Last time we spoke with Mary J. Blige, it was 2014. She had just released The London Sessions, her twelfth studio album. After the release, she left Interscope and signed with Capitol Records — so we knew whatever was to come would be a new chapter. After all, Mary told us she’s never one to stall, or move backwards. “I have evolved and I’m evolving. This [my other albums] is the history and that’s a big book and it’s still open, but now we have to open another book. We’re not closing this one, but we have to open another book now.”
We’ve just learnt that new book has been penned, in part, by Kanye West. Mary’s been in the studio a whole lot lately working on her thirteenth album, and somehow, between Pablo sessions, Mr. West found time to join her. “The song is crazy — I can’t wait for people to hear it,” she told THR.
“The flavor of the track starts off with piano keys. It’s very dramatic in the beginning and it goes into a loud horn. That is, like an old sample horn,” Mary said. “And then this gigantic beat kicks in and I sing. He rhymes after my two verses. It’s incredible. He kills it. I wish I could give you the title, you’d flip but I just can’t do it yet.” Hopefully we’ll catch a listen soon, apparently the album is very close to being done.
Credits
Photography Olivia Rose