Music therapy
MARY J. Blige is Not Gon’
Cry.
The queen of hip-hop soul has rebounded well a year after finalising her messy divorce from husband/manager Kendu Isaacs.
Blige pulled out all the stops during the recent 2019 BET Awards by performing her own musical tribute after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award during the star-studded affair.
As demonstrated by the rapturous standing room-only audience rocking with her throughout her career-spanning medley, the nine-time Grammy Award winner’s music continues to resonate with fans.
Even after the pain of ending her 13-year marriage, Blige has surprisingly found comfort in her sometimes solemn signature songs like Not Gon’ Cry, I Can Love You and No More Drama.
In a recent interview with People magazine, the R&B superstar said she didn’t find any difficulty in singing about lost love these days.
“It’s therapeutic,” she said. “To travel back and to relive something again and not have it drive you crazy is a true gift from God.
“To be able to touch people with what you’ve gone through and pull them through...the sadness makes me happy almost. I can’t even describe it,” Blige added.
The two-time Academy Award nominee headlined Essence Festival for the 15th time this year a few days ago. Over the course of her 25+ year career, Blige has graced the cover of the brand’s best-selling black women’s magazine more than 10 times.
Blige opened up more to the magazine about moving on with her happy, healthy and busy single life now.
“If I could tell my younger self something, I would tell her don’t be afraid of your imperfections, because one day people are going to love you for them,” the 48-year-old diva shared.
With the 2017 release of her 13th studio opus Strength Of A Woman, the Bronx native opened up about what all she’d been through, alleging that Isaacs cheated on her. In 2018, Blige found some
peace. “I think I turned that corner when I got my divorce,” she shared.
“I think that I realised that no matter what comes to me, no matter how big or bad it is, I have to keep moving, I have to keep living. I said, ‘No, I’m not going to stay in this marriage. I’m out of here.’ That’s what thriving is about.”
Now, she said she’s “very content, and I’m happy with myself ... I learned to be happy with just Mary, just enjoying my own company, me by myself most of the time. I’m grateful.”
The door is not closed for the Real Love singer. She revealed that there “a lot” of suitors vying for her attention but her previous history had made her “very selective.”
“I’ve been in a bad relationship. So if it’s not worth it, it’s not worth it,” she added.
“I try to keep my mind positive, I stay working out, I try to eat right and treat people right,” she added. “I have fun too, don’t get it twisted, I go out with my friends, I laugh, I joke, I have wine. I do all of that.
“It’s not easy, it’s hard doing the right thing all the time, but if this is going to keep me out of trouble, I choose this. I don’t let anything get the best of me.” New York Daily News/ Tribune News Service