music.wikisort.org - Composition

"Twenty Foreplay" is a song by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson from her first greatest hits album, Design of a Decade: 1986–1996 (1995). It was released as the album's second and final single on January 8, 1996.

"Twenty Foreplay"
Single by Janet Jackson
from the album Design of a Decade: 1986–1996
Released	January 8, 1996 (1996-01-08)
Recorded	1995
Genre	R&B soul
Length	4:50 (US version) 4:26 (international version)
Label	A&M
Songwriter(s)	Janet Jackson James Harris III, Terry Lewis
Producer(s)	Janet Jackson Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Janet Jackson singles chronology
"Runaway" (1995) "Twenty Foreplay" (1996) "Got 'til It's Gone" (1997)
Music video
"Twenty Foreplay" on YouTube

Song information

The song starts off as a soulful ballad before changing to a mid-tempo R&B groove. The title is a play on the word "foreplay" and "24 hours a day". The U.S. version of "Twenty Foreplay" is lengthier than the international version which was edited in order to fit two more songs on the international release of Design of a Decade: 1986–1996. The Slow Jam Fantasy Mix was produced by Jorge Corante and is the complete version of the song which contains an extra second verse.

Critical reception

British magazine Music Week rated the song three out of five, adding, "A pleasant, slinky ballad which is already receiving plenty of support from TV and radio, but it doesn't have even the hint of a hook."[1]

Chart performance

"Twenty Foreplay" saw moderate success in Europe, peaking at number twenty-two in the United Kingdom, but fared better on the UK R&B Chart, peaking at number 5. It peaked at number forty-one in the Netherlands (on the physical sales-based Single Top 100 chart), and number seventy-four in Germany. It fared better in Australia, where it reached the top thirty. It charted inside the top thirty-five in Scotland and the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, but was unable to enter the Billboard Hot 100 or the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs as the song was not given a commercial release in the United States.

Music video

The 1950s look of the video was inspired by Dorothy Dandridge, whom Jackson considers to be America's first African American sex symbol. The video was shot in black-and-white and depicts Jackson in the glamorous Hollywood life such as movie premiere, press conference, and videotaping of her on the backlot of a movie set. The video was released commercially on the two-CD + DVD compilation Japanese Singles Collection: Greatest Hits (2022).

Live performances

Jackson sang "Twenty Foreplay" live for the first time on her 2017 State of the World Tour. Accompanied by two back-up singers, the singer performed the song while sitting on a stool dressed in a loose denim jacket, sweatpants and a flannel shirt tied around her waist. Andrew Barker from Variety magazine said it showcased "perhaps the boldest of her three costume changes" during the show. Through the performance of the song, he was also able to note that her voice, "though strong, [it] isn't always the most layered of instruments, but it has a softness and a lilting sweetness that she managed to emphasize while still projecting well enough to cut through the clatter".[2]

Track listings and formats

UK CD Single[3]

1. "Twenty Foreplay (Slow Jam International Edit)" – 4:26
2. "The Pleasure Principle (Legendary Radio Mix)" – 4:17
3. "Alright (CJ Radio)" – 3:52
4. "The Pleasure Principle (Legendary Club Mix)" – 8:15

Europe CD Single[4]

1. "Twenty Foreplay (Slow Jam International Edit)" – 4:26
2. "Runaway (Jam & Lewis Street Mix Edit)" – 3:23
3. "Runaway (Jam & Lewis Ghetto Mix)" – 4:54
4. "Twenty Foreplay (Slow Jam Video Edit)" – 4:50

Remixes CD Single[5]

1. "Twenty Foreplay (Radio Club Mix Edit)" – 3:42
2. "Twenty Foreplay (Junior's Jungle Club Mix)" – 9:56
3. "Twenty Foreplay (Radio Club Mix)" – 5:02
4. "Runaway (G-Man's Hip Hop Mix)" – 4:14

Remixes

Charts

Chart (1996)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[8]	29
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9]	27
Canada Contemporary Hit Radio (The Record)[10]	27
Germany (Official German Charts)[11]	74
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[12]	12
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8]	41
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8]	38
Scotland (OCC)[13]	31
UK Singles (OCC)[14]	22
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[15]	5
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (Billboard)[16]	32
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)	36
US Rhythmic Songs (Billboard)[17]	29

References

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