Be Happy (Mary J. Blige song)

"Be Happy"
Single by Mary J. Blige
from the album My Life
Released	October 26, 1994 (See Release history)
Format	CD single, 12" single
Recorded	1993 - 1994
Genre	R&B hip hop soul
Length	5:49 (album version) 4:41 (radio edit) 3:55 (music video)
Label	Uptown, MCA
Writer(s)	Mary J. Blige, Sean Combs, Arlene DeValle, J.C. Olivier, Chucky Thompson
Producer(s)	Teddy Riley (remixes), Sean "Puffy" Combs and Trackmasters Entertainment
Mary J. Blige singles chronology
"My Love" (1994) "Be Happy" (1994) "I'm Going Down" (1995)

"Be Happy" is the hit lead single by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige from her critically acclaimed second studio album, My Life (1994). Co-written and performed by the artist, the song was also written with Sean Combs, Arlene DelValle and J.C. Olivier. The song contains an instrumental sample of "You're So Good To Me" by musician Curtis Mayfield and a re-sung vocal portion of "I Want You" by Marvin Gaye. The song reached number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Blige's third single to reach the top forty of that chart, while reaching number six on the R&B singles chart, becoming her fifth top-ten single on that particular chart. The music video is well known as it was directed from September 16–17, 1994 by Diddy and Hype Williams, shows Mary singing in a white background amidst other things, including stand abroad of a mountain creek. The single was also successful in the United Kingdom, reaching a peak of number 30 on the UK Singles Chart.

Blige performed the song (alongside the My Life album) on shows such as Friday Night Videos, Soul Train and Showtime at the Apollo. It has since became one of Blige's signature songs.

Remixes

The official remix features Def Squad rapper Keith Murray, which samples 1980s hip hop artist Jimmy Spicer's "Money (Dollar Bill Ya'll)".

Charts

Release history

References