Not so tickled by Mary J. Blige's "Just Fine," the first single to her latest Growing Pains? Neither was I – at first. It grew on me, I admit, but it's still a few shades lighter than the bright, self-esteem-boosting anthem "Work That." Unlike "Just Fine," which struggles to score a melody, the second single (and the one heard in the ubiquitous iTunes commercial) is a glowing, hard-hitting crunk catch. Mary's hella strong voice rides over an empowering Oprah-like mantra, urging listeners to "work whatcha got." The soft-rock sound on album-closer "Come to Me (Peace)" is refreshing, especially once Mary stomps all over the final third. "Fade Away" and "What Love Is" are a consecutive duo of catchy mellow jams, while "Roses" is a fierce half-spoken track, where she insists: "It ain't all roses/Flowers and posing/It ain't all candy/This love stuff is demanding." No, it's not all roses – and even though married Mary is happier than she's ever been, she's still sorting out shit. And on Growing Pains, the follow-up to Grammy-winner The Breakthrough, she makes that clear, and that translates to some soulful sonic sweetness.
Mary J. Blige's "Growing Pains" is out Dec. 18. Was it another "Breakthrough"? Are Blige's "Growing Pains" painful enough to translate to crunk jams? Comment below.
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