"Be Without You" | ||||
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Single by Mary J. Blige | ||||
from the album The Breakthrough | ||||
Released | November 14, 2005 | |||
Length | 4:09 | |||
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Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Cox (Music), Young Smoke (Music), Blige (Vocals), Ron Fair (Vocals) | |||
Mary J. Blige singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Be Without You" on YouTube |
"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.
Ranking among the most played songs on US radio in the year 2006, it was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2007. In March 2017, Billboard ranked "Be Without You" as the most successful R&B/Hip-Hop Song of all time. "Be Without You" is also one of Mary J. Blige's most successful singles to date, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. It 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 2007 Grammy Awards.