It's Not Right but It's Okay

"It's Not Right but It's Okay"
Single by Whitney Houston
from the album My Love Is Your Love
Released January 25, 1999
Format
Recorded October 1998
Genre Neo-R&B
Length
  • 4:52
  • 4:22 (radio edit)
Label Arista
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Darkchild
Certification Platinum (RIAA)
Whitney Houston singles chronology
"Heartbreak Hotel"
(1998)
"It's Not Right but It's Okay"
(1999)
"My Love Is Your Love"
(1999)
Music video
"It's Not Right but It's Okay" on YouTube

"It's Not Right but It's Okay" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston, from her fourth studio album, My Love Is Your Love. It was written by LaShawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, Isaac Phillips, Toni Estes, and produced by Darkchild. The song examines a woman confronting her lover about his infidelity.

The music video was directed by Kevin Bray. Houston won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for this song.

Release

The original Rodney Jerkins production was released, but mainstream radio airplay and sales were given for the Thunderpuss Remix. The remixed version was released on Houston's 2000 Whitney: The Greatest Hits collection, and the original album version appears on 2007's The Ultimate Collection.

The Johnny Vicious remixes were included on the domestic CD maxi-single of "Heartbreak Hotel" as well as the on the import single and are currently available as iTunes downloads. The KCC remix was included on the U.S. version of the "My Love Is Your Love" maxi-single and is also available as an iTunes download. Rodney Jerkins' remixes are the closest to the album version; Club 69 (Peter Rauhofer) also remixed the track for play in the UK. In the US, when it was released as a stand-alone single, the versions that appear are the Rodney Jerkins, Thunderpuss and Club 69 remixes. There is also a ballad version, entitled "Smooth Mix".

Composition

"It's Not Right but It's Okay" is a neo-R&B song.[1] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, it is written in the key of C minor with a tempo of 130 beats per minute. Houston's vocals span from G3 to A5 in the song.[2]

Critical reception

Billboard highlighted this song on Houston's album.[3] The Baltimore Sun's J. D. Consodine wrote about the song: "So when we hear her telling her abusive, less-than-faithful lover off in "It's Not Right But It's Okay," we're not to imagine the lyrics have anything to do with the rumored infidelity of her real-life husband, Bobby Brown."[4]

Chart performance

It became the album's third single and peaked at No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on July 3, 1999.[5] The single also peaked at number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, No. 7 on the top 100 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, and was certified Gold by the RIAA. The song reached No. 3 in Canada and the United Kingdom — in March 1999 — where it stayed in the chart for 15 weeks, being a hugely popular radio hit in that country.

Track listing

  1. "It's Not Right but It's Okay" (Rodney Jerkins Smooth Mix) – 4:30
  2. "It's Not Right but It's Okay" (Rodney Jerkins Smooth Instrumental) – 4:30
  3. "It's Not Right but It's Okay" (Thunderpuss Radio Mix) – 4:18
  4. "It's Not Right but It's Okay" (Thunderpuss Club Mix) – 9:12
  5. "It's Not Right but It's Okay" (Thunderpuss Dub) – 8:22
  6. "It's Not Right but It's Okay" (Thunderpuss Beats) – 4:40
  7. "It's Not Right but It's Okay" (Club 69 Radio Mix) – 4:21
  8. "It's Not Right but It's Okay" (Club 69 Future Club Mix) – 8:05
  9. "It's Not Right but It's Okay" (Club 69 Future Dub) – 7:52
  10. "It's Not Right but It's Okay" (Johnny Vicious Radio Mix) – 4:25
  11. "It's Not Right but It's Okay" (Johnny Vicious Momentous Mix) – 13:07
  12. "It's Not Right but It's Okay" (Johnny Vicious Dub) – 8:33

Special bonus cut:

"I Will Always Love You" (Hex Hector Club Mix) – 9:50

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Charts (1999) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[6] 88
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[7] 20
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 40
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[9] 3
France (SNEP)[10] 21
Germany (Official German Charts)[11] 14
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] 10
Ireland (IRMA)[13] 21
New Zealand (RIANZ)[14][A] 33
Spain (AFYVE Singles Chart)[15] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 12
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 18
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[18] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[19] 4
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[20] 1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[21] 7

Year-end charts

Chart (1999) Peak
position
Dutch Singles Chart[22] 85
Swedish Singles Chart[23] 83
UK Singles Chart[24] 25
US Billboard Hot 100[25] 44
US Dance/Club-Play Singles[26] 11
US R&B/Hip-Hop Singles[27] 37

Certifications

Country (Provider) Certification Shipments
United Kingdom (BPI)[28] Gold 520,000
United States (RIAA)[29] Platinum 1,100,000

Note: A^ In New Zealand, "Heartbreak Hotel" was released as a double A-side single with "It's Not Right But It's Okay"

Chart procession and succession

Preceded by
"Promises" by The Cranberries
Spanish Singles Chart number-one single
April 10, 1999
Succeeded by
"Maria" by Blondie
Preceded by
"Up and Down" by Vengaboys
Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single
January 23, 1999 – February 6, 1999
Succeeded by
"I'm Beautiful" by Bette Midler

Cover versions

The song was covered by Darren Criss on the hit Fox TV show Glee. Criss' character, Blaine, was confronting his own 'cheating' lover in the Whitney Houston tribute special, "Dance with Somebody". It was also covered on the "Lies" single and The Mother We Share EP by CHVRCHES. The song was heavily sampled in Mak & Pasteman's "It Ain't Right".

See also

References

  1. Out. Here Publishing. May 2000. p. 57. ISSN 1062-7928.
  2. Fred, Jerkins III,. "Whitney Houston "It's Not Right But It's Okay" Sheet Music - Download & Print". www.musicnotes.com. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
  3. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 28 November 1998. p. 19. ISSN 0006-2510.
  4. "Talent is true, if lyrics are not Review: Whitney Houston finds a gritty, funky balance on 'My Love.' But don't put any words in her mouth. - Baltimore Sun". Articles.baltimoresun.com. 1998-11-18. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
  5. http://www.billboard.com/artist/431329/whitney+houston/chart
  6. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  7. "Austriancharts.at – Whitney Houston – It's Not Right But It's Okay" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  8. "Ultratop.be – Whitney Houston – It's Not Right But It's Okay" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  9. Hits of the World: Canadian SoundScan Singles Chart for "It's Not Right But It's Okay". Billboard. August 7, 1999. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
  10. "Lescharts.com – Whitney Houston – It's Not Right But It's Okay" (in French). Les classement single.
  11. "Musicline.de – Houston,Whitney Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  12. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Whitney Houston search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  13. http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement?page=2
  14. "It's Not Right But It's Okay - Chart positions". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  15. Hits of the World: Spanish AFYVE Singles Chart for "It's Not Right But It's Okay". Billboard. April 24, 1999. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
  16. "Swedishcharts.com – Whitney Houston – It's Not Right But It's Okay". Singles Top 100.
  17. "Swisscharts.com – Whitney Houston – It's Not Right But It's Okay". Swiss Singles Chart.
  18. "Archive Chart: 1999-03-06" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
  19. "Whitney Houston – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Whitney Houston.
  20. "Whitney Houston – Chart history" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for Whitney Houston.
  21. "Whitney Houston – Chart history" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for Whitney Houston.
  22. "Dutchcharts.nl - Jaaroverzichten - Single 1999" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
  23. "Sök alla listor > Årslistor > Välj år 1999 > Visa!" (in Swedish). Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  24. http://www.bpi.co.uk/assets/files/yearly%20best%20selling%20singles.pdf| British Phonographic Industry Yearly Best Selling Singles 1999. Retrieved Feb 25, 2012
  25. "1999 Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 31, 1999. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  26. "199 Billboard Hot Dance-Club Play Singles". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 31, 1999. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  27. "1999 Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 31, 1999. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  28. Archived September 24, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  29. "RIAA Certification". RIAA.com. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
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