Before I Let You Go

{{Infobox song | name = Before I Let You Go | cover = BlackstreetBILYGSingle.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = [[Blackstreet]] | album = [[Blackstreet (album)|Blackstreet]] | released = November 22, 1994 | recorded = | studio = Future Recording Studios {{small|([[Virginia Beach, Virginia]], US)}} | venue = | genre = [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]] | length = 4:59 | label = [[Interscope Records|Interscope]] | writer = {{hlist|[[Chauncey Black (singer)|C. Hannibal]]|[[Dave Hollister|D. Hollister]]|M. Riley|[[Teddy Riley (producer)|T. Riley]]|[[Leon Sylvers III|L. Sylvers]]}} | producer = Teddy Riley | prev_title = [[Booti Call]] | prev_year = 1994 | next_title = U Blow My Mind | next_year = 1994 | misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|kC6TnBx0HIU|"Before I Let You Go"}}}} }} "'''Before I Let You Go'''" is a song by [[United States|American]] [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]] group [[Blackstreet]], recorded for the group's [[Blackstreet (album)|self-titled debut album]] (1994). The song was released as the third [[Single (music)|single]] for the album in November 1994 by [[Interscope Records]]. It was notable for featuring lead vocals from [[Dave Hollister]] who joined the group upon the album's release.

"Before I Let You Go" peaked at number seven on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and number two on the [[Hot R&B Singles]] chart. This made it the group's highest charting single on both charts respectively before it was surpassed by "[[No Diggity]]" two years later. The song lyrically focuses on the narrator who does not want to lose the love of his life out of concern that she is no longer romantically interested and wants her to "say goodnight" as opposed to "say goodbye."

==Critical reception== Ralph Tee from the ''[[Record Mirror]]'' Dance Update gave "Before I Let You Go" three out of five, naming it "the big ghetto love ballad" of the album.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Ralph|last=Tee|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-12-03.pdf#page=28|title=Hot Vinyl|magazine=[[Music Week]], in [[Record Mirror]] (Dance Update Supplemental Insert)|date=December 3, 1994|page=10|access-date=June 17, 2025}}</ref>

==Track listing== * '''12", CD, Maxi''' #"Before I Let You Go" (Main Mix One) - 5:00 #"Before I Let You Go" (Main Mix Two) - 5:00 #"Before I Let You Go" (Instrumental) - 5:00 #"Before I Let You Go" (Acapella Mix) - 4:52 #"Before I Let You Go" (Reggae Dub Mix) - 5:00 #"Before I Let You Go" (T.R. Mix) - 4:56 #"Before I Let You Go" (Blackstreet Live Version) - 5:10

==Personnel== Information taken from [[Discogs]].<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|url=http://www.discogs.com/Blackstreet-Before-I-Let-You-Go/release/1713004|title=Blackstreet - Before I Let You Go (Vinyl) at Discogs|format=|publisher=[[Discogs]]|accessdate=August 21, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|url=http://www.discogs.com/Blackstreet-Blackstreet/release/226665|title=Blackstreet - Blackstreet (CD) at Discogs|format=|publisher=Discogs|accessdate=August 21, 2010}}</ref> *drums – Gerald Heyward *engineering – [[Serban Ghenea]], [[John Hanes (audio engineer)|John Hanes]], George Mayers *guitar – Serban Ghenea *mixing – Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, George Mayers, Teddy Riley *production – Teddy Riley *remixing – Teddy Riley *writing – C. Hannibal, D. Hollister, M. Riley, T. Riley, L. Sylvers

==Charts== {{col-start}} {{col-2}}

===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (1994) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- {{single chart|Billboardhot100|7|artist=Blackstreet|rowheader=true|accessdate=April 29, 2021}} |- {{single chart|Billboardrandbhiphop|2|artist=Blackstreet|rowheader=true|accessdate=April 29, 2021}} |- ! scope="row"| US [[Dance Singles Sales|Maxi-Singles Sales]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1995/BB-1995-01-07.pdf#page=20|title=Hot Dance Music: Maxi-Singles Sales|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=January 7, 1995|page=22|access-date=December 28, 2025}}</ref> | 7 |- {{single chart|Billboardrhythmic|2|artist=Blackstreet|rowheader=true|accessdate=April 29, 2021}} |- ! scope="row"| US [[Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles|''Cash Box'' Top 100]]<ref>[https://www.popmusichistory.co.uk/_files/ugd/b4848d_4f9128176360450ba51be67a0468e9fa.pdf Cash Box Chart Entries 1990-1996]</ref> | 15 |} {{col-2}}

===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (1994) ! scope="col"| Position |- ! scope="row"| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1994/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs|title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1994|work=Billboard|accessdate=April 29, 2021}}</ref> | 85 |} {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (1995) ! scope="col"| Position |- ! scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref>{{cite web|url=http://billboardtop100of.com/1995-2/|title=Billboard Top 100 – 1995|website=Billboardtop100of.com|accessdate=April 29, 2021}}</ref> | 46 |- ! scope="row"| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1995/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs|title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1995|work=Billboard|accessdate=April 29, 2021}}</ref> | 8 |} {{col-end}}

==Notes== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links== {{YouTube|id=kC6TnBx0HIU|title="Before I Let You Go" Music video}}

[[Category:1994 singles]] [[Category:Blackstreet songs]] [[Category:Song recordings produced by Teddy Riley]] [[Category:Songs written by Teddy Riley]] [[Category:Songs written by Leon Sylvers III]] [[Category:1994 songs]] [[Category:Interscope Records singles]] [[Category:Songs written by Dave Hollister]] [[Category:Contemporary R&B ballads]] [[Category:1990s ballads]]