No way I could let this one get away--- one of the most powerful artists of our
time-- next to Faith of course! lol

Mary J Blige: “The Breakthrough”
“Still Here” An Album Review by Nfared Fourteen years. Seven studio albums.
Mary J’s career is the stuff dreams are made of; good dreams and bad dreams. We
have seen her at her worst; performing under the influence, struggling with
negative relationships, since her fist album she has lived a very public life.
Yet all those years ago, it was hard to imagine that the face hidden behind the
hat on her “What’s The 411?” CD cover would become a music icon. As she releases
her eighth studio album, “The Breakthrough”, her work is at its peak. Her
newness radiates in every song she sings; even when she sings about pain there
is the feeling that she reaches to her past only to elevate others. Her album
title is clearly more than just a name, it’s reality.

“No One Will Do” is the song of a woman in love. She begins honestly, “Seen
many men in my time/but none of them compares to mine/I ain’t gotta knock on
wood…” She shows her commitment despite external influences on the chorus,
“Don’t let nobody tell you nothing different/you’re the only one I’m needin/I
don’t want no one but you/baby no one will do.” She effortlessly moves from
being in love to being mad with love on the DarkChild produced “Enough Cryin”.
The jumpy track begins and there is almost a question of how Mary’s strong
vocals would fit; but she joins the beat like it’s her best friend. She sings
about how she has handled herself in definitive statements, be even with these
statements, she can be heard questioning herself, “…been chasing this fool
around/thinkin he gone hold me down/I would follow his lead thinkin I would
be/the one he’d keep around.” She is introspective and resilient in the chorus;
“I’ve had enough cryin, time to say bye bye/it’s time I do something for
me.” Almost like a story, she is at odds with herself as she falls back in love
with the next track, “About You”. She puts her soul on the table; “You’re
everything I ever wanted/everything I never wanted/and oh man can’t you see/what
you’re doing to me.” In the chorus, she speaks a love that is understood even
when not spoken, by simply saying, “You know how I feel about you.” Defiance is
the battle cry on “Good Woman Down”. She reaches out by talking at the beginning
of the song; “In my life, I seen it all…” This statement brings Mary closer to
the hearts of her fans because fans know the truth in what she speaks. She
brings the truth of her situation to the forefront with the phrase, “Felt like I
had enough/went to the edge of the ledge but I didn’t jump”. With “Baggage”,
Mary admits that she has some issues that she is still dealing with. She
confesses, “I know I do/some things that make you so confused/one minute I’m so
in love/and the next I can’t stand you.” She calls for
help and ensures her message is clear with the phrase, “All of this baggage in
me/don’t wanna make you pay for what someone else has done to me/I don’t know
what to do.” Rapheal Saadiq provides a soulful, old school sound for “I Found My
Everything”. This slow jam track is shockingly reminiscent of an Aretha Franklin
joint as she sings over piano keys, “…and there’s no better keeper/than you.”

Needle Meter
It’s difficult to find words that would define Mary J’s career. Yet her highs
and lows have been an example for thousands. She has in every way, and even by
her own admission, “seen it all”, yet she has risen to the top like she was
meant to be there the entire time. She has been deemed the “Queen Of Hip Hop
Soul”. While this is fitting, what is more appropriate is the fact the she now
seems to be the queen of her own life. Her message is in her music. Just listen.
Five Needles. Classic Album!!




















---------------------------------
Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Make PC-to-Phone Calls to the US (and 30+
countries) for 2¢/min or less.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]