Be Without You
Encyclopedia
"Be Without You" is an R&B
song written by American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige
, Johnta Austin
, Bryan Michael Cox
, and Jason Perry for Blige's seventh studio album The Breakthrough
. It was released as the album's lead single in late 2005. It was produced by Cox and released as the album's first official single
. The song was nominated for Record of the Year
and Song of the Year
and won the Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance categories at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards and was the most played song on radio in the year 2006. The single was certified double platinum by the RIAA in 2007. With 15 weeks at #1, and a 75 week span on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart, it is the most successful R&B song in the 50 year history of that chart.
The song appears on the game Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol
.
for "Be Without You" was directed by Matthew Rolston
and was shot on various locations in New York City
in October 2005.
Starring Oscar
-nominated actor Terrence Howard
in the role of Blige's boyfriend the video first aired on November 28, 2005. It peaked on AOL
Videos Top 11 on the tenth spot on the January 21, 2006 entering the chart the first time and also the LAUNCH
Music Videos Top 100 at the sixth position the same week. There's also a "Live At Launch Exclusive Performance" available for download from January 2006, which peaked seventieth on the same chart. It won the "Video of the Year" award at the 2006 BET Awards
on June 27, 2006 and was nominated for "Best R&B Video
" at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
. The video begins in a black and white city where Blige is standing on top of the building as the song begins. Then, it shifts into a bathroom where Mary cleans out the mirror. In the 1st scene, Blige is typing the lyrics on her laptop. The next scene shows a color appeared where Mary is falling in love with her boyfriend and sleeping with him. Then, the next scene goes to a kitchen where Mary and her love interest are celebrating dinner with her family. Meanwhile, she is seen in a color scene where she is standing next to a group of candles and the next scene shows at a red carpet premiere where Mary wallks out of the limo. Then, Blige and her boyfriend breaks up after having a fight (As seen in the events at the beginning of the video) and her boyfriend storms off. After 2 candles started melting, the final scene as the black and white changes to a color scene where a knock was on the door. Blige opens it and it was her boyfriend. She hugged him at the end of the song.
and peaked at number three in February 2006, Blige's third highest peak of her career after 2001's "Family Affair
" and 1996's "Not Gon' Cry
." Moreover, the song became the most successful release in the history of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart when it spent a record fifteen consecutive weeks at number one. "Be Without You" topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay
chart for nine weeks, and the dance remix
has also topped the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play
chart. The song broke the record for the longest-running single in the existence of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
, where it spent a grand total of 75 weeks on that chart. After its run on the main R&B chart it moved to the Recurrent R&B Airplay chart. It has now been on that chart for over a year and is still in the top 10 there.
In the UK the single only peaked at number 32 on the UK singles chart
; however, with the Moto Blanco remix of the song becoming a large club hit in the UK, the song actually managed to hold (to that time) the record for the most weeks on the UK top 75 for a Mary J. Blige single (18 in total). Having proved very popular, the Moto Blanco remix was featured as a B-Side in the UK on subsequent singles "MJB Da MVP" and "Enough Cryin'." A cover of the Moto Blanco remix by Wi-Fi featuring Melanie M was due to be released in the UK in February 2007.
.
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
song written by American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, Johnta Austin
Johnta Austin
Johntá Austin is an American singer-songwriter, who is currently signed to Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings. He is commonly known for collaborating with Producers Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri & The Production Team StarGate. Austin was awarded two Grammy Awards for his work on the songs...
, Bryan Michael Cox
Bryan Michael Cox
Bryan-Michael Cox is a GRAMMY award winning American songwriter and record producer.-History:Bryan-Michael Cox was born in Miami and grew up in Houston, where he attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. While in the eleventh grade he met and was mentored by Greg Curtis...
, and Jason Perry for Blige's seventh studio album The Breakthrough
The Breakthrough
The Breakthrough is the seventh studio album by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige, released December 20, 2005, on Geffen Records. The album opened with over 729,000 units in the United States, becoming her highest first week sales of her career, and the second-highest first-week sales by...
. It was released as the album's lead single in late 2005. It was produced by Cox and released as the album's first official single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. The song was nominated for Record of the Year
Record Of The Year
Record of the Year may refer to:*Grammy Award for Record of the Year*The Record of the Year, a British award based on public polling...
and Song of the Year
Song of the Year
Song of the Year may refer to:* Dove Award for Song of the Year* Grammis Song of the Year* Grammy Award for Song of the Year* Latin Grammy Award for Song of the Year* Singing News Fan Awards for Song of the Year...
and won the Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance categories at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards and was the most played song on radio in the year 2006. The single was certified double platinum by the RIAA in 2007. With 15 weeks at #1, and a 75 week span on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart, it is the most successful R&B song in the 50 year history of that chart.
The song appears on the game Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol
Karaoke Revolution
Karaoke Revolution and its many sequels are video games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360, developed by Harmonix Music Systems and Blitz Games and published by Konami in its Bemani line of music games. The Original Concept for Karaoke Revolution was...
.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Be Without You" was directed by Matthew Rolston
Matthew Rolston
Matthew Russell Rolston is an American photographer and music video director. Rolston is known for his signature lighting techniques and detailed approach to art direction and design, and has been repeatedly identified throughout his career with the revival and modern expression of Hollywood glamour...
and was shot on various locations in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in October 2005.
Starring Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-nominated actor Terrence Howard
Terrence Howard
Terrence Dashon Howard is an American actor. Having his first major role in the 1995 film Mr. Holland's Opus, which subsequently led to a number of roles in films and high visibility among African American audiences. Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of well-reviewed television...
in the role of Blige's boyfriend the video first aired on November 28, 2005. It peaked on AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
Videos Top 11 on the tenth spot on the January 21, 2006 entering the chart the first time and also the LAUNCH
LAUNCHcast
Yahoo! Music Radio is an Internet radio service offered by CBS Radio through Yahoo! Music. The service, formerly offered by LAUNCH Media, and originally developed by Todd Beaupré and Jeff Boulter, debuted on November 11, 1999, and was purchased by Yahoo! in October, 2001...
Music Videos Top 100 at the sixth position the same week. There's also a "Live At Launch Exclusive Performance" available for download from January 2006, which peaked seventieth on the same chart. It won the "Video of the Year" award at the 2006 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
on June 27, 2006 and was nominated for "Best R&B Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video was first awarded in 1993, and was given every year until 2006, as the following year MTV revammped the VMAs and eliminated all of the genre categories. The following year, though, when MTV returned the VIdeo Music Awards to their previous format, Best...
" at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
2006 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 31, 2006, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The show was hosted by Jack Black at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
. The video begins in a black and white city where Blige is standing on top of the building as the song begins. Then, it shifts into a bathroom where Mary cleans out the mirror. In the 1st scene, Blige is typing the lyrics on her laptop. The next scene shows a color appeared where Mary is falling in love with her boyfriend and sleeping with him. Then, the next scene goes to a kitchen where Mary and her love interest are celebrating dinner with her family. Meanwhile, she is seen in a color scene where she is standing next to a group of candles and the next scene shows at a red carpet premiere where Mary wallks out of the limo. Then, Blige and her boyfriend breaks up after having a fight (As seen in the events at the beginning of the video) and her boyfriend storms off. After 2 candles started melting, the final scene as the black and white changes to a color scene where a knock was on the door. Blige opens it and it was her boyfriend. She hugged him at the end of the song.
Chart performance
The single debuted at number ninety-three on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and peaked at number three in February 2006, Blige's third highest peak of her career after 2001's "Family Affair
Family Affair (Mary J. Blige song)
"Family Affair" is a 2001 hit song for Mary J. Blige, produced by Dr. Dre. It was taken from her fifth album, No More Drama, and was responsible for popularizing the terms "hateration" and "dancery" in the US, as well as contributing to the popularity of the word "crunk". The single topped the...
" and 1996's "Not Gon' Cry
Not Gon' Cry
"Not Gon' Cry" is a 1996 single by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige from the soundtrack to the film Waiting to Exhale; the song is also featured on Blige's 1997 album, Share My World...
." Moreover, the song became the most successful release in the history of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart when it spent a record fifteen consecutive weeks at number one. "Be Without You" topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay
Hot 100 Airplay
The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...
chart for nine weeks, and the dance remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
has also topped the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart. The song broke the record for the longest-running single in the existence of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
, where it spent a grand total of 75 weeks on that chart. After its run on the main R&B chart it moved to the Recurrent R&B Airplay chart. It has now been on that chart for over a year and is still in the top 10 there.
In the UK the single only peaked at number 32 on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
; however, with the Moto Blanco remix of the song becoming a large club hit in the UK, the song actually managed to hold (to that time) the record for the most weeks on the UK top 75 for a Mary J. Blige single (18 in total). Having proved very popular, the Moto Blanco remix was featured as a B-Side in the UK on subsequent singles "MJB Da MVP" and "Enough Cryin'." A cover of the Moto Blanco remix by Wi-Fi featuring Melanie M was due to be released in the UK in February 2007.
Remixes
The official remix was also produced by Bryan-Michael Cox and features former Shady Records rapper Stat QuoStat Quo
Stanley Benton, better known as Stat Quo, is an American rapper. Benton worked his way to college and attended University of Florida, where he majored in economics and international business in 2000. Benton was contemplating law school, until veteran Southern rapper Scarface encouraged him to rap...
.
Covers
- Paris BennettParis BennettParis Ana'is Bennett is an American singer. She came to national recognition as a contestant on the fifth season of the reality television talent show, American Idol, finishing in fifth place...
covered the song for fifth seasonAmerican Idol (season 5)The fifth season of American Idol began on January 17, 2006 and concluded on May 24, 2006. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell returned to judge, and Ryan Seacrest returned to host. It is the most successful season to date ratings-wise and also with 18 contestants getting record deals -...
of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. - Lil RoundsLil RoundsLil Rounds is an American singer from Memphis, Tennessee, who was the seventh place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol. Following the conclusion of Idol, Rounds was signed to a record deal with Bungalo Records. Her debut album was to be released in 2010 but has been pushed back for a...
covered the song for the eighth seasonAmerican Idol (season 8)The eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol...
of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. - English dance group Booty LuvBooty LuvBooty Luv also known as Cherise & Nadia are an English dance group formed in June 2006 via the Hed Kandi label. It is fronted by two R&B vocalists Cherise Roberts and Nadia Shepherd, both of whom were in the original line-up of the successful hip hop band Big Brovaz...
covered the song for their debut album Boogie 2NiteBoogie 2nite (album)Boogie 2nite is the debut album by the English duo Booty Luv, released on 17 September 2007 in the United Kingdom by Hed Kandi. The album went straight onto the charts at number eleven, and has since sold over 70,000 copies in the UK, being certified silver by the BPI...
.
Track listings and formats
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Be Without You".- U.S. CD single
- "Be Without You" (Kendu Mix)
- "Show Love"
- "Be Without You" (Moto BlancoMoto BlancoMoto Blanco is an English DJ and electronic music duo consisting of Danny Harrison and Arthur Smith.They are also regularly joined by british record producer Jon Cohen.-History:...
Vocal Mix) - "Be Without You" (video)
- UK CD single
- "Be Without You" (Kendu Mix)
- "Be Without You" (Moto Blanco Vocal Mix)
- "Be Without You" (instrumental)
- "Be Without You" (video)
- 12" promo
- "Be Without You" (Main Mix)
- "Be Without You" (Instrumental)
- "Be Without You" (A Capella)
- 12" single
- "Be Without You" (Kendu Mix)
- "Be Without You" (Moto Blanco Vocal Mix)
- "Be Without You" (Moto Blanco Dub)
- "Be Without You" (instrumental)
Peak positions
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 30 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 23 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 42 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Ultratip Chart | 1 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
7 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 Singles Eurochart Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles has been compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine since March, 1984. The chart is based on national singles sales charts in 15 European countries: Austria, Belgium , Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,... |
26 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 13 |
| French Singles Chart | 22 |
| German Singles Chart | 12 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 9 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 34 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 5 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
32 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
3 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts... |
34 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Airplay Pop 100 Airplay The Pop 100 Airplay was a chart created in 2005 and released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It measured mainstream radio airplay, and was one of the three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Singles Sales and Hot Digital Songs charts, that determined the chart positions of singles... |
1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2006) | Position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Top 40 | 73 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 53 |