Be Without You

Infobox Single
Name = Be Without You


Artist = Mary J. Blige
Album = The Breakthrough
B-side = "Show Love"
Released = November 2005
Format = Digital download, CD single, 12" single
Recorded =
Genre = R&B
Length = 4:06
Label = Geffen
Writer = Mary J. Blige, Johnta Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox, Jason Perry
Producer = Bryan-Michael Cox
Certification = Diamond (RMA)
Last single = "It's a Wrap"
(2004)
This single = "Be Without You"
(2005)
Next single = "One"
(with U2)
(2006)

"Be Without You" is a Grammy Award-winning 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. The single was certified double platinum by the RIAA in 2007. "Be Without You" is the most successful R&B song in history, staying on the "Billboard" chart for 75 weeks.

The song appears on the game .

Music video

The music video 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.

Chart performance

The single debuted at number ninety-three on the "Billboard" Hot 100 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.

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 Blanco 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)

Charts

References