Come Back in One Piece

In 1999, Aaliyah landed her first film role in Romeo Must Die (2000), a loose adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Aaliyah starred opposite martial artist Jet Li, playing a couple who fall in love amid their warring families. It grossed US$18.6 million in its first weekend, reaching number two at the box office. In addition to acting, Aaliyah served as an executive producer of the film soundtrack, to which she contributed four songs, including "Come Back in One Piece". Aaliyah revealed that the production team "actually talked about the soundtrack before we even shot the movie". In a 2011 interview with Billboard, DMX stated that Aaliyah and Romeo Must Dies producer Joel Silver personally asked him to be a part of the film, stating: "When I was on tour, her and Joel Silver came to my dressing room to see if I wanted to be a part of the movie", adding: "Most people would have their people call, but she came herself. I'm like, 'Is this a trick question? You have to ask me if I want to be in a movie with Aaliyah? Hell yeah.' We [then] met up in Vancouver to [do] Romeo Must Die."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/dmx-talks-priceless-moments-with-aaliyah-467772/|title=DMX Talks 'Priceless' Moments With Aaliyah |last=Ramirez ==Music and lyrics==

Musically, "Come Back in One Piece" is an "effective blend of R&B and Hip hop". Billboard explained that, the song, "has a definite funk feel, complete with wailing bass kicks". While, MTV.com stated a similar sentiment saying the record has a "propulsive funk backing track". It also uses "repetitive harmonic motion to reaffirm the home key by starting on G major and resolving to F-sharp major (or II-I in F-sharp major). On the record, Aaliyah's vocals "are not multi-tracked or processed much but rather kept thin and dry, which gives the overall impression that she is girlish". She is sometimes backed by harmonizing female vocalists and her verse "prefigures the refrain melody". Chuck Taylor from Billboard, noted that on the song Aaliyah is "playing the role of the concerned girlfriend who worries about the actions of her lover, but she understands what he has to do". ==Release and promotion==

"Come Back in One Piece" was serviced to rhythmic contemporary and urban contemporary radio stations in the United States on June 6, 2000, by Blackground Records and Virgin Records. It was later released internationally as a double A-side single with "I Don't Wanna". To promote Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah and DMX performed "Come Back in One Piece" together on Romeo Must Die: The Kickoff Special, which aired on MTV in March 2000. Rap-Up ranked her kickoff special performance as one of her 10 greatest live performances saying, "Who knew that the 2000 film was so anticipated it warranted a kickoff special? That’s just the kind of effect Aaliyah had on people. This was confirmed in her ability to make DMX crack a smile and momentarily turn from street to sweet, which is pretty much what Aaliyah was always the perfect combination of." In August 2021, it was reported that Aaliyah's recorded work for Blackground (since rebranded as Blackground Records 2.0) would be re-released on physical, digital, and, for the first time ever, streaming services in a deal between the label and Empire Distribution. Romeo Must Die: The Album, including "Come Back in One Piece", was re-released on September 3. ==Critical reception==

Derrick Mathis from AllMusic felt that DMX "takes control of things in his duet with Aaliyah on Come Back in One Piece." In his review of "Come Back in One Piece", Chuck Taylor from Billboard stated: "Although the two stars couldn't be any more opposite – Aaliyah with her velvet tones and smooth moves, and DMX, who is known for his gruff, grimy flow – the contrast works in conveying the theme of the song". In 2016, Complex compiled a list of Aaliyah's best songs and included "Come Back in One Piece". Writer Jacob Moore stated: "What made the song work so well wasn’t just DMX using dog metaphors to proclaim loyalty for his girl—it was Aaliyah meeting him somewhere in the middle", adding: "When she sang "Come Back in One Piece," she did it like she really understood that all things, even DMX, are more complicated than they seem". Bianca Gracie from Fuse felt that the song's sample of Parliament's "Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk" balanced out DMX's "thuggish flow" with Aaliyah's "honey-sweet melody" While reviewing Romeo Must Die: The Album, The Ledger felt that Aaliyah "gets bonus points for taming a usually barking (now charmingly hoarse) DMX on the near-romantic Come Back in One Piece". Christopher O'Conner from MTV News said that Aaliyah, "takes a hardcore Irv Gotti beat tailored for DMX (he opens the song with a guest verse) and drives it without a hitch". Quentin B. Huff from PopMatters praised the song by saying: "I like that the song doesn't try to wrap things up neatly with a meeting of the minds. Instead, both sides are entrenched in their positions, forcing them to agree to disagree. I suspect the two personalities in this song would argue a lot, and there's quite a bit of realism in that". ==Music video==

Background The accompanying music video for "Come Back in One Piece" was directed by Little X. It was filmed in March 2000 in Yonkers, DMX's hometown, and Mount Vernon, New York. While speaking with MTV about the video's theme, Little X stated: "I'm just trying to shoot DMX's hood, an area that he's from, because when you do a street joint, it has to be authentic". While speaking about the Python print outfit, Aaliyah's former stylist Derek Lee stated "it was pricey". The music video for "Come Back in One Piece" made its television debut on BET during the week ending April 17, 2000. During the week ending May 1, the video became the 15th most-played video on BET. It debuted on The Box during the week of May 13. ==Track listings and formats==

• European maxi CD single • "Come Back in One Piece" (album version) (featuring DMX) – 4:18 • "Come Back in One Piece" (instrumental) (featuring DMX) – 4:18 • "Come Back in One Piece" (music video) – 3:36 • UK maxi CD single • "I Don't Wanna" – 4:14 • "Come Back in One Piece" (solo version) – 3:41 • "Come Back in One Piece" (album version) (featuring DMX) – 4:18 • "Come Back in One Piece" (music video) – 3:36 ==Charts==