Not Gon' Cry

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"Not Gon' Cry"
US CD single
Single by Mary J. Blige
from the album Waiting to Exhale and Share My World
ReleasedJanuary 23, 1996
GenreR&B
Length4:58
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)Babyface
Producer(s)Babyface
Mary J. Blige singles chronology
"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"
(1996) 		"Not Gon' Cry"
(1996) 		"Touch Me, Tease Me"
(1996)
Audio
"Not Gon' Cry on YouTube

"Not Gon' Cry" is a song by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige, from the soundtrack to the film Waiting to Exhale; the song is also featured on Blige's third album, Share My World (1997). It was written and produced by Babyface and became a major hit for Blige in the United States, where it peaked at numbers one and two on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles and Hot 100 charts, respectively. The single sold 1,000,000 copies domestically and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Blige received her third Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (her first nomination in that category) at the 39th Grammy Awards in 1997 for the song. Coincidentally, other songs on that were later released as singles from the soundtrack ("Exhale" by Whitney Houston and "Sittin' Up in My Room" by Brandy) also received nominations in the same category. Blige performed the song at the 39th Grammy Awards telecast.

Background

The lyrics of the song are inspired by a storyline in the movie Waiting to Exhale revolving around one of the films main characters, Bernadine (portrayed by actress Angela Bassett), who gets abandoned by her philandering husband. The music video, which incorporates clips from Waiting to Exhale, was directed by Wayne Maser and Elizabeth Bailey.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard named 'Not Gon' Cry' "one of the strongest numbers" of the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack and felt it "is finally given a crack at chart success." He explained, "Blige's worldly delivery breathes palpable depth and empathy into Babyface's composition tracing the bitter split of a relationship. She convincingly builds from white-knuckled anger to cathartic resolution in the space of four minutes, riding a slowly grinding R&B groove etched with quiet blues colors. Judging from the sparks ignited here, the pairing of Blige and Babyface is one that needs to happen again and again."[1] Jonathan Bernstein from Entertainment Weekly described the song as "snarling".[2] A reviewer from Music Week gave it three out of five, describing it as a "slow, steel-tipped ballad" and "good, if not memorable."[3] Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "Blige has a raw edge in her voice that makes her contribution 'Not Gon' Cry' essentially a blues song, despite the smooth R&B production."[4] People Magazine named it Waiting to Exhale's "jilted woman’s manifesto".[5]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[18] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ^ Flick, Larry (January 27, 1996). "Reviews & Previews: Singles" (PDF). Billboard. p. 106. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  2. ^ Bernstein, Jonathan (May 2, 1997). "Share My World". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  3. ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Music Week. March 2, 1996. p. 14. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  4. ^ "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 49. December 9, 1995. p. 7. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  5. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Share My World". People. May 19, 1997. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  6. ^ "Mary J. Blige ARIA Chart History complete to 2024". ARIA. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  7. ^ "Mary J Blige – Not Gon' Cry". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  8. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  9. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  10. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  11. ^ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  12. ^ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  13. ^ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  14. ^ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  15. ^ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  16. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1996". Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  17. ^ "1996 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-40. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  18. ^ "American single certifications – Mary J. Blige – Not Gon' Cry". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 20, 2020.