All That I Can Say

Last updated
"All That I Can Say"
Mary J. Blige - All That I Can Say.jpg
Single by Mary J. Blige
from the album Mary
B-side "Beautiful"
ReleasedJuly 9, 1999 (1999-07-09)
Recorded1998
Genre Soul, funk, jazz, pop
Length
  • 5:30 (album version)
  • 3:59 (radio edit)
Label MCA
Songwriter(s) Lauryn Hill
Producer(s) Lauryn Hill
Mary J. Blige singles chronology
"As"
(1999)		"All That I Can Say"
(1999)		"Deep Inside"
(1999)
Music video
"All That I Can Say" on YouTube

"All That I Can Say" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige. It was composed by fellow R&B singer Lauryn Hill, who also sang backing vocals, for Blige's fourth studio album, Mary (1999). [1] Released as the album's lead single in July 1999 by MCA, it became a moderate commercial success in both the United States and United Kingdom, peaking at numbers forty-four and twenty-nine, respectively.

Contents

Blige garnered her sixth Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 42nd Grammy Awards. Blige performed the song live in addition to an impromptu appearance by Hill who performed a rap on the first incarnation of The Queen Latifah Show in September 1999. She also performed the song on Top of the Pops , and her performance was shown the week "All That I Can Say" charted.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that the song "demonstrates yet another formidable step forward in the career path of this fly girl gone sophisticate." He noted that Blige is "in good hands with this dreamy, '70s-based jazz/funk smash", and that she is "sounding as sharp as cut glass, with a smattering of scatting and just enough grit to define the artist's signature edge in this classy number." He also described the track as "spirited, joyful, retro, and yet right on the edge, sounding like nothing she's delivered before". [2] The Daily Vault's Mark Millan stated that "All That I Can Say" "gets things off to a good start, and Blige's voice has never sounded as softly sweet as it is here". [3] Stacey A. Rather from Lincolnian said the song has a "pop sound that is very prevalent in music right now." [4]

Stevie Chick from NME called it a "perfect, loving pastiche of Wonder's Moog-powered balladry." He added, "It is, tellingly, written, arranged and produced by Lauryn herself. Standing head and shoulders above the rest of the LP, it almost cruelly reveals the distance between Hill, and this pretender to her throne." [5] Another editor, John Robinson, wrote, "'All That I Can Say' is glorious, as if straight out of the '70s soul/funk golden age. Those searching synths could've been stripped straight from Stevie Wonder's 'Fulfillingness' First Finale' album, that melody embodies not a little of Al Green's sexy, laid-back magic. And Mary J's vocals eschew the modern, octave-skipping histrionics of Mariah et al, in favour of a more reserved delivery, building up to an angelic crescendo on the run-out groove that may be the most perfect 30 seconds or so of music recorded this year." "'All That I Can Say' is also as sublime a listening experience as you're likely to hear all year, written, produced, performed to perfection, and guaranteed to coat you head to toe in goose pimples in under four minutes flat. Shameless, yeah. But as in shamelessly good." [6]

Music video

The accompanying music video of "All That I Can Say" begins with Blige lying asleep in her bed. It's morning over New York City. A white horse runs through the streets. Her alarm clock wakes Blige up at 9.00 a.m.. Sitting up in bed, she begins to sing, before walking to the window where she looks at the white clouds over the city. In the next scene, the singer is seen walking in the middle of a street in front of the Grand Central Station, while it is raining confetti from the sky. Large billboards in the city are showing press photos of Blige and a large moving red text line says, "New York Loves You Mary ..." Standing, looking at this, many red bubbles suddenly appear around her. Inside each of them we see Blige in another dress. In the last part of the video, she stands in the middle of a giant escalator up from the city to the sky. Then the singer walks on the clouds, apparently on her way to meet a young black man, who is standing naked on the clouds a little further away. Suddenly the alarm clock interrupts after it has just turned 9.00 a.m.. Blige wakes up and sits up in bed with a puzzled face, as she looks out at the clouds outside the window as the video ends.

The music video was later made available on Blige's official YouTube channel in 2009, and had generated almost five million views as of November 2023. [7]

Track listings

UK CD single [8]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."All That I Can Say" (Radio Edit)   
2."Beautiful" (Blackstar Remix featuring Mos Def and Talib Kweli)
 
3."All That I Can Say" (Album Version)   

Notes

Charts

Release history

RegionDateLabel
United States July 9, 1999 MCA Records
United Kingdom November 2, 1999

Cover versions

In 2000, French pianist Alex Bugnon covered the song from his album As Promised, which featured a guest vocals from Blige's former MCA Records signee Christopher Williams. [20] [21]

In 2011, jazz vocalist Gretchen Parlato covered the song on her album The Lost and Found.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary J. Blige</span> American singer (born 1971)

Mary Jane Blige is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Awards, twelve NAACP Image Awards, and twelve Billboard Music Awards, including the Billboard Icon Award. She has been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, including one for her supporting role in the film Mudbound (2017) and another for its original song "Mighty River", becoming the first person nominated for acting and songwriting in the same year.

<i>No More Drama</i> 2001 studio album by Mary J. Blige

No More Drama is the fifth studio album by American singer Mary J. Blige, released on August 28, 2001, by MCA Records.

<i>Love & Life</i> (Mary J. Blige album) 2003 studio album by Mary J. Blige

Love & Life is the sixth studio album by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige. It was released by Geffen Records on August 26, 2003. The album marked Blige's debut on the Geffen label, following the absorption of her former record company MCA Records. In addition, it saw her reuniting with Sean "Diddy" Combs, executive producer of her first two studio albums What's the 411? (1992) and My Life (1994), who wrote and executive produced most of Love & Life with his Bad Boy in-house production team The Hitmen, including Mario Winans, D-Dot, and Stevie J.

<i>Mary</i> (Mary J. Blige album) 1999 studio album by Mary J. Blige

Mary is the fourth studio album by American singer Mary J. Blige, released August 17, 1999, on MCA Records. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 239,000 copies in its first week. It spent 57 weeks on the chart and produced five charting singles. Upon its release, Mary received acclaim from music critics. It has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of two million units in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No More Drama (song)</span> 2001 single by Mary J. Blige

"No More Drama" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige. Written and produced by duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it was initially intended for Blige's fourth studio album Mary (1999) before she insisted on making it the title track of her fifth studio album of the same name (2001). The song embodies portions of "The Young and the Restless Theme" (1971), written by Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin Jr.. Lyrically, the song is about going through hard times and moving on from pain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love @ 1st Sight</span> 2003 single by Mary J. Blige featuring Method Man

"Love @ 1st Sight" is a song recorded by American singer Mary J. Blige for her sixth studio album Love & Life (2003). It features a guest appearance from rapper Method Man. It was written by Blige, Sean Combs, Mario Winans, Stevie Jordan, Clifford Smith, and Mechalie Jamison and produced by Combs, Winans and Jordan. The song is built around a sample of "Hot Sex" (1992) by American hip-hop trio A Tribe Called Quest. Due to the inclusion of the sample, several other writers are credited as songwriters. Lyrically, it features the protagonist persistently wondering about a romantic attraction for a stranger on the first sight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Be Without You</span> 2005 single by Mary J. Blige

"Be Without You" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige. It was written by Johntá Austin, Bryan Michael Cox, Jason Perry, and Blige for her seventh studio album, The Breakthrough (2005). Production was helmed by Cox, with additional production from Young Smoke and vocal production from Ron Fair and Blige. A piano-tinkling downtempo R&B song, the song examines a relationship where the couple is trying to decide if they want to stay together, with Blige urging them to appreciate their blessings. "Be Without You" was released as the album's first official single on November 14, 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enough Cryin</span> 2006 single by Mary J. Blige

"Enough Cryin" a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Sean Garrett, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins for her seventh studio album, The Breakthrough (2005), while production was helmed by the latter. The song introduces Blige's rap alter ego, Brook Lynn, who delivers the song's rap verse. Blige's rap verse was originally written by Jay-Z for Foxy Brown, but Jerkins rejected Brown's vocals and it was instead suggested that Blige record the verse herself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Real Love (Mary J. Blige song)</span> 1992 single by Mary J. Blige

"Real Love" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige from her debut studio album, What's the 411? (1992). Based on real life experiences, it was written and produced by Cory Rooney and Mark Morales, and samples Audio Two's 1987 song "Top Billin'". The song was issued as the album's second single on July 28, 1992 by Uptown and MCA. It became Blige's first top-10 hit, peaking at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Rhythmic charts and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 4, 1992. Marcus Raboy directed the song's music video. Rolling Stone included "Real Love" in their list of "500 Best Songs of All Time" in 2021 at number 327.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By</span> 1995 single by Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige

"I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" is a duet song by American rapper Method Man, featuring American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. The song is a remix of Method Man's "All I Need", which appears on his debut studio album Tical (1994). The song, a hip hop soul record, was released as a single by Def Jam Recordings and PolyGram Records on April 25, 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues</span> 1983 song by Elton John

"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" is a song by English musician Elton John, with music by John and Davey Johnstone and lyrics by Bernie Taupin, released as the first single from John's 17th studio album Too Low for Zero. It was the first single since 1975's "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" to feature the classic lineup of the Elton John Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Knock the Hustle (Jay-Z song)</span> 1996 single by Jay-Z featuring Mary J. Blige

"Can't Knock the Hustle" is the third single from American rapper Jay-Z's debut album Reasonable Doubt. The song features a beat produced by Knobody. It is co-produced by Sean C and Dahoud Darien. The chorus is sung by Mary J. Blige.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">As (song)</span> 1976 Stevie Wonder song

"As" is a song written and performed by American singer and musician Stevie Wonder from his eighteenth album, Songs in the Key of Life (1976). The song was released in October 1977 by Tamla and reached number 36 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and Black Singles chart. It gets its name from the first word of its lyrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just Fine</span> 2007 single by Mary J. Blige

"Just Fine" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Jazze Pha and Tricky Stewart for her eighth studio album, Growing Pains (2007), while production was helmed by Pha and Stewart. It was released as the album's lead single on October 16, 2007. The song peaked at number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 16 on the UK Singles Chart, while also topping the US Hot Dance Club Play chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can Love You</span> 1997 single by Mary J. Blige featuring Lil Kim

"I Can Love You" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige along with her sister LaTonya Blige-DaCosta, Rodney Jerkins, and Lil' Kim for her third album, Share My World (1997), with Jerkins producing the song and Lil Kim having featured vocals. The contains elements of the song "Queen Bitch," a track from Kim's debut album Hard Core (1996), co-written by Carlos Broady and Nashiem Myrick. Due to the inclusion of the sample, they are also credited as songwriters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Is All We Need</span> 1997 single by Mary J. Blige

"Love Is All We Need" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige, with a guest rap from Nas. It was written by Blige, Nas, James Harris III, and Terry Lewis for Blige's third studio album, Share My World (1997), while production was helmed by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. The song contains a sample of the song "Moonchild" (1985) as performed by American singer Rick James. With its more buoyant tone, it stood in conspicuous contrast to much of the more dark-rooted material featured on Blige's earlier albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Days (Mary J. Blige song)</span> 1998 single by Mary J. Blige

"Seven Days" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written and produced by Malik Pendleton for her third studio album Share My World (1997). The song is supported with a guitar solo from American guitarist George Benson. Lyrically, "Seven Days" talks about a woman going through a dilemma in a relationship with a man who had been her best friend before a truth or dare? game led to them experiencing a relationship that has left Blige and the man in question at a crossroads of how to address each other.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Inside</span> 1999 single by Mary J. Blige

"Deep Inside" is a song by the American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Tara Geter and Kevin Deane for her fourth studio album, Mary (1999), while production was led by Deane. The song features a sample of piano playing from Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets" (1974). John and co-writer Bernie Taupin are also credited as songwriters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Give Me You (Mary J. Blige song)</span> 2000 single by Mary J. Blige

"Give Me You" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Diane Warren for Blige's fourth studio album, Mary (1999), while production was helmed by Manuel Seal, featuring co-production from Nate-Love Clemons. The song was released as the third single from the album, outperforming both previous singles, "All That I Can Say" and "Deep Inside." The second-highest-charting single from Mary, "Give Me You" peaked at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart, while reaching number 21 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Am (Mary J. Blige song)</span> 2009 single by Mary J. Blige

"I Am" is a song by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Johntá Austin, Ester Dean, Magnus Beite, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen for her ninth studio album, Stronger with Each Tear (2009), while production was helmed by Hermansen and Eriksen under their production moniker Stargate. Lyrically, the song "I Am" confidently tells one's lover nobody can treat them better than the person they are with at the present time.

References

  1. ↑ James, Steven (July 10, 2018). "Today in 1999 Mary J Blige drops All That I Can Say" . Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  2. ↑ Flick, Larry (July 17, 1999). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard . p. 22. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  3. ↑ Millan, Mark (July 6, 2010). "Mary - Mary J. Blige". The Daily Vault. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  4. ↑ Rather, Stacey A. (September 15, 1999). "THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY". Lincolnian. p. 8. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  5. ↑ Chick, Stevie. "Mary J Blige – Mary". NME . Archived from the original on 2000-08-17. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  6. ↑ Robinson, John. "This Week's Singles July 31 1999". NME . Archived from the original on 2000-10-05. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Mary J. Blige - All That I Can Say (Official Music Video)". YouTube. June 16, 2009. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Mary J. Blige - All That I Can Say (UK CD, 12" (Single) Discogs.com. Retrieved Feb. 25, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . August 28, 1999. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Mary J Blige — All That I Can Say". Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Mary J Blige – All That I Can Say" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company . Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Mary J Blige: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  15. ↑ "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  16. ↑ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Urban Top 20 Tracks of 1999" (PDF). Music Week . January 22, 2000. p. 54. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  19. ↑ "R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: Year End 1999". Billboard . Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  20. ↑ "As Promised overview". Allmusic.com .
  21. ↑ "Alex Bugnon". Smooth-jazz.de.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.