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1996 single by Janet Jackson

"Twenty Foreplay" is a song by American singer songwriter Janet Jackson from her first greatest hits album, Design of a Decade: 1986–1996 (1995). Written and produced by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as one of the two new songs on the album, it was sent to radio stations in the United States as the second single on December 5, 1995, while being issued as the third single on March 25, 1996 in the United Kingdom, by A&M Records. The song is a play on the word "foreplay" and "24 hours a day", and has an unusual musical structure, containing "over the top" lyrics that find Jackson singing to a boyfriend. "Twenty Foreplay" received positive reviews from music critics, yet was unable to enter the Billboard Hot 100 or the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs charts in the US due to the lack of a commercial release. Overseas, it achieved moderate success commercially, reaching the top 40 in Australia, Canada, and the UK. The song's black and white music video was directed by Keir McFarlane, and features Jackson visually inspired by actress Dorothy Dandridge, living the glamorous Hollywood life. Once, the song was performed on the State of the World Tour in 2017.

In 1991, Jackson fulfilled her contract with A&M Records, signing a multimillion dollar contract with Virgin Records estimated between $32 million and $50 million, making her the highest paid recording artist at the time. Her fifth studio album, titled Janet, was released in May 1993, selling 14 million copies worldwide. As Jackson's contract with Virgin included a clause giving her the option to leave the label during this time, she returned to A&M in order to release Design of a Decade: 1986–1996, her first compilation album. According to A&M president Al Cafaro, no new songs would be released, but "Runaway" and "Twenty Foreplay" were included as new tracks, being both recorded in July and August 1995 with Jackson's longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The former was released as the lead single from the project, reaching number three on the US Billboard Hot 100. "Twenty Foreplay" was sent to radio stations in the United States as the second single on December 5, 1995, Danyel Smith of Vibe noted that the song's "suggestive funk interlude" keeps with the spirit of Janet (1993). and contains "over the top" lyrics, which finds Jackson singing directed to her boyfriend: "Tell me do you want the blindfold / Tell me what you like". The US version of "Twenty Foreplay" is lengthier than the international version, which was edited in order to fit two more songs on the international release of Design of a Decade: 1986–1996.

"Twenty Foreplay" was met with positive reviews from music critics. Elysa Gardner from Vibe saw the track as a "lush romantic ballad"; similarly, the staff of Music Week described it as a "pleasant, slinky ballad", while the staff of Music & Media stated that despite the "infectious beat", the song "comes across as quite mellow due to its lingering vocals and wandering melodies". Gil L. Robertson IV from Cashbox noted that the song "aptly showcase[s] Jackson's continued evolution as a strong and highly focused adult performer". On the liner notes of Design of a Decade: 1986 1996, David Ritz called "Twenty Foreplay" a "smoldering ballad, one of those Janet Jackson lovemaking rhapsodies that seem to stop the hands of time". On a contrary note, Billboards Paul Verna felt that the inclusion of both tracks on the compilation "gives the collection extra sizzle, and suggests that Jackson's already lofty star is still on the rise". Paul Marsh from The San Francisco Examiner wrote that "Runaway" and "Twenty Foreplay" were not "that adventurous, but they're solid", complementing "if they were white of more bohemian, Jackson Jam Lewis might have been a hot modern rock band". For David Browne of Entertainment Weekly, the track shows "how much more confident a singer Jackson has become", but felt that it finds her "still working overtime to show us she's an honest to God grown up". In a review for the single, the staff of The Guardian stated, "Whoever taught sweet little Janet the art of double entendre must despair at the monster they created." However, the single managed to enter the US Mainstream Top 40 and R&B/Hip Hop Airplay charts at numbers 36 and 32, respectively. It was present on the chart for six weeks. However, the song fared better on the UK R&B Chart, peaking at number five. MTV News considered the video a virtual audition for the role. The video was shot in black and white and features the singer as a film actress living the glamorous Hollywood life, such as attending a movie premiere and a press conference, intercut with footage of her singing on the backlot of a movie set. Jim Farber of the New York Daily News pointed out that Jackson had never "gone for the high toned glamour she apes here", and felt she "glows like Marilyn Monroe at her leggy peak", writing that "her efforts to be seen as timeless couldn't be more transparent. But the clip's haute fashion sense and cool photography impress." On a contrary note, the staff of The Guardian wrote, "Avoid seeing the video; it'll never be as good as the one in your head."

Jackson sang "Twenty Foreplay" live for the first time on her 2017 State of the World Tour. Accompanied by two back up singers, the singer performed the song dressed in a loose denim jacket, sweatpants and a flannel shirt tied around her waist. Andrew Barker from Variety magazine said it showcased "perhaps the boldest of her three costume changes" during the show. Analyzing Jackson's voice during the performance, he deemed it strong, although not "always the most layered of instruments, but it has a softness and a lilting sweetness that she managed to emphasize while still projecting well enough to cut through the clatter".

+Release dates and formats for "Twenty Foreplay"RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref. (Reference(s))United StatesDecember 5, 1995Contemporary hit radio, Rhythmic contemporary, rhythmic contemporary radioA&MJapanFebruary 25, 1996CD singleUnited KingdomMarch 25, 1996