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.
This Christmas
Mary J. Blige Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna get to know you better this Christmas
And as we trim the tree
How much fun it's gonna be together this Christmas
The fireside is blazing bright
We're caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
Presents and cards are here
My world is filled with cheer and you this Christmas
And as I look around
Your eyes outshine the town, they do this Christmas
The fireside is blazing bright
We're caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me
Shake a hand, shake a hand now
Merry Christmas all over the land
Oh it's Christmas time
It's Christmas time
Ooh, the fireside is blazing bright
We're caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me
Oh, shake a hand, shake a hand, yeah yeah yeah
Merry Christmas all over the land
Have a merry merry Christmas yeah
And a happy new year
I hope that it's full of cheer
Hope you get everything you want for Christmas
Hope your family is all together
Hope everyone is safe and sound
Merry Christmas everybody
Mary J. Blige's song "This Christmas" is a holiday classic that captures the joy and excitement of the season. In the first verse, Blige sings about hanging mistletoe and getting to know someone better during this special time of the year. As they trim the tree together, they are looking forward to the fun they will have.
In the second verse, Blige describes the warmth of the fireside and the happiness she feels as they sing Christmas carols. She also reflects on the presents and cards surrounding her, but acknowledges that the greatest gift of all is spending the holiday season together with loved ones. The chorus repeats the sentiment that this Christmas is going to be very special, with exuberant caroling and a bright fireside.
The song concludes with a celebratory call to "shake a hand" and wish everyone a Merry Christmas all over the land. Blige wishes listeners a happy new year and hopes that they will receive everything they desire for Christmas, that their families will be reunited, and that everyone will be safe and sound.
Overall, "This Christmas" embodies the holiday spirit of love, togetherness, and joy, making it a beloved seasonal favorite for many.
Line by Line Meaning
Hang all the mistletoe
I want to make this a romantic holiday for us by decorating with mistletoe.
I'm gonna get to know you better this Christmas
I want to spend quality time with you this Christmas and deepen our relationship.
And as we trim the tree
As we decorate the Christmas tree together, we'll have a lot of fun.
How much fun it's gonna be together this Christmas
We're going to have a great time spending Christmas together this year.
The fireside is blazing bright
The fireplace is lit and it's warm and cozy inside.
We're caroling through the night
We're singing Christmas carols throughout the night to spread holiday cheer.
And this Christmas will be
This Christmas is going to be
A very special Christmas for me
A particularly important Christmas for me.
Presents and cards are here
There are presents and cards everywhere, adding to the festive atmosphere.
My world is filled with cheer and you this Christmas
My Christmas is full of happiness and joy because of you.
And as I look around
As I observe my surroundings,
Your eyes outshine the town, they do this Christmas
Your eyes are bright and beautiful, and they light up the town and my world this Christmas.
Shake a hand, shake a hand now
Let's celebrate and give each other a handshake as a gesture of friendship.
Merry Christmas all over the land
Wishing everyone across the country a Merry Christmas.
Oh it's Christmas time
It's finally Christmas season and time to celebrate.
Ooh, the fireside is blazing bright
The fire is still burning so bright and warm
Oh, shake a hand, shake a hand, yeah yeah yeah
Let's greet each other with handshakes and spread the holiday cheer.
Have a merry merry Christmas yeah
Wishing everyone a joyful Christmas.
And a happy new year
Also hoping for a prosperous and happy New Year.
I hope that it's full of cheer
Desiring for everyone to have a happy and joyful New Year too.
Hope you get everything you want for Christmas
Wishing that everyone receives all the gifts they are hoping for.
Hope your family is all together
Hoping that everyone can spend Christmas with their loved ones.
Hope everyone is safe and sound
Wishing for everyone's safety and well-being during the holiday season.
Merry Christmas everybody
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Donny Edward Hathaway, Nadine McKinnor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind