CD Review

Artist: Mary J Blige

CD Title: Growing Pains

Label: Matriarch/Geffen Records
Released: December 18^th 2007

Website: www.mjblige.com 

3 ½ Stars 

Reviewed By: Kindah Mardam Bey 

Mary J Blige is a woman who has her own style, both with fashion and music; either you like her style or you don’t. However, one of Mary J Blige’s greatest skills is her ability to transform herself, with both her style and her music. So when Mary J Blige releases a collection, such as this newest incantation Growing Pains, you know not to have any expectations, but just to join her along for a guaranteed pleasant journey. Blige is both a storyteller in her songs, but also a person on a journey that allows the listener to come along with her emotional, and life long growth. Her eighth studio album Growing Pains, is just another part of that passage of time and metamorphosis.  

Growing Pains has some great tracks on it ‘Work That,’ ‘Grown Woman’ (featuring Ludacris) are dance floor belting tracks, whereas songs like ‘Stay Down’ herald back to her song ‘No More Drama,’ and then you have songs that reminisce in sound to that 80s surgence of songs from the Jackson Five which is definitely in the track ‘Hurt Again,’ or the early 90s Whitney era with songs like ‘What Love Is.’ Whereas ‘Roses’ is a complex and well formulated track that has more layers to it than an onion (I’m serious, listen to this song a few times, from a different focus each time.) Easily my favourite song was ‘Come To Me (Peace)’ which is a brilliant song full of hope and inspiration with a beautiful tune; I hope this will become a single. ‘Come To Me (Peace)’ is the type of uplifting song Oprah will want in her intro to her show. 

Don’t get me wrong Growing Pains isn’t a collection ‘all over the board,’ it’s all Mary J Blige, but it is smartly combining multiple influences that show Blige is continuing to experiment, and explore as a performer. She hasn’t settled into the dullness of comfort; Blige constantly challenges herself and her audience. For once a person can enjoy ‘growing pains,’ because Mary J Blige manages to make it seem like we are all going through that stage, or have been at one time, and she acknowledges that time with this collection. Blige is all class and although she has heralded hardships in her life, it is her resilience and inner strength that shines through her elegant persona.  Mary J Blige, with her soulful hip-hop and the occasional slip into R&B, has earned respect from her fans, and the music business. So any collection Blige brings to the table has her reputation for quality and substance beforehand. Feel confident that if you like Mary J Blige to begin with, you will love Growing Pains. 

1. Work That

2. Grown Woman (feat. Ludacris)

3. Just Fine

4. Feel Like A Woman

5. Stay Down

6. Hurt Again

7. Shake Down (feat. Usher)

8. Til' The Morning

9. Roses

10. Fade Away

11. What Love Is

12. Work In Progress (Growing Pains)

13. Talk To Me

14. If You Love Me

15. Smoke

16. Come To Me (Peace)