Even for the most dedicated Mary J. Blige fan, news of a new album might not necessarily trigger the excitement it used to. Blige has managed to continue to be largely successful through her albums and subsequent tears, but the newer material has often been the equivalent of catfish that you let cool for too long. Like, itβs not bad, and indeed, itβs still nourishing, but you prefer it hotter, like youβre used to.
Thankfully, Bligeβs most recent release, Strength of a Woman, has me singing βTemperatureβs rising β¦ ,β only not like that pervert youβre now thinking of.
Suggested Reading
In lieu of a traditional review, here are all of the reasons to love this album and where Blige is going in her career.
In the first 30 seconds of βSet Me Free,β the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul sings: βTell me how you figure that you made me and you gave me what I had before I met ya/Ainβt gonβ have it when you gone?/And how you fix your mouth to say I owe you when you had another bitch and taking trips and shit with my money/You must done lost it/Nigga, you wonβt get a dime.β
Mary J. Blige hates the fuck out of her soon-to-be ex-husband, Kendu Isaacs. To wit, she also sings on the same song, βThereβs a special place in hell for you/You gonβ pay for what you did to me.β While I try to figure out if I can conduct a sΓ©ance to help Blige get the revenge on her deadweight that she deserves, I am appreciating the anger.
What I liked about this albumβs first two releases, βThick of Itβ and βU & Me (Love Sessions),β is that each song sounds current without trying too hard. Not everyone is as successful with similar pursuits. See Mariah Careyβs βI Donβt.β Bless her heart.
In any event, this pattern continues on other tracks, like βItβs Meβ and the instant body-roll-inducing βTelling the Truth,β featuring Kaytranada and BadBadNotGood. However, my favorite example of this is βGlow Up,β featuring DJ Khaled (basically just breathing), Missy Elliott (not first-place verse, but honorable mention is better than a participation award), and the BeyoncΓ© of Migos, Quavo. Quavo and Blige are (somewhat) strangely sublime together. Iβm surprised that Blige hasnβt recorded with Future yet, but after βGlow Up,β I would not be opposed to more MJB-Quavo collaborations. It is by far my favorite track because itβs basically a fuck-you to Isaacs that you can aggressively bop to in the club.
Speaking of, with this track and the overall album, Blige sounds like the cool auntie versus that desperate auntie who ferociously tries to prove to all that sheβs still got it. Some of us know this auntie: the one who invites herself to the club with you after Thanksgiving dinner. That is not my Mary J. Blige. My Mary J. Blige is the one I canβt wait to bring because this album slaps and I canβt wait to buy her the finest cognac and join her in that same ass dance she does (which is legendary choreography, TBH).
I cannot wait to join, at the looming tour, the aunties, the gay uncles, the white people who discovered her sometime between the Elton John sample and first hearing of the word βdancerie,β and the straight black men forced to come because theyβve done messed up with their girls once again. Like, Iβve already prepared my frown and sway while holding a cup of cognac to βThank You.β I know I will be waving one hand in the air to βIndestructibleβ as Blige ministers to the crowd. Depending on the set list, I may shed a tear or 19 to βSurvivor.β
Even on the later Mary J. Blige albums that bring about the same feelings as her older material, there are always a couple of gems on each. That said, Strength of a Woman is her strongest and most cohesive release in years. Obviously, working from a place of scorn and sadness over the failure of her marriage has fueled her, so while I will not thank Isaacs for inspiring her by behaving like the ainβt-shit men she so often sings about, I advise fans to give Blige some sales and streams.
She needs to handle his ass in court, so we must support our girl. To that end, join me in prayer that she doesnβt have to give Isaacs shit in the divorce settlement.
Straight From
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