Mary J. Blige Explores Brit-Pop with The London Sessions

Few names are as synonymous with a specific genre of music like Mary J. Blige and R&B, so it’s always a treat when Miss B drops a new record for the world to cherish. Thankfully this time around, Blige’s newest LP, The London Sessions, hits more like her ’05 record and all-around masterpiece The Breakthrough than any of her other releases, but there’s some new twists to her sound thanks to her recent trips across the pond. The fact that she joins forces with pop darling Sam Smith and British electronic duo Disclosure adds a new tint to Blige’s pallet, and whether or not you like the color depends on your fondness of these guest appearances.

Critics have generally placed The London Sessions on the better side of the 1 to 10 scale, with notable missteps in the opening tracks and one or two of the ballads, but nearly all agree that Blige is still at the top of her game on the best cuts from the album. Songs like “Right Now,” “Pick Me Up,” and “My Loving” feature Blige as we know her, but with a refreshing production sound that brings her into the groove of the millennium’s second decade. Stand-out collaboration tracks include the Smith-infused opener, “Therapy,” which sets the tone for the first third of the album, and “Whole Damn Year,” a collab cut with Sandé, features powerful vocals telling an even more powerful story of domestic abuse.

You can’t go wrong picking up a Blige album, but with The London Sessions, you’re in for the revitalization of an R&B staple — something every music fan is sure to appreciate.