What a time to be a Mary J. Blige fan! The veteran singer marks the 30th anniversary of the release of her debut What's The 411?, she's set to hit the stage at Sunday's Super Bowl halftime show and, most importantly, she's just dropped her 14th studio album Good Morning Gorgeous for the masses.
The album itself serves up Mary in a different light, with many of the songs presented here taking on a producer-driven approach rather than something that feels catered to the singer. That provides some interesting moments as we get to hear Mary in unfamiliar ways — especially on tracks like "Amazing" and "On Top" where she adapts a rap-singing style to fit the production. She also works with a slew of male guests (including Usher, Anderson .Paak and Fivio Foreign), who bring their own energy to the mix as MJB tries on a few new approaches. The set isn't really what you'd expect from a Mary J. Blige project, but those who have been riding with the singer from the beginning shouldn't be disappointed.
To mark the project's release, the singer also dropped the video for her recent single "Rent Money" featuring Dave East. She takes us to Las Vegas, the land of owed debts, as she flosses in designer looks while vamping on the casino floors and placing bets. However, while we think we know exactly what's happening in the clip, it seems that a more nefarious plot is being hatched by an all-female crew looking to collect their funds the ski-mask way. The heist goes down before our very eyes as Dave East kicks his verse while the ladies make their getaway and Mary gets what she's owed.
Peep the video for "Rent Money" as well as a stream of Good Morning Gorgeous in full below.
Mary J. Blige Good Morning Gorgeous [Amazon][Apple Music][Tidal]
