Mary J. Blige – "Good Morning Gorgeous"

[musicborn82]

The U.S. dates for the King and Queen of Hearts Tour:

11/5 -- Baltimore, MD @ Royal Farms Arena

11/6 -- Washington, DC @ Verizon Center

11/9 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center

11/10 -- New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

11/12 -- St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center

11/14 -- Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre

11/16 -- Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena

11/18 -- Detroit, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills

11/19 -- Indianapolis, IN @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse

11/20 -- Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum

11/22 -- Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena

11/23 -- Richmond, VA @ Richmond Coliseum

11/25 -- Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena

11/26 -- Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum

11/29 -- Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena

12/1 -- New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center

12/2 -- Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center

12/3 -- Houston, TX @ Toyota Center

12/6 -- Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum

12/7 -- Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena

12/9 -- Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena

12/11 -- Bossier City, LA @ CenturyLink Center

12/12 -- Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center

12/14 -- Chicago, IL @ United Center

[Hashtag Pow]

I was hoping they'd add some US dates. YES!!

[Live Your Life]

Those are some ambitious venues they're playing. We'll see what happens...

[bat1990]

Everywhere around Pittsburgh. *smh*

I'm sure she'd sell out if she'd play here.

[musicborn82]

[stunnedout]

Sept 7, 2016 20:51:23 GMT -5 Live Your Life said:

Those are some ambitious venues they're playing. We'll see what happens...

The both of them together will be more than fine. Maxwell always does well with tours.

[Hashtag Pow]

Sept 9, 2016 16:10:59 GMT -5 stunnedout said:

Sept 7, 2016 20:51:23 GMT -5 Live Your Life said:

Those are some ambitious venues they're playing. We'll see what happens...

The both of them together will be more than fine. Maxwell always does well with tours.

And Mary has done most of these venues by herself already, so...

[George]

Listened to The London Sessions on the way to work this morning and I'm really happy with the progression in Mary's career. "My Loving" was my jam today!

[Live Your Life]

Mary J. Blige Divorce Drama ... Kendu Going for Her Bank

Mary J. Blige's estranged husband/ex-manager, Martin "Kendu" Isaacs, wants her to open up her deep pockets.

Kendu just filed his response to Mary's divorce petition, and it's clear one of the many things they don't see eye to eye on is spousal support. He's asking Mary to fork it over, but in her docs Mary said she wants the court to block him from getting it.

Kendu lists July 25th as the date of separation, even though she said it was "to be determined." It's interesting because all their assets could be shared up until that date, and Mary's clearly the breadwinner. It's still unclear if they have a prenup.

One more financial jab -- Kendu wants her to pay his lawyer's fees.

[Ty]

What an ugly man.

[Hashtag Pow]

I really hate it for Mary that the details of her divorce are being put on blast...apparently, Kendu cheated on her with a slew of women, including Superhead.


Knowing Mary's past with depression and addiction, I really hope this doesn't send her on a downward spiral.

[Rican@]

I think she will be fine. She isn't young anymore and I think she has surrounded herself around those who will have a positive effect on her. She gives me "Aunt" feel now so I see her setting an example for ladies and how to handle situations such as hers.

[Linnethia Monique]

I see another #1 multi smash album in the midst. That'll pay for the spousal support and the "He Ain't Sh!t" campaign that's about to commence with Mary smiling and waving at his hatin ass amongst crowds of people. With KC she was in the depths of his drug filled life and now she is fresh and well knowledged on how to handle this f#ck boi.

[theonlyone]

link

I did not think she could ever top the Burger King commercial.

[George]

Sept 27, 2016 0:19:01 GMT -5 theonlyone said:

link

I did not think she could ever top the Burger King commercial.

With "Strength of a Woman" "World's Gone Crazy" and that snippet in that clip, I wonder if this next album of Mary's will have a political/societal edge to it.

[Deleted]

Sept 27, 2016 0:19:01 GMT -5 theonlyone said:

link

I did not think she could ever top the Burger King commercial.

The second hand embarrassment is strong.

[Dreams]

Sept 27, 2016 0:19:01 GMT -5 theonlyone said:

link

I did not think she could ever top the Burger King commercial.

I get so much second hand embarrassment from a lot of the things she does these days.

[Hashtag Pow]

They could have had some kind of warning/intro before they immediately panned to Mary serenading stone faced HRC. That was a bad teaser. Other than her sounding a mess though, I don't see the issue. She's having a sit down interview with the possible next POTUS. That's big. She's come a long way from the projects of NY.


"Strength of a Woman" will serve as the theme song for the WNBA playoffs.

[Hashtag Pow]

Good interview where she talks about the album and the divorce. 


MARY J. BLIGE OPENS UP ABOUT HER MESSAGE, HER MUSIC AND YES — HER MARRIAGE

She takes a deep sigh.

Mary J. Blige is about to go there.

Blige believes her pain is purposeful. It’s a connection she’s shared with her fans for nearly 25 years — since 1992’s What’s The 411? Blige takes the rough patches of her love life, douses it with her signature Pentecostal preparation and bares the entirety of her soul on song after song with her husky mezzo-soprano range.

It works. Too well, in fact. We know more about the ins and outs of Blige’s romantic woes than perhaps we should. Generously, she’s shared them over the course of 12 studio albums — not including the more than 150 guest appearances on other artists’ songs. And Blige’s concerts feel like summertime revivals. The praise hands that move side to side at her shows during the ballads — the deep stuff, such as Not Gon’ Cry and Seven Days from her moody 1997 album Share My World and Your Child from her emotionally gripping 1999 album Mary — these are communal experiences among concertgoers. They mourn together with Mary their loves gone wrong and the seemingly eternal hunt to find that ever-after good-good.

It’s as if she takes the very personal pages of her supersecret diary and sets every nook and cranny to music. Blige gets us. She knows the strength of a woman. So when news hit that after 12 years of marriage, she was filing for divorce from Kendu Isaacs, the response — universally, perhaps selfishly — was “When is new music coming, and will it be the ‘old Mary’?” The Mary who conveys rich, layered emotion on a song in a way the music industry still hasn’t heard since Aretha Franklin. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul knows what everyone thinks: The recent “Happy Mary” of the last decade, her music feels stagnant. “Hurt Mary” stirs souls.

The singer/songwriter is fine-tuning her new music now — it’s “coming soon,” she promises. And the forthcoming album will be exactly what her fans are hoping for: raw, unfiltered and the kind of lyrics that can make even the world’s most hardened soul sob uncontrollably. It’s therapy. For the fans. And, most certainly, for Blige herself.

But in the interim, not only did the Grammy-winning superstar interview Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for Apple, Blige has recorded a song, Strength of a Woman, to inspire WNBA teams as they enter the playoffs. Blige is about to take us all on a ride of female empowerment, self-love, how to get out when it doesn’t feel right and how to stay winning, in life and love.

Strength of a Woman — why does that song work so well for the WNBA?

It says it all. We are strong and we can do all things, and we’re great. When you look at these women who, in such a male-dominated world, a male-dominated sport — they’re doing amazing things. Their strength is amazing.

Sounds like you were about to say that female athletes, in some ways, are stronger than their male counterparts.

It’s remarkable because … we push babies into the world, you know what I mean? We go through labor pains, which I don’t think any man could ever fathom or even think about trying to endure. And when things are really, really rough, and it seems like all hope is gone, we push to the next level and run for president, [or] become a WNBA star. Look at me and everything I’ve been through in my life — and continue to go through. I rise above it, and I come out of it because I have that strength of a woman. It’s indescribable, but it’s so powerful.

Do you see a parallel between female athletes and female musicians?

Absolutely. As women, we have to fight to be taken seriously. We have to fight for people to understand that you stand there on that same level. It’s a male-dominated industry, it’s a male-dominated sport.

Women in particular have been listening to your music to garner that kind of strength. That’s a hell of a responsibility. Where do you pull strength from?

I pull my strength from the Creator, because seriously, mankind cannot give me anything. Human beings, they cannot restore me, they cannot strengthen me, they cannot uplift me. They cannot. So I have to put my faith and trust in God.

Of course … it [also] comes from me watching my mom when I was a kid, and her being strong and her keeping her integrity … Living in the conditions we were living in, her working three jobs and her never falling apart. I watched her, I’m sure she got her strength from a higher power. Because she went through hell.

Picking from your own catalog, what would be your arena entrance song if you were an athlete?

Oh, shoot! It would be Strength of a Woman. That’s where I am, that’s what I’ve earned. Like, I should be dead or insane from having the childhood I had to come through. Still, I’m making it good, still coming through it with dignity and class. That’s that strength that I have. Because I am a strong woman, I’ll be the strength of every woman, but I’m the strength of this woman, for me. I need strength for me.

This new song is only going to whet everyone’s appetite. People are ready for some new Mary music.

It’s coming really, really soon. We’re just wrapping it up and putting the finishing touches on it. And … it’s just truth.

Truth?

It’s inspiration, it’s love, it’s happiness, it’s freedom. It’s everything that a woman needs in order to continue her journey, whether she’s a mother, a wife, or she’s not a mother, or she’s getting a divorce. Whatever it is she’s going through, wherever she might want to be … There’s something for the woman that’s starting her marriage, [and] there’s totally something for the woman that is like, ‘I’m done with this marriage.’

Where are you right now, musically?

There are two things that had to happen on this album. When I wrote it, I was writing from the perspective of a woman fighting for her marriage. And then I ended up, without knowing it, getting a divorce and understanding how it just came out of nowhere. So as I was in the studio … these are all the things that happened, so these are all the songs that … [will give] a full perspective.

How challenging is it for you to make yourself vulnerable like that to your fans?

The thing is, it’s never been challenging. It’s a thing that I’ve always had to do. It’s been a thing that we share. I look at myself as naked in front of my fans. In order for me to heal, I have to talk. I have to write it out. I have to hang it out. I have to talk it out. I have to cry it out. I have to get it out. Once I get it out, then I can put it into the song — then they can get it out. Then they can cry it out, then they can discuss it with their girlfriends. That’s how we heal. That’s how my fans and I … we heal through everything throughout the years, and that’s what started our connection. Me not being afraid to be vulnerable. It is what it is. I’m not going to give up everything, because then I have nothing, but things that I can share, I share.

You’re about to go out on tour with Maxwell. Why is now the right time for this tour?

Maxwell and I planned this … we have a radio show called Real Talk. It’s with Apple Music. And so on the radio show Maxwell was like, ‘So you know, we have to do the tour? We have to make this real.’ And so, me and him, we made it real. It’s just … I mean, I didn’t expect all this other stuff to happen around it, but we were already rolling and moving forward. You understand what I’m saying? It’s … it’s just the perfect time to do this.

You’re also going to be on TV this fall.

Yeah! You’re going to see me on How to Get Away with Murder. I like four shows, heavily. How to Get Away with Murder, Empire, Power and Scandal. These are my shows! I faithfully watch them. I was so happy to get called to be on How to Get Away with Murder because the season finale last year left me with my mouth hanging open! And then I get a call saying, ‘Do you want to be on here?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah! What is it? I don’t care what the role is!’

Are you looking to do more acting? And is there a particular goal that you’re aiming for in the acting world?

I’ve been bitten by the acting bug and it turns me all the way on. It’s something that I want to keep doing. I just completed a movie with director Dee Rees and the film is called Mudbound. It’s a pretty strong, serious part. What I want to do with acting is translate what I do with my singing career … which is get the roles that move me and move people, and help people. Acting is just another way of expression, another way of healing, to get things out. When I did The Wiz, I played Evillene, and that was very therapeutic to me. I needed to get that stuff out of me because there was so much there that nobody knew about.

What other acting jobs are you saying yes to?

Mostly right now, if I’m going to do anything, it will be dramas. It will be something heavy, because I need to get out all of this heaviness out that people don’t see that I’m dealing with. I need to get it out. I need to put it somewhere. I put it in my music, but I don’t like to completely weigh people down.

Even though “no more drama“ is affixed to the Mary J. Blige brand, you need drama right now to help you?

‘No more drama’ doesn’t mean that you’re not going to have drama, it basically says — it’s screaming — ‘no more!’ because drama is just showing up everywhere and you cannot get around it. It’s about learning how to get around the drama.

theundefeated.com/features/mary-j-blige-wnba-strength-of-a-woman/

[Hashtag Pow]

I'm starting to look forward to this album!!!!! Mary is channeling her 90s self in interviews with this tweet and delete. 

[Deleted]

Sept 27, 2016 0:19:01 GMT -5 theonlyone said:

link

I did not think she could ever top the Burger King commercial.

One of the most cringe worthy but yet very humorous and very Mary things i have seen in a minute. Just like her live vocals, you never know where the winds blows with this lady. Love her.

[Rican@]

Sept 27, 2016 21:27:19 GMT -5 Hashtag Pow said:

They could have had some kind of warning/intro before they immediately panned to Mary serenading stone faced HRC. That was a bad teaser. Other than her sounding a mess though, I don't see the issue. She's having a sit down interview with the possible next POTUS. That's big. She's come a long way from the projects of NY.


"Strength of a Woman" will serve as the theme song for the WNBA playoffs.

I agree. The start was just random as hell. I laughed at it, but again that start was just random.

[Deleted]

Sept 27, 2016 22:26:40 GMT -5 Hashtag Pow said:

I'm starting to look forward to this album!!!!! Mary is channeling her 90s self in interviews with this tweet and delete. 

The last time I remember her like this was 2006 when that little girl called her a "bitch" and she lost her mind. I can't find that video anywhere now.  :'(

[divasummer]

Well at least she's getting publicity for her new talk show.
Wendy Williams just did a segment on Mary singing to a stone faced Hilary as well. lol

I always get life when someone past the age of 40 rages on twitter with hashtags. LoL.
Go Mary!

[musicborn82]

Everyone is so quick to judge not even knowing the full story!! We (African Americans) can be so ignorant. Let me break all of this down for you!
1) Mary has had a talk show for nearly a year now.
2) She's interviewing our potential president! (Huge for someone of Mary's (R&B/Hip-Hop) caliber.
3) Mary and Hillary are discussing the racial tension happening now with the police killings. Mary then talks from a BLACK FEMALE perspective and starting discussing this song
4) Mary starts singing some of the lyrics to Bruce Springsteen song called, American Skin (41 Shots). Which speaks from a Black Mother's perspective. The verse describes a (black) mother having a conversation with her son
about the police
5) If your BLACK Mother has never told you, to be polite to the police if you get stopped then SHE DOESN'T LOVE YOU!
6) Has Mary ever sanged to you and you felt the emotion in her lyrics and voice?? If so, that's exactly what's happening to Hillary!
7) Lastly, please watch the entire interview on Friday so you can experience "the real" and not base a preconceived notion on what YOU THINK!! Always get an understanding kids!

Yes, I do know Mary personally ( I will never say how). However, this lady loves her people so much and is going through her own personal hell right now. The last thing she need is more drama. People are so quick to judge not knowing the FULL picture. She even has a campaign out right now getting people to vote, She really cares, but we sit up and laugh and make fun when we don't even know the whole truth. It's ignorant and hurtful. Where's the compassion? She's given so much of herself and any little thing that the African-American community doesn't understand they start to act out with the name calling and saying hurtful things! It's sad.

[Hashtag Pow]

Sept 28, 2016 10:47:57 GMT -5 @jazzysoul47 said:

Sept 27, 2016 22:26:40 GMT -5 Hashtag Pow said:

I'm starting to look forward to this album!!!!! Mary is channeling her 90s self in interviews with this tweet and delete. 

The last time I remember her like this was 2006 when that little girl called her a "bitch" and she lost her mind. I can't find that video anywhere now.  :'(

OMG!!!! That was C L A S S I C!!!


"You see-you see, shit like that? I'm glad I got security because I woulda beat her up. Little girl. I woulda just beat that little girl up. She was like "Why are you being such a little bitch?" I was like 'Aaaugh!'. I was just wanted to slap her ass. She didn't even know my name, it's like 'Oh God I just want to choke you right now'. You don't even understand how I feel this morning, I just wanted to choke her. That's Satan man. You know Satan you a liar. Fuck you--I mean I rebuke you in the name of Jesus."

[Hashtag Pow]

Sept 28, 2016 14:51:10 GMT -5 musicborn82 said:

Everyone is so quick to judge not even knowing the full story!! We (African Americans) can be so ignorant. Let me break all of this down for you!
1) Mary has had a talk show for nearly a year now.
2) She's interviewing our potential president! (Huge for someone of Mary's (R&B/Hip-Hop) caliber.
3) Mary and Hillary are discussing the racial tension happening now with the police killings. Mary then talks from a BLACK FEMALE perspective and starting discussing this song
4) Mary starts singing some of the lyrics to Bruce Springsteen song called, American Skin (41 Shots). Which speaks from a Black Mother's perspective. The verse describes a (black) mother having a conversation with her son
about the police
5) If your BLACK Mother has never told you, to be polite to the police if you get stopped then SHE DOESN'T LOVE YOU!
6) Has Mary ever sanged to you and you felt the emotion in her lyrics and voice?? If so, that's exactly what's happening to Hillary!
7) Lastly, please watch the entire interview on Friday so you can experience "the real" and not base a preconceived notion on what YOU THINK!! Always get an understanding kids!

Yes, I do know Mary personally ( I will never say how). However, this lady loves her people so much and is going through her own personal hell right now. The last thing she need is more drama. People are so quick to judge not knowing the FULL picture. She even has a campaign out right now getting people to vote, She really cares, but we sit up and laugh and make fun when we don't even know the whole truth. It's ignorant and hurtful. Where's the compassion? She's given so much of herself and any little thing that the African-American community doesn't understand they start to act out with the name calling and saying hurtful things! It's sad.

Agree. I mean those stupid memes about discussing HRC's thoughts on "hateration in the dancery" were expected, but I have seen some pretty vicious things said about Mary regarding this and it makes no sense. People are doing a lot off of a damn commercial for a full blown special. At least watch the special before you try to come for her neck. I think it is amazing that Mary has come SO FAR in her career...and even with commercially unsuccessful albums, she is still relevant and respected enough to be able to sit face to face with a presidential candidate for an interview. I hate that this social media generation is trying to play her legendary status.

[musicborn82]

Please read this article to get a better understanding as to what I was saying:

www.ew.com/article/2016/09/29/mary-j-blige-interview-hillary-clinton-clip

[Deleted]

The issue isn't what occurred or where Mary's heart is; it's that that moment in isolation from the rest of the interview looks completely random and awkward to anyone seeing it out of context (which is most people). That's why it's already a meme.

[musicborn82]

Sept 29, 2016 10:25:31 GMT -5 @jazzysoul47 said:

The issue isn't what occurred or where Mary's heart is; it's that that moment in isolation from the rest of the interview looks completely random and awkward to anyone seeing it out of context (which is most people). That's why it's already a meme.

It's Definitely what occurred. Have you read some of those mean comments?! She's a coon, she's telling people how to act when the police stops us, One article even said "we've lost her".. calling her a sellout! It's definitely what occurred". Without proper knowledge. So yet again, you're wrong!