Guest Blogger: Nasra M2

”I know who I am and what I can do. With each album, it’s just me continuing to grow.” Her songs are Pure, unadulterated and empowering. That has been Mary J. Blige’s calling card ever since her 1992 multi-platinum debut album, what’s the 411? And in the ensuing years, the singer/songwriter’s musical strong suit has attracted an intensely loyal fan base responsible for propelling worldwide sales of more than 50 million albums. Marry J. Blige is an R&B, Hip Hop and Soul artist who has been in the music business for a very long time. Mary’s music is usually about empowerment and fulfilling your dreams. Her lyrics are very well relatable and touching. Keyshia Cole is a talented singer whose powerful voice is somewhat influenced by Mary. Keyshia Cole and Mary J. Blige both have powerful vocals, straightforward, heartfelt lyrics and a flair for drama. That is what makes the two very similar. Mary’s song titled be without you is very similar to Keyshia Cole’s you complete me because they both talk about how the man that they are with fulfills their needs. They also talk about if he leaves them, they will be heart broken. One of my favorite songs from Mary J. Blige is be without you because I just think that the lyrics are amazing and a good man is very hard to find so for her to put up all of those qualities of a man in her own words is just amazing to me. “Mary is essentially a long, soulful, ballad-tempo vamp over which Blige alternately and sometimes simultaneously tells tales of faithless love, preaches the gospel of female strength, and determinedly clings to hope". This is exactly what Mary stands for and that’s exactly the reason why I love and appreciate her music. I think that Mary’s music is worth listening and buying because it gives you a good feeling and you can also relate to what she has to say.