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| Gratitude | ||||
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| Released | November 15, 2024 | |||
| Length | 41:20 | |||
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Gratitude is the fifteenth studio album by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was released on November 15, 2024, through 300 Entertainment and her Mary Jane Productions imprint. [1] [2]
In 2022, Blige released her fourteenth studio album Good Morning Gorgeous through 300 Entertainment and her Mary Jane Productions imprint. [3] [4] The record project received six nominations at the 65th Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best R&B Album, [5] and produced the Adult R&B Songs number-one hit "Good Morning Gorgeous", her biggest-selling single since "Be Without You" (2005). [6]
In April 2023, Blige indicated that her next studio album would likely be the last of her career. [7] In September 2024, the singer announced that the project – her second album under 300 Entertainment and her Mary Jane Productions imprint – would be titled Gratitude and supported by the United States concert tour The For My Fans Tour along with R&B singers Ne-Yo and Mario. [8] Elborating on the theme of the album, she told People magazine: "The overall theme is enjoying life and understanding that, again, life is what inspires me, whether I take the good with the bad. I look at every lesson as a blessing and I understand that I'm not the only one on the earth going through things. I celebrate my triumph, and I work through my hard times. So, the album is going to be fun in that perspective." [9]
The first single to be lifted from Gratitude was "Breathing," which contains a sample of "I Put a Spell on You" (1956) by Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Released on August 15, 2024, [10] the song earned largely positive reviews from music critics. [11] [12] The song's album version featuring rapper Fabolous became Blige's ninth number-one hit as well her third consecutive year with a numer-one song on Billboard's US Adult R&B Songs chart. [13] [14] Gratitude was also preceded by second single "You Ain't the Only One," released on October 18, 2024. [15] It has since reached the top ten on the Adult R&B Songs chart. [16]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Soul in Stereo |   [17] |
Renowned for Sound editor Gabriel Barnett found that most songs on Gratitude "resonate with her legacy of promoting self-love through vibrant R&B, yet they still feel fresh and emotionally sincere," but noted that it "stumbles slightly in the middle, venturing into unfashionable territory." He concluded: "Gratitude reminds us that Mary J. Blige still holds her place among the greats. While the slower tracks don't always land, the album is creatively constructed, vocally impressive, and true to her essence. Fans have plenty to celebrate here, and this release is a promising sign of even more to come from the Queen." [18] Al Shipley from Spin remarked: "Blige sings in a lower register now, sounding hoarse at times, but there's still a lot of expressive detail in how she sings a piano ballad like "Here I Am." If Gratitude does turn out to be Blige's swan song, it's fittingly more of a love letter to New York hip-hop than any album she's made in a long time." [19]
Riff magazine's Talia M. Wilson felt that Gratitude "continues Blige’s evolution of maturity and independence that Good Morning Gorgeous began. It's not as solid as its predecessor, for its less commercial sound and weaker features. But vocally, Blige has never been stronger, and her creativity has evolved to new levels." [20] Edward Bowser, writing for Soul in Stereo, rated the album three out of five stars. He noted "an unshakable weariness" in Blige's vocals and wrote: "Even more recent projects like Strength of a Woman were a far stronger showcase of a woman who molded an entire genre in her image. True to its name, Gratitude will make you thankful for the little things [...] but it for sure leaves you wanting more." [17] Reid Sperisen from The Daily Bruin wrote: "Despite lagging in the middle and ending on an awkward thematic note, Gratitude mostly succeeds because of its consistently melodic production and Blige's presence as a stupendous vocal storyteller." [21]
In the United Kingdom, Gratitude debuted at number ten on the UK R&B Albums chart and number 36 on the UK Album Downloads chart in the week of November 22, 2024. [22] [23]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Breathing" (featuring Fabolous) |
|
| 3:28 |
| 2. | "Need You More" (featuring Jadakiss) |
|
| 4:07 |
| 3. | "Beautiful People" |
| Kaytranada | 3:09 |
| 4. | "You Ain't the Only One" |
|
| 2:48 |
| 5. | "Never Give Up on Me" | 3:17 | ||
| 6. | "Nobody but You" |
|
| 3:07 |
| 7. | "Here I Am" |
| S. Dot | 2:53 |
| 8. | "Don't Fuck Up" |
| S. Dot | 2:54 |
| 9. | "Superpowers" |
|
| 2:52 |
| 10. | "Can't Wait for You" |
| Darkchild | 3:31 |
| 11. | "God's Child" (featuring Fat Joe) |
|
| 4:15 |
| 12. | "I Got Plans" (featuring Ferg) |
|
| 4:59 |
| Total length: | 41:20 | |||
Notes
Sample credits
Musicians
Technical
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Album Downloads (OCC) [23] | 36 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC) [22] | 10 |
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | November 15, 2024 |
| [24] |
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Awards, twelve NAACP Image Awards, and twelve Billboard Music Awards, including the Billboard Icon Award. She has been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, including one for her supporting role in the film Mudbound (2017) and another for its original song "Mighty River", becoming the first person nominated for acting and songwriting in the same year.
Love & Life is the sixth studio album by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige. It was released by Geffen Records on August 26, 2003. The album marked Blige's debut on the Geffen label, following the absorption of her former record company MCA Records. In addition, it saw her reuniting with Sean "Diddy" Combs, executive producer of her first two studio albums What's the 411? (1992) and My Life (1994), who wrote and executive produced most of Love & Life with his Bad Boy in-house production team The Hitmen, including Mario Winans, D-Dot, and Stevie J.
The Breakthrough is the seventh studio album by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was released by Geffen Records on December 20, 2005. Initially expected to be released in 2006, it switched release dates with Blige's first greatest hits album Reflections (2006) after fruitful collaborations with a host of songwriters and record producers, including 9th Wonder, Rodney Jerkins, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Bryan-Michael Cox, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Raphael Saadiq, Chucky Thompson, Cool & Dre, Ron Fair, and will.i.am, prompted Blige and her label to shift material from Reflections to The Breakthrough.
"Be Without You" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige. It was written by Johntá Austin, Bryan Michael Cox, Jason Perry, and Blige for her seventh studio album, The Breakthrough (2005). Production was helmed by Cox, with additional production from Young Smoke and vocal production from Ron Fair and Blige. A piano-tinkling downtempo R&B song, the song examines a relationship where the couple is trying to decide if they want to stay together, with Blige urging them to appreciate their blessings. "Be Without You" was released as the album's first official single on November 14, 2005.
"Enough Cryin" a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Sean Garrett, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins for her seventh studio album, The Breakthrough (2005), while production was helmed by the latter. The song introduces Blige's rap alter ego, Brook Lynn, who delivers the song's rap verse. Blige's rap verse was originally written by Jay-Z for Foxy Brown, but Jerkins rejected Brown's vocals and it was instead suggested that Blige record the verse herself.
My Life is the second album by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige, released on November 29, 1994, by Uptown Records and MCA Records. Many of the topics on My Life deal with clinical depression, Blige's battling with both drugs and alcohol, as well as being in an abusive relationship. Unlike her debut, What's the 411? (1992), Blige contributed lyrics to fourteen of the album's tracks, making it her most introspective and personal album at the time. Similar to her debut album, My Life features extensive production from Sean "Puffy" Combs for his newly founded label, Bad Boy Entertainment, which was at the time backed by Arista Records.
"Mary Jane (All Night Long)" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Chucky Thompson and Sean "Puffy" Combs for her second studio album, My Life (1994), while production was helmed by Combs and Thompson. The song is built around a sample of “All Night Long” (1983) by American girl group Mary Jane Girls and "Close the Door" (1978) by American singer Teddy Pendergrass. Due to the inclusion of the sample, Rick James is also credited as songwriter.
"Just Fine" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Jazze Pha and Tricky Stewart for her eighth studio album, Growing Pains (2007), while production was helmed by Pha and Stewart. It was released as the album's lead single on October 16, 2007. The song peaked at number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 16 on the UK Singles Chart, while also topping the US Hot Dance Club Play chart.
"Love Is All We Need" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige, with a guest rap from Nas. It was written by Blige, Nas, James Harris III, and Terry Lewis for Blige's third studio album, Share My World (1997), while production was helmed by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. The song contains a sample of the song "Moonchild" (1985) as performed by American singer Rick James. With its more buoyant tone, it stood in conspicuous contrast to much of the more dark-rooted material featured on Blige's earlier albums.
"Missing You" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written and produced by Babyface for her third studio album, Share My World (1997). In the United Kingdom, the song was released as the album's third single where it reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. "Missing You" features background vocals from singer Shanice and talks about a woman in a dilemma over a relationship with a man that she at first claimed she "wasn't in love" with but then finds herself "thinking about him all the time" and her missing him.
"Work That" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Sean Garrett, and Theron "Neff-U" Feemster for her eighth studio album, Growing Pains (2007), while production was overseen by the latter, with Garrett also credited as a co-producer. A self-love promoting rap pop track, which draw from Blige's own journey to towards self-acceptance, "Work That" has the singer stressing to young women everywhere to embrace their individuality and love who they are.
"Be Happy" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Arlene DeValle, and Jean-Claude Olivier from duo Poke & Tone for her second studio album, My Life (1994), while production was helmed by Combs and Olivier. "Be Happy" contains an instrumental sample of the song "You're So Good to Me" (1979) by musician Curtis Mayfield and a re-sung vocal portion of the record "I Want You" (1976) by Marvin Gaye.
"You Bring Me Joy" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Joel "Jo-Jo" Hailey, and Chucky Thompson for her second studio album, My Life (1994), while overall music production was helmed by Combs and Thompson with the vocal tracks being produced by Jo-Jo. The song is built around a sample of "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me" (1977) by singer Barry White. Due to the inclusion of the sample, Ekundayo Paris and Nelson Pigford are also credited as songwriters. "You Bring Me Joy" served as the third single from My Life and peaked at number 29 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, also topping the Hot Dance Club Songs.
Stronger with Each Tear is the ninth studio album from American R&B and soul singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. The album was released in the US on December 21, 2009, under Blige's own imprint, Matriarch Records.
"Mr. Wrong" is a song taken from American R&B singer Mary J. Blige's album My Life II... The Journey Continues (2011). It features rapper Drake. The song was written by Drake, Jim Jonsin, Danny Morris, and Rico Love, while production was helmed by Jonsin and Love. The song contains a sample from "Me and Mrs. Jones" (1972) by American singer Billy Paul. Due to the inclusion of the sample, Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert are also credited as songwriters. The song was released as the album's second official single on October 28, 2011.
Strength of a Woman is the thirteenth studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. It was released on April 28, 2017, by Capitol Records. A pre-divorce album with heavy adult contemporary trap sounds, Blige co-wrote most of the album with American musicians Brandon "B.A.M" Hodge and DJ Camper, while additional production was provided by BadBadNotGood, Bigg D, Hit-Boy, Kaytranada, Lamb, and Neff-U. Strength of a Woman's subject matter was inspired by her personal journey of marital struggle and heartache which culminated in her separation from her manager Kendu Isaacs in 2016.
Good Morning Gorgeous is the fourteenth studio album by American singer Mary J. Blige, released on February 11, 2022, through 300 Entertainment and her Mary Jane Productions imprint. Her first album in nearly five years, it marked her first release for 300 Entertainment and her first album that was not released by a subsidiary of Universal Music.
"Good Morning Gorgeous" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige along with Lucky Daye, Tiara Thomas, Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II, and Gabriella "H.E.R." Wilson for her same-titled fourteenth studio album (2022), while production was helmed by Emile and Wilson. A downtempo R&B song, "Good Morning Gorgeous" has Blige singing an ode to loving one's self. A remix featuring additional vocals from H.E.R. was issued in March 2022.
"Amazing" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige featuring DJ Khaled. It was written by Blige and Khaled along with Nicholas "Street Runner" Warwar, and Tarik Azzouz as well as Denisia Andrews and Brittany Coney from duo Nova Wav for her same-titled fourteenth studio album (2022). Production was helmed by Khaled, Azzouz and Warwar, with Nova Wav serving also vocal producers. The song contains excerpts from the record "You Don't Love Me " (1994) by Jamaican singer Dawn Penn. Due to the sample, Willie Cobbs and Bo Diddley are also credited as songwriters.
"Breathing" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Jocelyn Donald, Jose Leonel Sandova, Shaun "S. Dot" Thomas and guest vocalist Fabolous for Blige's fifteenth studio album Gratitude (2024), while production was helmed by Thomas, with Cashmere Brown credited as a co-producer. The song was released by Mary Jane Productions Inc. and 300 Entertainment on August 15, 2024 as the album's lead single and became Blige's ninth chart topper on the Adult R&B Songs chart. It peaked at number 13 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
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