[.ca] Growing Pains

Vintage Mary.:
Studio album number eight from Mary J Blige is beautiful, a little bit sad, a little bit happy, immaculately played and exquisitely sung in that gorgeous voice: a warm and charming collection of songs in the styles with which Blige has become associated - blues, jazz, hip hop, soul. And it's also just a little bit dull. The album, which includes Mary's Top 10 single "Just Fine" features guest appearances from Ludacris and Usher, and production by The Neptunes, Johnta Austin, Ne-yo, Stargate, Bryan-Michael Cox, Dre and Vidal, Tricky, The Dream and Sean Garrett. Her previous masterpieces that was the becoming of Mary will always come into question because Mary established herself in the Hip Hop/R & B/Soul genre as an artist who had to take the rough with the smooth. She was an artist that fought a tough and hard winding battle, opened up to her darkest moments and fought with her demons, which made for good music. Compelling music in fact. And music that can even be deemed 'classic'. Now Mary has finally found a happy place, an inner pace, her comfort zone. It's good that her self-empowered confidence is reflected in the music. "Growing Pains" leaves the listener no uncertainty as to how she feels today. "You know I love music," she says during the opening bars of "Just Fine". "It makes me move, it makes me wanna have fun!" It's a funky, determined track and the fact that it samples Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" gives it a hugely triumphant feel. Plus, its upbeat message is given an inspirational twist because of the long, arduous journey that lies behind its protagonist's getting to feeling "Just Fine". The album definitely has an updated feel complete with good ole contemporary (but mature) R & B with the oldskool sound here and there especially in superb gems like "Hurt Again" (signature Mary), "Feel Like A Woman", "Stay Down", "Work In Progress" (Growing Pains) and "If You Love Me". Apart from those, the album pretty much hit a couple of blunt corners. Mary has nothing to prove with this album though because everything has already been proved. Still the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul without a remarkable doubt, Mary is doing 'just fine'. You don't come to a Mary album expecting visceral death-metal thrills, but even so, sometimes her music would be more satisfying if she would take us on a few more ups and downs, let her voice crackle with more emotion. Still, there's plenty to admire here, not least the musicianship. But mostly there's that voice - strikingly powerful and unique, utterly flawless. My highlights : "Work In Progress"(Growing Pains), "Grown Woman" and "Work That". Have a very pleasant listening experience!

Mary J Blige did it again!:
The Queen of R & B is back with her 9th Album. This time with a different kind of records. Mary J Blige has been known to express her entire feelings on records which were most of the time very sad especially her bad experience with ex K-CI now she's singing how happy she is, the love she has and how her Husband Kendu Isaacs help her fight her demons. The album is tight not like i was expecting anything less from Mary J Blige. She has 2 featuring with Ludacris and Usher. I didn't like the Ludacris song it sounded chaotic to me. The usher one was tight it sounded like the two were fighting with their vocal cords, to express each other's feelings to get it to sink through. She has some track also that brings you back to her roots, the time of her 411 album like Til The Morning. One of my favorite track was the what love is, i love the way she explains Steps by steps what love is, "it feels like joy, it feels like pain, it feels like sunshine, it feels like rain, an excuse for dying, reason to live and if you don't know that's what love is". I really fell in love with this one. My Second Favorite one was If You Love Me, I like the way she's asking her questions and she's answering them back like there was a second person on the record. The last favorite one reminds me one of those ending song from a movies and you expect to see two people running towards each other once and for all in love. Isn't that a perfect way to closure an album? I can't say it is one of the best of Mary J Blige's album, cause i've loved them all equally but it's nice to see Mary J Blige finally in peace with herself and most of it all happy! Kudos Miss Mary J blige!

Good Stuff:
Overall, the whole album consists of outstanding hooks and melodious harmonisation. The bottom line is that she sounds great. Pretty much every song is about relationships. I wish she'd broaden her subject matter to include social issues, perhaps. I do like the two "positive thinking", "love yourself" songs - "Just Fine" and "Work That". I have the ITunes version which has 19 songs: 1. Work That - This is my favourite song on the album. It has a great beat and positive lyrics. It's about working with what you have, loving yourself and ignoring the haters. 2. Grown Woman featuring Ludacris - She calls out too many designer labels. Those things have nothing to do with being a real, grown woman. Nonetheless, the song has a hot beat. She talks about dressing discreetly because she's grown now i.e. she doesn't have to dress with everything hanging out, because she's a grown woman. 3. Just Fine - This one is about keeping a positive mood/outlook despite negativity and believeing in yourself. "I won't change my life, my life's just fine." This was her first single off this new album and I was not initially impressed by it but it has grown on me. 4. Feel Like a Woman - In this one she is harping on about wanting her man to buy her things to make her feel like a woman. This type of thinking is too materialistic for my tastes and the song is `blah'. 5. Stay Down - I love the singing on this song and it has a good message about staying together through bad times. 6. Hurt Again - I love it. The harmonising on this song is superb. 7. Shake Down featuring Usher - I love it and it's a great concept. They sound great together. 8. Till the Morning- Love the retro beat. 9. Nowhere Fast - This song is blah but the hook is cool. 10. Roses - Great song minus the talking. Great singing. 11. Fade Away - Great song - being invisible to escape problems. 12. What Love Is - Great song - She describes what love feels like. 13. Work in Progress (Growing Pains) - She has problems just like non-celebrity people. We're all just a work in progress, she says. 14. Talk to Me - Good song; she is requesting that her man communicate with her. "Get over ourselves for us." 15. If You Love Me? - Good song. "Hold me. Show me. Act like you're really the one." 16. Smoke - Nice live-band feel - The song is about her not understanding why her relationship is over. 17. Come To Me (Peace)- This sounds like her U2 song from "The Breakthrough". It's not a great song - it's boring - it's something about making peace. 18. Hello it's me - This is a more jazzy form of this same song on Groove Theory's 1995 album. I prefer the Groove Theory version of this song. 19. Mirror Featuring Eve - This is a cool song. The beat is missing something -it's missing an apex.

Best since My Life:
I'm a huge fan of My Life, Share My World and No More Drama. After the amazing success with Breakthrough I was very surprised to find Growing Pains her best since My Life. I didn't expect too much from an album released so soon after the Grammy wins. This is really good! The reason why Growing Pains is so amazing is that MJB mixes hip hop standards like Just Fine and Work That with more mellow stuff like Till The Morning, Fade Away, Roses. The last song Come To Me (Peace) should be her next number 1 and Grammy win. It's a companion to Be With You and Be Without You. Fans: Buy this (As if you haven't already) New fans: Buy this Fans: darren117@hotmail.com

• Work That
• Grown Woman featuring Ludacris
• Just Fine
• Feel Like a Woman
• Stay Down
• Hurt Again
• Shakedown featuring Usher
• Till the Morning
• Roses
• Fade Away
• What Love Is
• Work in Progress (Growing Pains)
• Talk To Me
• If You Love Me?
• Smoke
• Come To Me (Peace)