"Deep Inside" is a song by the American singer
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
. It was written by Blige, Tara Geter and Kevin Deane for her fourth studio album, ''
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
'' (1999), while production was led by Deane. The song features a sample of piano playing from
Elton John's "
Bennie and the Jets
"Bennie and the Jets" (also titled "Benny & the Jets") is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. The song first appeared on the ''Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'' album in 1973. "Bennie and ...
" (1974). John and co-writer
Bernie Taupin are also credited as songwriters.
The song was released as the second US single from ''Mary'', and the third single elsewhere. Like the preceding single, "
All That I Can Say" (1999), it was a moderate success in the United States, peaking at number fifty-one on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, it failed to reach the
UK top 40
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. The music video for "Deep Inside" has Blige and her dancers performing to the song "Sincerity", which appears on the deluxe edition of the ''Mary'' album in the United States and the United Kingdom single of "Deep Inside".
Music video
The music video was shot on October 8, 1999, in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
and was directed by
Marcus Raboy
Marcus Raboy (born November 30, 1965) is an American film director, film and music video director.
Since the early 1990s, Raboy has amassed a large number music video credits directing music videos for Mary J. Blige, Dixie Chicks, Rihanna, Lut ...
. Another version of the music video has Elton John playing the piano. "Deep Inside" was premiered on November 10, 1999, on
MTV during a season finale of the adults-only animated TV show, ''
Beavis and Butt-head''.
In the beginning, Blige steps on the stage, wearing a blonde glitter dress, before the screen fades out, flashing back all of the music videos that starred Blige herself, including "
Love Is All We Need", "
Seven Days", "
Everything
Everything, every-thing, or every thing is all that exists; the opposite of nothing, or its complement. It is the totality of things relevant to some subject matter. Without expressed or implied limits, it may refer to anything. The univers ...
", "
Be Happy", "
I'm Goin' Down", "
You Bring Me Joy", "
Real Love" and "
I Can Love You". The next scene begins with two security guards blocking the red carpet and Blige begins singing. After the first verse, she stands on the red carpet waving her hands at the whole audience taking pictures of her. She steps inside the tour bus looking in the mirror at herself, pushing her hand singing the hook.
In the next scene, Blige walks out of a 1997
Dodge Caravan
The Dodge Caravan (and the long-wheelbase Dodge Grand Caravan) is a series of minivans that was manufactured by Chrysler from the 1984 to 2020 model years. The Dodge version of the Chrysler minivans, the Caravan was marketed as both a passenger v ...
, talking off a hoodie being exposed. Then she walks away from an electrical fence with a bronze-raccoon coat and a white tank. She stands in a
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
neighborhood with the
Manhattan Bridge mocking her 15 feet away. The next scene starts with black-suited dancers and Blige in a red suit dancing to her song "Sincerity". After the song ends, they clearly dance to "Deep Inside", with Blige singing loudly by herself. She looks at the screen screaming her quote "MJB" at the end of the song, where the Manhattan Bridge is shown.
Track listings
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the ''Mary'' liner notes.
*Mary J. Blige – executive producer, writer
*Kirk Burrowes – executive producer
*Kevin Deane – writer
*Tara Geter – writer
*
Elton John – writer (sample)
*
Bernie Taupin – writer (sample)
Charts
Release history
References
{{authority control
1999 singles
Mary J. Blige songs
Songs with music by Elton John
Songs written by Mary J. Blige
Songs with lyrics by Bernie Taupin
1998 songs
MCA Records singles
Music videos directed by Marcus Raboy