Sensitivity (song)

"Sensitivity"
Single by Ralph Tresvant
from the album Ralph Tresvant
Released	October 9, 1990
Recorded	January 1990
Genre	R&B new jack swing [1]
Length	4:40
Label	MCA
Songwriters	James Harris III Terry Lewis
Producers	Jimmy Jam Terry Lewis
Ralph Tresvant singles chronology
"Sensitivity" (1990) "Stone Cold Gentleman" (1991)
Audio
"Sensitivity" on YouTube

"Sensitivity" is the title of a number-one single by American singer Ralph Tresvant. It was released in October 1990 by MCA Records as the first single from the self-titled debut album (1990) of the New Edition frontman since the split of the group. The hit song spent one week at number one on the US Billboard R&B chart, ^[2] becoming his biggest hit. It also peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number eighteen on the UK Singles Chart.

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "Sensitivity" Chart (1990–1991) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [3] 62 Europe (European Hit Radio) [4] 10 Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg) [5] 13 UK Singles (OCC) [6] 18 UK Airplay ( Music Week ) [7] 3 UK Dance ( Music Week ) [8] 1 US Billboard Hot 100 [9] 4 US Hot R&B Singles ( Billboard ) 1 US Hot Dance Club Play ( Billboard ) 19 US Cash Box Top 100 [10] 3

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "Sensitivity" Chart (1991) Position Europe (European Hit Radio) [11] 94 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [12] 41 US Billboard Hot 100 [13] 29 US Cash Box Top 100 [14] 38

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [15]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

• List of number-one R&B singles of 1990 (U.S.)

References

1. uDiscover Team (February 17, 2021). "Best New Jack Swing Songs: 40 Party Starting Jams". uDiscoverMusic. Universal Music Group. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 588.
3. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 284.
4. "European Hit Radio" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 8, no. 8. February 23, 1991. p. 23. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
5. Radio Luxembourg Singles. January 27, 1991.
6. "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
7. "Playlist Chart" (PDF). Music Week . February 16, 1991. p. iii. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
8. "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week . January 12, 1991. p. xii. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
9. Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 858.
10. "Cash Box Chart Entries 1990-1996" (PDF). popmusichistory.co.uk. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
11. "EHR Year-End Top 100" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 8, no. 51–52. December 21, 1991. p. 20. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
12. "End of Year Charts 1991". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
13. "Billboard Top 100 - 1991" . Retrieved 2009-09-15.
14. "Awards: Top 50 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. LV, no. 20. December 28, 1991. p. 8. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
15. "American single certifications – Ralph Tresvant – Sensitivity". Recording Industry Association of America.