Mary J. Blige’s Music Videos: A History

Onstage she is carrying an all-black swimsuit, topped with a black fur and sun shades to additional the dramatic aptitude. Probably the most memorable a part of the video? Rows of Blige duplicates strolling down a white staircase. My Life, which offered greater than 3 million copies, additionally documented a tricky time of melancholy for Blige. In her Amazon documentary launched final yr, My Life, she confessed her interior turmoil she whereas making the challenge. “It was nonetheless heavy for me when everybody else was like, ‘Oh my God, this album did a lot for me. This album saved my life.’ Once I was nonetheless caught in hell.”

“I Can Love You” feat. Lil’ Kim (1997)

The second single from Blige’s third album, Share My World, reached quantity 28 on the Billboard Sizzling 100 whereas the album itself debuted as primary on the Billboard 200. “I Can Love You” options an look from the legendary queen bee Lil’ Kim and lyrically shows the duo attempting to steer a possible lover into loving them again. 

Regardless of the extreme nature of the music, we see Blige–in a cascade of blonde curls–nonetheless take pleasure in a celebration with Kim. Whereas love and heartache has been on the middle of a lot of Blige’s music, the star has been open concerning the double customary between well-known ladies and men with regards to relationship. In a 1997 interview with Rolling Stone, Blige remarked, “Males can sleep with 30 girls and get away with it. I can’t.”

“All That I Can Say” (1999)

Within the visuals for “All That I Can Say,” from 1999’s Mary, we see the artist knee-deep in a surreal dream sequence. From bluer-than-blue skies to horses strolling in streets, it was a palpable departure from her earlier video therapies. The love that she sings of has her feeling ethereal and lightweight. Lyrically, Blige ventures into extra poetic territory–which is a results of Lauryn Hill writing, producing, and arranging the observe herself.

“Household Affair” (2001)

This famend 2001 membership banger was Blige’s lead single from her fifth studio album, No Extra Drama. “Household Affair” was additionally her first Sizzling 100 primary hit. Not solely did it add the phrases hateration and holleration into the modern-day lexicon (dancery is an precise phrase), its video impressed a bevy of fashions. From Blige’s denim patchwork shorts set to her asymmetrical bob, it was clear she was embracing this lighter persona. A cameo from Dr. Dre–who shall be performing alongside Blige at this yr’s Tremendous Bowl—isn’t a pleasant coincidence although; he cowrote and produced the music. 

“Not At present” feat. Eve (2003)

The primary moments of “Not At present,” which serves because the third single from 2003’s Love & Life, present clips from a scene from the film Barbershop 2: Again in Enterprise, which was additionally launched that very same yr. (The music was a promotional soundtrack for the movement image.)