In 1992, Blige released her debut album What's The 411?. The album sold 3.4 million copies on the strength of singles You Remind Me, Real Love, Reminisce, Sweet Thing, and Love No Limit. The album pioneered a new genre known as Hip-Hop Soul and is credited with influencing the marriage of Hip-Hop and R&B.
In 1994, Blige released her sophomore album My Life. Blige wrote or co-wrote fourteen of the seventeen album tracks. Supported by singles Be Happy, Mary Jane (All Night Long), I'm Goin' Down, and You Bring Me Joy, the album sold over three million copies and was certified 3x platinum by the RIAA in 1996. It has since been included in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Not Gon' Cry, a 1996 single written and produced by Babyface for Waiting To Exhale soundtrack (1995), peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Blige's highest charting single of the 1990s. The same year, Blige won her first Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for her performance on I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By by Method Man.
On April 22, 1997, Blige released her third album, Share My World on MCA Records. Blige cut ties with producers Sean Combs and Chucky Thompson and worked with the likes of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Rodney Jerkins, Babyface, R. Kelly, and Poke & Tone. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with sales of 240,000 copies, Blige's first to do so. Supported by singles Love Is All We Need, I Can Love You, Everything, Missing You, and Seven Days. Share My World was certified 3x platinum by the RIAA and sold nearly 4 million copies in U.S.
In Summer 1998, Blige embarked on the Share My World Tour, which resulted in a Gold-certified live album released later that year, simply titled The Tour. The album spawned one single, Misty Blue.
On August 17, 1999, Blige's fourth album, titled Mary was released. It marked a departure from her more familiar hip hop-oriented sound; this set featured a more earthy, whimsical, and adult contemporary-tinged collection of songs. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 239,000 copies in its first week. It spent 57 weeks on the chart and produced four charting singles: All That I Can Say, Deep Inside, Give Me You, and Your Child. Though not as successful as prior releases, the album still sold 2.1 million copies in the U.S. and was nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Album.
On August 28, 2001, MCA released Blige's fifth studio album, No More Drama. The album's first single, Family Affair (produced by Dr. Dre) became her first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for six consecutive weeks. Two other singles, Dance For Me and No More Drama were released, with the latter becoming a Top 20 hit. On January 29, 2002, the album re-released and featured three new songs, one being Rainy Dayz, which was released as a single and became another Top 20 hit for Blige. No More Drama has since sold 3.2 million copies in the U.S. and 5 million copies worldwide.
In 2003, Blige won her second Grammy (and first as a lead artist) for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "He Think I Don't Know".
On August 26, 2003, Blige's sixth album Love & Life was released on Geffen Records (which had absorbed MCA Records.) Blige reunited with producer Sean Combs for the album. Despite the album debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and becoming Blige's fourth consecutive UK top ten album, Love & Life became Blige's then lowest selling album selling 1 million copies. Still, it was nominated for Grammy Best Contemporary R&B Album.
Geffen Records released Blige's seventh studio album, The Breakthrough on December 20, 2005. For the album, Blige collaborated with J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Rodney Jerkins, will.i.am, Bryan-Michael Cox, 9th Wonder, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Raphael Saadiq, Cool and Dre, and Dre & Vidal. It debuted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Selling 727,000 copies in its first week, it became the biggest first-week sales for an R&B solo female artist in SoundScan history. The official lead single, Be Without You peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, while peaking at number one on the R&B chart for a record-setting fifteen consecutive weeks. In March 2017, Billboard Magazine ranked "Be Without You" as the most successful R&B/Hip-Hop Song of all time. The song was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year and won the Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance categories at the 2007 Grammy Awards. Other singles included Top 40 Hit Enough Cryin, Top Five R&B song Take Me As I Am, and UK Top Three Hit One. The Breakthrough won the Grammy for Best R&B Album in 2007.
In December 2006, a compilation called Reflections (A Retrospective) was released. It contained many of Blige's greatest hits and four new songs, including the worldwide lead single We Ride (I See the Future). The album peaked at number nine in the U.S, selling over 170,000 copies in its first week, while reaching number forty in the UK. It has sold more than 1.6 million copies.
Blige's eighth studio album, Growing Pains, was released on December 18, 2007, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It sold 629,000 copies in its week and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The album won Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2009. It spawned the Top 40 Hit Just Fine.
Blige's ninth studio album, Stronger with Each Tear, was released on December 21, 2009, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling 332,000 units in its first week of release. The album had sold 726,100 copies in the United States by April 2010, and was certified Gold by the RIAA on January 6, 2011.
Blige was honored at the 2009 BET Honors Ceremony and was paid tribute by Anita Baker and Monica.
Blige's tenth studio album, My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1), was released in November 2011. The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, selling 156,000 copies in the first week; it was eventually certified Gold in 2012 and has sold 763,000 in the US.
A Mary Christmas, Blige's first holiday album, was released on October 15, 2013 through Matriarch and Verve Records. In early December, A Mary Christmas became Blige's 12th top ten album after it rose to #10 in its eighth week and was certified Gold by the RIAA.
Think Like A Man Too, which serves as Blige's 12th studio album, was released on June 17, 2014. On Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, the soundtrack album charted at number six, marking Blige's 16th top ten entry on the chart, tying her with Mariah Carey for the second-most top tens by a female artist.
Following her concert date at the Essence Festival, on July 9, 2014 it was announced Blige would move to London to experiment with a new sound for her new album. Blige spent a month in London recording her album in RAK Studios with a host of young British acts, including Disclosure, Naughty Boy, Emeli Sandé and Sam Smith. Twelve new songs, co-written and recorded by the singer, were released on November 24, 2014 on an album entitled The London Sessions. The album received acclaim and was included on many Best Albums of 2014 lists. The album debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 and number one on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, with 55,000 albums sold and 2,000 shifted in album-equivalent units. It became her 13th top ten entry on the Billboard 200 and her tenth number one entry on Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums.
Following a heavily publicized divorce from her husband and manager Kendu Isaacs, Blige released her thirteenth studio album Strength of a Woman on April 28, 2017. Supported by Urban AC hit singles Thick of It and U + Me (Love Lesson), Strength of a Woman debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 on the issue dated ending May 20, 2017, with 78,000 album-equivalent units, selling 72,000 standard copies in its first week. It became Blige's highest-charting album since 2009's Stronger with Each Tear, and her tenth top five entry on the chart.
In 2017, Blige starred in the period drama film Mudbound directed by Dee Rees. Playing Florence Jackson, the matriarch of her family. For her performance in Mudbound, Blige was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also received nominations for Best Original Song for Mighty River, becoming the first person nominated for an Academy Award for acting and original song in the same year.
On July 12, 2018, Blige released a new single, titled Only Love.
Our Love
Mary J. Blige Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shining brightly beside me
And if we keep this love
It would last through all eternity
Just the way we are
Our love story
It's just the way it should be
'Cause our love
Will stand tall as the trees
Our love
Will spread as wide as the sea
Our love
Will shine bright in the night
Like the stars above
And we'll always be together
Our love
My love is surely one thing
You can surely depend on
In times of darkness and fear
I go to you
I know you'll make me strong
You're gonna make me happy
You're gonna make me smile
Our love
Will stand tall as the trees
Our love
Will be for the whole world to see
Our love
Will change people's wrongs to rights
And will never die
'Cause we'll always have each other
'Cause our love
Will stand tall as the trees
Our love
Will spread as wide as the sea
Our love
Will shine bright in the night
Like the stars above
And we'll always be together
Our love
Break it down
Just a little
Because love is soft, love is sweet
Love is nice, love is gentle
Love is joy, love is pain
Love is laughing in the rain
I got love on my mind
Love is always right on time
Love is you, love is me
Love is just a little baby
(our love) I got love on my mind
Love is always right on time
Love is you, love is me
Love is gonna set me free
(Our love)
The song "Our Love" by Mary J. Blige is a beautiful tribute to everlasting love. The opening lines of the song "You're my morning star, shining brightly beside me" express the joy and comfort that one experiences when they are in love. The singer then goes on to say that if they keep this love, it will last through all eternity. This speaks to the power and longevity of true love.
The lyrics then emphasize the strength and resilience of their love, stating that it will stand tall as the trees and spread as wide as the sea. This use of natural imagery conveys a sense of stability and permanence. The singer believes that their love will shine bright in the night, like the stars above, and it will never die because they will always have each other.
The latter part of the song emphasizes the many facets of love, from the soft and sweet to the joy and pain that it can bring. However, through it all, love remains a constant source of strength and happiness. The overall message of the song is that true love is something that is worth cherishing, and that it can weather any storm if nurtured and cared for.
Line by Line Meaning
You're my morning star
You are the star that illuminates my life and guides me through the darkness of the morning.
Shining brightly beside me
You are always by my side, radiating happiness and positivity in my life.
And if we keep this love
If we hold on to this love and nurture it, it will last forever.
It would last through all eternity
Our love will transcend time, it will exist forever and will not be bound by the limitations of the earthly world.
Just the way we are
Our love is perfect for us and we don't need to change anything about it.
Our love story
Our love is a beautiful story that we are writing together, one day at a time.
It's just the way it should be
Our love is exactly as it should be, with all its imperfections and complexities.
'Cause our love
The reason for our love is...
Will stand tall as the trees
Our love will be strong and enduring like the tall and majestic trees that stand the test of time.
Will spread as wide as the sea
Our love will encompass the vastness of the sea, and will be as boundless as the ocean itself.
Will shine bright in the night
Our love will be radiant and brilliant, illuminating the darkest of nights and spreading warmth and joy around us.
Like the stars above
Our love will be like the stars shining in the sky, a constant reminder of the beauty and wonder of the universe.
And we'll always be together
Our love will always keep us together, in good times and bad, and will never let us part.
My love is surely one thing
My love for you is a definite and unchanging thing, that you can always rely on.
You can surely depend on
You can always count on the strength and steadfastness of my love for you.
In times of darkness and fear
When life gets scary and uncertain, I know that I can turn to you for comfort and peace.
I go to you
I seek solace in your loving arms and the safety of your embrace.
I know you'll make me strong
Your love empowers me and gives me the strength to overcome any obstacle that life may throw our way.
You're gonna make me happy
You bring me immense joy and happiness, and I am grateful for you every day.
You're gonna make me smile
Your presence alone is enough to bring a smile to my face and brighten up my day.
Will be for the whole world to see
Our love will be so strong and pure, that it will be visible to the whole world, and will inspire others to love deeply and passionately.
Will change people's wrongs to rights
Our love has the power to transform the world, and will inspire others to do good and make the world a better place.
And will never die
Our love will never cease to exist, even after we are gone, it will live on, a testimony to the depth and beauty of our bond.
'Cause we'll always have each other
Our love will always keep us together, even when everything else comes crashing down, we will always have each other to hold on to.
Break it down
Let's dive deeper into the true nature of love.
Because love is soft, love is sweet
Love is gentle and tender, like the sweetest delicacy that touches your heart and fills you up with warmth.
Love is nice, love is gentle
Love is kind and compassionate, a source of comfort and understanding that makes life worth living.
Love is joy, love is pain
Love is a rollercoaster of emotions, that brings both happiness and sorrow, but makes life much richer and meaningful.
Love is laughing in the rain
Love is being carefree and spontaneous, enjoying the simple things in life like a walk in the rain or a cozy evening at home.
I got love on my mind
My mind is preoccupied with thoughts of love, and the overwhelming feeling of affection that you inspire in me.
Love is always right on time
Love is perfect in its timing, even when it seems to come at the most unexpected and inconvenient moments.
Love is you, love is me
Love is the connection between two souls, the bond that ties us together as one and completes us.
Love is just a little baby
Love is innocent and pure, like a newborn baby, yet it has the ability to grow and flourish into something beautiful and special.
Love is gonna set me free
Love is liberating and freeing, it releases us from our fears and insecurities, and allows us to be ourselves.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charles Jackson, Marvin Yancy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind