1995 promotional single by Michael Jackson
"This Time Around" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his ninth studio album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, with a guest appearance by rapper the Notorious B.I.G. It was released as a promotional single in the US, and is the album's fourth single overall. The song, which details a musician's problems with being famous and dealing with stardom, was written by Jackson, while the music was composed by Dallas Austin, Bruce Swedien and Rene Moore.[1] Dallas Austin and Michael Jackson produced the song, while Bruce Swedien and René Moore served as co-producers. In the United States, "This Time Around" entered three Billboard component charts, respectively peaking at numbers 18, 23, and 36 on the Dance Music/Club Play Singles, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, and Rhythmic Top 40, having charted solely due to radio airplay throughout the country. It received positive reviews from contemporary music critics.
Background and composition
The song and lyrics were written by Michael Jackson, while the music was composed by Dallas Austin, Bruce Swedien and Rene Moore. "This Time Around" is a song by Jackson that includes vocals by rapper the Notorious B.I.G. Austin and Jackson produced the song, while Swedien and Moore co-produced the song.[2] It was recorded by both American musicians in 1994 and 1995 for Jackson's ninth studio album, entitled HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, which was released in 1995 as a two-disc set.[2]
"This Time Around" was written in common time,[3] and was played in the key of D minor.[3] The track's tempo is a moderate 106 beats per minute.[3] The track has a basic sequence of Dm11–Dm9 as its chord progression.[3] The song's lyrics are about Michael and Biggie's problems with being famous and dealing with stardom, and throughout the song Jackson asserts that he's been falsely accused as Biggie compares his issues and sympathizes with Jackson.[4] On December 26, 1995, the track was released by Epic Records as a promotional single in the United States only. The promo was formatted in three different versions, which were as a standalone CD single with just the song, as a 12" single with remixes and as a maxi-single.
Release and reception
"This Time Around" received positive reviews from contemporary music critics in their review for the album. James Hunter of Rolling Stone described the song as being a "dynamite jam...done with Atlanta R&B hotshot Dallas Austin that's ripe for remixes".[5] Jon Pareles of The New York Times believed that Jackson "muttered" lyrics such as "They thought they really had control of me".[6] Although "This Time Around" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, the track had a good chart performance on music component charts in the United States. The song charted on music charts based solely on radio airplay throughout the country. It charted within the top 40 of the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 chart in 1995, peaking at number 36.[7] The song peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Dance Music/Club Play Singles music charts 1996.[7] In 1996, the track also peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.[8]
