She made her soul references more flagrant - prominent samples of soothing R&B litter the album, offering a guiding rail for older listeners - even as her writing became more pointed and blunt: Much of My Life plays like a therapy session, as Blige confesses crippling dependence and tries to coach herself into healthier ways of thinking. Diddy and Chucky Thompson on My Life ‘s 17 tracks. Blige sees My Life not only as the moment she “started speaking to my fans” but also as “the place where I survived.” That narrative of survival, of walking through the fire only to emerge stronger on the other side, has been central to her career ever since few performers are as open about their struggles and their psychic toll as Blige.įollowing the success of her 1992 debut, What’s the 411?, Blige tightened her creative circle, working primarily with producers P. But there’s one project that has particular importance for her: “I have 13 albums, but my second, My Life, is my most important,” she says in a new documentary commemorating the LP, originally released in 1994. Blige has a long, illustrious career, riddled with Top Ten hits, million-selling albums, Grammys, and Oscar nominations. We are thrilled to bring together such an incredible array of talented, record-breaking musicians to put on a performance for the ages.Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar will prove to be an epic, unforgettable celebration of the impact hip hop has today. Dre and Snoop Dogg were at the forefront of the West Coast hip hop revolution, so to be able to bring them back to LA, where it all began alongside Eminem, Mary J.

It’s something I had to do, and something I had to say when I was in my darkest, darkest moments in that life, to build myself up to this person that I can see and accept my nose, accept my eyes, accept my cheeks, accept all the things that I used to hate.”Īs for her highly-anticipated halftime performance, Todd Kaplan, Pepsi’s marketing VP, said of the grandiose lineup in a release: “Artists like Dr.

Blige rocks a bikini at a beach in Miami on Decem(BACKGRID)ĭuring an appearance on the Tamron Hall Show in November, the R&B singer said the album will “blow everybody’s mind.” Mary teased, “Wait till you hear it. I’m grateful to all my collaborators and partners who have walked with me through this process and even more grateful to my fans who I hope have a blast with this new music.” Mary J. I’m excited for my fans to hear these first two songs to give them a taste of what’s to come. In a press release, Mary said of the forthcoming album, per NME, “Working on this new album has been so much fun.

Mary j blige my life youtube