Description
Mary J Blige – Strength Of A Women – Compact Disc
Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman (released April 28, 2017) is one of the most personal records in her catalog — an album shaped directly by upheaval. Created during and after her highly publicized divorce, the project channels betrayal, independence, anger, reflection, and eventual self-possession into a contemporary R&B framework. If earlier classics like My Life documented emotional struggle, Strength of a Woman documents survival with clarity and resolve.
Musically, the album blends modern R&B production with elements of hip-hop and soul. Contributors include DJ Khaled, Kanye West, Missy Elliott, Jazmine Sullivan, Kaytranada, and longtime collaborator Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. The sound reflects mid-2010s R&B trends — trap-influenced percussion, atmospheric synth textures, and melodic hooks — but Mary’s voice remains the anchor. Her delivery carries the lived-in grain and emotional phrasing that have defined her career since the early ’90s.
The lead single “Thick of It” set the tone, directly addressing heartbreak and disillusionment with blunt honesty. It became a No. 1 hit on the Adult R&B chart and reaffirmed her core audience’s connection to her confessional style. Tracks like “U + Me (Love Lesson)” lean into a smoother, more sensual vibe, while “Set Me Free” and “Glow Up” emphasize self-empowerment and resilience. The album closes with the title track, which reframes the narrative from loss to strength — positioning vulnerability as a source of power rather than weakness.
Strength of a Woman doesn’t mask its context. The themes are direct: broken trust, financial conflict, emotional exhaustion, and rediscovered confidence. But rather than dwelling solely in pain, the sequencing moves toward affirmation. It mirrors a progression — from confrontation to catharsis to clarity.
The album debuted in the Top 5 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top R&B Albums chart. Critically, it was received as a return to the autobiographical intensity that long defined her best work.
Within Mary J. Blige’s discography, Strength of a Woman stands as a mid-career reckoning — contemporary in sound but rooted in the same emotional transparency that earned her the title “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.” It doesn’t reinvent her style; instead, it reinforces her core strength: turning personal turmoil into resonant R&B storytelling.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic sealed
Track Listing
Love Yourself
Thick Of It
Set Me Free
It’s Me
Glow Up
U + Me (Love Lesson)
Indestructible
Thank You
Survivor
Find The Love
Smile
Telling The Truth
Strength Of A Woman
Hello Father
