Mary J. Blige

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Mary J. Blige

The Breakthrough  Hear it Now

RS: 4of 5 Stars Average User Rating: 4of 5 Stars

2005

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When Mary J. Blige reunited with Diddy for 2003's Love and Life, disappointing material and diminished sales ensued. Blige's new disc, The Breakthrough, doesn't deliver everything its title suggests, but it'll do until a real breakthrough comes along: An empathetic supporting cast revitalizes the hip-hop soul queen on this seventeen-track set of particularly classy material. There's plenty of hip-hop and cameos to maintain Blige's street credentials, minus the usual filler. The Rodney Jerkins-produced "Enough Cryin" is as elegant and stark as a beat-box-driven Run-DMC classic, and "MJB Da MVP" revisits Mary J.'s musical and personal history over a fat chunk of the Game's "Hate It or Love It." Jay-Z introduces the utterly jubilant "Can't Hide From Luv" as "beautiful music," and he's not kidding: Blige has always distinguished herself on drama-drenched tracks, but this swirling celebration of desire and anticipation is so profoundly happy that Blige truly seems to have attained the peace she has chased for years.

Yet what ultimately differentiates Blige's seventh studio album from previous discs is that its ballads truly matter. A five-song set of candid slow jams hits a peak with "I Found My Everything," which evokes Sixties Aretha, and "Father in You," where Blige asks her mate to compensate for the love her father denied. It's a disarming request, and it sets up Blige's interpretation of rock's most famous song aimed squarely at a neglectful father: U2's "One." Bono sings the first verse and the band supplies sympathetic backing, but Blige owns the track with spine-tingling fury and frustration.

BARRY WALTERS

(Posted: Jan 12, 2006)

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Review 1 of 2

No Screen Name writes:

5of 5 Stars


Not only is the queen of hip-hop back, she is doing it with class, inspiration, and a positive out look in life. This album really speaks to me because I am happy with my life, and it is great to hear such a fun and uplifting album from such a wonderful and talented woman!

Jan 13, 2006 02:27:40

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Review 2 of 2

No Screen Name writes:

4of 5 Stars


I think Barry Walters hit the review dead on. Rarely have I
agreed word for word on a review but he captured it perfectly
except for one detail: Will.I.am produced the track "About
You" not "Enough Cryin" as the review stated. "Enough Cryin",
which is just as great, was produced by Rodney Jerkins.

Jan 10, 2006 16:49:15

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