MARY J BLIGE – STRENGTH OF A WOMAN

MJB is in battered broad mode on her first record since divorcing her manager and regaining control of her career. Her 13th album sees her return to soul sista style, dropping the edgy sounds from her last album The London Sessions, which was an interesting experiment that never totally gelled. Kanye West assists on album opener Love Yourself and with titles like Set Me Free, Survivor and Indestructible it’s easy to see that for Mary her Strength is all about emancipation. Indeed, there’s plenty of anger (“there’s a special place in hell for you”), self-help (“think about how valuable you are”) and calls to action (“you were so unworthy”). If you’re nursing a break-up or contemplating one this is your readymade soundtrack.