Mary J Blige - Growing Pains Album Review

Mary J Blige

Growing Pains

Album Review

Mary J Blige releases her latest album 'Growing Pains' on Geffen Records. I guess the question is who doesn't know Mary J Blige? Indeed fans of her previous work will love this but Mary J transcends musical genres and that's why she's so well known. She's arguably one of the greatest female singers of our time and she's still firing at full blast with great vocal displays and powerful lyrics.

Her albums have always shown the soul and angst of sensitive woman who has come through pain with uplifting positivity. 'Growing Pains' is no exception. There are some real heartfelt moments like 'Feel Like A Women' and 'Hurt Again'. There's the upbeat body shakers like the released single 'Just Fine' which to me is a dance floor classic. There are some amazing displays of vocals on 'Roses' and 'Talk To Me' and some great soul numbers like 'Stay Down' and 'Shake Down' featuring Usher. The production is first class with all the roots of r'n'b that work well with a fantastic mature female soul singer.

There's no denying the royalty status of Mary J Blige. Most people want to work with her as she truly has an amazing and powerful voice. But what shows that Mary J Blige is no phase is the sincerity of her conviction that stirs the emotion of any soulful person, and the message she's giving from a woman's perspective will last forever. 'Growing Pains' shows the crown belongs to Mary J and we look forward to hearing more gems in the future.

Tareck Ghoneim