Just Mary: For Her 48th Birthday, Mary J. Blige Let Us Know She's Even Better in a Bikini

This time last year, Mary J. Blige was paving the way for Lady Gaga’s current awards season as a two-time Oscar nominee in both the Supporting Actress and Best Song categories for her work in Mudbound—and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her 47th birthday. She was also celebrating her hard-won success with an array of dazzling looks, serving face and award-worthy style in spite of a contentious divorce from former manager Kendu Isaacs.

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This year, Blige’s life might be (momentarily) quieter, but she’s celebrating #CapricornSeason by putting in that werk (because we all know how Caps like to work). The star blessed us with a series of swimsuit photos taken while vacationing in Los Cabos, Mexico—or São Paulo, Brazil, depending on who’s posting (photographer Robert Ector tagged Los Cabos, so that’s what we’re going with). Having turned 48 on Friday, Blige is admirably bodied, joining the likes of fellow 48-year-old Naomi Campbell, Halle Berry (52) and Angela Bassett (60) in reminding us that things only get better with age—if you want them to.

“LIVIN’ MY BEST FUCKIN’ LIFE!” she captions the first of her daily pics, wearing a neon pink, animal print bikini on the beach, accessorized with bedazzled sunglasses. And what bikini is complete without oversized hoops?

Blige kept the animal prints going, taking her slay out to sea on a yacht with a pair of Gucci shades, a Nefertiti medallion (because, queen), a headful of Beyoncé-worthy naturally-textured blond tresses, and, of-course, her all-female squad.

And just because Blige has declared no more drama in her dancery doesn’t mean she can’t still strike a dramatic pose. Wearing a coppery monokini that played off her curves while posing on an open-air staircase, Blige’s message is clear: She’s only going up from here. In the coming year, we can look forward to seeing her in Netflix’s new series Umbrella Academy and in the police brutality-themed horror-thriller Body Cam.

And what is Mary’s wish for her next run around the sun? “I believe that everything our hearts desire, will be.” So do we, Mary. Because all we really want is for you to be happy (and us, too).