgau, writing in The Village Voice, was less enthusiastic and cited only "Got to Give It Up" as a "choice cut", calling it "a good song on an album that isn't worth your time or money".[129][130] In her review for Vibe, Dream Hampton said that Aaliyah's "deliciously feline" voice had the same "pop appeal" as Janet Jackson's and is complemented by the producers' funky, coherent tracks.[27]

Accolades

Commercial performance

One in a Million debuted at number 20 on the US Billboard 200 chart dated September 14, 1996, selling 40,500 copies during its first week.[142][143] The album achieved its highest single-week sales during the Christmas week of 1996, when it sold 71,000 copies.[143] It reached its original peak of number 18 on February 1, 1997, and has spent a total of 68 weeks on the Billboard 200.[144] On the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, the album debuted at number four.[145] It peaked at number two in its 22nd week, spending a total of 72 weeks on the chart.[146][147] One in a Million eventually went on to be certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on June 16.[148] In 1997 alone, it sold 1,100,000 copies in the United States, according to Billboard.[149] The album went on to sell over three million copies by July 2001, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[8] By February 2003, it had additionally sold 756,000 units via BMG Music Club, which were not counted by Nielsen SoundScan.[150]

In Canada, One in a Million debuted at number 35 on RPM Top Albums/CDs chart on September 9, 1996, reaching its peak at number 33 the following week.[151][152] In total, the album spent nine consecutive weeks on the chart.[153] On May 28, 1997, it was certified gold by Music Canada for shipments of 50,000 copies in the country.[154] In the United Kingdom, the album debuted and peaked at numbers 33 and three on the UK Albums Chart and the UK R&B Albums Chart, respectively, on September 7, 1996.[155][156] It was eventually certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for 100,000 copies shipped in the UK. In Japan, the album peaked at number 36 on the Oricon Albums Chart and received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).[157]

After Aaliyah's death on August 25, 2001, One in a Million debuted atop the US Top Catalog Albums, spending four weeks at the summit.[158][lower-alpha 1] As of August 2011, the album has sold over eight million copies worldwide.[160][161] Following its 2021 reissue, the album reached the top ten on the Billboard 200 for the first time ever, peaking at number ten with 26,000 album-equivalent units, including pure album sales of 13,000 units, streaming-equivalent albums (SEA) of 11,000 units (equaling 14.29 million on-demand streams of the album's tracks), and track-equivalent albums (TEA) of 2,000 units.[162] In addition, the album re-entered the UK R&B Albums Chart at number eight.[163] On September 4, 2021, its singles "If Your Girl Only Knew", "One in a Million" and "4 Page Letter" debuted at numbers 15, seven and 26 on the US Digital Song Sales, respectively.[164]

Impact and legacy

According to Jon Caramanica from Spin, One in a Million "found Aaliyah at the nexus of street savvy R&B and elegant pop."[1] In a The Guardian article published upon the album's 2021 reissue writer Rhian Jones credits the album for elevating Missy Elliott and Timbaland's respective careers.[165] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine said it was "undoubtedly one of the most influential R&B albums of the '90s", and that it establishes "Aaliyah and the Timbo family as undeniable hip-hop forces."[125] Tom Breihan from Stereogum feels that the album "also established that Timbaland and Missy Elliott’s way-out sound had serious commercial potential, and it helped introduce a whole new herky-jerk electronic take on R&B that marked a near-complete break from everything that had come before".[166]

While briefly discussing the album, Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times said Timbaland's "computer-programmed beats fitted perfectly with her cool, breathy voice to create a new kind of electronic music."[167] Slate writer Dee Lockett credits the albums style for "given rise to a new subgenre, loosely referred to as experimental R&B (or “PBR&B”)".[168] Refinery29’s Kenneth Partridge said the album was “a spacey, sexy vibe that influenced a generation of soul singers and indie rockers alike”.[169] Aisha Harris from NPR mentioned, "One In A Million took Aaliyah's air of mystery and the laid-back vibes, and reworked them to help pioneer a new way forward in pop and R&B".[170] In an article commemorating the 20th anniversary of the album's release and the 15th anniversary of Aaliyah's death, Dean Van Nguyen from The Independent expressed: "Its handprints can be seen all over the two decades of pop music that followed."[24] Kathy Iandoli–the author of Aaliyah's biography Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah (2021)–stated: "That sound is still the blueprint for all of R&B and pop music today."[165]

One in a Million was ranked at number 90 on Rolling Stone's "100 Best Albums of the '90s".[136] It was also listed as one of 33 urban albums on the magazine's list "The Essential Recordings of the '90s".[134] In 2007, Vibe included the album on "The 150 Albums That Define the Vibe Era", stating: "As seductive as an R&B vocalist, Aaliyah is insouciantly sexy on her second album the songwriting isn't quite polished yet, but the early signs are like gleaming flares."[135] In November 2017, the album was ranked seventh on Complex's list "The 50 Best R&B Albums of the '90's"; editor Ross Scarano stated One in a Million "is the definitive account of Aaliyah and Timbaland's collective brilliance" and that the album's singles "If Your Girl Only Knew", "One in a Million", "4 Page Letter" and "Hot Like Fire" "are the songs that modern R&B, rap, and EDM could not do without".[138] In 2020, the album was ranked at number 314 on Rolling Stone's list "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[140]

Track listing
One in a Million – Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength
1."Beats 4 da Streets" (Intro) (featuring Missy Elliott)
Timbaland2:10
2."Hot Like Fire"
  • Elliott
  • Timbaland
Timbaland4:23
3."One in a Million"
  • Elliott
  • Timbaland
Timbaland4:30
4."A Girl Like You" (featuring Treach)
  • Kay-Gee
  • Darren Lighty
  • Kay-Gee
  • Lighty
4:23
5."If Your Girl Only Knew"
  • Elliott
  • Timbaland
Timbaland4:50
6."Choosey Lover (Old School/New School)"
  • Vincent Herbert
  • Rashad Smith[a]
7:07
7."Got to Give It Up" (featuring Slick Rick)
  • Herbert
  • Craig King
4:41
8."4 Page Letter"
  • Elliott
  • Timbaland
Timbaland4:52
9."Everything's Gonna Be Alright"
Jerkins4:50
10."Giving You More"J. DibbsDibbs4:26
11."I Gotcha' Back"
  • Jermaine Dupri
  • Carl-So-Lowe
  • Dupri
  • Carl-So-Lowe
2:54
12."Never Givin' Up" (featuring Tavarius Polk)
  • Monica Bell
  • King
  • Herbert
  • King
5:11
13."Heartbroken"
  • Elliott
  • Timbaland
Timbaland4:17
14."Never Comin' Back"
  • Elliott
  • Timbaland
Timbaland4:06
15."Ladies in da House" (featuring Missy Elliott and Timbaland)
  • Elliott
  • Timbaland
Timbaland4:20
16."The One I Gave My Heart To"Diane WarrenDaryl Simmons4:30
17."Came to Give Love" (Outro, featuring Timbaland) Timbaland1:40
Total length:73:10
One in a Million – Japanese edition (bonus track)
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength
18."No Days Go By"
  • King
  • Rheji Burrell
  • Aaliyah
  • Herbert
  • Burrell
  • King
4:41
Total length:77:51
One in a Million – European limited edition (bonus track)
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength
18."Come Over" (featuring Tank)Johntá Austin
  • Bryan-Michael Cox
  • Kevin Hicks
  • Jazze Pha
3:55
Total length:77:05
One in a Million – 2021 reissue (bonus track)
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength
18."Hot Like Fire" (Timbaland's Groove Mix)
  • Elliott
  • Timbaland
Timbaland4:38
Total length:77:48

Notes

  • ^a signifies an additional producer

Sample credits

  • "A Girl Like You" contains a sample from "Summer Madness" by Kool & the Gang.[28]
  • "Heartbroken" contains a sample from "Inside My Love" by Minnie Riperton.
  • "I Gotcha' Back" contains an interpolation from the song "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers.[28]
  • "Never Givin' Up" contains an interpolation from the song "I've Got an Angel" by The Clark Sisters.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of One in a Million.[18]

  • Aaliyah – lead vocals
  • Marc Baptiste – photography
  • Carlton Batts – mastering
  • Monica Bell – writing
  • Thomas Bricker – art direction
  • Ricky Brown – mixing
  • Carl-So-Lowe – production, writing
  • Al Carter – project coordination
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion
  • David de la Cruz – styling
  • J. Dibbs – mixing, production, vocal arrangement, writing
  • Pat Dillett – engineering
  • KayGee – mixing, production, writing
  • Jimmy Douglass – engineering, mixing
  • Jermaine Dupri – mixing, production, writing
  • Missy Elliott – vocals, vocal arrangement, writing
  • Ronnie Garrett – bass
  • Ben Garrison – engineering, mixing
  • Marvin Gaye – writing
  • Mark Goodman – remixing
  • Franklin Grant – mixing
  • Barry Hankerson – creative consultation, executive production
  • Dianne Hankerson – hair styling
  • Jomo Hankerson – executive production
  • Shanga Hankerson – project coordination
  • Melanie Harris – make-up
  • Xavier Harris – backing vocals
  • Demetrius Hart – backing vocals
  • Michael Haughton – executive production
  • Pierre Heath – backing vocals
  • Vincent Herbert – mixing, production
  • Ernie Isley – writing
  • Marvin Isley – writing
  • O'Kelly Isley Jr. – writing
  • Ronald Isley – writing
  • Rudolph Isley – writing
  • Chris Jasper – writing
  • Rodney Jerkins – instrumentation, mixing, production, vocals, writing
  • Craig Kallman – executive production
  • Thom "TK" Kidd – engineering, mixing
  • Carol Kim – project coordination
  • Craig King – backing vocals, engineering, production, vocal arrangement, writing
  • Darren Lighty – mixing, production, writing
  • Chuck Nice – engineering
  • Monica Payne – writing
  • Tavarius Polk – vocals
  • Michael J. Powell – guitar
  • Mike Rew – engineering
  • Daryl Simmons – acoustic guitar, drum programming, drums, keyboards, production
  • Ivy Skoff – production coordination
  • Slick Rick – vocals
  • Rashad Smith – production, remixing
  • Sound Boy – engineering
  • Sebrina Swaby – project coordination
  • Phil Tan – engineering, mixing, backing vocals
  • Tann – backing vocals
  • Japhe Tejeda – writing
  • Timbaland – mixing, production, vocals, writing
  • Diane Warren – writing
  • Freddie "Ready" Washington – bass

Charts

Certifications
Certifications and sales for One in a Million
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[191] Gold 50,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[192] Gold 160,000[193]
United Kingdom (BPI)[194] Gold 100,000*
United States (RIAA)[195] 2× Platinum 3,756,000[lower-alpha 2]
Summaries
Worldwide — 8,000,000[160][196][197]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Release dates and formats for One in a Million
Region Date Edition(s) Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
France August 13, 1996 Standard CD East West [46]
United Kingdom August 26, 1996
[198]
United States August 27, 1996
  • Cassette
  • CD
 [47]
Japan September 10, 1996 CD East West [157]
Germany March 9, 2004 Limited Edel [49]
France October 16, 2007 Universal Music [199]
Various August 20, 2021 Reissue
  • Blackground
  • Empire
 [200][201][202][53]
August 5, 2022 Vinyl [53][203]

See also
  • Aaliyah discography
  • Album era
  • Alternative R&B
  • Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

References

Notes
  1. Billboard's rules at the time forbade albums older than 18 months, such as One in a Million, to re-enter the Billboard 200, hence it was eligible to enter only the Top Catalog Albums.[159]
  2. One in a Million had sold three million copies in the United States by July 2001, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[8] However, Nielsen SoundScan does not count sales through clubs such as BMG Music Service, through which the album sold additional 756,000 units.[150]

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