Top 10 Best Mary J. Blige Songs For Your Favorite Playlist

We list some of the best Mary J. Blige songs you can add to your favorite playlist. She’s widely regarded as the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. With several music awards including nine Grammys and 10 Billboard awards, with more than 20 years in the music industry, Mary is unequivocally a giant in the music industry and a doyenne of her genre. But the superstar’s journey to the top hasn’t been without its struggles. So, who is Mary J. Blige?

Bio: Who is Mary J. Blige?

Mary Jane Blige (born January 11, 1971 in Bronx, New York, United States), is an American R&B, Soul, and Hip Hop singer, songwriter, rapper and actress. Blige’s childhood was divided between Savannah, Georgia, and a housing project in Yonkers, New York. Her early musical influences included singing in a Pentecostal church and listening to her mother’s collection of soul records. Her singing abilities started getting recognized when she played her stepfather a tape containing her rendition of Anita Baker’s “Caught Up in the Rapture”, which she recorded casually in a karaoke booth at a Yonkers shopping mall. Sensing her potentiality, he quickly sent it to an acquaintance named Jeff Redd, an A&R scout for Uptown Records, who subsequently brought the tape to the label’s president, Andre Harrell. Impressed with Mary’s talent, Harrell thus signed her in to sing backup for local acts, including that of Father MC in his single entitled “I’ll Do For You.” The tune surprisingly turned out to be a hit across U.S. and consequently came to the attention of the new Uptown CEO named Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, who eagerly helped Mary to work on her own album which finally resulted in What’s the 411?. Mary J. Blige, then thrived at the crossroads where the testimonial soul of yesteryear intersected with the rugged rhythms of early ’90s rap and new jack swing. The soulful singer would then go on to influence a generation of artists with hits like ‘Real Love’ and ‘Be Without You.’ She has also had a successful acting career, including her Oscar-nominated performance in ‘Mudbound.’

Top 10 Best Mary J. Blige Songs

1. Family Affair

“Family Affair” was part of Blige’s fifth studio album, No More Drama (2001). Produced by Dr. Dre, the song was crafted for the clubs. The combination of Dre’s signature G-Funk beats and Blige’s warm vocals made for a feel-good smash. Lyrically, the song celebrates party virtues such as dressing up and hitting the dance floor. But Blige’s bluesy vocal grit added depth to the track, hinting at the everyday hardships that make partying so rejuvenating and worthwhile. Rolling Stone ranked it number 95 on their list of 100 Best Songs of the 2000s decade.

Stream “Family Affair”

2. Be Without You

“Be Without You” was released as part of Blige’s seventh studio album, The Breakthrough (2005). The song is centered on the singer’s resolution to be with her partner no matter what. “This track shows a sophistication of a women who has survived ordeals and matured and is still trying to uplift and hold on to love.” says Tareck Ghoneim. “Be Without You” is also one of Mary J. Blige’s most successful singles to date, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year and won the Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance categories at the 2007 Grammy Awards.

Stream “Be Without You”

3. Mr. Wrong ft. Drake

“Mr. Wrong” is part of Blige’s album My Life II: The Journey Continues (Act I). Mary’s mellow, sorrowful tune, produced by Jim Jonson and Rico Love, features the Drake dropping a verse about how he knows he’d doing his lady wrong. Meanwhile, Blige painfully sings of how, despite the painful truth, she just can’t let her man go. Drake’s contribution was originally left out of the ‘No More Drama’ singer’s original music video for ‘Mr. Wrong’, which premiered back in December, but now appears during the first half of the music video. Trent Fitzgerald wrote a positive review for Pop Crush stating that “Once again, Mary J. Blige brings the drama with her brand of tortured soul that should resonate with her diehard fans. Hopefully, it will inspire them to find a Mr. Right in their life.”

Stream “Mr. Wrong” ft. Drake

4. Just Fine

“Just Fine” was the first single from Mary J. Blige’s ninth studio album Growing Pains. The high-energy song and its dance-heavy music video were inspired by Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.” In sharp contrast to the brooding, brokenhearted ballads Mary is known for, “Just Fine” is unapologetically happy. Blige hollers over a warm ‘n’ fuzzy electro-R’n’B groove as she peddles this brave-faced survivor like nothing can jolt her out of her comfort zone.

Stream “Just Fine”

5. No More Drama

“No More Drama” was the album’s title track and second single to be released. On the song, Blige rises from a soap-opera piano riff, and climbs to gospel heights in her determination never to repeat mistakes of the past: Co-produced by former rapper Kwame (under the name K-1 Million) and Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence, the track employs flighty horns, ominous drum-kicks and steady snares, The song famously samples “Nadia’s Theme,” known to many people as the opening theme for CBS’s iconic soap opera The Young and the Restless since its debut in 1973. Blige even nodded to the long-running series in the song’s second verse by calling herself “young and restless.” The video features cameos from Mariah Carey & Diddy and won MJB an MTV video music award for Best R&B Video.

Stream “No More Drama”

6. Take Me As I Am

“Take Me As I Am” was part of Blige’s seventh studio album, The Breakthrough (2005).On the song, Blige explains how after all she’s overcome, she is going to stay true to herself and not change to please others. Several songwriters contributed to this hit track, including Jordan Suecof (Avicii’s “The Nights”) and Thabiso Nkhereanye (Britney Spears’ “Me Against The Music”), and samples “Garden Of Peace,” a 1979 song by Lonnie Liston Smith. In the music video, directed by Bille Woodruff, Blige portrays several characters from different walks of life, who all face difficulties with men.

Stream “Take Me As I Am”

7. Not Gon’ Cry

“Not Gon’ Cry” was written for the movie Waiting To Exhale, which chronicles the lives of four black women. In the film, Bernadine (portrayed by actress Angela Bassett) learns her has husband cheated on her and leaves her after eleven years of being together. Blige later included it on her 1997 album Share My World. “Not Gon’ Cry” went to No. 2 in the US in early 1996, held from the top spot by Mariah Carey’s “One Sweet Day”. It also reached the top 40 in the UK and New Zealand. “Not Gon’ Cry” was nominated for a Grammy but lost to Toni Braxton’s “You’re Making Me High”. In the visual for this scorned women’s anthem, Mary rocks a black headscarf, black lipstick, and black shades to match her black and broken heart.

Stream “Not Gon’ Cry”

8. We Got Hood Love ft. Trey Songz

“We Got Hood Love” is a song performed by Blige and features Trey Songz. “She wanted me on the record, which was an honor. I’ve met with her on different occasions and I haven’t spoken with her about the record, but I love it. I love hearing myself on the same record with Mary J. Blige, as any singer would.” stated Trey Songz on RapUp.com. The song was released as part of her ninth studio album, Stronger with Each Tear. Notably, the song was originally sung with Blige & Johnta Austin.

Stream “We Got Hood Love” ft. Trey Songz

9. I’m Goin’ Down

“I’m Goin’ Down” from 1994’s My Life, was a cover of the 1976 Rose Royce track that was featured in the comedic film Car Wash that same year. In the singer’s video for it, which was directed by Matthew Rolston and shot in black-and-white, Blige transforms into a somber lounge act. The song stands out as one of Mary’s best vocal performances as the singer shamelessly pleads for her man to “come on home.”

Stream “I’m Goin’ Down”

10. U + Me (Love Lesson)

“U + Me (Love Lesson)” is part of Blige’s 13th studio album, Strength of a Woman (2017). The song is classic Mary, an anthem to anyone going through bad times with a loved one. Lyrically, Mary’s making a love equation, with the singer realizing that everything ain’t adding up to happily ever after. Blige co-wrote this breakup ballad, which undoubtedly addressed her real-life circumstances at the time. In the throes of a nasty divorce from now-ex-husband Kendu Isaacs—who Blige accused of infidelity and using her for money—the singer held no punches with the lyrics.

Stream “U + Me (Love Lesson)”

Honorable mentions

Connect with Mary J. Blige

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