Mary J. Blige is getting a head start to secure a nomination for Best Original Song at next year’s Academy Awards.
The Queen of Hip-Hop & Soul has reunited with Sir Elton John for a new original song titled “Stronger,” featured in the animated film Sherlock Gnomes. Blige’s voice breathes life into Irene Adler, who was once engaged to Sherlock. Irene uses Sherlock calling off their engagement as fuel to sing a powerful anthem on discovering an inner strength after the romantic sparks die.
“Doesn’t it look like I need ya? / Better shape, better off / Stronger than I ever was,” she belts.
John admits he “never wrote a song like this before” but found inspiration from Irene and Blige’s recent love tales for the song’s dynamic lyrics.
Blige made Oscar history by becoming the first person ever to receive nominations for a performance and original song in the same year, for the same film. She portrayed Florence Jackson, a sharecropper’s wife in Dee Rees’ film adaptation of the novel Mudbound.
Sherlock Gnomes arrives in theaters March 23.
