65th Annual Grammy Awards: 5 Essential Tracks From Mary J. Blige
The 65th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony is set to take place live at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 5, 2023, and we’re taking a look back at the discography of some of our nominees, including our Queen of Hip Hop and Soul, Mary J. Blige.
The legendary singer and songwriter is up for six nominations, including “Record of the Year” for her single “Good Morning Gorgeous,” “Album of the Year,” “Best R&B Album,” “Best Traditional R&B Performance, and Best R&B Song” for her album by the same name, and Good Morning Gorgeous. She also received a nomination for “Best R&B Performance” for her single “Here With Me,” featuring Grammy Award-winner Anderson .Paak.
In honor of this year’s ceremony, we’re looking back at some of Mary’s most significant records to date. Check them out below.
Family Affair
As the lead single from her fifth studio album, No More Drama, “Family Affair,” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks. Rolling Stone ranked the hip-hop and dance-influenced r&b track about forgetting about your worries and enjoying life number 95 on their list of 100 Best Songs of the 2000s decade. The visual for the smash record has since been viewed on YouTube over 407 million as of January 2023.
Not Gon’ Cry
Mary officially released “Not Gon’ Cry” in January 1996. The track was inspired by the movie Waiting to Exhale and ultimately became a massive hit for the singer earning herself a third Grammy Award nomination and a first in the “Best Female R&B Vocal Performance” category. The record has been sampled several times since its debut, including rapper The Game, who used the song for his single "Don't Need Your Love" from his album The Documentary. In addition, R&b singer and songwriter Bryson Tiller also used the record for his 2020 single “Exhale.”
Be Without You
Mary’s 2005 contemporary r&b ballad “Be Without You” is one of the most extensive records of her discography, becoming the most successful release in the history of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart until 2013 when it spent a record 15 consecutive weeks at the number one spot. Academy Award-winning actor Terrence Howard stars in the accompanying music video as Mary’s love interest.
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No More Drama
Legendary songwriting duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced Mary’s 2001 record “No More Drama,” from her fifth studio album of the same name, which samples "Nadia's Theme,” the famed track used as the theme music for The Young and the Restless. Fans last saw Mary perform the iconic record during her performance at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show on February 13, 2022.
Just Fine
Mary’s 2007 single “Just Fine” from her eighth studio album, Growing Pains, was critically acclaimed and earned the musical legend several accolades, including a nomination for “Best Female R&B Vocal Performance” at the 50th annual Grammy Awards and the win for “Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical” the following year.
