Recently there has been a wave of nostalgia for the 90's in the music industry. From fashion to sound, the reminiscing of earlier and happier days in music has become more present. Following this trend is the R&B legend Mary J. Blige with her new album My Life II...The Journey Continues( Act 1). Whoever was fortunate to grow up in the 90's knows that Blige started her career with emotional and heartfelt ballads that not only were taken from her personal life struggles but later became classics. Lately she has found love and within that a new sound of happiness and positivity. She found minor commercial success with hits like "Be Without You" and "Just Fine" but has yet to reach the same success in sales as before. Returning to the old Mary with a more mature sound, she brings her fans her latest LP as a two-part "act." What sets this album apart from previous works from Blige is the list of features. From Nas on the Wu-Tang sampled "Feel Inside" to Busta Rhymes, Drake, Rick Ross, Beyonce, and even Mary J. herself as the rapper Brook lyn, this album's sound is a throwback to the early days of Mary's career. Although the album has great production, halfway through it is very one note. The somber sound that many know Mary for just seems like whining in times of artists like Drake. What fans loved about Mary's early career is the mix of both pain but also hopeful hits. Her sound was new, catchy, and she had the talent to match. With My Life II, Blige tries to belt out the hits she had in her early 20's of her career but is in her 40's. The same appeal is gone but the growth and maturity in sound is there.
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