Songfacts®:

• Mary J Blige's ninth studio album was nearly named after this track until it was renamed Stronger With Each Tear. While "Stronger" was nixed from the standard edition's track list, it was included on the international version.
• The song was originally earmarked to be the official second single from Blige's album until it was changed to "Good Love." However it was released as the lead single from Kristopher Belman's documentary about basketball star LeBron James, More Than A Game. The track was described in publicity materials for the movie as a "heartfelt richly textured ballad that embodies the emotions that are revealed throughout this amazing film."
• Blige said of Stronger in an interview with Rap-Up.com: "The album represents who and what I am right now. I'm a stronger human being after all the growing pains. It's about life, love, change, strength—mostly really knowing who you are and being confident in that."
• Blige performed this on The Late Show with David Letterman in 2009.
• This was written by Ester Dean ("Firework," "Rude Boy") and R&B singer Chris Brown (who provides backing vocals) after they watched a screening of the film at the home of Interscope founder Jimmy Iovine. Before she could put pen to paper, Dean needed some help from the track's producer Polow da Don.
  
  "Sometimes girls don't get to see what the connection is with boys and basketball and sports. Like the brotherhood - I think it's got a lot of brotherhood in it. And I actually needed Polow to sit down with me and explain to me," she told Clayton Perry in 2009. "And he was like, 'They were strong. The other boys made him strong.' And then I was like, 'Okay.' So I got Chris in there and on my half of the contribution to the song, I just wrote about what makes me strong and thought about all of the people who have made me strong. In my mind, I was like, 'Okay. So this is about having somebody to help you through these hard times and keep you strong.' So that's how the song came together."
• The second single from the soundtrack album was "Drop It Low," Ester Dean's debut single as a performing artist. It also featured vocals from Chris Brown.