Fortunate
"Fortunate" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Maxwell | ||||
from the album Life Soundtrack | ||||
Released | March 3, 1999 | |||
Recorded | 1998 | |||
Genre | Neo soul | |||
Length | 4:59 | |||
Label | Columbia, Rockland, Interscope | |||
Songwriter(s) | Robert Kelly | |||
Producer(s) | R. Kelly | |||
Maxwell singles chronology | ||||
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"Fortunate" is a neo soul song from the 1999 motion picture Life and was released on the film's soundtrack. The song was written, composed, produced and arranged by R. Kelly and recorded by Maxwell. "Fortunate" was awarded Best R&B Single of the Year at the Billboard Music Award and Best R&B/Soul Single (Male) at Soul Train Music Awards. Maxwell was nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Male Vocalist and also nominated for a Blockbuster Entertainment Awards for Favorite Song of the Year.
The song, Maxwell's biggest hit to date, spent eight weeks at number one on the US R&B chart and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. It is his first number-one R&B hit, eventually followed by "Pretty Wings" in 2009.
According to R. Kelly, Maxwell didn't want to sing "Fortunate". Instead, he wanted to sing the song "Life" - which Kelly gave to K-Ci & JoJo. Kelly rejected Maxwell's idea because he felt that the neo-soul singer wouldn't have been believable singing a song from the perspective of a prison inmate.[1]
Charts
Weekly charts
Chart (1999) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[2] | 52 |
US Billboard Hot 100[3] | 4 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[4] | 1 |
Year-end charts
Chart (1999) | Position |
---|---|
US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 24 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[7] | Gold | 800,000[6] |
See also
References
- ^ Keith, Murphy (11 April 2013). "Q&A: R. Kelly – The Mind Of A Mad Genius". vibe.com. SpinMedia. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 180.
- ^ "Maxwell Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
- ^ "Maxwell Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1999". Archived from the original on 2009-07-09. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
- ^ "Best-Selling Records of 1999". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 4. BPI Communications Inc. January 22, 2000. p. 63. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "American single certifications – Maxwell – Fortunate". Recording Industry Association of America.
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- 1999 singles
- Songs written by R. Kelly
- Songs written for films
- Music videos directed by Francis Lawrence
- 1998 songs
- Columbia Records singles
- Song recordings produced by R. Kelly
- Maxwell (musician) songs
- Contemporary R&B ballads
- Soul ballads
- 1990s ballads