No longer content with being the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige now has her sights set on being, well, Queen.
Her reign over hip hop and R&B well established, Blige has made her intention to conquer pop clear on her recent releases. "The Breakthrough" (2005) lived up to its title, both commercially and for Blige personally: Years of turmoil had given way to a new marriage and a new outlook.
"Growing Pains" might suggest trouble in paradise, but it's less dramatic than that. Blige sings about finding a comfort zone in her new life, about when to make demands ("Feel Like a Woman") and when not to ("Roses").
Blige's vocals have grown to the point that she can convey subtle emotions as well as she can more extreme ones.
"Growing Pains" also gives Blige a variety of musical settings, a mixture that all but guarantees a successful reign at the top.
There's the assertive, club-banging opener ("Work That"), the old-school Michael Jackson style dance-floor smash ("Just Fine") and the lighters-aloft (or cell phones) arena ballad ("Come to Me (Peace)").
Alicia Keys, a future contender for Blige's crown, offered a similar recipe on last year's "As I Am." But where Keys' personality occasionally was submerged by the variety of styles, Blige's shines through regardless of the setting. "Growing Pains" is a near perfect amalgamation of R&B and pop.
Download this: "Just Fine"
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