Gratitude marks another success as Mary J. Blige seamlessly combines classic and contemporary R&B music

Recently, Mary J. Blige released her 15th album, Gratitude. It is representative of her efforts to remain a leading voice in the R&B genre. She is most well known from the 90’s and while her current music is slightly less popular, it represents that her talent is here to stay. With Gratitude, Mary J. Blige showcases the longevity of both her vocal ability as well as her overall charm as an artist. The album is a mix of chill R&B that crosses into other similar genres with upbeat vibes and empowering messages.

The album begins with “Breathing (feat. Fabolous),” an instant hit reminiscent of her old music that bridged the genres of R&B and hip-hop. The song is an excellent mix of powerful vocals from Mary J. Blige and a talented flow from Fabolous. Their voices complement each other as they both add a unique aspect to the rhythmic beat. “Breathing” is one of the best new songs and it brings a remarkably strong start to the album. Another powerful song is “Don’t Fuck Up.” It is an uplifting track with a unique and funky beat that is perfect for Mary J. Blige’s strong and seamless vocals. The song is exemplary of her talent through the background vocals that complement the song perfectly. Mary J. Blige clearly expresses her superiority in the R&B genre. She specifically sings about her musical talent and personal abilities on “Superpowers.” Throughout the track, she affirms herself and her worth in a relationship and as an artist. The song is a slower, sultry track that uses repetition to enhance the mood.

Another feature, “Need You More (feat. Jadakiss)" keeps up the same vibes as the intro track. The song is dynamic as Mary J. Blige uses different vocal styles to create a cute love song that embodies chill R&B. Jadakiss’s part disrupts the vibe slightly as he comes in with rough and scratchy vocals. She continues this theme of catchy love with “Nobody But You” and “Don’t Fuck Up.” On “Nobody But You,” Mary J Blige showcases her strong vocal ability and proves she has just as much talent as she did as a rising star. The song’s beat is much smoother and places the song almost in the genre of neo-soul. “Don’t Fuck Up” also shares a message of self-love and love in relationships.

Gratitude expresses an overall theme of empowerment. Through multiple songs, Mary J. Blige urges her fans to believe in themselves and remember their self-worth. “Beautiful People” is a perfect example as it embodies joy and resilience. The song is a typical R&B hit with a funky electric beat and a really good bridge. Another uplifting track is “You Ain’t The Only One.” This song stands out with a slower tempo as Mary J. Blige plays around with a vibe similar to jazz. “You Ain’t The Only One” remains one of the most inspiring songs as she encourages the audience to never give up as they aren't alone in their struggles.

The second half of Gratitude is slightly less powerful as the songs get slower and become less unique. While Mary J. Blige never produces a dissonant note, some of the songs are far less impactful. The track “Never Give Up On Me” is fairly rhythmic with calm vibes. The song falls short though as it feels dull and does not stand out compared to the rest of the album. Likewise, “Here I Am” expresses Mary J. Blige’s typical singing strategy but brings nothing special. She breaks out of this unmemorable rut with the song “Can’t Wait For You.” This song continues with a slower paced beat and chill vibe but it showcases Mary J. Blige’s ability to make a track like this super memorable. “Can’t Wait For You” matches the genre of contemporary R&B with uptempo but relaxed beats.

Similarly to how it began, Gratitude concludes with two feature tracks. However, the latter two do not reach the same heights. “God’s Child” begins with an intense rap verse by Fat Joe that feels quite harsh compared to the previous chill R&B sound. The song overall has darker tones and Mary J. Blige alters her vocals and flow to match this. “I Got Plans” has a slightly better combination of artists as A$AP Ferg complements Mary J. Blige’s vocals better. The song gives vibes similar to hip-hop and R&B collabs of the 90s. This track is a typical hit that matches her usual style, but still stands out as a powerful and playful ending to the album. Gratitude closes out extremely strong with a song reminding audiences of Mary J. Blige’s talent as an R&B vocalist and songstress.

Mary J. Blige uses her most recent album, Gratitude, to prove she has not lost any musical abilities from her youth. She showcases her talent in the R&B genre while crossing into various genres like jazz and neo soul through different types of singing methods and tempos. The album starts out powerful with tracks like “Breathing” and “Don’t Fuck Up.” Not every song hits as hard though, as some of the beats feel stale and Mary J. Blige’s vocals sounded partially strained. “Never Give Up On Me,” “Here I Am,” and “God’s Child” all felt too ordinary to stand out. Still, Gratitude as a whole is another successful album by Mary J. Blige that solidifies her place as an R&B queen. While the album isn’t full of complete hits, it includes a variety of tracks that complement her voice well and showcase long lasting talent. Throughout every song on Gratitude, Mary J. Blige expresses messages of empowerment, resilience, and self-determination to her audiences.