Love a Woman
"Love a Woman" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige featuring Beyoncé from the former's tenth studio album My Life II..."[4] As the flowery instrumental builds with a serene piano melody and accentuating horns, Blige goes on to warn that a woman needs more than material things."[15] The song also has an extended bridge 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 to Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall" era.[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 and Beyoncé is all chilly technique — the women are both bold and great here, with a slight advantage going to Blige.[7] A writer of Rap-Up magazine noted that Blige and Beyoncé "showcase their powerful pipes" as they tell their men what they want from a relationship.[16] Siobhan Kane of the website Consequence 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 expected Keith Sweat to jump in".[19] Joey Guerra of the Houston 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 of Prefix Magazine further commented that "without a doubt, it's sure to gain some stream whenever radio DJs catch wind of it."[21] Katie Hasty of HitFix 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.
Mary J. BligeBeyoncéMy Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1)MatriarchGeffenSongwriter(s)Sean GarrettProducer(s)studio albumHot R&B/Hip-Hop SongssingleRap-Upvibratonew jack swingmakeup sexbridgeMichael JacksonOff the WallsynthsAaron HallYahoo! MusicBusta RhymesKeith SweatThe Washington PostIdolatorBlack Entertainment TelevisionmusicOMHConsequence of SoundDr. PhilThe IndependentHouston ChronicleHitFixEntertainment WeeklyBillboardMatriarch RecordsGeffen RecordsMTV NewsMTV NetworksBET NetworksBuzz MediaPrometheus Global MediaYahoo!Hearst CorporationNow CommunicationsTime IncAllmusicRovi CorporationDiscographyYou Remind MeReal LoveReminisceSweet ThingLove No LimitYou Don't Have to WorryMy LoveBe HappyMary Jane (All Night Long)You Bring Me JoyI Love YouLove Is All We NeedI Can Love YouEverythingMissing YouSeven DaysAll That I Can SayDeep InsideYour ChildGive Me YouFamily AffairNo More DramaDance for MeRainy DayzLove @ 1st SightNot TodayWhenever I Say Your NameIt's a WrapMJB da MVPBe Without YouEnough CryinTake Me As I AmWe Ride (I See the Future)Just FineWork ThatStay DownThe OneEach TearWe Got Hood LoveAin't NobodyDon't MindMr. WrongSomeone to Love Me (Naked)Do You Hear What I Hear?This ChristmasSuitcaseRight NowTherapyWhole Damn YearThick of ItU + Me (Love Lesson)Love YourselfSet Me FreeOnly LoveThrivingGood Morning GorgeousAmazingStill Believe in LoveBreathingYou Ain't the Only OneSoundtracksNot Gon' CryStrongerThe Living ProofGuest appearancesAin't No WayAmerica's SongBridge over Troubled WaterCan't Knock the HustleDisrespectfulI'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get ByI'm a Hustla (Remix)If U LeaveJust Stand Up!Lean on MeMagic Touch (NYC Remix)Now or NeverRemember Me