Ah, our queen. Mary J. Blige stunned last night in Cannes at the Cinema Against Aids benefit gala. Work that thing out!
Mary J. Blige’s episode of Storytellers airs tonight at 8/7 c, but we were treated to a preview and an exclusive chat with the people’s diva last month when she taped the show at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom. (Check out the clip above — we even got you a preview of tonight’s show, too.) Touching on major tracks from throughout her career, and paying special attention to her latest album, Growing Pains, Mary chronicled her life in song with personal anecdotes, tales of inspiration and emotional rallying cries. What follows is a list of 10 things we learned from a performance in which Mary seemed intent in proving that a story is only as good as its lesson.
A few weeks back, Mary J. Blige came in and filmed her very own Storytellers, playing the hits from What’s the 411? on up to her latest Growing Pains. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul shared the stories behind all the songs, and on Monday, February 25th at 8 p.m., VH1 is airing the show. Check back on Friday when we’ll have a few sneak cuts of songs that didn’t make the show.
Mary J. Blige kicked butt at this year’s Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash, last night in Arizona. If you caught our live stream of the show, you know she sat in with co-headliners Maroon 5 and had her pal Ne-Yo take the stage for a little pillow talk. It airs Saturday at 9/8c – don’t miss. Passionate performances are what Ms. Blige is about, of course. We recently caught her at the taping of her Storytellers show, and she was in the highest of spirits for that, too. “Just Fine” doesn’t even begin to describe her showmanship, which left both her and the audience breathless. It premieres on February 25.
Check out some shots from Mary’s Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash performance below.
[All images: Getty]
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Mary J. Blige is going to have some help in Arizona this Thursday night. When the Pepsi Smash Superbowl Bash gets going, Ne-Yo is jumping onstage to help his pal Mary throw some funk around. You know that she was part of a remix of Ne-Yo’s “Do You” last year. But did you know that his favorite sandwich is a chicken and cheese thingee with mayo and mustard? And did you know that the first CD he bought was the Pharcyde‘s Bizarre Ride to the Pharcyde? And did you know one of his earliest memories was watch his mom dance to Prince songs? No? You’d best get brought up to speed on our boy. Here’s a User’s Guide that will let the R&B star explain things himself.
Watch the Pepsi Smash show, which also features Maroon 5, live this Thursday night on VH1.com, and again this Saturday night on VH1 itself.
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What could be better than seeing Mary J. Blige or Maroon 5? Seeing Mary J. Blige and Maroon 5! The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul and the Cali funksters are hitting Glendale, Arizona to play the NFL Pepsi Smash Bowl Bash. Expect plenty of top-secret, special guests joining Mary and Maroon, arena-worthy performances, and absolutely no boob-flashing.
Can’t make it to the show? We’ll be broadcasting it on VH1 on February 2nd at 9pm. Can’t wait that long? Check out our Pepsi Smash site, with tons of videos and performances by Mary J. and Maroon 5.
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The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul and R & B releases her latest record today, Growing Pains. By all accounts, it’s a fine addition to her already impressive catalogue, featuring singles like “Work That,” which you might have seen on the ol’ iPod commercial. (Damn you, Mac! You and your cleverness will rue the day!) We couldn’t think of a more fitting pre-holiday hottie than Mary J. You all know her story: Discovered at a mall in 1988 covering Anita Baker’s “Rapture,” the songstress soon met Andre Harrell and was on her way superstardom. Diddy helmed the production end of her debut, and from there, the sky was the limit. She’s been nominated for a Grammy and will no doubt appear at the awards show, so until February, these photographs are just going to have to suffice.
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The gays love Mary J. Blige and Mary loves the gays, the diva reveals in the upcoming issue of The Advocate. “I’ve never been a judgmental person because I have been through so much hell myself,” says the no-more-drama queen. However, she reserves no judgment for her hip-hop peers who don’t share her tolerant point of view. On homophobia in hip-hop, Mary says:
“I’ve heard a couple of guys say foul things, and those guys are not around me anymore because when they say things like that, I’m looking at them like, What makes you so scared? You don’t know who you are? I guess it all boils down to them not being sure about themselves and what they wanna do, whoever that is. I won’t say any names. And I don’t dislike them or anything—it just makes me wonder about them period. ’Cause if you’re not sure about that, then you ain’t sure about a lotta things!“
Watch out, homophobes: hell has no wrath like Mary scorned. She may act demure now, but you can tell by listening to her old music that she is not afraid to get ugly on you. [The Advocate via Towleroad / Image: Getty]
- Mary J. Blige‘s Growing Pains album art surfaces. Why the long face, Mary? Show me that smile again… [SOULBOUNCE.com]
- And speaking of album covers, the one for Foxy Brown‘s Brooklyn’s Don Diva bites off famous images of Lil’ Kim and Pam Grier. Gee, Foxy, running out of iconic strong women to rip off? [Jezebel]
- Maroon 5 manwhore Adam Levine goes bare-chested for Halloween. For some, it’s “Slutoween”; for Adam Levine, it’s just another day the office. [Dlisted]
- I’ll take Britney butt over Britney beaver any day. [CityRag]
- Tyra Banks steps out in hazardously tight tights. The better to kiss her fat ass with. [CONCRETELOOP]
Mary J Blige made her name on articulating drama and storming around with eloquence, but damn, everyone’s got a sunny side sometimes. “Just Fine,” the lead track from her forthcoming Growing Pains, finds the singer bouncing a bit faster than usual, and declaring just how well things are going. It’s fairly irresistible. “No time for moping around,” she coos, “no time for negative vibes,” ultimately rocking an “ooooh” that rivals Michael Jackson‘s classic exclamations.
Growing Pains features collabos with Maroon 5 and Ne-Yo. But “this isn’t about throwing junk together. I want to amaze people,” she told Blender. “I’m constantly looking toward the new kids, like Rihanna, for inspiration; keeps me on my game.”
VH1 is premiering the “Just Fine” video on Thursday morning, starting at 6 am. Catch it once an hour through 10 am. Here’s a little tease from the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul herself. Get the big picture in Mary J’s Box Set.
