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Album Review Mary
J. Blige - The Breakthrough Personally, I prefer hurt Mary over happy Mary. Some of my sistah's most heartfelt and extraordinary work has been done after sorry ass niggas like Case and that bird-chested K-Ci have done her wrong. Then there’s the content Mary that made songs with Elton John -- So, historically, it’s safe to say she’s a far superior artist when she’s being mistreated. I know, it sounds kinda messed up, but you know it’s true. It’s like comparing big Luther to small Luther; there’s really no comparison at all. Mary’s seventh full length studio album, The Breakthrough features a happily married woman. Yes, happily. Happily as in, “Oh, God this is sure to be a colossal disappointment.” I won’t lie, I was worried, but there couldn’t have been a better title for this record, because MJB seems to have made a breakthrough in her career by recording an exceptional album while maintaining a relationship with a man that ain’t driving her ass crazy to the point she gotta get drunk and/or high just to cope. Sometimes,
(well most of the time) it’s difficult for a sistah to honestly
be happy for another sistah, but I can truthfully say I’m
happy for Mary J. Furthermore, I’m almost as thankful for
her husband, Kendu Isaacs as Mary, herself because whatever that
brotha has given her has worked better than her latest rehab.
She’s not at all shy to talk about it either. As evidenced
by her smash lead single, Be Without You, along with
About You, Can’t Hide From Luv, So Lady – well,
more than half the album, is about how her black man has made
life better. She’s still Mary though, so she can’t
just forget about all the shit K-Ci, ‘nem and every other
man she’s ever known put her through. Because of that we
get standout tracks like Baggage, the inspirational Father
In You and my personal favorite song on the CD, Good
Woman Down. I’m telling y’all, the song is worth
the $9.99, alone. For the therapy she provides, you couldn’t
pay a shrink enough to do a better job. In
1994, Mary J. Blige said she wanted to be Happy. Over
ten years later, she looks like she’s finally achieved that
happiness and while that’s great for her and all, I’m
just Happy she was able to make a great album despite
it.
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As
a black woman, I’m fully aware that there are few things
we are assured of in this world. Three to be exact; a visit from
a “friend” every month, going through bullshit with
“men,” and getting through that bullshit with help
from a Mary J. Blige album. Whenever my man is testing my sanity
it’s a safe bet that I’m somewhere with a glass of
red wine listening to a Mary J. CD deciding whether he’s
really worth the trouble. Lord knows My Life and Share
My World kept me sane enough to make it out of undergrad.
