Mary J. Blige’s 13th studio album, Strength of a Woman, is finally here. Released on Capitol Records, the album features guest appearances from Kanye West, Missy Elliott, Quavo of Migos, DJ Khaled, Prince Charlez and Kaytranada.
“This is one of my most powerful albums,” Blige said in a statement last month.
In a recent interview with Rated R&B, Blige’s A&R Eddie Fourcell shared his thoughts on the album. “This album will prove that Mary J. Blige has made an album in 2017 — 25 years after her debut — and still made an amazing record that still stands the time,” he said. “We didn’t make it a dated album. It doesn’t feel like What the 411? but it feels like what she was on there . You’re going to be extremely pleased with the album.”
Strength of a Woman’s lead single “Thick of It,” co-written by Jazmine Sullivan, was released last fall and climbed to no. 1 on the urban AC radio chart. It makes radio history as the fastest song to top urban AC radio since Whitney Houston’s 1995 hit “Exhale (Shoop Shoop).”
Listen to Strength of a Woman below.