| "Love a Woman" | |
|---|---|
| Song byMary J. Blige featuringBeyoncé | |
| from the albumMy Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1) | |
| Recorded | 2011 |
| Studio | MSR Studios (New York, NY)[1] |
| Genre | R&B |
| Length | 4:31 |
| Label | |
| Songwriters |
|
| Producers |
|
"Love a Woman" is a song recorded by AmericanR&B singerMary J. Blige featuringBeyoncé from the former's tenthstudio albumMy Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1) (2011). It was written by Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé,Sean Garrett and Menardini Timothee while production was handled by Garrett, Team S. Dot and BridgeTown. Originally written for Beyoncé's fourth studio album4 (2011), the singer felt that it did not fit with the sound she had created for her album, and she thought that it would be better if she recorded it as a duet with Blige instead.
"Love a Woman" is a down-tempoR&B ballad with live-instrumentation in which Beyoncé and Blige are teaching men about how to love their female partners. It received positive reviews from music critics who mostly praised the chemistry between Beyoncé and Blige on the duet as well as their vocals. Following the release ofMy Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1), the song peaked at number eighty nine on the USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart based on digital sales.
"Love a Woman" was written byMary J. Blige,Beyoncé,Sean Garrett and Menardini Timothee while production was handled by Garrett. Team S. Dot served as the co-producer of the song while BridgeTown served as the additional producer for it.[1] On November 9, 2011, a snippet of "Love a Woman" appeared online.[2] It was officially premiered on November 17, prior to the release of the album.[3] The song was initially recorded by Beyoncé for her fourth studio album4 (2011), but she thought that it would be a better fit as a duet with Blige. Blige further revealed in an interview that the song was sent to her after Beyoncé thought that it didn't fit her album and it was sent through herA&R people. She further added, "When the song came, her voice was on it completely and it was just amazing and I wasn't sure that they wanted to give me this record because it was so amazing."[4] Blige further spoke about how she started the collaboration with Beyoncé on the song:
"The song was so amazing I had to be sure, as an artist, that she really was trying to give it to me. I was like 'is she really trying to give me this song, because it's pretty amazing.' They were like 'yes, but she wants to stay on it with you.' And I was like, 'Wow! Beyoncé? Thanks!' And you know I love and respect her to death so I wouldn't pass that chance up."[5]
Blige further revealed that the song would be released as asingle but was delayed due to Beyoncé's pregnancy at that time adding that, "whenever she's ready, if she's ever ready, I'm ready and it'll be great."[4] During an interview withRap-Up magazine, Garrett further spoke about the collaboration, saying, "I initially did the record for Beyoncé and then we just felt it would be an even bigger record with Beyoncé and Mary J. Blige... Both these women are two iconic female figures in the world, and what would be better than putting those two on a record? We felt it would be a really iconic move."[6]
"Love a Woman" is a down-tempo soulfulR&B ballad[2][7][8] with a female empowerment theme[9] and live-sounding instruments.[10] The soothing track starts off with Blige singing with a dark voice,[11] "So you think you know how to love a woman/ But I think it's still some things you need to know."[4] As the flowery instrumental builds with a serenepiano melody and accentuatinghorns, Blige goes on to warn that a woman needs more than material things. A writer ofBillboard magazine further noted that the song was schooling men on just how good to love a woman.[12] During her lines, Beyoncé sings with avibrato voice,[11] "A woman / Needs you to make love to her / She needs more than sex / Oh, a real woman needs a real man / They don’t talk about it, be about it / Put that work in, still shows his woman real romance".[4][7][13] According to Rob Markman of MTV News, "From there, the song plays as a lyrical how-to. Communication is a must, as is respect, but coming home late and being a one-minute man is a no-no."[4] Writers further noted that the duet was inspired by the music from the 1990s[6][11] including anew jack swing-era R&B production.[14] Beyoncé and Blige further sing the lines "She doesn’t wantmakeup sex, she wants your respect."[15] The song also has an extendedbridge section during the 2:30 mark where Blige sings the lines "Pick up your phone…just to say you're still in love from time to time…" with a vocal styling which was compared toMichael Jackson's "Off the Wall" era.[10] It ends with the sound of sparklersynths.[11] Jada Gomez-Lacayo of HipHopDx compared the song withAaron Hall's material.[15] Ayanna Guyhto ofYahoo! Music compared the first minute of the song withBusta Rhymes' songs due to the speedy wordplay.[10] She further noted that it was similar to the songs byKeith Sweat from the 1990s.[10]
Rob Markman of MTV News wrote that the singers "display good chemistry on the song".[4]The Washington Post's Sarah Godfrey classified "Love a Woman" as one of the best tracks on the album adding that "The ballad, with its cheesy, delightful... R&B production, blasts the notion that MJB is all raw power andBeyoncé is all chilly technique — the women are both bold and great here, with a slight advantage going to Blige."[14] Becky Bain of the websiteIdolator commented that Garrett who served as a writer for the song "clearly knows how to love a woman right".[7] A writer ofRap-Up magazine noted that Blige and Beyoncé "showcase their powerful pipes" as they tell their men what they want from a relationship.[6] Brooklyne Gipson ofBlack Entertainment Television wrote that the song was one of the most appealing on the album, further describing it as a "breathtaking duet".[5] Martyn Young of the websitemusicOMH described the song as "a classy duet between two of contemporary RnB’s most striking voices".[16] Siobhan Kane of the websiteConsequence of Sound noted that Blige and Beyoncé obviously enjoyed "the soaring nature of the song",[8] while Alex Young of the same publication described it as a "lesson in love".[17] Nathan S. of DJBooth described the song as an "inter-generational diva duet that sounds so ‘90s I half expectedKeith Sweat to jump in".[18] Trent Fitzgerald of PopCrush graded the song with four out of five stars and commented, "'Love a Woman' is a melodic song with a ’90s-sounding feel that will surely get spins on urban radio and quiet storm formats. ForgetDr. Phil, MJB and Ms. B is all you need to help you maintain a loving relationship with your partner."[13]
Ayanna Guyhto of Yahoo! Music commented that Blige and Beyoncé combined their "superpowers" in the studio to make the "forceful ballad".[10] She further commented, "The breakdown is where the listener really gets to hear the symmetry of these two powerhouse vocals. Neither diva overpowers the other. Right where [Beyoncé] leaves off, Mary J. picks up. And vice versa... Although either of these R&B divas could carry 'Love a Woman' with no problem, some might say that the song makes more of an impact with their deliveries combined.Blige's seasoned soul coupled with Bey's creamy delivery is a mood to behold."[10] Andy Gill ofThe Independent wrote that Beyoncé "act[s] as a Greek chorus" to the song.[19] Joey Guerra of theHouston Chronicle noted that "Love a Woman" is a soulful, old-school ballad "that brings out the best in both singers".[20] Writing that Blige is "particularly heavy" on the R&B vibes of the song, Andrew Martin ofPrefix Magazine further commented that "without a doubt, it's sure to gain some stream whenever radio DJs catch wind of it. Why? Because 'Love a Woman' features silky production, strong harmonies, and guest vocals from Beyoncé. Yeah, there's no stopping this one."[21] Katie Hasty ofHitFix commented that "It's actually a pretty standard list of grievances and explanations, but the real guts of the thing is when the two light up, to bring out the best vocal performances in each other, shooting you straight back to the 1990s."[11] Kevin Ritchie ofNow gave a mixed review for the song saying that it aims "for posterity rather than chemistry".[22] Similarly, Adam Markovitz ofEntertainment Weekly described the duet as "snoozy".[23]
The song peaked at number eighty nine on the USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and spent three weeks in total on that ranking.[24][25] It also peaked at number 50 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs chart.[26]
| Chart (2011-2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| South Korea International (Circle)[27] | 18 |
| USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[24] | 89 |
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)| 1990s singles | |
|---|---|
| 2000s singles | |
| 2010s singles |
|
| 2020s singles | |
| Soundtracks | |
| Guest appearances |
|
