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Editorial Review:
"I'm talkin' 'bout things I know," Mary J. Blige wails on "Work That," the second single and opening track of Growing Pains. The album squeaked into 2007 too late to make best-of lists but otherwise would have stormed its way up several, for sure. She needn't have hit us with such a pronouncement: In 16 songs that ring as remarkably, unflinchingly true as those on 2005's landmark The Breakthrough, the queen of hip-hop soul keeps "keeping it real" a specialty. There's no sense in trying to assign credit for the skin-tight grooves and funked-up retro vibe here; with nine producers padding Blige's emotion-rich voice and the lyrics she so obviously lives by, what we're left with is a melange of sounds. But it's a measure of an artist who has mastered her own identity and left nothing to chance that this, her eighth studio album, comes off so free of wild cards and loose edges. "You ask what love feels like," she sings on "What Love Is," one of the disc's less fierce tracks. "It feels like joy, and it feels like pain, and it feels like sunshine, and it feels like rain," she continues, answering the question. The album feels the same way, a passel of complex feelings all wrapped up in love. No one knows struggle, heartache, and triumph over mediocrity like Blige. --Tammy La Gorce
'Growing Pains' is Mary J. Blige's eighth studio album. After a tumultuous period in the nineties which saw the r&b andsoul diva battle demons both privately and professionally, this album documents her final steps to personal happiness as uplifting single 'Just Fine' demonstrates. It's a positiverecord, and highlights the emotional depth in Blige who sounds more confident and mature than ever before. Also included is a guest appearance from rapper Ludacris.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Simply a beautiful piece of work It's rare you get hooked on a CD on the first listen but this is one
of those. With so many RnB artists coming out today it is so hard
to find one which stands head and shoulders above others. This is one
of them. Track after track I was constantly hitting the repeat button.
Mary's experiences and maturity definitely shines through on this album.
Without a doubt much thought went into the production of this material.
Very nice music and musical arrangments as well as... more info
Incredible!! This album will certainly not dissappoint anyone who is a fan of Mary herself, or R'n'B music as a whole. Its a fantastic choice for the summer, with its combination of Soulfull r'n'b and up-tempo dance beats, present on tracks like 'Work That' and 'Just Fine'. It may just be the closest she has got to matching her Critically aclaimed album 'Share My World.' A fantastic addition to Mary's discography.
awesome ***** If you are not sure whether or not to get this..... please GET IT. !! i havnt bought a MJB album for a few years and was not dispappointed. she delivers on every song.. everytime i play it I have a different favourite song.. althougn Stay Down and Fade away are very very good :-) get it, listen, and enjoy!
A bit disappointing Yes, still 4 stars, but disappointing in that I would expect to give a Mary album 5 stars, being her #1 fan n'all, lol...
I just don't think its as good as The Breakthrough, although there are some really good songs, including Stay Down and Fade Away.
