Whenever I Say Your Name

"Whenever I Say Your Name" was written and produced by Sting for his seventh studio album Sacred Love (2003). Production was helmed by Sting and Mark "Kipper" Eldridge. The singer felt inspired to work with Blige ever since they performed together on the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2003, he told LAUNCHcast: "I was totally blown away by her passionate, open singing [...] I had decided on that night that I'd love to write a song for her one day, and I came up with this idea of "Whenever I Say Your Name" – that's perfect for her, you know? It's very romantic. It also has a kind of religious component – you know, she's very churchy in the way she sings."

Alan Light from The Los Angeles Times described "Whenever I Say Your Name" as "a knockout duet,"{{cite web|first=Alan|last=Light|title=Lost and found|website=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-aug-24-ca-light24-story.html|date=24 August 2003|access-date=4 March 2024}} while Entertainment Weekly{{'}}s Tom Sinclair called it a "erotically charged duet" and further wrote: "[Sting] unites the secular and the sacred with the phrase "Whenever I say your name, I’m already praying"."{{cite magazine|first=Tom|last=Sinclair|title=Sacred Love|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|url=https://ew.com/article/2003/10/03/sacred-love/|date=3 October 2003|access-date=4 March 2024}} Riff Magazine{{'}}s Alexander Baechle found that "Blige oozes exuberance on "Whenever I Say Your Name." Both Blige and Sting take the opportunity to play to their strengths. Sting begins the tune with a characteristically moody, subtle verse. Imperceptibly, the song morphs into a borderline funk romp, pushing Blige’s power vocals to the fore."{{cite web|first=Alexander |last=Baechle |title=ALBUM REVIEW: Sting brings out the best in his guests on 'Duets'|website=riffmagazine.com|url=https://riffmagazine.com/album-reviews/sting-duets/|date=15 March 2021|access-date=4 March 2024}}

A music video for "Whenever I Say Your Name" was directed by frequent Sting collaborator Jim Gable.{{cite book|first=Evyatar|last=Marienberg|title=Sting and Religion: The Catholic-Shaped Imagination of a Rock Icon|date=6 January 2021 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-7252-7226-2 |via=Google Books|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zFETEAAAQBAJ|access-date=4 March 2024}}

All tracks written by Sting.

{{tracklist

| headline = CD single{{cite web|title=Whenever I Say Your Name – CD Single|website=Discogs|url=https://www.discogs.com/de/release/3063818-Sting-Mary-J-Blige-Whenever-I-Say-Your-Name|access-date=4 March 2024}}

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| title1 = Whenever I Say Your Name

| note1 = radio version

| extra1 = {{hlist|Sting|Kipper}}

| length1 = 4:03

| title2 = Whenever I Say Your Name

| note2 = Will.I.Am remix featuring The Black Eyed Peas

| extra2 = {{hlist|Sting|Kipper|will.i.am{{ref|a|[a]}}}}

| length2 = 4:03

| title3 = Whenever I Say Your Name

| note3 = Salaam's Groove mix

| extra3 = {{hlist|Sting|Kipper|Salaam Remi{{ref|a|[a]}}}}

| length3 = 4:48

| title4 = Whenever I Say Your Name

| note4 = Billy Mann mix

| extra4 = {{hlist|Sting|Kipper|Billy Mann{{ref|a|[a]}}|The Supaflyas{{ref|a|[a]}}}}

| length4 = 3:53

}}

Notes

• ^{{{note|a|[a]}}} denotes remix producer

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Sacred Love.{{cite AV media notes |title=Sacred Love|publisher=A&M Records|others=Sting |year=2003}}

• Mary J. Blige – vocals
• Kipper – producer
• Simon Osborn – engineer
• Sting – producer, vocals, writer

{{Reflist}}

{{Sting}}

{{Mary J. Blige singles}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2003 singles

Category:Sting (musician) songs

Category:Mary J. Blige songs

Category:Male–female vocal duets

Category:Songs written by Sting (musician)

Category:Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals

Category:2003 songs