Mary J. Blige - "Be Without You"

[B-Boy]

The lead single from The Breakthrough. It was the longest running #1 (15 weeks) on Billboard R&B and spent 75 weeks. It's Hot 100 peak is #3. One of the best R&B songs this decade.

CHR/Pop: #1
Urban: #1
Rhythmic: #1

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VZ-7-nKOUo

[Where Can It Go?]

I have fond memories of hearing this a lot on the radio back in the spring of 06 while doing outdoor work. It sounded an awful lot like We Belong Together, but everyone wanted to remake it at that time, so we ended up with a few Bryan-Michael Cox clones on the radio.

Strangely enough we're coming upon the same effect again with all the Ryan Tedder productions from the past two years.

[#LisaRinna]

LOVE IT!

[Deleted]

One of the best R&B singles of 2005. She really fell off after this album.

[Dreams]

Released in 2005 as the lead single off of Mary's album The Breakthrough. The song was a huge success for her:

BB Hot 100 - #3
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs - 1 [The most successful song by a female artist in the history of the R&B Chart!]
US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard) - #1


Won Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 2007 Grammy Awards.


VIDEO


Live at the Grammys



It's definitely one of my 00's Mary favorites. I love her passion at the end of the song.

[Deleted]

I adored this when it was out, but so many songs came out in this same style back then that I'm still kind of burned out on it.

[Soulsista]

One of her best.

[Glove Slap]

Oct 9, 2013 20:01:43 GMT -5 @jazzysoul47 said:

I adored this when it was out, but so many songs came out in this same style back then that I'm still kind of burned out on it.

I agree with this. It's hard to hear it the same way now, but this sounded really fresh when it first hit. I'd say this easily holds its own among her best from the 90. It was also cool to see her have such a big hit so far into her career.

[#LisaRinna]

I still love it like the first day I heard it. One of Mary's best songs and it doesn't hurt that the direct source for this was one of Mimi's best songs.

[think pink.]

anybody who’s ever loved, ya know just what I feel
too hard to fake it, nothing can replace it
call the radio if you just can’t be without your baby

Classic ♥

[Hashtag Pow]

I remember the moment it leaked. I was in my college dorm, and I literally heard the first 4 seconds of the song and started screaming FINALLY! THIS IS GONNA BE A HIT!!! I didn't even HEAR the song when I first listened because I was so amped that she had gotten it right. 2003-2004 was ROUGH at times on us Mary stans.

This became her signature ballad, and momentarily eclipsed "Family Affair" as her signature song. And I think now she probably hates this song as much as she hates "Family Affair."

[Agent Yoncé]

Oh the memories. This song was everywhere, on repeat, in the streets, non stop. I miss those days when a R&B song crossing over into the Pop world.

Just like 'We Belong Together', I truly adored this song when it happened, but now, I really don't care for it either one.

[HolidayGuy]

I'd say "Lovers and Friends" and its sound was more of a direct source, but Mimi's song was the much bigger hit (and it looks like Mimi worked with BM Cox before Mary).

I like the original version of BWY, and the dance mix ain't bad, either.

[#LisaRinna]

Jan 18, 2014 14:58:32 GMT -5 HolidayGuy said:

I'd say "Lovers and Friends" and its sound was more of a direct source.

It was reported that Mary specifically asked Bryan-Michael Cox to co-write with her a song in the vein of 'We Belong Together', so it's not like we're just assuming here.

[HolidayGuy]

Just stating that that sound also was on, among others, found on "Lovers and Friends" (and maybe something before it, not sure). Let's make it an "indirect" source, then.

[Live Your Life]

Sublime.

[Ling-Ling]

It's a great song and clearly one of her signature songs, I love that this was so massive. But I don't tend to revisit it much. She has so many other singles and deep cuts that are better IMO.

[trustypepper]

One of my favorite R&B songs ever. Those vocals and runs at the end combined with an amazing melody, just flawless.

[Billie]

I was riding the bus in 1st grade listening to this being played on the radio. Absolutely amazing!

[Khia]

I love everything about this song. The opening just feels epic, the melody is great, the vocals are incredible, and I especially love the runs. I didn't hear this all that often in 2006, so to me it sounds just as great today.

[🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲]

Classic.

[jenglisbe]

Jan 20, 2014 18:01:24 GMT -5 HolidayGuy said:

Just stating that that sound also was on, among others, found on "Lovers and Friends" (and maybe something before it, not sure). Let's make it an "indirect" source, then.

We know you want to deny Mariah's influence whenever you can, but co-writer Johnta Austin told Billboard that he was called by Jimmy Iovine to create a song “in the same lane of ‘We Belong Together’” for Mary J. Blige. That's pretty direct.

[Ty]

Knowing that this was dedicated to Kendu makes it hard for me to appreciate this song as much as I did 10 years ago. But this is nevertheless an iconic moment of her career.

[Deleted]

From Johnta Austin's new Billboard interview:

Chris Higgs made a connection with her husband Kendu Isaacs at the time. I hate saying all my hits came quick, but "Be Without You" was like a 20 minute session. I don't think [Interscope Records co-founder] Jimmy Iovine was sure about putting the record out as a single. But I remember hearing the stories about [veteran A&R] Ron Fair vouching for the record. He went in to do additional touch-ups and produced Mary's vocals.

I wasn't in the studio with her, but I remember hearing it for the first time. When she hit that note at the end, it's like "Woah, we got one!" It came out crazy and the rest was history! I knew it was going to be a hit, but not at the level that it went on to become. And of course, the Grammy wins [for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance] were just icing on the cake. "Be Without You" came right on the heels as Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" was dying down, so I'm proud of that accomplishment. That was a great one-two punch in the history of R&B.

[Sounds from the Other Side]

This is such a classic song. I was immediately blown away the first time I heard this song. I love it so much.

[jenglisbe]

This was huge, but I don't hear about it much anymore. I guess that's why this thread only has 1 post in the past 3 years.

[eyeofthestorm]

Her runs at the end of the song still make me ascend.