I Want You Back (Mel B song)

"I Want You Back" is the debut solo single of British singer Melanie B, featuring American rapper Missy Elliott. It was released as a single from the soundtrack to the 1998 film Why Do Fools Fall in Love. After two years, the song was also included on Melanie B's debut album, Hot (2000). "I Want You Back" topped the UK Singles Chart on 20 September 1998.

"I Want You Back"
Single by Melanie B featuring Missy Elliott
from the album Why Do Fools Fall in Love
Released	14 September 1998 (1998-09-14)
Recorded	21–24 June 1998[1]
Genre	R&B hip hop
Length	3:26 (radio edit) 3:51 (soundtrack version)
Label	Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Melanie Brown Melissa Elliott Gerard Thomas Donald Holmes
Producer(s)	Missy Elliott
Melanie B singles chronology
"I Want You Back" (1998) "Word Up!" (1999)
Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott singles chronology
"5 Minutes" (1998) "I Want You Back" (1998) "Trippin'" (1998)
Music video
"I Want You Back" on YouTube

Background

Melanie B recalled, "This was the first time I'd even considered doing anything by myself. I was on tour with the Spice Girls when Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott called me up and said 'Melanie, I've got a song for you, will you come and record it with me?' I checked it with the girls and within a month I was out there, I recorded it in a day, did the video, then came back. She's a genius!"

Music video

The video was directed by Hype Williams.^[1] The video uses the radio edit version of the song and the cover for the single is a still from the music video. The entire video is show with a green hue on screen with occasional use of red and blue, the video starts with Melanie and Missy singing the intro and as the first verse starts, Melanie is seen with her then-fiancée, Jimmy Gulzar,^[2] as she smacks, hits and teases him. Melanie is pregnant in the video. In the second verse Melanie is seen crawling on a table to meet Jimmy at the end for more teasing, wearing Gene Simmons-esque make-up. As the bridge comes on, Melanie is seen in a cage with Jimmy high in the air. Shots of Melanie, Missy, and back up dancers in cowboy hats are seen dancing as the video ends.

Track listings

UK CD and cassette single; Australian CD single^[3][4]

1. "I Want You Back" (radio edit) – 3:25
2. "I Want You Back" (soundtrack version) – 3:51
3. "I Want You Back" (MAW remix) – 8:22

UK 12-inch single^[5]

A1. "I Want You Back" (MAW remix) – 8:22

B1. "I Want You Back" (deep dub) – 8:17

B2. "I Want You Back" (soundtrack version) – 3:51

European CD single^[6]

1. "I Want You Back" (radio edit) – 3:25
2. "I Want You Back" (instrumental) – 3:52

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1998) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[7] 12 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 24 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[9] 10 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[10] 13 France (SNEP)[11] 56 Germany (GfK)[12] 37 Ireland (IRMA)[13] 6 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 6 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 6 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 20 Scotland (OCC)[17] 6 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 21 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 25 UK Singles (OCC)[20] 1 UK Dance (OCC)[21] 3 UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[22] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1998) Position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[23] 87 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[24] 72 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[25] 75 UK Singles (OCC)[26] 82

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[27]	Silver	230,000[28]

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	21 July 1998	Rhythmic contemporary radio	Virgin	[29]
United Kingdom	14 September 1998	12-inch vinyl CD cassette		[30]

References

1. "Spice in the News".
2. "For richer not poorer". BBC News. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
3. I Want You Back (UK & Australian CD single liner notes). Melanie B. Virgin Records. 1998. VSCDT 1716, 7243 8 95397 21.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
4. I Want You Back (UK cassette single sleeve). Melanie B. Virgin Records. 1998. VSC 1716, 7243 8 95397 4 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
5. I Want You Back (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Melanie B. Virgin Records. 1998. VST 1716, 7243 8 95397 69.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
6. I Want You Back (European CD single liner notes). Melanie B. Virgin Records. 1998. VSCDE 1716, 7243 8 95370 2 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
7. "Melanie B feat. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott – I Want You Back". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
8. "Melanie B feat. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott – I Want You Back" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
9. "Melanie B feat. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott – I Want You Back" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
10. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 40. 3 October 1998. p. 13. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
11. "Melanie B feat. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott – I Want You Back" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
12. "Melanie B feat. Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott – I Want You Back" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
13. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Want You Back". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
14. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 44, 1998" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
15. "Melanie B feat. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott – I Want You Back" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
16. "Melanie B feat. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott – I Want You Back". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
17. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
18. "Melanie B feat. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott – I Want You Back". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
19. "Melanie B feat. Missy Misdemeanor Elliott – I Want You Back". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
20. "Melanie B: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
21. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
22. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
23. "Rapports Annuels 1998" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
24. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1998". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
25. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1998" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
26. "Best Sellers of 1998 – Singles Top 100". Music Week. 16 January 1999. p. 7.
27. "British single certifications – Melanie B fturing Missy Elliot – I Want You Back". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
28. Copsey, Rob (1 July 2020). "Missy Elliott's Top 20 biggest singles on the Official UK Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
29. "New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1257. 17 July 1998. p. 86. Misprinted as 14 July on source.
30. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 12 September 1998. p. 45. Retrieved 11 July 2021.