Whenever I Say Your Name
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"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 WeeklyTemplate:'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 MagazineTemplate:'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] Template:Tracklist Notes
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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
Template:SinglechartTemplate:SinglechartTemplate:SinglechartTemplate:Singlechart| Chart (2003–2004) | Peak position |
|---|
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 8 December 2003 | CD | Template:Hlist | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
References
Template:Sting Template:Mary J. Blige singles Template:Authority control
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