Strength Of A Woman sees Blige performing with an urgency and conviction that was lacking in previous efforts.
The R&B legend returns with a soulful, deeply personal album that luxuriates in the classic sounds of wronged-woman blues.
She is a resilient yet restrained force. But the LP is missing a killer cut or two; the empowering title track is the closest thing to a classic MJB anthem.
For the 46-year-old powerhouse ... it’s clear music is her catharsis and Strength of a Woman will inadvertently not only help her muster up the courage to carry on but will also inspire her fans to do the same.
The best tracks on ‘Strength Of A Woman’ seem destined to be poached for streaming service playlists and radio play, while the album as a whole potentially goes unnoticed, dragged down by its own weight and fated to settle comfortably only in the back catalogue.
On Strength of a Woman, Mary J. Blige covers a lot of lyrical ground familiar to anyone who has heard her 11 previous studio albums. A significant fraction of this set's sentiments are clichéd.
Here she finds a (mostly) sweet spot between contemporary production and her classic sombre-sassy style.
Strength Of A Woman ... finds the Queen Of R&B Reproach once again embattled by amorous treachery – presumably triggered by her recent split with her husband/manager. It’s R&B’s most familiar theme, but few do it this well.
#24 | / | Thrillist |
#18 | / | Rolling Stone (R&B) |
#38 | / | Complex (First Half) |