Tonight (July 27), fans of Mary J. Blige from around the world will get to see her Apple Music Live performance. The 9-time Grammy winner’s one-night-only event in New York City will feature her running through some of her biggest hits.
Ahead of the special showcase from the United Palace theater in Manhattan, Blige spoke to Apple Music’s Nadeska about her career. The Queen of Hip Hop Soul also spoke about working with H.E.R. and Summer Walker, two of the most celebrated contemporary female R&B singers.
“The first time I saw H.E.R. perform was at the Black Girl’s Rock show and I was getting honored and I was sitting in the front row where she came out with this guitar and all this hair,” recalled Mary J. Blige. “And I would say, ‘Who was this beautiful little girl with this bass?’ I was in love from day one. Her music was just incredible. So standing ovation and much, much, much love to her.”
Blige adds, “And I always wanted to work with her. And this was the opportunity. She heard through the grapevine, we called her, it happened, and the session was amazing because she’s just beautiful and a musician she’s got a bass, she’s like, ‘So what are we talking about?’ She’s beautiful.”
H.E.R. appears on the remix of the title track for Mary J. Blige’s fourteenth studio album Good Morning Gorgeous. Additionally, H.E.R. has a producer credit for the song. Blige apparently wants to work with Summer Walker as well.
“And to meet Summer Walker, who’s another beautiful person and super talented, and to have my arms open and love on them because I was young and I didn’t get that kind of love from a lot of the people that came before me,” stated Mary J. Blige. “So I just wanted, ‘What we doing? How we doing it? You all can help me too, I need some help too. What’s new?’ You got to keep your ear to the youth so they can help you too.”
Summer Walker released the Still Over It album in November 2021 which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Back of My Mind by H.E.R. came out in June 2021. The RIAA certified that project as Gold. Thanks to Good Morning Gorgeous, Mary J. Blige scored her nineteenth Top 10 entry on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
