My Life

iTunes Review

If What’s the 411? introduced Mary J. Blige’s attitude and spellbinding vocal talents, then My Life proved the depth and complexity of her art. Blige refuses to show the evolution of a relationship in chronological terms; rather than adhere to the rules of album-making, she remains truthful to life, which doesn’t compartmentalize feelings. My Life is extraordinary because it expresses elation, desperation, affection, and depression — often in the same moment. The album’s songs refer to different segments of soul music history. “Mary Jane (All Night Long)” blends elements of the Mary Jane Girls and Teddy Pendergrass; “You Bring Me Joy” samples Barry White; the title track borrows from Roy Ayers’ “Everybody Loves the Sunshine.” The lyrics were penned entirely by Blige, and the album’s story is told in her performance. She conveys emotion with such nakedness and intensity that it often feels like we are sharing her experiences in real time. Her fearlessness culminates in the album’s lone cover — a reading of Rose Royce’s 1976 “I’m Going Down” that turns a previously harmless love ballad into an epic, elegant statement of despair.