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.
Therapy
Mary J. Blige Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why would I spend the rest of this year alone
When I can go therapy
When I can go therapy two times a day
Why would I spend the rest of this week so bitter
And all that listening is making you bitter too
When I can go therapy
When I can go therapy two times a day
I don't wanna be around me
And I don't blame you with you blocking all my calls
There no was since I been sleeping silent
Most nights I lie awake between you and Fall
Work stressing me out
And after all this time
Still not boring no
Why would I spend the rest of my days unhappy
Why would I spend the rest of this year alone
When I can go therapy
When I can go therapy two times a day
I care more about what you think
Than I care about the music
When I get cross with you
I'm surprised you care at all
I figure if I had a life time, more time love
Well, shame on me if I don't get used that well
I'm stressing you out
And at the way is going you need it more than me
Why would I spend the rest of my days unhappy
Why would I spend the rest of this year alone
When I can go therapy
When I can go therapy two times a day
Someone help me
Turn around
I'm a victim
Hate the sound of my own voice
Turn it down
And all I do is aggravation
Why would I spend the rest of my days so bitter
And all that listening is making you bitter too
When I can go therapy
When I can go therapy two times a day
In the song Therapy, Mary J. Blige is pondering why she would waste her time being unhappy when she has the option to go to therapy. She repeats the phrase "Why would I spend the rest of my days unhappy?" throughout the song, emphasizing the point that she doesn't see the point in having a miserable existence. She also acknowledges that her negative behavior is affecting those around her, admitting that "all that listening is making you bitter too."
The lyrics reveal that Mary J. Blige is having relationship problems and blaming herself for the issues. She feels like a burden to her partner, admitting "I'm stressing you out, and at the way it's going you need it more than me." She also realizes that her own self-doubt is holding her back, stating "I don't wanna be around me, and I don't blame you with you blocking all my calls." The lyrics suggest that therapy could help her overcome these issues and ultimately lead her to a happier life.
Line by Line Meaning
Why would I spend the rest of my days unhappy
Mary questions why she would choose to live her life unhappy.
Why would I spend the rest of this year alone
Mary questions why she should spend the year alone.
When I can go therapy
Mary realizes that instead of enduring the aforementioned struggles by herself, seeking help may be a better choice.
When I can go therapy two times a day
Mary emphasizes the importance of therapy by insinuating that going twice a day can help her.
Why would I spend the rest of this week so bitter
Mary asks why she should spend the rest of this week being bitter and unhappy.
And all that listening is making you bitter too
Mary acknowledges the fact that unloading her problems to others can bring them down as well.
I don't wanna be around me
Mary expresses her distaste and unhappiness with herself.
And I don't blame you with you blocking all my calls
Mary understands that her negative attitude has caused others around her to block her out of their lives.
There no was since I been sleeping silent
Mary feels that her silence is not worth anything and is therefore not helping her in any way.
Most nights I lie awake between you and Fall
Mary struggles with sleeplessness, frequently staying up thinking about her problems and feeling stuck between summer and fall.
Work stressing me out
Mary explains that work has been the cause of her stress.
And after all this time Still not boring no
Mary laments on how her stress from work has been ongoing and still has not become boring to her.
I care more about what you think Than I care about the music
Mary admits that her focus is more on what others think of her than her music.
When I get cross with you I'm surprised you care at all
Mary is taken aback when others still care for her despite getting upset with them.
I figure if I had a life time, more time love Well, shame on me if I don't get used that well
Mary acknowledges the importance of time in the pursuit of love and how it would be a waste if she does not give it everything she's got.
I'm stressing you out And at the way is going you need it more than me
Mary admits that her problems are also stressing out others and that they may need therapy more than her.
Someone help me Turn around I'm a victim
Mary pleads for someone to help her turn her life around since she feels like she is a victim to all her problems.
Hate the sound of my own voice Turn it down And all I do is aggravation
Mary dislikes hearing her own voice and recognizes that all she does is bring negativity and stress to herself and others.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: PHILLIP BRIAN WHITE, ANDREW DEROBERTS, JOSH JENKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@adriellesouza7471
oh G!rey's Anatomy... That scene with Callie and Arizona!!!!
@tywanaflowers4568
Mary been with me all my life!!thank you mary.
This is what I needed
@trita2413
YESSS loved that scene
@MsDevika14
This song always reminds me of Callie and Arizona from Grey's Anatomy.
@bredyfernandez1957
True it is sad how they divorced but they were never actually married and so
@siobhan_7386
Oh the beautiful sound of calzona
@khristyrayford1807
yessss
@queenv4340
Ik right
@icedrice-ts5zz
Grey's Anatomy anyone?
@amandaceri6107
here