| "You" | ||||
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| Single by Janet Jackson | ||||
| from the album The Velvet Rope | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | September 28, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | 1997 | |||
| Genre | Trip hop | |||
| Length | 4:42 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Janet Jackson singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "You" on YouTube | ||||
"You" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope (1997). Written and produced by Jackson along with her collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it samples "The Cisco Kid" by War, with its composers receiving writing credits due to the sample's usage. It was released as the album's fifth single on September 28, 1998 in the United Kingdom, by Virgin Records. The track is a trip hop song with elements of funk, which lyrically depicts Jackson calling for a stop to a life spent pleasing others; some journalists thought the lyrics were directed at her brother Michael, and compared her vocals to those of his on the song.
"You" received positive reviews from music critics, with many placing emphasis on Jackson's vocals. The single did not chart anywhere. A music video was produced, directed by David Mallet, and contains scenes of Jackson's Velvet Rope World Tour (1998–99), and served as a promotional clip for the tour. "You" was performed on the aforementioned tour, as well as on the Janet Jackson: Metamorphosis residency in Las Vegas and on the Janet Jackson: A Special 30th Anniversary Celebration of Rhythm Nation tour, with the latter ones taking place in 2019.