The soulful street singer who turned her rough childhood into a platinum career is back.
Mary J. Blige has jumped in feet first with her new release, ignoring the risks of a hasty career comeback, and has created an album that won’t sour on the ears of fans, old and new.
This is the same Queen of Hip Hop Soul that at the age of 17, brought us hits like “Real Love,” from her 1992 debut album, “What’s the 411?” Blige has returned to bring us another solid R&B release.
Originally slated to be a greatest hits release for last summer, Blige’s new album, “The Breakthrough,” released in December, transformed into one with all-new content.
Today, this 34-year-old musical maven uses her life experiences to enrich her lyrics and give her audience some food for thought. For this veteran diva, music isn’t just about entertainment, it’s about meaning. It seems nothing has changed. Her latest soulful release brings the old and new together.
Blige’s last release in 2003, “Love and Life,” was her lowest selling and biggest commercial disappointment to date, and even then, it still reached platinum status.
Blige and P. Diddy, who produced the last album, butted heads during its production, and parted professional ways after its release. Singles like “Ooh” and “Not Today” didn?t fare well, and made Blige?s musical and professional popularity plummet. It was then that Blige began to get the reputation of being a “bitch” in the industry, a label that put the limelight on her alone and not others who were involved.
“There were too many cooks in the kitchen, so I had to make a decision,” Blige tells andPOP.
“There are a lot of aggressive people (in the industry) and if you just listen to what they have to say, you end up going along without pleasing yourself. “(We) were arguing about a lot of stuff. I mean, I’m Mary J. Blige – I talk to my fans about what is important to me and what I feel in my heart. That’s not going to change.”
Blige says she still ensures her music is a reflection of herself. She believes her newest release is truly a Breakthrough is her career and personal life. Songs like “Take Me As I Am” and “Baggage” are examples of her spiritual and musical release.
Blige has become more mainstream than ever; so mainstream, fans can buy the album along with a tall Frapuccino at Starbucks — Blige’s new release is selling alongside the chocolate dipped biscotti and cinnamon mints. Blige also performed on “Dancing With the Stars,” the ABC celebrity dancing show. Blige was there to set the audience’s ears on fire with her newest single, “Be Without You.”
The lyrics are sentimental but seem to be missing something. The beginning of the song is produced in formulaic R&B format, but Blige redeems herself by the second verse, and starts to show off those Mary J. vocals. For Blige, ?No One Will Do,? except the man in her life, and this track welcomes her listeners with sentimental love-speak. ?Can?t Hide From Luv,? is a high-energy song with doesn?t deny the inevitable nature of love; Jay-Z agrees with supporting rap vocals. She also does good job with ?Good Woman Down,? but gives listeners only a small peak at her diary pages in this track.
Blige believes her new album is a step in the right direction and a reflection of changing times.
“Naturally, I had to grow as an artist. If I just stayed with my original style, I’d be done,” Blige says. “I try not to focus too much on what other people are doing. I’ve never been a follower, but as an artist, you do tend to get caught up in peer pressure.”
When recording and selecting songs for her new release, instead of going along with what producers were pushing, Blige took her last album into consideration and executively produced the entire album. Her music is clearly different this time around.
“When you’re in the industry, sometimes you get complacent,” she says. “You listen to people in the industry. I had to be selfish and make the music that I wanted to make. Getting off drugs, off the alcohol, loving myself and loving others with no resentment is a big deal. I had to let go of a lot of baggage that was holding me back.”
This time around, Blige isn’t letting anything hold her back. She has big plans and huge dreams.
Fans will be in for a true old-school diva collaboration on her new LP and also on the silver screen. Besides using a sample from Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” for her Will.I.Am-produced track, “About You,” Blige has been approached by film buffs to play the renowned soul singer in an upcoming film. Casting agents think Blige is a good pick to play the songstress, with both singers having amazing talent and sorted pasts that affected their music.
Fans immediately called for a tour once The Breakthrough hit store shelves. But before she goes on tour, Blige says she wants to make sure she’s taking the right people along for the ride. Fellow veteran diva Mariah Carey and ambitious crooner Jamie Fox are among her top picks for consideration. In the meantime, Blige is shooting the video for her next single “Enough Cryin’” in Los Angeles this month.
Comebacks are difficult to predict. Some artists feel pressured sell their style to a younger crowd and change their style altogether. Some do well, and some don’t. Blige has keyed up her beats and lyrics to please her younger fans, but also didn?t turn many of her loyal followers away with “The Breakthrough. ”
For Blige, the saying holds true — you really can?t hold a good woman down.
