Rock and roll music
| "Whenever I Say Your Name" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Sting and Mary J. Blige | ||||
| from the album Sacred Love and Love & Life | ||||
| Released | 8 December 2003 | |||
| Length | 5:25 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Sting | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Sting singles chronology | ||||
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| Mary J. Blige singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Whenever I Say Your Name" on YouTube | ||||
No videos available
Singles chronology
Whenever I Say Your Name (with Mary J. Blige)
Sting
Label: A&M · · Productor: Sting , Kipper
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Review
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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2003 single by Sting and Mary J. Blige
"Whenever I Say Your Name" is a duet recorded by English musician Sting and American singer Mary J. Blige, for Sting`s seventh studio album Sacred Love (2003). It was written and produced by Sting, and co-produced by Mark "Kipper" Eldridge. Although not originally included on Blige`s sixth studio album Love & Life (2003), the track was subsequently added to its international reissue.
"Whenever I Say Your Name" was released as the second single from Sacred Love, and the fourth single from Love & Life, on 8 December 2003, by A&M Records. It peaked at number 60 on the UK Singles Chart, marking Sting`s lowest-peaking single since "They Dance Alone (Cueca Solo)" (1988), and Blige`s lowest-peaking single ever. Despite its commercial underperformance, the song won Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards (2004).
Background
"Whenever I Say Your Name" was written and produced by Sting for his seventh studio album Sacred Love (2003).[1] Production was helmed by Sting and Mark "Kipper" Eldridge.[1] The singer felt inspired to work with Blige ever since they performed together on the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2003, he told LAUNCHcast: "I was totally blown away by her passionate, open singing [...] I had decided on that night that I`d love to write a song for her one day, and I came up with this idea of "Whenever I Say Your Name" – that`s perfect for her, you know? It`s very romantic. It also has a kind of religious component – you know, she`s very churchy in the way she sings."[2]
Critical reception
Alan Light from The Los Angeles Times described "Whenever I Say Your Name" as "a knockout duet,"[2] while Entertainment Weekly`s Tom Sinclair called it a "erotically charged duet" and further wrote: "[Sting] unites the secular and the sacred with the phrase "Whenever I say your name, I’m already praying"."[3] Riff Magazine`s Alexander Baechle found that "Blige oozes exuberance on "Whenever I Say Your Name." Both Blige and Sting take the opportunity to play to their strengths. Sting begins the tune with a characteristically moody, subtle verse. Imperceptibly, the song morphs into a borderline funk romp, pushing Blige’s power vocals to the fore."[4]
Music video
A music video for "Whenever I Say Your Name" was directed by frequent Sting collaborator Jim Gable.[5]
Track listings
All tracks written by Sting.[6]
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Whenever I Say Your Name" (radio version) |
| 4:03 |
| 2. | "Whenever I Say Your Name" (Will.I.Am remix featuring The Black Eyed Peas) |
| 4:03 |
| 3. | "Whenever I Say Your Name" (Salaam`s Groove mix) |
| 4:48 |
| 4. | "Whenever I Say Your Name" (Billy Mann mix) |
| 3:53 |
Notes
- ^[a] denotes remix producer
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Sacred Love.[1]
- Mary J. Blige – vocals
- Kipper – producer
- Simon Osborn – engineer
- Sting – producer, vocals, writer
Charts
| Chart (2003–2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[7] | 6 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] | 60 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] | 50 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[10] | 60 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 8 December 2003 | CD |
| [11] |
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2003 single by Sting and Mary J. Blige
"Whenever I Say Your Name" is a duet recorded by English musician Sting and American singer Mary J. Blige, for Sting`s seventh studio album Sacred Love (2003). It was written and produced by Sting, and co-produced by Mark "Kipper" Eldridge. Although not originally included on Blige`s sixth studio album Love & Life (2003), the track was subsequently added to its international reissue.
"Whenever I Say Your Name" was released as the second single from Sacred Love, and the fourth single from Love & Life, on 8 December 2003, by A&M Records. It peaked at number 60 on the UK Singles Chart, marking Sting`s lowest-peaking single since "They Dance Alone (Cueca Solo)" (1988), and Blige`s lowest-peaking single ever. Despite its commercial underperformance, the song won Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards (2004).
Background
"Whenever I Say Your Name" was written and produced by Sting for his seventh studio album Sacred Love (2003).[1] Production was helmed by Sting and Mark "Kipper" Eldridge.[1] The singer felt inspired to work with Blige ever since they performed together on the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2003, he told LAUNCHcast: "I was totally blown away by her passionate, open singing [...] I had decided on that night that I`d love to write a song for her one day, and I came up with this idea of "Whenever I Say Your Name" – that`s perfect for her, you know? It`s very romantic. It also has a kind of religious component – you know, she`s very churchy in the way she sings."[2]
Critical reception
Alan Light from The Los Angeles Times described "Whenever I Say Your Name" as "a knockout duet,"[2] while Entertainment Weekly`s Tom Sinclair called it a "erotically charged duet" and further wrote: "[Sting] unites the secular and the sacred with the phrase "Whenever I say your name, I’m already praying"."[3] Riff Magazine`s Alexander Baechle found that "Blige oozes exuberance on "Whenever I Say Your Name." Both Blige and Sting take the opportunity to play to their strengths. Sting begins the tune with a characteristically moody, subtle verse. Imperceptibly, the song morphs into a borderline funk romp, pushing Blige’s power vocals to the fore."[4]
Music video
A music video for "Whenever I Say Your Name" was directed by frequent Sting collaborator Jim Gable.[5]
Track listings
All tracks written by Sting.[6]
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Whenever I Say Your Name" (radio version) |
| 4:03 |
| 2. | "Whenever I Say Your Name" (Will.I.Am remix featuring The Black Eyed Peas) |
| 4:03 |
| 3. | "Whenever I Say Your Name" (Salaam`s Groove mix) |
| 4:48 |
| 4. | "Whenever I Say Your Name" (Billy Mann mix) |
| 3:53 |
Notes
- ^[a] denotes remix producer
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Sacred Love.[1]
- Mary J. Blige – vocals
- Kipper – producer
- Simon Osborn – engineer
- Sting – producer, vocals, writer
Charts
| Chart (2003–2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[7] | 6 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] | 60 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] | 50 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[10] | 60 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 8 December 2003 | CD |
| [11] |
