If (4:30)

“If” is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her fifth studio album, Janet. (1993). Written and produced by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it was released as the album’s second single in July 1993, and became Jackson’s second top five hit from the Janet album.

“If” is about a female narrator’s fantasies of being someone’s girlfriend. The track contains a sample from Diana Ross & the Supremes’ 1969 song “Someday We’ll Be Together”, and is built on a heavy metal guitar riff heard throughout the song. The combination of heavy hip hop/new jack swing beats and electric guitar was a relative departure in sound for Jackson.

Chart (1993) Peak Position

Australian Singles Chart [18]
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders) [31]
Canadian Singles Chart [1]
Dutch Top 40 [10]
Finnish Singles Chart [12]
French Singles Chart [63]
German Singles Chart [25]
ew Zealand Singles Chart [8]
Swedish Singles Chart [19]
Swiss Singles Chart [27]

UK Singles Chart [14]
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [4]
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs [3]