Maroon 5 ft. Rihanna | If I Never See Your Face Again (2008)
"If I Never See Your Face Again" is a song by American pop rock band Maroon 5 from the June 2008 re-release of the group's second studio album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long (2007), which serves as the band's fourth and final single from the album.
2008-05-02 19:00:00 - Maroon 5
It was also included on the June 2008 re-release of Rihanna's third studio album entitled Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded (2008), which also serving as the second single from the reloaded edition of her album. The song was originally included on the standard version of the band's album without the inclusion of Rihanna.
"If I Never See Your Face Again" was written by band members Adam Levine and James Valentine, with production of the song helmed by Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Mike Elizondo, Mark Endert, Mark "Spike" Stent and Maroon 5. It was released as an extended play (EP) in Australia on May 22, 2007, and as an official single on May 2, 2008, in the United States.
"If I Never See Your Face Again" was originally intended to be a duet with Janet Jackson and appear on her Discipline album, although label problems interfered.
The collaboration with Rihanna later came to fruition when Levine asked her to add her vocal to the remix version, which she accepted. "If I Never See Your Face Again" is a pop and R&B song featuring instrumentation provided by synthesizers and a guitar. The song received a mixed response from music critics, who praised the song's composition but criticized Levine and Rihanna's vocal performance.
The song's accompanying music video was directed by Anthony Mandler and shot on an indoor soundstage in Castaic, California. The song was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals at the 2009 Grammy Awards, marking the first nomination in the category for both artists. It was also featured on The Hills and He's Just Not That Into You, as the song's original version.