Jackson enlisted previous collaborators and record producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis to work with her on the album, and according to the duo, she was excited, and creative juices were flowing.

The album's concept was developed after Jackson, Jam and Lewis watched many social problems that were going on in the world on TV, such as racism, homelessness, drugs and illiteracy.

"Come Back to Me" was written by Janet Jackson with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with the latter two also serving as the song's producers.

[6] Lyrically, "Come Back to Me" talks about a lover trying to recapture the rapture of a romance that blossomed and faded away a long time ago.

"[4] Wendy Robinson wrote for PopMatters that the song shows "a more reflective, dramatic side of Janet Jackson.

"[11] Chris Gerard of Metro Weekly went on to call it a "sexy ballad," featuring "a beautifully layered vocal by Jackson and some lovely instrumentation by Jam and Lewis.

"[12] Stephen McMillian of Soul Train named it a "romantic ballad" and "one of the more memorable songs during the summer of 1990.

"[13] Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine praised the track, writing: "'Come Back to Me' smartly obscures Janet's nondescript pillow-talk delivery within luscious folds upon folds of gut-wrenching chord changes, topping the tragic, plunging bridge with a soaring, cinematic outro that leaves Janet speechless, admitting, 'I don't know what else to say.'

[17][18][19] Directed by Dominic Sena in November 1989, the video is set in Paris, France, where Jackson deals with a former lover leaving her, reminiscing about the good moments spent together.

Denise Sheppard of Rolling Stone commented that, "Without question, [it was] one of the night's most beautiful and verklempt moments arrived out of nowhere forty-five minutes into the set.

It was the first time that a break in the action occurred - no dancers, no music -- and as a close-up captured Jackson looking genuinely happy, the audience spontaneously burst into what became a five-minute standing ovation.

"[22] The February 16, 2002 final date of the tour at the Aloha Stadium in Hawaii, was broadcast by HBO, and included a performance of it.

[23] On the Number Ones: Up Close and Personal tour, Jackson used a diamond-encrusted lavender gown to perform a ballad medley of "Nothing", "Come Back to Me" and "Let's Wait Awhile".