"Mr. Wrong" is a song taken from American
R&B 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 ...
's album ''
My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1)'' (2011). It features rapper
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
. The song was written by Drake,
Jim Jonsin
James Gregory Scheffer (born June 8, 1970), professionally known as Jim Jonsin, is an American record producer, songwriter, businessman and DJ from South Florida. Jonsin has collaborated with numerous artists, including Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, ...
,
Danny Morris, and
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wiscon ...
, while production was helmed by Jonsin and Love. The song contains a sample from "
Me and Mrs. Jones" (1972) by American singer
Billy Paul
Paul Williams (December 1, 1934 – April 24, 2016), known professionally as Billy Paul, was a Grammy Award-winning American soul singer, known for his 1972 No. 1 single "Me and Mrs. Jones", as well as the 1973 album and single '' War of the Go ...
. Due to the inclusion of the sample,
Kenneth Gamble
Kenneth Gamble (born August 11, 1943, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and Leon A. Huff (born April 8, 1942, Camden, New Jersey) are an American songwriting and production team credited for developing the Philadelphia soul music genre (also known as ...
,
Leon Huff
Kenneth Gamble (born August 11, 1943, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and Leon A. Huff (born April 8, 1942, Camden, New Jersey) are an American songwriting and production team credited for developing the Philadelphia soul music genre (also known as ...
, and
Cary Gilbert are also credited as songwriters. The song was released as the album's second official single on October 28, 2011.
Background and release
In the song, she keeps finds herself attracting the wrong type of man. According to the somber cut, she keeps falling for bad boys despite what her family tells her.
She sings: "Bad boys ain't no good/ Good boys ain't no fun,". while the
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
rapper
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
appears and confesses: "Don't it seem like I'm always there when it matters, but missing most of the other time, a terrible pattern."
The song was debuted by Mary on
Angie Martinez
Angela Martinez (born January 9, 1971) is an American radio personality, rapper, singer, and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice of New York" during her two-decade tenure at New York City station HOT 97 (WQHT), she left that position in 2014 to jo ...
's
Hot 97
WQHT (97.1 FM, ''Hot 97'') is a commercial radio station, licensed to New York, New York, which broadcasts an urban contemporary music format. The station is owned by Mediaco Holding and operated by Emmis Communications under a shared ser ...
show and released as the second single from her tenth studio album ''My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1)''.
Composition
"Mr. Wrong" was written by
James Scheffer
James Gregory Scheffer (born June 8, 1970), professionally known as Jim Jonsin, is an American record producer, songwriter, businessman and DJ from South Florida. Jonsin has collaborated with numerous artists, including Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland ...
, Kevin Gamble,
Aubrey Drake Graham,
Cary Gilbert, Leon Huff, Rico Love and Daniel Morris and produced by
Jim Jonsin
James Gregory Scheffer (born June 8, 1970), professionally known as Jim Jonsin, is an American record producer, songwriter, businessman and DJ from South Florida. Jonsin has collaborated with numerous artists, including Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, ...
and
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wiscon ...
. It features an interpolation of
Billy Paul
Paul Williams (December 1, 1934 – April 24, 2016), known professionally as Billy Paul, was a Grammy Award-winning American soul singer, known for his 1972 No. 1 single "Me and Mrs. Jones", as well as the 1973 album and single '' War of the Go ...
's 1972 number-one hit "
Me and Mrs. Jones." It is a hip-hop/R&B-esque tune.
The co-writer and co-producer Rico Love told
Rap-Up.com that he based it on his own chequered lovelife: "It's an extremely soulful song that expresses the true level of love that a woman can have for a man who simply is no good for her," said Love. "I wrote it because in many ways I am Mr. Wrong."
Rico Love came up with the song when he was working in the studio with
Jim Jonsin
James Gregory Scheffer (born June 8, 1970), professionally known as Jim Jonsin, is an American record producer, songwriter, businessman and DJ from South Florida. Jonsin has collaborated with numerous artists, including Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, ...
. He told "The Boombox": "It came to me when I heard the chorus to the song. It's pretty fast the way my process is - I don't over-think; I don't sit down and come up with concepts. Usually the music kinda tells me what to say. I kinda figure out instantly what I feel like a track is gonna say. With 'Mr. Wrong,' I felt like it described myself and my relationships that I have with women. It's kinda autobiographical for me. I'm just describing what I've heard women in my life say to me."
Critical reception
Andy Gill wrote for ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' that "The high priestess of emotional turmoil returns to her apparently turbulent personal life on this latest album, vacillating between obsessive devotion, self-assertive morale-boosting and the kind of masochistic abasement depicted in 'Mr Wrong'."
Trent Fitzgerald wrote a positive review for ''Pop Crush'' stating that "Once again, Mary J. Blige brings the drama with her brand of tortured soul that should resonate with her diehard fans. Hopefully, it will inspire them to find a Mr. Right in their life."
Rap-Up wrote: "The R&B diva finds herself falling for bad boys over the slinky Jim Jonsin and Rico Love production."
Monica Herrera wrote a favorable review for ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', analyzing that "The headstrong groove of Blige's early ballads syncs up surprisingly well with the hollowed-out R&B of guest Drake, who sounds keenly aware, if not really conflicted, that the best kind of leading man in Blige's world is a lowdown creep." Becky Bain of
Idolator
An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry.
Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books
*''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music
* Idolator (website), an American music blog
* ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
described the song as a "mellow, sorrowful tune".
MusicOMH's Martyn Young wrote that "Drake offers a rather forgettable verse to the song", which he called "perfectly titled."
Sióbhan Kane from
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
praised Drake's appearance, saying that "it works brilliantly with its slow-moving quality that slopes along."
Music video
The music video was filmed on September 30, 2011.
It was directed by
Diane Martel
Diane Martel (also known as Bucky Chrome) is an American music video director and choreographer.
Awards
Diane Martel was nominated for the Video of the Year for her work in "Blurred Lines" – Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell & T.I. in 2013.
Fil ...
and released on December 19, 2011.
Drake does not appear in this version of the video and his verse is omitted. Amidst
disco balls and
smoke
Smoke is a suspension of airborne particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-produc ...
, Blige poses and dances in a variety of throwback looks, harkening her ''
My Life My Life may refer to:
Autobiographies
* ''Mein Leben'' (Wagner) (''My Life''), by Richard Wagner, 1870
* ''My Life'' (Clinton autobiography), by Bill Clinton, 2004
* ''My Life'' (Meir autobiography), by Golda Meir, 1973
* ''My Life'' (Mosley a ...
'' era.
An alternative version of the video featuring
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
was released on January 10, 2012. Drake is seen standing against a brick wall flooded in blue lights. The rest of the visuals remain mostly unchanged.
Reception
Idolator
An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry.
Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books
*''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music
* Idolator (website), an American music blog
* ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
's Becky Bain criticized the fact that Drake is not on the video, writing directly to Blige: "you got Drizzy for your song, but left his presence completely off the single? Wha? Explain the method of your madness, Mary!." While
''Essence'' magazine enjoyed the video, writing that she "caps off her 2011 with a stunning video" and also saying that "From start to finish, it's a visually pleasing clip depicting her in the most beautiful light possible -- with big hair, bold outfits and flawless makeup. The video's glamour treatment suits the mellow and dramatic mood of the song.
Marc Hogan from
Spin wrote an extensive article about the video, first saying: "Showing a magnificently blonde-coiffed Blige, black-clad backup dancers, and (why not?) a stripper pole, the clip was perfect for the Drake-phobic,but it missed out on the Eve-and-her-serpent element that helps make the original track work.
He also commented Drake's appearance, writing: "It's Drake's puppy-dog-eyed manipulator routine that keeps Blige's powerfully wounded vocals grounded in reality: She may fall in love with the wrong guys, but she does it for good reasons. Just not the right ones.
In the end, he concluded stating: "The rest of the video looks little changed from its precursor. More stripper pole, more synchronized dancing, more color-changing lighting."
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1)''.
*
Songwriting
A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...
– James Scheffer, Aubrey Drake Graham, Butler,
Danny Morris, Gamble, Huff, C. Gilbert
*
Production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
–
Jim Jonsin
James Gregory Scheffer (born June 8, 1970), professionally known as Jim Jonsin, is an American record producer, songwriter, businessman and DJ from South Florida. Jonsin has collaborated with numerous artists, including Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, ...
,
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wiscon ...
*
Recording
A record, recording or records may refer to:
An item or collection of data Computing
* Record (computer science), a data structure
** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity
** Boot sector or boot record, r ...
– Nikolas Marzouca, Pierre Medor
*
Mixing – Robert Marks
*
Mastering – Dave Kutch
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Release history
References
{{authority control
2010s ballads
2011 singles
2011 songs
Mary J. Blige songs
Drake (musician) songs
Songs written by Drake (musician)
Song recordings produced by Jim Jonsin
Music videos directed by Diane Martel
Contemporary R&B ballads
Songs written by Leon Huff
Geffen Records singles
Songs written by Kenny Gamble
Songs written by Rico Love
Songs written by Danny Morris (music producer)
Songs with lyrics by Cary Gilbert