Come Back in One Piece
| "Come Back in One Piece (featuring DMX)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Aaliyah featuring DMX | ||||
| from the album Romeo Must Die: The Album | ||||
| A-side | "I Don't Wanna" (Europe) | |||
| Released |
June 6, 2000 (North America) December 11, 2001 (Netherlands) | |||
| Format | ||||
| Recorded | Fall 1999 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:20 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Aaliyah singles chronology | ||||
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| DMX singles chronology | ||||
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"Come Back in One Piece" is the third official single from the Romeo Must Die soundtrack. The song was performed by Aaliyah and features a guest appearance by DMX. The song was not a Top 40 hit single in the US, though it was a minor urban contemporary hit. In Europe, "Come Back in One Piece" and "I Don't Wanna" were released together as double A-side single.
Background
In 1999, Aaliyah landed her first movie role in Romeo Must Die, released March 22, 2000. A loose adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Aaliyah starred opposite martial artist Jet Li, playing a couple who fall in love amid their warring families. It grossed US$18.6 million in its first weekend, ranking number two at the box office.[1] In addition to acting, Aaliyah served as an executive producer of the film soundtrack, to which she contributed four songs.[2] Aaliyah revealed that the production team "actually talked about the soundtrack before we even shot the movie".[3] In a 2011 interview with billboard DMX stated that Aaliyah and Romeo Must Die's producer Joel Silver personally asked him to be a part of the film. "When I was on tour her and Joel Silver came to my dressing room to see if I wanted to be a part of the movie,". He then said "Most people would have there people call, but she came herself. I'm like, 'Is this a trick question? You have to ask me if I want to be in a movie with Aaliyah? Hell yeah.' We [then] met up in Vancouver to [do] Romeo Must Die."[4]
Composition
According to Chuck Taylor from Billboard on come back in one piece Aaliyah is "playing the role of the concerned girlfriend who worries about the actions of her lover, but she understands what he has to do".[5] The song sampled "Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk" by Parliament, from their 1977 LP Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome.[6]
Music video
The video for Come Back in One Piece was directed by Little X in March 2000 in DMX's hometown of Yonkers and Mount Vernon, New York, the director wanted the video to have an authentic street vibe. While speaking to MTV about the theme for the video Little X stated "I'm just trying to shoot DMX's hood, an area that he's from, because when you do a street joint, it has to be authentic".[7] In a 2011 interview with Billboard DMX discussed filming come back in one piece with Aaliyah. DMX stated "We did the video in Mount Vernon and Yonkers I got to bring Aaliyah to the hood not many people can say that,".[4]
Synopsis
The video begins with a clip from Romeo Must Die on a small TV, which then leads to the opening shot of the video with Aaliyah and DMX standing in front of a brick wall. In the next scene DMX and his crew of friends get into a street fight in front of a Liquor store. In between the street fight scene, the scene of Aaliyah and DMX standing in front of the brick wall is shown again. As DMX raps every scene from the beginning of the video are all shown simultaneously, The next scene show's Aaliyah singing in various locations such as a dingy hall way and outside with DMX. After those scenes Aaliyah is shown walking and hanging out with a group of thugs while carrying her dog. The next scene then show both Aaliyah and DMX together outside hugging and singing the chorus of the song. As a new scene emerges it shows Aaliyah and her friends getting into a street fight with a group of girls similar to DMX's street fight scene. The next scene in the video is of Aaliyah playing with her dog as she is laying in bed and the remainder of the video is of Aaliyah and DMX sitting and hugging. The final scene of the video focus on various residents from DMX's old neighborhood while they're taking pictures in front of Murals of both Aaliyah and DMX. The video officially ends with another scene from Romeo Must Die just as the video started with a scene from the movie.[8]
Critical reception
In his review of the song Chuck Taylor from Billboard expressed that although Aaliyah and DMX were completely opposite from each other the unlikely pairing worked in conveying the message of the song."Although the two stars couldn't be any more opposite -Aaliyah with her velvet tones and smooth moves, and DMX, who is known for his gruff, grimy flow- The contrast works in conveying the theme of the song"[5] In 2016 Complex compiled a list of Aaliyah's best songs and "Come Back in One Piece" was featured on the list. According to complex writer Jacob Moore "What made the song work so well wasn’t just DMX using dog metaphors to proclaim loyalty for his girl—it was Aaliyah meeting him somewhere in the middle". He then said "When she sang “Come Back in One Piece,” she did it like she really understood that all things, even DMX, are more complicated than they seem".[9]
Track listing
Dutch CD single
- "I Don't Wanna" (Album version)
- "Come Back in One Piece" (Radio edit without rap)
- "Come Back in One Piece" (Main edit) (featuring DMX)
US promotional CD Single
- "Come Back in One Piece" (Radio Fade)
- "Come Back in One Piece" (Album Version) (Clean Lyric Fade)
- "Come Back in One Piece" (Instrumental)
- "Come Back in One Piece" (Album Version) (Explicit)
- "Come Back in One Piece" (Call Out Research Hook)
US 12" single
- Side A
- "Come Back in One Piece" (Clean album version) (featuring DMX)
- "Come Back in One Piece" (Instrumental version)
- "Come Back in One Piece" (A capella) (featuring DMX)
- Side B
- "Come Back in One Piece" (Radio edit)
- "Come Back in One Piece" (Album version)
- "Try Again" (Timbaland Remix) (featuring Timbaland)
