Whoops Now/What'll I Do

"Whoops Now" and "What'll I Do" are two songs by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson from her fifth studio album, Janet (1993). They were released as a double A-side single on March 6, 1995, as the album's final single. The songs reached number one in New Zealand and peaked within the top 20 in several countries.

"Whoops Now" / "What'll I Do"
Single by Janet Jackson
from the album Janet
B-side	"The Body That Loves You"
Released	March 6, 1995 (1995-03-06)[1]
Length	4:59 ("Whoops Now" album version) 3:42 ("Whoops Now" radio edit) 4:05 ('"What'll I Do")
Label	Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Janet Jackson Steve Cropper Joe Shamwell
Producer(s)	Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson singles chronology
"You Want This" (1994) "Whoops Now" / "What'll I Do" (1995) "Scream" (1995)
Music video
"Whoops Now" on YouTube

Background

"Whoops Now" and "What'll I Do" were released as a double A-side in Europe, Japan, and Oceania, whereas the latter was released on its own in Oceania as well as certain European markets. Both releases included janet.'s "The Body That Loves You" as a B-side. "Whoops Now" was added as a hidden track on the regular edition of janet. after the interlude "Sweet Dreams", while the UK and Japanese pressings of the album list the tracks separately. An edited version of the song also appears on the international version of Jackson's first greatest hits package, Design of a Decade: 1986–1996. The shorter version omits the risqué coda about activities in Anguilla. A remix of "What'll I Do" by Dave Navarro appears on Jackson's second remix album janet. Remixed.

"What'll I Do" is a cover of a Johnny Daye song called "What'll I Do for Satisfaction", which was released in 1967 and written by Joe Shamwell and Steve Cropper.^[2]

Jackson performed both songs on the janet. Tour, while she only performed "Whoops Now" on The Velvet Rope Tour. In 2024, over 25 years since it was last performed, "Whoops Now" was added to the encore of the Janet Jackson: Together Again tour for its final European leg.^[3]

Critical reception

British magazine Music Week gave "Whoops Now" three out of five, adding that "this single has an uncharacteristic Motown feel to it and could zoom up the charts, helped by a cute accompanying video."^[4]

Chart performance

The overall chart performances for the single was successful, charting inside the top ten in Austria, France, and the United Kingdom, and inside the top twenty in Australia (for "What'll I Do"; "Whoops Now" peaked at number forty-nine), Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. "Whoops Now/What'll I Do" managed to peak at number one in New Zealand for one week.

Music video

The accompanying video for "Whoops Now" was directed by Yuri Elizondo,^[5] the younger brother of Jackson's ex-husband, René Elizondo Jr., and depicts Jackson and her friends having fun in Jackson's favorite vacation spot, Anguilla. It appears on the video compilation Design of a Decade 1986/1996. The video for "What'll I Do" is a concert performance taken from the janet. Tour, and has never been released commercially.

Track listings

UK CD single (VSCDT1533)^[6]
UK 12-inch single (VSTY 1533)
Dutch CD single (VSCDT 1533)
Australian CD single (892845.2)^[7]

1. "Whoops Now" (radio edit) – 3:42
2. "What'll I Do" – 4:05
3. "What'll I Do" (Dave Navarro remix) – 4:20
4. "The Body That Loves You" – 5:33

UK 7-inch single (VSY1533) (limited edition picture disc)^[8]

1. "Whoops Now" (radio edit) – 3:42
2. "What'll I Do" – 4:05

Australian CD single (892797.2)^[9]

1. "What'll I Do" – 4:05
2. "That's the Way Love Goes" (We Aimsta Win mix 1) – 5:42

Japanese 3-inch CD single (VJDP-10242)^[10]

1. "What'll I Do" (Dave Navarro remix) – 4:20
2. "The Body That Loves You" – 5:33

Charts

"Whoops Now" / "What'll I Do" Chart (1995) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[11] 49 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[12] 7 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] 35 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[14] 7 Europe (European Hot 100)[15] "Whoops Now/What'll I Do" 12 Europe (European Dance Radio)[16] 23 France (SNEP)[17] 5 Germany (GfK)[18] 11 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[19] 33 Ireland (IRMA)[20] "Whoops Now/What'll I Do" 16 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[21] "Whoops Now/What'll I Do" 4 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[22] 38 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[23] 1 Poland Airplay (Music & Media)[24] 7 Scotland (OCC)[25] "Whoops Now/What'll I Do" 10 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[26] 15 UK Singles (OCC)[27] "Whoops Now/What'll I Do" 9 UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[28] "Whoops Now/What'll I Do" 2 UK Airplay (Music Week)[29] 3 "What'll I Do" Chart (1995) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[30] 14 Europe (European Dance Radio)[31] 24

Year-end charts Chart (1995) Position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[32] 32 Europe (European Hot 100)[33] 58 France (SNEP)[34] 40 Germany (Official German Charts)[35] 65 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[36] 27 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[37] 45 UK Singles (OCC)[38] 95

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[39]	Gold	250,000*
* Sales figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. March 4, 1995. p. 31.
2. Mervis, Scott; Masley, Ed (February 11, 2001). "Hitsburgh: Battling the British Invasion". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
3. "Janet Jackson Setlist at Utilita Arena Birmingham, Birmingham". setlist.fm.
4. "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. February 25, 1995. p. 16. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
5. Yuri Elizondo
6. Janet Jackson Whoops Now UK 5" CD SINGLE (42478)
7. Janet Jackson Whoops Now Australia 5" CD SINGLE (43567)
8. Janet Jackson Whoops Now UK 7" PICTURE DISC (42105)
9. Janet Jackson What'll I Do Australia 5" CD SINGLE (40532)
10. Janet Jackson What'll I Do Japan 3" CD SINGLE (43248)
11. "Janet Jackson – Whoops Now". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
12. "Janet Jackson – Whoops Now" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
13. "Janet Jackson – Whoops Now" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
14. "Janet Jackson – Whoops Now" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
15. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles Week 18/95" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 18. May 6, 1995. p. 19. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
16. "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. March 25, 1995. p. 18. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
17. "Janet Jackson – Whoops Now" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
18. "Janet Jackson – Whoops Now" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
19. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 Vikuna 8.4 '95 – 14.4 '95 (Dagblaðið Vísir 8 April 1995)" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). p. 50. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
20. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Whoops Now/What'll I Do". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
21. "week 17 (29 april 1995)" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
22. "Janet Jackson – Whoops Now" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
23. "Janet Jackson – Whoops Now". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
24. "Major Market Airplay" (PDF). Music and Media. Vol. 12, no. 13. April 1, 1995. p. 31. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
25. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
26. "Janet Jackson – Whoops Now". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
27. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
28. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
29. "Top 50 Airplay Hits" (PDF). Music Week. April 1, 1995. p. 19. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
30. "Janet Jackson – What'll I Do". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
31. "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. April 29, 1995. p. 19. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
32. "Rapports annuels 1995" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
33. "Year End Sales Chart" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 51/52. December 23, 1995. p. 14. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
34. "Tops de L'année | Top Singles 1995" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
35. "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1995" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
36. "End of Year Charts 1995". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
37. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1995" (in German). Retrieved March 8, 2018.
38. "Top 100 Singles 1995". Music Week. January 13, 1996. p. 9.
39. "French single certifications – Janet Jackson – Whoops Now" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved January 10, 2015.