Mary J. Blige enlists H.E.R., DJ Khaled for her two new songs
The nine-time Grammy winner dropped the singles "Good Morning Gorgeous" and "Amazing" on Thursday.
Mary J. Blige season is imminent. Fans are enjoying watching her expand her acting chops on season two of Starz series Power Book II: Ghost, and the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul has now also released new music.
On Thursday, Blige, 50, dropped two brand new singles, “Good Morning Gorgeous” and “Amazing,” featuring DJ Khaled. The two new tracks come as the nine-time Grammy winner inches closer to releasing her next studio album, due to arrive early 2022, according to Pitchfork.
Blige is known for her female empowerment anthems, and “Good Morning Gorgeous” finds her singing about loving and accepting herself for who she is after grappling with self-doubt.
“Second guessing, it don’t help me/I’m so tired of feeling empty/dry my eyes, it’s time to fight,” Blige sings. The song was accompanied by a music video, directed by Eif Rivera, featuring Blige in sexy swimsuits and Black lingerie.
She co-wrote the bluesy, slow tempo affirmation with H.E.R., Lucky Daye, Tiara Thomas and D’Mile. H.E.R. and D’Mile, who both won an Oscar this year for the song “Fight For You,” also produced the track. D’Mile is also the co-producer of An Evening with Silk Sonic.
The second single, “Amazing,” is a hip hop inspired track produced by Khaled, along with Streetrunner and Azzouz, who wrote the song with Denisia Andrews, Brittany Coney, Willie Cobbs and Ellas McDaniels.
Although “Amazing” has a different sonic feel “Good Morning Gorgeous,” the lyrical sentiment remains the same, with Blige on the other side of acceptance and celebrating life.
“Every day like my birthday, bring the cake in,” Blige sings on the hook. “I feel good, I feel great, man, I feel amazing.”
Blige’s newfound happiness comes after her last album, 2017’s Strength of a Woman, dealt with the pain and turmoil of heartbreak and divorce. Her divorce from music manager Kendu Isaacs was finalized in 2018.
Blige appeared on The Tamron Hall Show earlier this week to discuss the thematic shift on her forthcoming album and in her life.
“Wait till you hear it, it’s gonna blow everybody’s mind,” Blige told Hall. “And it’s because it’s something I had to do, and something I had to say when I was in my darkest, darkest moments in that life, to build myself up to this person that I can see and accept my nose, accept my eyes, accept my cheeks, accept all the things that I used to hate.”
Blige made music of out those dark moments, with songs like “Not Gon’ Cry,” “Take Me As I Am” “Thick of It,” and “No More Drama.” This past June, she released the documentary, Mary J. Blige’s My Life, about her triple-platinum 1994 sophomore album that resonated with other women going through heartbreak, betrayal, and self-loathing.
The direction of the new album appears to reflect more of her exuberant hits like “Family Affair,” and “Just Fine.”
“Working on this new album has been so much fun,” Blige stated in a press release. “I’m excited for my fans to hear these first two songs to give them a taste of what’s to come. I’m grateful to all my collaborators and partners who have walked with me through this process and even more grateful to my fans who I hope have a blast with this new music.”
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