Be Without You

In November 2005, Mary J. Blige released "Be Without You" as the lead single from her seventh album, The Breakthrough. The song was written by Blige, Johntá Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox, and Jason Perry, with Cox producing alongside Young Smoke. Ron Fair and Blige handled vocal production. Built on a piano-driven, downtempo groove, the track lets Blige's voice take center stage as she sings about a relationship worth fighting for.

The song became a radio phenomenon. It was the most played song on US radio in 2006, earning a double-platinum certification from the RIAA. On the Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at number 3, and in 2017, Billboard ranked it as the most successful R&B/Hip-Hop song of all time based on chart performance. The single also reached number 22 on the UK Singles Chart.

At the 49th Grammy Awards in 2007, "Be Without You" won Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It also won a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single – Female and a Billboard Music Award for R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year. The song's music video, directed by Matthew Rolston, has over 108 million views on YouTube. Though Blige hasn't performed it live since 2015, the track remains a touchstone of 2000s R&B. [edit]