Songoftheday 5/11/23 - We’re always livin' so crazy and sexy and cool, and we begin to love it...

 

 

"Rainy Dayz" - Mary J. Blige featuring Ja Rule

from the album No More Drama (2002 reissue)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #12 (two weeks)

Weeks in the Top-40: 14

 

Today's song comes from R&B singer Mary J. Blige, whose fifth studio album No More Drama had landed the singer a #1 hit on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 with "Family Affair" as well as a top-20 follow-up with "No More Drama".  When the latter was peaking on the charts, MCA re-released the album with three different tracks on the set (one being a remix of "No More Drama"). One of those new songs, "Rainy Dayz", was released in America as the third single. The song was written by producer Irv Gotti with rapper Ja Rule, who appears on the record as a featured guest. The lyrics themselves are rather basic things will get better through adversity, and its Mary's role that elevates it a little to a more inspirational track. Ja Rule gets the second verse, and sing-songs through it with his gruff voice, but at least is a refreshingly positive section considering his usual fare. 

"Rainy Dayz" became the third top-40 pop hit from No More Drama in May of 2002, while rising to #8 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart. On the radio, the song went to #22 on the Mainstream Top-40 chart, #8 on the R&B Airplay list, and #7 on the dance-oriented Rhythmic format. The dance remixes of the track, done by the Thunderpuss team, helped the track rise to #6 on Billboard's Dance Club Play tally. Internationally, the single reached the top-40 in the Netherlands (#13), the United Kingdom (#17), Ireland (#25), and New Zealand (#29). 

Another track from the original album, "Dance For Me", was released as the follow-up to "Family Affair" internationally but not in the States. The song, which samples Sting and the Police's album cut "This Bed's Too Big Without You", features rapper Common. At the 2003 Grammy Awards, one of the other new tracks on the reissue, "He Think I Don't Know", won Mary her first solo Grammy (and second overall) for Best Female R&B Performance.

Mary will be back to the series.

(6/10)

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Here's Mary and Ja Rule performing the song on the BET Awards in 2002...

And lastly, Blige with Whitney Houston (and Ja Rule on video) for VH1 Divas...

Up tomorrow: Country star isn't old.