Mary J. Blige – Hello beauty
According to an idiom popularized by rapper and “businessman” Jay-Z, “men lie and women lie, but numbers don’t.” So even by this simple metric, Mary J. Blige has “the numbers” that count: more than 70 million albums sold, fifteen albums, nine Grammy Awards, two Oscar nominations and… oh yes, that single crown that crowned her “the queen of hip-hop soul” . “For decades, Mary’s music has combined the bravado of hip-hop and the authenticity of R&B, held together by the connective tissue of her own personal struggles, so transparent and raw that every listener could identify with it. If its release in 2017, The strength of a womanwas about righteous outrage and purging a toxic marriage, so consider his brand new ensemble, Hello beauty, like a reflective journal of the experience, offering glimpses of her journey, her reflections, and of course, the status quo.
Since her debut in 1991, Mary has always invited us to “look into my life”, and of course, GMG is no exception. The inspiration behind the title/mission statement is laid bare in an interlude, revealing that “When I was going through all this bad [expletive] in my life, I started waking up and saying “hello Gorgeous”. No matter what I was doing or going through, hungover or not, crazy or not crazy… the way a person (*cough cough* Kendu Issacs?) bit me, ripped me and made me stare at myself like I’m nothing, I stand up now and say it.” The mantra is one each of us can incorporate, along with the party anthem “hunty yaaassss,” “Amazing” (featuring DJ Kaled): “My crib is so big that I tell guests to use a card, he wants to play house, I ask him, ‘where’s the fun in that?'” “On Top”, featuring Fivio Foreign, is another flex, and the nimble but powerful “Rent Money” finds Mary pulling back from a less than reciprocal union and picking up the broken pieces:”I knew the risk, as soon as we kissed, there wasn’t even an exchange / You treat everybody like they famous, every girl like they’re the main girl, amazing.”
Not that Ms. Blige is done whipping or licking wounds: Her heart is bare and exposed on “Enough” and “Here With Me,” featuring Anderson.Paak, and moments like “Love Without the Heartbreak” have her yearning. to the peaks minus the valleys, thank you very much:“If I could take the best of love, I could do without / I’d take all the [expletive] and the part about your ex [expletive].” All the money, glamorous teams and stature can’t save us from wasted potential (“Falling In Love”) or loneliness (“Need Love”), and that’s what keeps fans loyal to their queen. This is precisely why Mary J. Blige is part of the star-studded Superbowl halftime performance hours later. GMG release: his ability and insistence on leaving everything on the wax (figuratively speaking)…and the stage.
Let’s face it: there’s little Mary hasn’t accomplished since her debut in 1991, What is 411, and therefore there is little left to prove to His Highness. But that doesn’t mean that Hello beauty is not a worthy set, or that Ms. Blige has ceased to be a complex and compelling performer. So pour yourself a drink, copy it, collect and immerse yourself in the tracks that speak to you the most. Isn’t this what you deserve……Gorgeous? Highly recommended.
By Melody Charles
#Mary #Blige #Gorgeous #Review
