by Mary J. Blige is widely considered one of the greatest R&B artists of all time. Over her 30+ year career, she has won 9 Grammys and sold over 80 million records worldwide. However, what many fans may not realize is that Blige has never been content to stay confined within the boundaries of traditional R&B. Throughout her discography, she has experimented with different genres and pushed the boundaries of what constitutes an R&B album. This genre experimentation is what has allowed Blige to stay relevant for over three decades in the ever-changing music industry.
In this article, we will analyze some of Blige’s most notable genre experiments and crossovers. While she is best known for her powerful brand of soulful hip hop-influenced R&B, delving into different styles has kept her music fresh and intriguing for new and longtime fans alike. Blige’s willingness to take creative risks showcases her artistry and commitment to growth as an artist.
Early Experimentation with Hip Hop
Some of Blige’s earliest genre experiments came in the incorporation of hip hop elements into her signature R&B sound. Her 1992 debut album What’s the 411? helped define the subgenre of hip hop soul. Produced primarily by Puff Daddy and Sean “Diddy” Combs, the album had a raw, gritty edge courtesy of its hip hop influences.
Standout tracks like “Real Love,” “You Remind Me,” and “Reminisce” blended Blige’s powerful vocals with hip hop-style beats, sampling, and rapping. This helped bring her soulful style to a new audience, expanding R&B’s reach. The album was a massive commercial success, certified 6x platinum. It demonstrated that hip hop and R&B could seamlessly merge into an exciting new hybrid genre.
Blige continued experimenting with hip hop on her follow-up albums My Life (1994) and Share My World (1997). Producers like DJ Premier and Erick Sermon helped shape a sound that was just as much hip hop as R&B. Songs like “Be Happy,” “You Bring Me Joy,” and “I Can Love You” showed Blige’s versatility in navigating different styles. While rooted in R&B, these albums pushed the boundaries of what constituted an R&B album at the time through their hip hop influences.
Rock and Pop Inspirations
After establishing herself as the “Queen of Hip Hop Soul,” Blige began looking outside of hip hop for new inspiration on her fifth studio album No More Drama (2001). Produced primarily by Rock Wilder, the album took on a harder-edged rock influence compared to her previous work.
Tracks like “No More Drama” and “Family Affair” incorporated a grittier guitar-driven sound alongside Blige’s raw vocals. Meanwhile, the Diane Warren-penned ballad “He Think I Don’t Know” showed her ability to navigate mainstream pop-rock territory. No More Drama became Blige’s best-selling album at the time, moving over 3 million copies in the US.
This success emboldened Blige to further explore rock and pop styles on future albums. On Love & Life (2003), she worked with rock producer Rick Rubin on songs like “Love @ 1st Sight” and “Ooh!” which took on a stripped-back, bluesy rock vibe. Then on The Breakthrough (2005), the pop ballad “Be Without You” became one of her signature songs, showing a polished pop sensibility.
Through these albums, Blige demonstrated she was not confined to any one genre and could navigate rock, pop and R&B with equal skillfulness. Her willingness to experiment helped keep her music fresh and appealing to a wide mainstream audience, not just R&B fans. It proved she was an artist willing to evolve and push creative boundaries.
Surprising Duets and Samples
One of Blige’s most unexpected genre experiments came on her 2009 album Stronger with Each Tear. The album featured the strange duet “This Time” pairing Blige’s vocals with a sample of late soul legend Brook Benton’s 1960 hit “I Will Always Love You.”
Hearing Blige’s powerful modern R&B vocals meshed with Benton’s classic soul sample created an eerie, time-blending effect. It was a left-field choice that showed Blige’s fearlessness in trying new creative avenues, even if the end result was a little unorthodox.
She continued sampling old-school soul on her 2012 album A Mary Christmas. Standout track “Every Season” incorporated a sample of Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You for Christmas” into a new holiday song. Meanwhile, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” featured a duet with veteran jazz singer Melody Gardot.
These surprising collaborations across genres and eras demonstrated Blige’s willingness to think outside the box. They helped keep listeners on their toes, never quite knowing what to expect from her next creative move. While not all experiments were unequivocal successes, they showed Blige’s commitment to artistic growth and refusal to rest on past laurels.
Gospel and Jazz Inspirations
Throughout her career, Blige has also incorporated elements of gospel, her original musical roots, into many of her albums. Songs like “His Eye Is on the Sparrow,” “Joy” and “We’re Still Friends” infused her signature R&B style with gospel harmonies and lyrical themes of faith and spirituality.
On her 2017 album Strength of a Woman, Blige worked with gospel legend Kirk Franklin on the inspirational “Need You Bad.” Then in 2022, she released her first full gospel album simply titled Good Morning Gorgeous, showcasing her powerful pipes on traditional hymns and original inspirational songs.
Blige has also dabbled in jazz, releasing the jazz standards album My Life II… The Journey Continues (Act 1) in 2011. Produced by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, the album took her in a soulful new direction with takes on classics like “Summertime.” It demonstrated yet another genre she could seamlessly navigate.
Through these explorations, Blige has proven herself a true musical chameleon, able to inhabit any number of styles from hip hop to rock to pop, gospel and jazz. Her genre experiments have kept fans on their toes, never quite knowing what to expect next but confident it will showcase new facets of her immense talents.
Impact and Legacy
Over three decades into her iconic career, Mary J. Blige continues finding new creative avenues to explore. On her 2021 album Good Morning Gorgeous, she teamed up with alternative R&B producer DJ Khaled on the infectious single “Amazing.” It showed she remains willing to collaborate outside the box, even as a veteran artist.
Blige’s willingness to experiment with different genres throughout her career has been a key factor in her unprecedented longevity and continued relevance. It has allowed her to evolve alongside changing musical tastes, keeping new generations of fans engaged. While rooted in R&B, she has never confined herself to a single style.
Her genre-blending albums helped define major trends like hip hop soul in the 1990s and ushered R&B into rock and pop mainstream popularity. Artists today continue to be influenced by her ability to seamlessly blend styles. Most importantly, it has kept each new Blige album an event, with fans excited to see what new creative avenues she may explore.
Over 30 years into her storied career, Mary J. Blige remains as committed as ever to growth as an artist. Her fearless genre experimentation is a testament to her talents, work ethic and role as a trailblazer who expanded the boundaries of Black music. It is this willingness to take creative risks that has cemented her status as the undisputed “Queen of Hip Hop Soul” and one of the greatest artists of any genre.
