Mary J. Blige – The London Sessions

Breaking out of her comfort zone this past summer, Mary J. Blige traveled overseas to London to become immersed in the culture and music scene following on the heels of such singers as Adele and Amy Winehouse. Her thirteenth studio album, The London Sessions, is slated for release this December with all that she has to offer including strong vocal chords and tons of emotion backed by strong lyrics and a number of collaborations with some of London's top artists.



Originally from New York, the singer grew up in a small town in Georgia (squee!) listening to R&B/soul musicians such as Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, and Patti Labelle. After dropping out of college and returning to New York, where she had been born, Blige was signed on to Uptown Records in 1989 with production on her first album set to begin in 1991. Rather quickly her music went straight to the billboard charts obtaining her first top 100 hit in the fall of 1992. Since her beginnings Mary J. Blige has received nine Grammy Awards (plus a staggering 31 nominations), a 2012 Golden Globe nomination, and four American Music Awards attracting a loyal fanbase and propelling the sale of over 50 million albums.

While Mary J. Blige had never been at the top of my listening repertoire, I was excited to get the opportunity to open up my mind and give The London Sessions a listen for One2One Network. I was not expecting to enjoy this album as much as I did. Even though I don't have a favorite song from the album, I was impressed and surprised by the large number of themes she sang about making me feel as though she really did try to reach out to her audience in a new way with this album. The London Sessions is definitely filled to the brim with soulful ballads and emotionally charged songs making the album very likeable for fans of multiple music genres including pop, R&B, and soul.



Interested in pre-ordering the album on amazon or itunes?

Be sure to check out Mary J. Blige's official website for more information or follow her on twitter or facebook to stay updated on all things Mary J. Blige. :)

Are you a fan of Mary J. Blige? Will you be anxiously awaiting the arrival of her new cd in stores on Dec. 2?

** I participated in the Mary J Blige The London Sessions album review program as a member of One2One Network. I was provided a free album to review but all opinions are my own.