Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige has been a major force in R&B for the past twenty years. Whether covering classic hits like like Debarge's "A Dream" or belting out her own numbers like "Be Without You," Blige's husky, powerful voice is always authentic. Even in an age of disposable R&B, Queen Mary incorporates fresh rap features without being overshadowed or alienating her grown and sexy crowd. She keeps the momentum going with "Don't Mind," her fourth official single from My Life II... The Journey Continues. It's definitely a track you want to feed your MP3 player.
This song grabbed me as soon as I heard that electronic opening loop. Once the bass dropped, it became an instant head banger. Jerry Duplessis, Wyclef Jean's cousin, produced the record. He's known for his work on The Fugees classic album The Score.
Blige is in great form for the mid-tempo piece, going in for vocal runs when convenient but mainly taking a laid back approach. Her vocals are, as always, full and in great form. There's no whispering here. The song lyrics aren't much to harp over. Here Blige's character and her man have both done wrong, but he's the only man for her, so she doesn't mind saying she loves him.
The music video is gorgeous, showing Queen Mary all dolled up dancing on a stool. She's sitting and dancing fully clothed by the way. She's not half nude and performing some wierd sexual stunt à la Rihanna. Everything's classy here.
Here's the link for the video.
Don't deprive your MP3 player. Feed it a few Mary J Blige tracks from her My Life II album!
