Mary J. Blige Reflects On The Life-Saving Power Of Her Album “My Life”

Mary J. Blige, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, recently opened up about the profound impact her 1994 album My Life had on her during a conversation with Billboard. At 53, Mary looks back with gratitude on how the seminal sophomore album helped her through some of her darkest times.

“That album is so important because it was so pivotal for when it came time for me to choose. I was in a dark place where I didn’t wanna live, and I was begging people to love me and stay with me. Now, I’m not begging anyone to love and stay with me. I love myself. I found my real love. My true love is myself and I,” Mary stated.

Mary elaborated on the album’s significance, saying, “That’s why when it was time for me to choose the My Life album, I chose my life. I chose my life and my fans when it was time to make that turn because I didn’t want to off myself and take half my fanbase with me. That didn’t seem right. I always had a conscious and a spiritual grounding. That’s what made me choose.”

Released on November 29, 1994, My Life received a best R&B album nomination in 1996 and went triple platinum. It remains one of Mary’s most cherished works and was the focal point of her 2021 Prime Video documentary, Mary J. Blige’s My Life. 

Speaking to PEOPLE, Mary noted, “My Life is the album that really bonded me with my fans who have since been along for what turned out to be a crazy ride. Going back and reliving that time and that music felt like an out-of-body experience, but one I’m so humbled by.”

Mary is also approaching the 30th anniversary of her Grammy-winning hit I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By, a collaboration with her friend and Power Book II: Ghost co-star Method Man. 

As she gears up for the final season of her Starz series, which resumes on September 6, she is also celebrating another major milestone – her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This honor places her among legendary performers like Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, Kool & the Gang, and A Tribe Called Quest.

Reflecting on this achievement, Mary said, “It means so much because I worked so hard. My fans have given me so much, and when I say, ‘We did it,’ I mean my fans and I. We did this because, without them, there’s no me. Through all my blood, sweat, and tears, suffering, getting up and falling down, they were there. It means a lot to accomplish something like that.”