# Ooh!

"Ooh!" is a song recorded by American singer Mary J. Blige for her sixth studio album Love & Life (2003). It was written by Blige, Sean Combs, Dimitri Christo, and Mechalie Jamison, while production was helmed by Combs and Christo. The song contains excerpts from Hamilton Bohannon's 1973 track "Singing a Song for My Mother", hence Bohannon is also credited as a songwriter. "Ooh!" was released as the second single from Love & Life on August 25, 2003, by Geffen Records.
A moderate commercial success, "Ooh!" peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Critically acclaimed, it was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards. An accompanying music video for the song was directed by Sanji, and depicts Blige fighting and dancing as different versions of herself, who all represented her inner emotions and feelings. Furthermore, a remix featuring 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, and Young Buck also accompanied the song.

## Background

"Ooh!" was as written by Blige along with Sean Combs, Dimitri "The Natural aka D-Nat" Christo, and Mechalie Jamison, while production was helmed by Combs and Christo. The song contains excerpts from the 1973 song "Singing a Song for My Mother" by American musician Hamilton Bohannon, itself widely known for being sampled on the 1991 hip-hop classic, "I Gotta Have It" by Ed O.G and Da Bulldogs. It was Combs who asked Blige to write over the Ed O.G. sample. In a 2003 interview with MTV News she commented: "Puff heard it and he sat there with his mouth open. He was [nodding his head], but he never said anything. He later said that "[That] was fire!" so we let Jimmy Iovine hear it and Jimmy was like, "I like it." Dr. Dre heard it and was like, "That's the joint right there." Then we played it for K-Gee and he just lost his mind. We played it for people all over the world when we went on the promotional tour and everything kept coming back 'Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh'."

## Critical reception

BBC Music critic Keysha Davis called "Ooh!" a "hip-hop inspired club anthem. Backed by a trudging horn riff, and an instantly recognisable break-beat; [it] forms the perfect compliment for Mary's gravely vocals." Elizabeth Berry Mendez from The Washington Post wrote: "With its slinky saxophone and Mary's ripe alto, "Ooh!" is the kind of dance-floor soul jam that recalls Motown's heyday." Similarly, Billboard's Michael Paoletta remarked that the song "recalls "Rock Steady"-era Aretha Franklin." In his review of parent album Love & Life, David Browne from Entertainment Weekly noted: [The album] tried to present a more contented Blige but mainly reduced her to moaning orgasmic lines like "Ooh, what you do to me" to thudding Diddy-produced beats." BET.com called the song one of the "highlights of Blige's and Combs's reunion on 2003's Love & Life."

## Music video

Blige was initially eyeying Chris Robinson, who had helmed the music video for Love & Life's previous single "Love @ 1st Sight," to once again direct her. Due to scheduling conflicts, Sanjeeva "Sanji" Senaka, director of her 2001 music video for "No More Drama," was eventually selected to direct the visuals for "Ooh!." Dedicated to the soldiers in the war, it portrays Blige fighting and dancing different versions of herself, who all represented her inner emotions and feelings. "Ooh!" world premiered at the end of its making of episode on BET's Access Granted.

## Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Love & Life.

## Release history

Release dates and formats for "Ooh!" :
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
| United States | August 25, 2003 | Urban contemporary radio | Geffen | |