The One

Album: Stronger With Each Tear (2009)
Charted: 63
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Songfacts®:

  • Blige told Angie Martinez on her New York radio show that this song introduces the world to "Crazy Mary."
  • Blige uses Auto-Tune on this song. She explained why to Martinez: "It was for effect. I wanted 'Crazy Mary' to get her shine on. She couldn't get her shine with my regular voice. I used the effect. I used it as a telephone effect or reverb."
  • This song features the Canadian rapper Drake. Blige told Martinez: "I'm actually a fan. Drake is incredible. I met him at Summer Jam, very respectable. That was the first time I met him. Really nice kid. I love the record ['Best I Ever Had']. Every woman in the world should love that record. [He's] very innocent and humble. He's like, 'I'm just doing what I do and happy to be doing it.'"
  • This is the lead single from Blige's ninth studio album. She wrote the track with Drake and Ester Dean. Dean is a hip-hop artist who earned the nickname "The Song Machine" for her ability to churn out hits, including Katy Perry's "Firework" and Rihanna's "Rude Boy." Producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is also listed as a co-writer.
  • Stronger With Each Tear is Blige's ninth album to debut at #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It also peaked at #2 on the US albums chart, breaking her streak after three consecutive #1 albums on the tally.
  • This was used in a 2009 AT&T commercial that features Blige strutting the runway in a variety of outfits that complement different styles of phones.
  • This was used on the TV series Brothers & Sisters in the 2010 episode "Run Baby Run."
  • This peaked at #32 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
  • Blige on the album's theme of strength: "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."

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