"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 René Moore.[2] Austin and Jackson produced the song, while Swedien and 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 René 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.[3] It was recorded by both American musicians in 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.[3]
"This Time Around" was written in common time,[4] and was played in the key of D minor.[4] The track's tempo is a moderate 106 beats per minute.[4] The track has a basic sequence of Dm11–Dm9 as its chord progression.[4] 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.[5] 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. The D.M. Radio Mix was released on the remix albumBlood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix in May 1997.
Critical reception
The song 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".[6] Jon Pareles of The New York Times believed that Jackson "muttered" lyrics such as "They thought they really had control of me".[7] As a commercial single was not released for the song, "This Time Around" was inelligible to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time. The track appeared on Billboard component charts in the United States solely based on radio airplay throughout the country. It peaked at number 36 on the BillboardRhythmic Top 40 chart in 1995.[8] In 1996, the song peaked at number 18 on the BillboardDance Music/Club Play Singles chart and at number 23 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.[8][9]
Track listings
US CD promo
"This Time Around" – 4:21
"Earth Song" (Radio Edit) – 4:58
"Earth Song" – 6:46
US 12" promo
"This Time Around" (Dallas Main Extended Mix) – 7:15
"This Time Around" (Maurice's Hip Hop Around Mix) – 4:25
"This Time Around" (Maurice's Hip Hop Around Mix w/o Rap) – 4:25
