"No More Drama" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige, taken from her fifth studio album of the same name. It was released as the album's second single worldwide. The Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced track became another hit for Blige, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 9 in the UK. The single was released on the day of the September 11 attacks. The song famously samples "Nadia's Theme", currently used as the theme music for the American soap operaThe Young and the Restless. In the song, Blige calls herself "young and restless" in a further nod to the music sample. The video for the song won Blige her first MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video. The song was also used as a background theme for both Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? and Why Did I Get Married Too?. Perry Botkin Jr., one of the song's original composers, who had never heard of Blige prior to this was delighted to get a writing credit, saying: "I woke up one morning and I’m on the cutting edge of R&B,” says the composer, who now specializes in electronic music. ”These days, I’m completely removed from pop music — except when checks arrive."
Music video
The video features cameos by Mariah Carey and P. Diddy who had both recently experienced their own very publicized 'dramas', Mariah Carey's personal and professional problems following her movie and albumGlitter, and Diddy's legal troubles following a night club shooting. They appear, individually, on televisions stacked in a store front window, in front of which Blige is singing. The video contains images of a depressed man that is struggling to overcome drugs, a gang member who lost a friend in a shooting and a woman who is verbally and physically abused by her partner. While the theme of the video is dramatic, it ends on an encouraging note as the gang member decides to end the cycle of killing by leaving his gang; the drug addict is seen to be headed for a rehab clinic to combat his addiction and the woman finding the strength to leave her abusive lover behind and start a new life. It was directed by Sanji.
Cover versions
performed this song during the eleventh season of American Idol.James Arthur also performed this song, during the ninth series of The X Factor. He would later win the series. The line "so tired, tired of all the drama" was briefly sampled in the 2013 Azealia Banks single "Yung Rapunxel". La'Porsha Renae, runner-up of American Idol, performed this song during the show's last season and it gained a lot of praise from the public and brought judge Jennifer Lopez to tears, moved by La'Porsha's story of an abusive relationship, which inspired her performance. Wé McDonald covered the song on The Voice season 11 in the Knockout Round. Sam Lavery sang the song in the sing-off of The X Factor 2016 in week 6 before being sent home.
