Music is magic. How else can you explain how something as simple as words being spoken in rhythm can move us to tears, take us back to a moment in time, make us want to get up and dance, and invoke all sorts of emotions. No wonder music can be a catalyst or joy. As I mentioned way back when I wrote my Joy Playlist I tend to avoid the radio opting for YouTube and now Pandora for music. I like to pick and chose only those songs that bring me joy.
I’m excited to tell you that I had the opportunity to review some new music to determine its Joy Chasing properties. Now this is not just any new music. I am talking about Mary J. Blige. That’s right, I got to review Mary J. Blige’s new album the London Sessions. I have been a fan of Mary’s since the days of Real Love and I’m Going Down. So I was super excited to review the album and I enjoyed it!
The album sounds a little different from what I expect from Mary. As it should, since she up and went to London to record it, and did it in 3 weeks. It feel’s current with songs that I could imagine be remixed with artists like, Adele, Beyonce and even the late Amy Winehouse and Michael Jackson. While Mary is and will always be the queen of Hip-Hop R & B to me this album feels more like a pop album, in a good way! You can tell the pool of influence and inspiration used to create The London Sessions was vast. Mary had a global perspective in mind.
There are 12 songs on the album. I sat down with a pen and pad to jot down my first impressions of each song as I listened.
- Track 1 – Therapy – I like the beat. The beginning of the song reminded me of Rolling In The Deep by Adele. Then it transitioned to the familiar sound that I expect from Mary. Of course I really like the line “Why would I spend the rest of my days unhappy?”
- Track 2 – Doubt – This one reminded me of a Gospel song. The back ground vocals sound like a choir and the lyrics talked about overcoming and sacrifice.
- Track 3 – Not Loving You – I really liked the message of this song. It is a reminder that there is only so much others can do if you are not loving you (yourself).
- Track 4 – When You’re Gone – This song made me smile. It is about missing someone when they are gone. It reminded me about some of the status updates my friends post about missing their husbands when they are traveling for work.
- Track 5 – Right Now – I liked this one a lot. I liked that it was upbeat and made me want to dance.
- Track 6 – My Loving – This one was more of a pop song. It had a club vibe that I liked.
- Track 7 – Long Hard Look – I liked the music on this song right away
- Track 8 – Whole Damn Year – In this song Mary shows just how long it can take to fully recover from a bad heartbreak. It was more in that Mary style that I am used to. Bonus, at the end of the song I enjoyed hearing Mary speak about how people are watching her through the peaks and valleys of life. Particularly they are watching during the down times to see how she will act. Will she be kind to fans? Will she show up to perform? It’s a reminder that someone is watching all of us through our down times as well. How are we acting???
- Track 9 – Nobody But You – This was another upbeat song that I can imagine dancing to in a club.
- Track 10 – Pick Me Up – I loved the instrument in this song. I believe it was a saxophone. This one is also upbeat. There is something about the way Mary pronounces the words that reminds me of Michael Jackson.
- Track 11 – Follow – Another upbeat song that made me want to dance. Something about this one made me feel happy.
- 12 Worth My Time – I liked the message of this song. Most of us have either given up on a relationship too soon or stayed too long. This song talks about not giving up on a relationship, but the person has to be worth your time.
For more information on the album search the hashtag #TheLondonSessions, check out the trailer and The London Sessions web page.
Overall this is a good album and I did find joy in it. My favorite songs were Right Now, Therapy, and My Loving. The album release date is December 2nd, that when you can find your own joy in The London Sessions.
P. S. You can preorder now at:
www.maryjblige.com/london-sessions
iTunes : http://bit.ly/MJLondonSessions
Amazon: http://bit.ly/MJBLondonSessions
I participated in the Mary J Blige The London Sessions album review program as a member of bLink Marketing Network. I was provided a free album to review but all opinions are my own.
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Thanks Luza. I was so excited to review the Album.
Top Album !! Congratulations !!