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Are You Ready (Aaliyah song)

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"Are You Ready?"
Single by Aaliyah
from the album Sunset Park (soundtrack)
ReleasedMarch 26, 1996
RecordedOctober 1995[1]
StudioBattery Studios
(New York City, New York)
GenreR&B
Length4:07
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)Renee Neufville
Producer(s)DJ Kay Gee
Aaliyah singles chronology
"Live and Die for Hip Hop"
(1996)
"Are You Ready?"
(1996)
"If Your Girl Only Knew"
(1996)

"Are You Ready?" is an R&B song performed by singer Aaliyah. The song was written by Renee Neufville (of the R&B duo Zhané) and produced by DJ Kay Gee of Naughty by Nature for the soundtrack to the basketball film Sunset Park (1996). It was released as a promotional radio single for the soundtrack.

This song samples "Movin' In The Right Direction" as performed by Steve Parks.

Composition

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The song was described by Complex as being a "low-key summertime party groove" that makes use of a "wistful jazz fusion guitar sample" over hip hop drums.[2]

Chart performance

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"Are You Ready?" received moderate airplay on some major market urban contemporary radio stations causing it to peak at #42 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart. It was not eligible for the Billboard charts due to the song never being commercially released as a single.

Critical reception

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Brendan Frederick from Complex felt that the song was "The first sign that Aaliyah would survive the scandal" with R.Kelly and that it proved that Aaliyah "had a distinctive sound and an identity that was bigger than any one producer". According to Frederick Aaliyah taunts the critics who counted her out on the hook of the song by saying "You know I'm comin' back—tell me if you're ready."[2]

Charts

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Chart (1996) Peak
position
US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (Billboard)[3] 42

References

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  1. ^ "Naughty by Nature Discuss Memories with Aaliyah & Big Pun and Kay Gee's Divine Mill Label (Exclusive Interview)".
  2. ^ a b "The 25 Best Aaliyah Songs". Complex. May 19, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  3. ^ "Aaliyah Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
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