strengths. And the joy you hear in her voice, in the grooves, is rooted in independence. R&B;'s reigning ice princess is starting to thaw." Russell Baillie from The New Zealand Herald described the song as "boudoir-instructional" and felt that "Aaliyah's voice weaves through the sparse but punchy arrangements with a mix of sultriness". Brad Cawn from the Chicago Tribune felt that Aaliyah had matured and was "growing into seductive escapades" on "Rock the Boat". Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine compared the song to the work of Janet Jackson and Marvin Gaye; he ultimately felt that Aaliyah did "80's retro" songs better than other artists. In a retrospective review, Billboard felt that due to issues surrounding “Rock the Boat”, that it "will always carry near-mythical significance". Ultimately, the "song crystallizes the things we loved, and continue to love, about Aaliyah: Her angelic vocals, her seductive delivery, her aura of strength and sexual liberation and (thanks to the video) her innate talent as a dancer, all layered over a sleek, infectious beat that seems to loop forever". Accolades Commercial performance In the United States, "Rock the Boat" debuted at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 8, 2001. It peaked at number 14 in its 12th week, spending a total of 25 weeks on the chart. The song peaked at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs on November 24. On the Rhythmic chart, the song peaked at number 13 in its 19th week, on January 12, 2002. In the United Kingdom, "Rock the Boat" debuted and peaked at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart and number four on the UK R&B Chart. In Scotland, the song debuted and peaked at number 32 on May 12, 2002. According to the Official Charts Company (OCC), "Rock the Boat" is Aaliyah's fourth best-selling single in the UK. In Belgium, the song peaked at number nine on the Ultratip chart in Wallonia on April 4. In the Netherlands, it peaked at number nine on the Dutch Top 40, and at number 12 on the Single Top 100, both on March 16. Music video Background and production Preparation for shooting “Rock the Boat” began weeks in advance, with director Hype Williams contacting Aaliyah's stylist and choreographer "separately to discuss his vision for the video". According to Aaliyah's former choreographer Fatima Robinson, "The whole concept was Hype’s ,The song has such a wonderful, sensual,