Courtesy of EBONY.com
What happens when your favorite music artists move on?
They move on to a new school of thought, a new relationship, religion, or even a different music genre all together. They move away from the people, places or things that inspired their music—the music you loved so much. What do you do then?”
I remember how I felt the first time I listened to Mary J. Blige’s iconic album, My Life. I was only 13-years-old, but I belted each song out in my bedroom like I knew the exact pain she felt. I could feel it radiating through my boombox’s speakers, and oddly, it was a great feeling for me. I didn’t know that those words and rugged voice were by-products of abusive relationships, hurt and addiction.
Nearly 20 years later (has it been that long?), Blige is still singing, but it’s all about her drama-free life and real, real love thanks to her husband, sobriety and a better self-image. If we’re honest, though we were happy for our sister’s breakthrough, her new music was missing something. It lacked the grit and grime that made us cry over her tracks. The “Happy Mary” was a little too happy and kind of boring.
