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Just Fine

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"Just Fine"
Single by Mary J. Blige
from the album Growing Pains
ReleasedOctober 16, 2007 (2007-10-16)
Length4:02
LabelGeffen
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Mary J. Blige singles chronology
"We Ride (I See the Future)"
(2006) 		"Just Fine"
(2007) 		"Work That"
(2007)
Music video
"Just Fine" on YouTube

"Just Fine" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Jazze Pha and Tricky Stewart for her eighth studio album, Growing Pains (2007), while production was helmed by Pha and Stewart. It was released as the album's lead single on October 16, 2007. The song peaked at number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 16 on the UK Singles Chart, while also topping the US Hot Dance Club Play chart.

Critically acclaimed, "Just Fine" was nominated in the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance category at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, held February 2008, as well as the Grammy for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical at the 51st Grammy Awards in February 2009. In addition, the song was ranked 41st on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.[1]

Background

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"Just Fine" was written by Mary J. Blige along with The-Dream, Jazze Pha and Tricky Stewart,[2] while production was helmed by Pha and Stewart, with Kuk Harrell serving as a vocal producer.[2] Initially presented as an incomplete song to Blige, Nash, Pha, and Stewart finished much of the "upbeat" dance pop song within 24 hours.[3] It became one of the first songs which Blige recorded for parent album Growing Pains and would set much of the tone for the remaining material.[4] Blige commented on the sound of the song: "When I heard the beat, I was like, 'OK, this is hot. This is making my body move, and I'm having fun."[3]

A cheerful, feel-good jam "about uplifting yourself and having hope for your future, whatever your future is,"[3] Blige tried to "make the song about how I appreciate the good days I do have and where I'm at right now, even though I still have challenges."[3] In a 2007 interview with MTV News, she further elaborated: "That song was written based on me having a good day. You know, I can have 20 bad days. I can have as many bad days as anyone. But I choose to say, "I'm just fine." Right now. So it's OK to have those days. So instead of coming with something ungrateful to the universe, how about I come with something first that's says, 'You know what? It's OK. Enjoy this day if you're having a great day."[5]

Critical reception

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"Just Fine" earned generally positive reviews from music critics. Da'Shan Smith from uDiscoverMusic found that "there can’t be a wedding, office party, cookout, or family reunion function without hearing this gem from Mary [...] Channeling the funk groove of Marvin Gaye and the disco beat of Michael Jackson circa Off the Wall, "Just Fine" is a quintessential throwback party anthem."[6] Alexis Petridis from The Guardian wrote: "Blige in gleeful party-starting mode, complete with opening get-on-the-dancefloor monologue. "Just Fine"'s rhythm track was apparently inspired by Michael Jackson’s "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." Its sparse-but-urgent sound and Blige’s exuberance are both completely irresistible."[7] Similarly BET.com wrote of the song: "This 2007 hit cheerfully channels Off the Wall MJ, perfectly encapsulating new-millennium Mary's hard-earned transformation into a persevering, you-go-girl optimist who declares, "I like what I see when I'm looking at me when I'm walking past the mirror"."[8]

Year-end lists

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Year-end lists for "Just Fine"
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Rolling Stone The 100 Best Songs of 2007 41
[9]

Accolades

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Awards and nominations for "Just Fine"
Organization Year Category Result Ref.
BET Awards 2008 Video of the Year Nominated [10]
Grammy Awards 2008 Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Nominated [11]
2009 Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical Nominated [12]
MTV Video Music Awards 2008 Best Hip Hop Video Nominated [13]
MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2008 Best R&B Video Nominated [14]
NAACP Image Awards 2008 Outstanding Music Video Nominated [15]

Remixes

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The official remix was called "Just Fine (Treat 'Em Right Remix)" (which samples "Treat 'Em Right" by Chubb Rock) and features a verse from Lil Wayne, and production handled by Swizz Beatz, who also provides background vocals. There are four versions of this remix: The main remix version has Lil Wayne's verse on the beginning after the intro, the second remix version features a verse by Precise, along with Lil Wayne, the third remix version has Lil Wayne's verse on the near end of the song, and the fourth remix version is a no rap version, omitting Lil Wayne's verse.

The second official remix of "Just Fine" features Lil' Mama, which was a pre-order only track on iTunes when the album was released. An alternate music video for this remix was produced.

Music video

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A music video for "Just Fine" was directed by Chris Applebaum and produced by John Hardin for Reactor Films.[16] It was released online on October 8, 2007 and premiered simultaneously on BET, iTunes, VH1 and MTV's TRL on October 25, 2007.[3] In the visuals, Blige "radiates with positive energy as she enters a mirrored room and begins her own personal fashion show."[17] Billboard found that the clip pays homage to the Michael Jackson in the colorful visual.[17] Entertainment Weekly noted that "groundbreaking CGI it ain’t, but all three MJBs [versions] look fabulous."[18]

On September 7, 2008, the video was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, though it eventually lost to Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" (2008).[13] The video also was nominated for Video of the Year at the BET Awards 2008,[10] Best R&B Video at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards Japan,[14] and Outstanding Music Video at the 40th NAACP Image Awards.[15]

Track listings

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Digital single[19]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Just Fine"
4:10
2."Work That"
  • Feemster
  • Garrett[b]
3:30
Lil Mama Remix[20]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Just Fine" (Remix featuring Lil Mama)
  • Stewart
  • Pha
  • Harrell[a]
3:44
Treat 'Em Right Remix[21]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Just Fine" (Treat 'Em Right Remix featuring Lil Wayne)
  • Stewart
  • Pha
  • Harrell[a]
5:09

Notes

  • ^[a] denotes a vocal producer
  • ^[b] denotes a co-producer

Sample credits

Credits and personnel

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Credits adapted from the Growing Pains liner notes.[2]

  • Mary J. Blige – vocals, writer
  • André Bowman – bass
  • Dwayne Dugger – horns
  • Kuk Harrell – vocal producer
  • Jaycen Joshua – mixing engineer
  • James King – horns
  • Alex Newell – additional recording
  • Dave Pensado – mixing engineer
  • Jazze Pha – producer, programming, writer
  • Omar Phillip – persuccions
  • Jaye Price – horns
  • Omar Renya – recording assistance
  • Tricky Stewart – producer, programming, writer
  • The-Dream – writer
  • Corey Williams – additional recording

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for "Just Fine"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Release dates and formats for "Just Fine"
Region Date Format(s) Version(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States October 16, 2007 Rhythmic contemporary radio Original Geffen
[40]
United Kingdom January 28, 2008 CD
[41]
United States February 19, 2008 Digital download Treat 'Em Right Remix
[42]

References

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  1. ^ Rolling Stone Magazine The 100 Best Songs Of 2007 Archived July 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Popcrunch. Retrieved September 18, 2013
  2. ^ a b c Blige, Mary J. (2007). Growing Pains (Compact Disc). Mary J. Blige. Geffen Records.
  3. ^ a b c d e Graff, Gary (December 12, 2007). "No 'Pains,' No Gains: Mary J. Blige". Retrieved April 2, 2024 – via Billboard.
  4. ^ "Mary J Blige: "Just Fine", Behind The Scenes". Retrieved April 2, 2024 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ Rodriguez, Jayson; Hernandez, Liz (October 23, 2007). "Mary J. Blige Says She's 'Just Fine' With Her New Album, Losing 'Umbrella' To Rihanna". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  6. ^ Smith, Da'Shan (January 11, 2024). "Best Mary J. Blige Songs: 20 Essentials From The Queen Of Hip-Hop Soul". udiscovermusic.com. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  7. ^ Petridis, Alexis (July 14, 2022). "Mary J Blige's 20 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  8. ^ "Mary J. Blige's 50 Best Songs – MJB's What's the 411? was released 22 years ago today". BET.com. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  9. ^ Rolling Stone Magazine The 100 Best Songs Of 2007 Archived July 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Popcrunch. Retrieved September 18, 2013
  10. ^ a b "Awards 2008 | BET Awards". BET. June 24, 2008. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  11. ^ Leeds, Jeff (February 9, 2008). "Allowed In, Winehouse Chooses to Stay Home". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  12. ^ "Plant/Krauss, Lil Wayne Win Big At 51st Grammys". Billboard.com. February 9, 2009. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Kanye West, Gnarls Barkley, White Stripes Clips Pick Up VMAs In 2008 'Professional Categories'". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "MTV Video Music Awards Japan – 2008 Awards". IMDb. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Lyons, Margaret (February 13, 2009). "NAACP Image Awards: Winners list". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  16. ^ Gottlieb, Steven (November 15, 2007). "NEW RELEASE: Mary J. Blige "Just Fine"". Videostatic. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  17. ^ a b Penrose, Nerisha (November 30, 2017). "Mary J. Blige's 10 Best Post-Breakup Anthems: Critic'-s Picks". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  18. ^ Greenblatt, Leah (November 2, 2007). "Music video double-vision". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  19. ^ "Just Fine – Single". Spotify. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  20. ^ "Just Fine (International Version)". Spotify. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  21. ^ "Just Fine (Treat 'Em Right Remix)". Spotify. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  22. ^ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  23. ^ "Mary J. Blige – Chart history (Euro Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  24. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 [ 2008/01/16 公開]". Billboard Japan. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  25. ^ "week 4 (26 januari 2008)" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  26. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  27. ^ "Mary J Blige: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  28. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  29. ^ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  30. ^ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  31. ^ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  32. ^ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  33. ^ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  34. ^ "Official Singles Chart 2008" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  35. ^ "Urban Top 20 Of 2008" (PDF). Music Week. January 10, 2009. p. 16. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  36. ^ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  37. ^ "Dance Club Songs – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  38. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  39. ^ "British single certifications – Mary J Blige – Just Fine". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  40. ^ "Available For Airplay". FMQB. Archived from the original on November 1, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  41. ^ "Music Upfront" (PDF). Music Week. London. January 26, 2008. p. 31. Retrieved June 3, 2024 – via World Radio History.
  42. ^ "Just Fine (Treat 'Em Right Remix) [feat. Lil Wayne]". Geffen Records. February 19, 2008. Archived from the original on July 10, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2024 – via Apple Music.
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