"Whenever I Say Your Name" | ||||
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Single by Sting & Mary J. Blige | ||||
from the album Sacred Love and Love & Life | ||||
Released | November 2003 [1] [2] | |||
Length | 5:25 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Sting | |||
Producer(s) |
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Sting singles chronology | ||||
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Mary J. Blige singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Sting - Whenever I Say Your Name (Official Music Video) ft. Mary J. Blige" on YouTube |
"Whenever I Say Your Name" is a duet by English musician Sting and American singer Mary J. Blige. Written by Sting and produced by him along with Mark "Kipper" Eldridge,it served as the second single from Sting's seventh studio album Sacred Love (2003). It was not originally included on Blige's sixth studio album Love &Life (2003) but was later added to the album's international re-release.
A&M Records issued "Whenever I Say Your Name" as a single in mid-2004. It peaked at number 60 on the UK Singles Chart,marking Sting's lowest charting single since 1988's "They Dance Alone (Cueca Solo)." It also marked Blige's lowest-charting single since the release of her debut single "Real Love" in 1992. The recording won Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 46th Grammy Awards in 2004.
"Whenever I Say Your Name" was written and produced by Sting for his seventh studio album Sacred Love (2003). [3] Production was helmed by Sting and Mark "Kipper" Eldridge. [3] The singer felt inspired to work with Blige ever since they performed together on the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2003,he told LAUNCHcast :"I was totally blown away by her passionate,open singing [...] I had decided on that night that I'd love to write a song for her one day,and I came up with this idea of "Whenever I Say Your Name" –that's perfect for her,you know? It's very romantic. It also has a kind of religious component –you know,she's very churchy in the way she sings." [4]
Alan Light from The Los Angeles Times described "Whenever I Say Your Name" as "a knockout duet," [4] while Entertainment Weekly 's Tom Sinclair called it a "erotically charged duet" and further wrote:"[Sting] unites the secular and the sacred with the phrase "Whenever I say your name,I’m already praying"." [5] Riff Magazine's Alexander Baechle found that "Blige oozes exuberance on "Whenever I Say Your Name." Both Blige and Sting take the opportunity to play to their strengths. Sting begins the tune with a characteristically moody,subtle verse. Imperceptibly,the song morphs into a borderline funk romp,pushing Blige’s power vocals to the fore." [6]
A music video for "Whenever I Say Your Name" was directed by frequent Sting collaborator Jim Gable. [7]
All tracks written by Sting. [8]
No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Whenever I Say Your Name" (radio version) |
| 4:03 |
2. | "Whenever I Say Your Name" (Will.I.Am remix featuring The Black Eyed Peas) | 4:03 | |
3. | "Whenever I Say Your Name" (Salaam's Groove mix) |
| 4:48 |
4. | "Whenever I Say Your Name" (Billy Mann mix) |
| 3:53 |
Notes
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Sacred Love . [3]
Chart (2004) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia) [9] | 6 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [10] | 60 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [11] | 50 |
UK Singles (OCC) [12] | 60 |
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. 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.
Sacred Love is the seventh studio album by the English musician Sting. The album was released on 29 September 2003. The album featured smoother, R&B-style beats and experiments collaborating with hip-hop artist Mary J. Blige and sitar player Anoushka Shankar. Some songs like "Inside" and "Dead Man's Rope" were well received; and Sting had experimented with new sounds, in particular the more rock-influenced "This War".
"One" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track from their seventh album, Achtung Baby (1991), and it was released as the record's third single in February 1992. During the album's recording sessions at Hansa Studios in Berlin, conflict arose between the band members over the direction of U2's sound and the quality of their material. Tensions almost prompted the band to break up until they achieved a breakthrough with the improvisation of "One"; the song was written after the band members were inspired by a chord progression that guitarist the Edge was playing in the studio. The lyrics, written by lead singer Bono, were inspired by the band members' fractured relationships and the German reunification. Although the lyrics ostensibly describe "disunity", they have been interpreted in other ways.
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.
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"Love @ 1st Sight" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige, performed along with 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 for her sixth studio album, Love & Life (2003). 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.
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"Not Today" is a song by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige, featuring guest vocals by rapper Eve. It was written by Blige, Eve, Mike Elizondo, Theron Feemster, Bruce Miller, and Dr. Dre for Blige's sixth studio album Love & Life (2003), while production was helmed by the latter. Built upon a "plinking beat," "Not Today" emphasizes the theme of broken promises and has Blige singing about how her partner told her promises every day, but never followed through, prompting her to walk away from the relationship.
"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.
"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.
"You Remind Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. It served as Blige's first single from her debut album, What's the 411? (1992). Written by Eric Milteer and produced by Dave "Jam" Hall, it was originally used on the soundtrack of 1991 comedy film Strictly Business. The song marked Blige's first top forty hit, reaching number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B Singles chart. The music video was released in 1992. The song also sampled Patrice Rushen’s 1982 song, ‘Remind Me’.
"911" is a duet between Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean and American soul music singer Mary J. Blige. It was released on 5 September 2000 as the third single from Jean's second studio album, The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book (2000), and was later included on Blige's compilation Reflections (2006). The song peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and had success worldwide, particularly in Scandinavian countries, reaching number one in Norway and Sweden.
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Stronger with Each Tear is the ninth studio album from American R&B and soul singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. The album was released in the US on December 21, 2009, under Blige's own imprint, Matriarch Records.
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