Much better is the inspirational, Rodney Jerkins produced, Enough Cryin’ and a surprising guest spot by U2, in which the band’s classic One is covered. While it’s all very nice that Mary’s in love, a whole album of lyrics such as “Anybody who’s ever loved, ya know just what I feel/Too hard to fake it, nothing can replace it” (Be Without You), or “the way you kiss me, it’s like a real man” (I Found My Everything) is enough to have even the most romantic person reaching for the nearest sick bag. Drippy ballads such as Take Me As I Am and Father In You could be prescribed on the NHS as a cure for insomnia, while the lyrics become tedious beyond belief. If you’re not a fan of hip-hop/soul, you may find it all a bit hard-going. Jay-Z also shows up on the euphoric Can’t Hide From Love, which produces almost as many audio endorphins as Beyoncé‘s Crazy In Love did a couple of years ago.Īt eighteen tracks though, The Breakthrough does tend to go on a bit. Similarly, a sample of Otis Redding & Carla Thomas‘ Tramp in Gonna Breakthrough drives the song along perfectly, making it a smooth, superior slab of classy soul. The taut production by Will I Am of Black Eyed Peas recalls former glories such as Family Affair, making it one of the best tracks on the album. About You silkily weaves in a sample of Nina Simone‘s Feelin’ Good – not many modern day singers can sound the equal to Simone, but Blige manages it. Her voice still sounds as good as ever though. All very lovely for Ms Blige of course, but for the listener it grows a bit wearying.
Nowadays though, she’s happily married and drugs are just a distant memory, and so The Breakthrough is full of songs declaring her love for her husband and how she’s putting her bad days behind her and moving on. So is there really something about Mary, or is she just another soul diva? Well her tough upbringing in Yonkers, New York and her various struggles with drink, drugs and men who’ve done her wrong have been pretty well documented across her previous albums, giving her a bond with her audience that other singers may lack. From early collaborations with Sean ‘P Diddy’ Coombs to recent guest spots with The Game, it’s hard to find anybody in the hip-hop world with a bad word to say about her. Since the release of her debut album What’s The 411 in 1992, Mary J Blige has risen to become one of the modern day icons of the soul scene.
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