Mary J. Blige Just Fine

We all know the story about Mary J. Blige’s harsh beginnings, difficult childhood, and drug abuse that chronicled her personal life in the 90s. While we respect the struggle, we also have grown to love and appreciate the new and refreshed Mary who has traded “I’m going down/ ‘cuz you ain’t around”, and pleading to a man “I can love you better than she can”, for a woman belting out tunes like “no more drama” and “just fine”.

One aspect of Mary that stays true is her genuineness and ability to not get caught in the crazy music industry hype - something most artists are unable to escape. Mary does not sweat the small stuff. Mary is not a R&B songstress who discredits new and talented songstresses, unlike some singers we need not mention, Mary does not feel the need to mimic the younger singers, unlike some singers we need not mention, and most of all, she understands her legend and the power behind it. She doesn’t dilute the formula that made her popular in the first place by trading her image for a new one with each album. If Mary changes, it’s because she actually goes through a transformation, not because someone is behind her pulling the strings. Of course, she has sought out new sounds and tested her abilities to create new music, but all in all, she reigns true to herself.
Mary J. Blige’s new endeavor, a second perfume fragrance following her debut perfume My Life from last year proves she is further branding herself. Unlike some veteran R&B singers, Mary is not focusing on recreating her image with each album, or sounding like a knock off of another singer in the music industry. Perhaps, because she knows that those formulas rarely work. Instead, her formula is expanding her name and focus on other projects where she knows she can excel. She’s using her fame to inspire others to buy her product, and from what it seems, it’s a pretty damn good product. So all other veteran R&B singers, get a pad and take some notes.

Photo via HSN.com

Here He Stands

I certainly overlooked Usher's latest album although I did have select songs from it, I neglected to listen to it all the way through. Part of that may have been it doesn't seem as much hype followed the release of Here I Stand. I loved loved his 2004 release of Confessions. Every song off of it was fresh, talked about real life issues in love, deception, and lust. I was impressed that he had grown up from the days of 8701 and before that when he was only touching the iceberg of relationships.

However, as far as grown man status goes Confessions has nothing on Here I Stand. I still like Confessions probably better, but there's a new sense of maturity in his latest release. Usher's grown as a man in general, he put away his player card and got married and had a son. That definitely shows in his music ; not that he doesn't have a few songs that are made for a dance floor. "Love in this Club"is certainly no ballad or anything deep. However, "Trading Places", "Here I Stand", "Moving Mountains", and the like have shown he's here to make some grown man music carrying on a position that Babyface once had when he expressed vulnerability, passion, and understanding of relationships in music.

I hate when I've slept on an album for a month or almost a year only to discover it's really on point, but better late than never.

The Way That I Love You

R&B's Ashanti is no stranger to drama. Since debuting with her first single, "Foolish" in 2002 she's been linked romantically from the likes of her her boss, Irv Gotti to having a publicly clandestine relationship(if there is such a thing) with rapper Nelly, and in recent interviews both Ja Rule and Irv Gotti express their thoughts that the former Princess of the Inc. did not maintain loyalty when the label suffered hard times.

With a past infused with drama, it's no surprise Ashanti's latest music video, "The Way That I Love You", draws off a plot of deception, devastation and vengeance by a scorned woman. What makes the video stand out is certainly not the concept which has been done before (think "Ring the Alarm" without Beyoncé and incessant sirens in the background), but Ashanti's vocals on this song. Irv Gotti has criticized Ashanti's decision to work with mainly producers outside The Inc. but if this song is any preview of what's to come I wanted to hear more.

Does the woman scorned by a no good man story every get old? Some would say yes, but it sure makes for one hell of a song. Painfully singing about the love of her life who she has been faithful to stepping out on their relationship Ashanti masters a common topic with authenticity. In an industry littered with pretty young things Ashanti steps it up a notch and knocks on maturity's door. The singer always did have a tolerable smooth voice, but her vocals really stand out on this track. With so much passion on this song you definitely know they're singing from personal experience.

Ashanti's album The Declaration is scheduled to be released June 3rd.

Mariah Wants You To Touch Her

Musical femme fatale Mariah Carey is back with her single, "Touch My Body". Her new album E=MC2 is slated to be released in the U.S on April 15th. Following the formula for most of her first singles "Touch My Body" is filled with playful, flirty lyrics laced with a sensual tone and a beat that keeps your attention. As a Mariah fan I'm sure I'll grow a liking to some of the other tracks on the new album. While critics have reveled in challenging the pop/r&b diva to hang up the mic unless she's singing ballads I still love Mariah Carey and basically anything she puts out. Her ability hit high notes and strum songs in her airy voice could convince me to like a song about icecream and lemon drops if she sung about it.

"Touch My Body" is co-written by R&B longtime hitmaker and new R&B soloist, The-Dream and produced by M.C herself and Tricky Stewart. The video concept featuring a Geek Squad nerd coming to fix Mariah Carey's computer who watches as she roams around in lingerie and revealing outfits is a little cheezy it's still worth viewing.