"Love @ 1st Sight" | ||||
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Single by Mary J. Blige featuring Method Man | ||||
from the album Love & Life | ||||
Released | June 24, 2003 | |||
Recorded | November 6–10, 2002 [1] | |||
Length |
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Label | Geffen | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Mary J. Blige singles chronology | ||||
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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.
The song was released as the album's lead single in the second quarter of 2003. A moderate commercial success, it reached number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. In addition, the song charted within the top 20 in Italy and the United Kingdom, while reaching the majority on most other charts it appeared on. The radio edit of "Love @ 1st Sight" with intro was used for the accompanying music video, which was directed by Chris Robinson.
PopMatters felt that "Love @ 1st Sight" was "a great representation that some of our ghetto superstars are growing up. Reminiscent of No More Drama's "Family Affair", "Love @ 1st Sight" is following in it's footsteps to the club dance floor with its playful tone and head-bobbing bass line." [2] BET.com wrote of the song: "With a borrowed rap backdrop and a verse from Method Man, her old "You're All I Need to Get By" partner-in-crime, this song skillfully updated the pair's hip hop-soul heyday for the new millennium." [3] Now called a "strong street track" as well as a "killer lead single." [4]
Alexis Petridis, writing for The Guardian , remarked: "Over a tough, insistent groove, [blige] ponders the mysteries of immediate physical attraction, while he sounds like the last person you would want to be immediately attracted to: "You find me just ’bout everywhere the poontang go"." [5] New York Times editor Jessica Willis described "Love @ 1st Sight" as "a breezy bit of piffle with a solid pogo-ing beat, but the song has seemingly so little to do with Ms. Blige's actual life that she puts herself at risk of sounding like just another tawny, toned and wholesome girl hip-hop singer." [6] Dallas Observer critic Walton Muyumba found that the song was a "cliché, but the sample helps push to the truth of her reaction." [7]
A music video for "Love @ 1st Sight" was directed by Chris Robinson, who also directed Blige in a music video-styled Lady Foot Locker commercial in which "Love @ 1st Sight" is played in the background. [8] Filming took place in Hollywood on July 2, 2003. [9] Method Man appears in it, while Sean "Diddy" Combs makes a special cameo appearance. An iPod is featured prominently at the beginning of video, an instance of paid-for product placement on the part of Apple Inc. [10] [11]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Love @ 1st Sight" (featuring Method Man) | 4:41 |
2. | "Love @ 1st Sight" (Rishi Rich Vocal Remix featuring Method Man) | 6:50 |
3. | "Your Child" (Kiyamma Griffin Uptempo Mix featuring Ghostface Killah) | 4:44 |
4. | "Love @ 1st Sight" (Music video) |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Love @ 1st Sight" (Radio Edit With Intro featuring Method Man) | 4:41 |
2. | "Love @ 1st Sight" (Kurtis Mantronik's Rock Lobster Vocal Mix) | 6:50 |
3. | "Your Child" (Kiyamma Griffin Uptempo Mix featuring Ghostface Killah) | 4:44 |
4. | "Love @ 1st Sight" (Music video) |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Love @ 1st Sight" (Radio Edit With Intro featuring Method Man) | 4:33 |
2. | "Love @ 1st Sight" (Radio Edit) | 4:00 |
Credits adapted from the Love & Life liner notes. [15]
Weekly charts
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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.
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.
"No More Drama" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige, taken from her fifth studio album of the same name (2001). It was released as the album's second single in the United States on October 30, 2001, and as the third single in certain European markets, where "Dance for Me" served as the second single instead. The Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis-produced track became another hit for Blige, peaking at number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number nine in the United Kingdom.
"Rainy Dayz" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige featuring additional vocals from rapper Ja Rule. Taken from Blige's re-release of her fifth studio album, No More Drama, the track was released to coincide with the release of the album's reissue, serving as its final single. The Irv Gotti-produced duet became another hit for both, peaking at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 in the United Kingdom.
"Ooh!" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige, taken from her sixth studio album, Love & Life (2003). It was written by Blige, Sean Combs, Dimitri Christo, and Mechalie Jamison, while production was helmed by Combs and Christo. The song contains excerpts from Hamilton Bohannon's 1973 track "Singing a Song for My Mother." Due to the sample, Bohannon ist also credited as a writer. "Ooh!" was released as the album's second single in 2003. It reached number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"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.
American singer Mary J. Blige began her career as a backing vocalist for Uptown Records in the early 1990s. In a career spanning more than thirty years, she has released 14 studio albums and 83 singles—including more than 20 as a featured artist. The "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" has sold an estimate of over 100 million records worldwide, and over 20 million in the United States alone. Billboard ranked Blige as the 18th Greatest Billboard 200 Woman of all time, the 45th Greatest Hot 100 Woman of all time and 88th Greatest Artist of all time.
"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.
"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.
"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.
Method Man & Redman are an American hip hop duo, composed of East Coast rappers Method Man and Redman. They are signed to Def Jam Recordings both as solo artists and as a duo. While they had been collaborating since 1994, it was not until 1999 that they released a full-length collaborative effort, Blackout!. The follow-up album, Blackout! 2, was released in 2009.
The discography of American rapper Sean Combs consists of five studio albums, two collaborative albums, one remix album and seventy-two singles – including thirty-three as a lead artist and thirty-nine as a featured artist.
"Sweet Thing" is a song performed by American funk and R&B band Rufus with vocals by band member Chaka Khan. As a single, it peaked number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1976. Mary J. Blige recorded her version, which charted in the United States and New Zealand in 1993.
"Be Happy" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Arlene DeValle, and Jean-Claude Olivier from duo Poke & Tone for her second studio album, My Life (1994), while production was helmed by Combs and Olivier. "Be Happy" contains an instrumental sample of the song "You're So Good to Me" (1979) by musician Curtis Mayfield and a re-sung vocal portion of the record "I Want You" (1976) by Marvin Gaye.
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