I participated in the Mary J Blige The London Sessions album review program as a member of One2One Network. I was provided a free album to review but all opinions are my own.
In an effort to shake things up and step out of her musical comfort zone, Mary J Blige spent a month in London writing and collaborating with some of the most exciting and popular artists in the UK – including Sam Smith, Disclosure, Emeli Sandé. The result is her highly anticipated album The London Sessions – which was released today (December 2, 2014).
Each of the collaborators worked with “Queen Mary” to create a new body of work driven by her one-of-a-kind voice.
Track Listing for The London Sessions, her 13th album.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Therapy” |
|
White | 3:23 | |
| 2. | “Doubt” |
|
3:59 | ||
| 3. | “Not Loving You” |
|
3:26 | ||
| 4. | “When You’re Gone” |
|
3:24 | ||
| 5. | “Right Now” |
|
Disclosure | 3:49 | |
| 6. | “My Loving” |
|
4:25 | ||
| 7. | “Long Hard Look” |
|
3:36 | ||
| 8. | “Whole Damn Year” |
|
Naughty Boy | 4:11 | |
| 9. | “Nobody But You” |
|
4:38 | ||
| 10. | “Pick Me Up” |
|
3:07 | ||
| 11. | “Follow” |
|
Disclosure | 4:08 | |
| 12. | “Worth My Time” |
|
3:28 | ||
|
Total length:
|
45:34 | ||||
I am in love with this new sound! It’s so fresh, captivating, and emotion-filled. I had it playing in the background while I was working and found myself sitting at my desk just listening to song after song, not doing any work. This is Mary J Blige at her best!
I have been a fan of Mary J Blige since I was in college and heard “Real Love” and “Sweet Thing” and ran out and purchased her CD What’s the 411? She has evolved so much over the past 22 years and continues to inspire me with her soulful voice.
“I know who I am and what I can do. With each album, it’s just me continuing to grow.” – Mary J Blige
I have to say the first song that really caught my ear was Doubt.
I love the message in the lyrics:
“You think you know, but you don’t know the half
You think you beat me down, but I’ll have the last laugh
I’ll keep getting up, cuz that’s what I want to do
I’m gonna be the best me, I’m sorry if it kills you.”
While I do LOVE the Amy Winehouse-esque sound of “Therapy”, my next favorite has to the Sam Smith written ballad “Not Loving You”. It’s soulful and delicate and actually gave me goosebumps.
Another favorite is “Right Now”. I immediately felt like getting up and dancing when I heard it the first time.
And again I love the lyrics:
“They don’t see what you do to me
From the outside
This can’t be what it used to be
From the outside
I’m telling you right now, I’m telling you right now
No, I won’t play this game with you
I’m taking it back now, I’m turning it right round
My love won’t be the same for you no more”
The disco-styled “My Loving” is another track that begs to be danced to. It starts off slow and lets you think it is another ballad, then BOOM the dance beat starts and my little chair dance begins 🙂 Thankfully I can dance BECAUSE nobody’s watching, well except for my dog Sparky, and he’s cool with it.
An inspirational and powerful performer, Mary J Blige knows the ups and downs of life. If you’ve ever seen her perform, you know the passion she brings to her everything she does. The London Sessions is full of meaningful moments and uplifting messages. Get ready for some “Therapy” in the form of a new Mary J Blige album!
“Pure, unadulterated and empowering. That has been Mary J. Blige’s calling card ever since her 1992 multi-platinum debut album, What’s the 411? And in the ensuing years, the singer/songwriter’s musical strong suit has attracted an intensely loyal fan base—responsible for propelling worldwide sales of more than 50 million albums. With a track record of eight multi-platinum albums, nine Grammy Awards (plus a staggering 29 nominations) and four American Music Awards, Blige is only getting started.”
Purchase The London Sessions today on or .
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I participated in the Mary J Blige The London Sessions album review program as a member of One2One Network. I was provided a free album to review but all opinions are my own.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought Therapy had an Amy Winehouse feel to it. This risk really paid off for her. I loved that she stepped a bit outside of her comfort zone of just regular R&B. I definitely think just listening to the lyrics, this is one of her more intimate albums. She addresses some of the situations like troubled and abusive relationships, low self-esteem and more.
Those are all things that she's talked very publicly about having experienced. This album gives me life every time I listen to it.
I'm always looking for new music to add to my mix, will definitely check this out!