The Beat Surrender

When asked to review this album I jumped at the chance, Bringing together two of my biggest passions in life. Mary J and Music… Hell yes!

Becoming a fan of Mary’s at the age of 11 and owning everything she’s ever produced she is my forte.

Growing Pains isn’t your usual Ms Blige material. Renowned for her pain driven harmony that has touched and inspired generations of fans & artists all over the world, this album comes as a breath of fresh air to me. With it’s funked up retro vibe it shows a new side to Mary J Blige.

Though this album still shares her spectacular voice and life lesson lyrics there seems to be a release of 8 soul searching albums and years of struggle. For a fan that has followed Mary this comes as a little overwhelming. Growing Pains is a 16 track (19 if you have the bonus tracks) album with a small army of producers (9 in total! *), all of which seem to be guiding Mary, her famously rich voice and heart spilt lyrics in the most uplifting directions. Along with the producers Ms Blige also has the support of some or her fellow musicians. Ludacris, Usher, Eve and Pharrell Williams.

The album opens with a bang, firing out Work That which is a fiercely independent track and I believe her second single. Mary carries this fierce tone into Grown Women (feat Ludicris) and her new Single Just Fine. The album then slows down with tracks such as Shake Down (Feat Usher), my two favourites Stay Down and Fade away. Almost as good is Smoke, whose cascading piano riffs and drums offer a window to what Mary is truely capable of. The album ends with the bonus track Mirror (Feat Eve) and is a great closing to this selection of individually brilliant song choices. Out of the dark and into the light – Another story told – A new Mary!

At 36 years old with an elevating music career, six Grammy awards and a musical tagline all of her own – the “Queen of Hip-Hop and Soul” This album is a credit to her.

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