The Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul Mary J Blige is set to release her 9th studio album, the title of which has been unveiled as ‘Stronger’, on November 24th via Geffen Records.
Preceding the record is buzz single ‘The One’, which currently features in the latest AT&T commercial (click here to watch). While the next single to be lifted from the set is the title track, the unmastered version of which you can hear by clicking here. ‘Stronger’ will also feature on the soundtrack to ‘More Than A Game’, a basketball documentary about NBA star LeBron James, which arrives in theatres in the US on September 22nd.
Speaking on the album, Mary said:
“The album represents who and what I am right now. I’m a stronger human being after all the growing pains. It’s about life, love, change, strength—mostly really knowing who you are and being confident in that.”
I know I may catch some flack for this, but I’m gonna need Ms. Blige to start humming a new tune when it comes to what her albums are about. Lord knows that quote could and has been used to describe her last album ‘Growing Pains’, the one before that ‘The Breakthrough’, and others before that. While every artist has their ‘lane’, it just looks a little creatively-starved on Mary’s part, you know…as if she’s just going through the motions. Couldn’t she hit us with a concept record or something fresh? What’s more, the new material seems kinda ‘just there’.
Little rant aside, I hope what Mary serves up this go round appeases the doubt I currently have in my mind, because she really is an asset to the industry and it would be a shame if she made the mistake so many continue to make – getting too ‘comfortable’.
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