"Like You'll Never See Me Again" is a song by American R&B and soul singer–songwriter Alicia Keys from her third studio album, As I Am (2007). Written and produced by Keys and Kerry Brothers, Jr., it was released in November 2007 as the album's secondsingle. The song peaked at number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Keys' second consecutive R&B chart-topper, remaining atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for seven weeks. The song was first heard on October 25, 2007 on Atlanta's V103 WVEEradio station. Keys performed the song on Good Morning America on November 13, 2007. A official remix of the song featuring rapper Ludacris exists. The song was ranked number forty-seven on Billboard's Top Hot 100 Hits of 2008.[1] The song went on to replace "No One" at number one on the US R&B/Hip-Hop charts.
In 2008 the song won two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Music Video andOutstanding Song and an ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Award for Top R&B/Hip-Hop Song.[2]
In January 2008, it was used in advertisements for the ABC soap opera All My Children, hyping the return of supercouple Jesse Hubbard and Angie Baxter. The song was used once again in the February 15, 2008 episode of the series, when the couple was reunited after twenty years.
Compostion[]
"Like You'll Never See Me Again" was written and produced by Keys and Kerry Brothers, Jr.. Keys explained to MTV News that the song is "about living every moment as if it's your last. Because if it's our last time to say, 'I love you,' then let it be that we didn't forget that."[3]
Critical Reception[]
The song received critical acclaim. Nate Chinem from New York Times wrote that the song is "a distant cousin to Prince’s 'Purple Rain'."[4] J. Freedom du Lac from Washington Post agreed, writing that "the sexy, Prince-ly track is by far the album's best track.[5]Rodney Dugue from Spin wrote that the song is a "dreamy lullaby, where she ponders whether she'll be appreciated after a lover stops calling her name."[6] Edna Gundersen from USA Today praised the track, referring to it as an "instant and enchanting classic, where Keys simply dazzles, demonstrating her lock on the future regardless of the industry's fate."[7] Stephanie Merrit from The Observercalled it a "sweet, caramel-smooth track."[8]
Yahoo! Music staff wrote a very positive review, stating that "The song is a definitely Prince inspired mid-tempo ballad. It is catchy and very melodically driven and grows on you after multiple listens. The song finds Alicia capitalizing on a very rarely breathy vocal style until she shows one of her strongest vocal performances later in the song."[9] Nick Levine wrote for Digital Spy a very positive review, writing that it is "a smoochy, seductive soul ballad, built around a delicate, Oriental-sounding piano riff, it gives Keys plenty of chance to show off her breathy, Mariah-esque upper register. Best of all, like all Keys' most impressive moments, its melody has a timeless quality that allows it to transcend its modish R&B production."[10]
Chart Performance[]
"Like You'll Never See Me Again" debuted at number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs as the Hot Shot debut of the week, jumping to number twenty-two in its second week, number fifteen in its third week, and to then number nine in its fourth. After climbing to number three in its fifth week, the song reached number two in its sixth week, and then rose to number one in its ninth week, beating off Keys' own song "No One"—this made Keys the second artist since the R&B chart began using Nielsen SoundScandata in 1992 to succeed herself at number one, as "Like You'll Never See Me Again" jumped from number two to number one and traded places with "No One", which had ruled the chart for ten weeks. Rapper Nelly accomplished this feat in 2002 with "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma".[11] The song spent seven weeks atop the chart, after which it remained at number two for six weeks thereafter. As of the charting week of September 13, 2008, "Like You'll Never See Me Again" has remained on the chart for forty-five consecutive weeks, all of them inside the top fifty. Billboard ranked it as the most successful song on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart of 2008.[12]
On the Billboard Hot 100, it debuted at number ninety-three, jumped to number forty-five in its second week, and subsequently peaked at number twelve.
"Like You'll Never See Me Again" was released on February 25, 2008 in the United Kingdom, peaking at number fifty-three, while "No One" was a non-mover at number twenty-six. It became her lowest-charting single there so far.
In Australia, it debuted and peaked at number seventy-seven on the ARIA Singles Chart, number forty-four on the Physical Singles Chart, and number nineteen on the Urban Singles Chart the week of April 14, 2008.
Music Video[]
The video, directed by Diane Martel, features cameos by Common (with whom Keys had previously worked with in the 2007 motion picture Smokin' Aces) as Keys' love interest who is critically injured in a motorcycle accident and Keys' mother Terri Augello as a hospital medic. It tells the story backwards, and the viewer learns that the couple had been arguing. The video premiered on November 13, 2007 on MTV's Total Request Live and BET's 106 & Park. It debuted at number two on VH1's VSpot Top 20 Countdown on February 23, 2008. Alicia described the video for this song as: "heart-wrenching. If your heart doesn't feel me, then you are dead!".[3]
Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again
Lyrics[]
If I had no more time
No more time left to be here
Would you cherish what we had?
Was it everything that you were looking for?
If I couldn't feel your touch
And no longer were you with me
I'd be wishing you were here
To be everything that I'd be looking for
I don't wanna forget the present is a gift
And I don't wanna take for granted the time you may have here with me
'Cause Lord only knows another day is not really guaranteed
So every time you hold me
Hold me like this is the last time
Every time you kiss me
Kiss me like you'll never see me again
Every time you touch me
Touch me like this is the last time
Promise that you'll love me
Love me like you'll never see me again
Oh Oh Oh
How many really know what love is?
Millions never will
Do you know until you lose it
That it's everything that we are looking for
When I wake up in the morning
You're beside me
I'm so thankful that I found
Everything that I been looking for
I don't wanna forget the present is a gift
And I don't wanna take for granted the time you may have here with me
'Cause Lord only knows another day is not really guaranteed
So everytime you hold me
Hold me like this is the last time
Every time you kiss me
Kiss me like you'll never see me again
(can you do that for me baby)
Every time you touch me
(see we don't really know)
Touch me like this is the last time
(see everyday we never know)
Promise that you'll love me
(I want you to promise me)
Love me like you'll never see me again
(like you'll never see me again)
Oh oh oh oh oh
Track Listings[]
- U.S. promo CD single
- "Like You'll Never See Me Again" (Radio Edit) – 4:10
- "Like You'll Never See Me Again" (Instrumental) – 5:17
- "Like You'll Never See Me Again" (Call Out Hook) – 0:17
- European & UK CD single
- "Like You'll Never See Me Again" – 5:15
- "Like You'll Never See Me Again" (Seiji Remix) – 6:56
- Japanese promo CD single
- "Like You'll Never See Me Again" (main)
- "Like You'll Never See Me Again" (Johnny Rockstar Remix)
- "Like You'll Never See Me Again" (Seiji Remix)
- "No One" (main)