Don't Say (Jon B. song)

"Don't Say" is a song performed by American singer Jon B. It was written by Darrell Spencer, Jon-John Robinson, and Marc Nelson for his second studio album Cool Relax (1997), while production was helmed by Robinson and Nelson. Issued as the album's lead single, the song peaked at number 68 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 29 on the US Rhythmic chart.^[5]

"Don't Say"
Single by Jon B.
from the album Cool Relax
B-side	"Let U Shine"[1]
Released	August 12, 1997 (1997-08-12)[1]
Length	4:53 (album version) 4:03 (radio edit)[2]
Label	Yab Yum 550 Music
Songwriter(s)	Darrell Spencer Jon-John Robinson Marc Nelson[3]
Producer(s)	Jon-John Robinson Marc Nelson[4]
Jon B. singles chronology
"Isn't It Scary" (1996) "Don't Say" (1997) "They Don't Know" (1998)
Music video
"Don't Say" on YouTube

Critical reception

Billboard editor Larry Flick called the song a "smooth jeep slow jam [...] "Don’t Say" has alaid-back sing-along chorus that firmly supports Jon's fluid vocal. Kids will also dig the quietly bumpin’ beat, which deftly straddles the line between pop accessibility and street purity."^[6]

Music video

The official music video for "Don't Say" was directed by Kevin Bray and features Sanaa Lathan as Jon B.'s love interest.^[7][8]

Track listings

CD single^[9]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Don't Say" (Radio Edit)	Jonathan Robinson Marc Nelson Darrell Spencer	Jon-John Nelson	4:03
2.	"Don't Say" (Love Hangover Remix Edit)	Robinson Nelson Spencer	Jon-John Nelson Bilal Bashir[a] Mark Lomax[a]	4:48

CD maxi single^[10]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Don't Say" (Radio Edit)	Robinson Nelson Spencer	Jon-John Nelson	4:49
2.	"Don't Say" (Instrumental)	Robinson Nelson Spencer	Jon-John Nelson	4:53
3.	"Let U Shine"	Jonathan Buck D. Elias	Jon B.	4:29

Notes

• ^{^a} denotes additional producer

Sample credits

• "Don't Say (Love Hangover Remix Edit)" contains a sample of "Love Hangover" as performed by Diana Ross.

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Don't Say"

Chart (1997)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100[11]	68
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[12]	34
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[13]	29

References

1. "Amazon.com: Don't Say / Shine: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
2. "Jon B.* - Don't Say (CD) at Discogs". Discogs. 1997. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
3. "Don't Say - Jon B. - Listen, Appearances, Song Review - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
4. "Jon B - Don't Say (The Remixes) (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. 1997. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
5. "Jon B. - Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
6. Flick, Larry (September 27, 1997). "Reviews & Previews – Singles". Billboard. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
7. "Jon B. - 'Don't say'". MVDBase.com (video). ASG. 1998–2017. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
8. Groman, Winston (January 1, 2014). "Jon B - Village Voice". The Village Voice. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
9. "Jon B, Don't Say (FFM 664848 1 – Europe)". cdandlp.com. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
10. "Jon B, Don't Say (36K 78614 – US)". cdandlp.com. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
11. "Jon B Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
12. "Jon B Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
13. "Jon B Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved April 1, 2025.