Mary J. Blige is leaving no promotional platform unturned as she encourages fans to support her first-ever holiday album, “A Mary Christmas.”
During her interview with Spin magazine, Blige talked about different topics including her new album, having chemistry with producers during recording sessions, taking the responsibility to inspire and what makes a strong man.
She also shared her feelings on Amy Winehouse and making the change in your life to seek help for your personal demons.
Read a few of the excerpts from the moving interview below.
On Amy Winehouse, making a change.
Whatever rehab, whatever prayer you gotta do, if it means that much to you, you gotta make a change.I loved Amy Winehouse, and [her death] just really hurt me, because that could have been me. It just reinforces, “OK, Mary, stay strong in this and continue to inspire the people to want to live another day.” Because I know how that feels. I know how Amy felt. I know how it feels when you wanna die. But there’s so much responsibility when you’re an artist or a mom or a dad. You have other people to think about. You have 15 million fans out there to think about, people that really love you. So you gotta get selfless, hard as it is.
On chemistry with producers:
It just turns the session all the way up when you have chemistry.When [producers] really get you and are not faking, it just makes you feel good. It’s the chemistry that makes the session go even further, ’cause now you get each other. It’s like when there’s a good basketball game, and the team is playing really good, and everybody’s winning. It’s like that, with the spiritual component, which is the energy in the room. So it just makes it super-exciting when a person is sitting down after you did something amazing and they’re like, “Oh my God.” They’re looking at you like you’re not even human.
On taking responsibility to inspire as an artist:
I take the responsibility to inspire. Getting that label [Queen of Hip-Hop Soul] so early, it’s the queen of something, right? And that’s a leader, and it has been a huge responsibility. If you stay stuck in one thing — like hip-hop soul and hip-hop loops and all of that — then you’re stuck, you’re stagnant. You’re not a leader. But if you lead, you can’t be afraid to step out and do a song with Bono and make a Led Zeppelin cover and have Elton John play the piano on your “Deep Inside” song and do what you love to do, and the heck with what people have to say or whatever boxes they want to put you in. You have to grow.
On what makes a strong man:
For men, if they’re open and vulnerable, they pull back. Far as me being open and vulnerable, it’s just made me touchable and relatable to everybody. If [men] speak their life story out there about their personal things, I think because of how they are, they just won’t let you in, and so they appear to have mystique, when they’re just really afraid. It’s harder for men to appear vulnerable, ’cause in the world, if you cry too hard or you show too much emotion, then you’re soft, but I think a strong man is a man who will pour his heart out to you. Women love a man like that, because he’s confident with his feminine side, the side his mama raised him in.
Read more from the interview here.
