The Queen is back. Mary J. Blige has returned with her new single, “Breathing,” featuring Fabolous, via her label Beautiful Life Music and 300 Entertainment.
Producer S. Dot turns Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ 1956 classic “I Put a Spell on You” into hip-hop soul. The sample flip for Blige’s gushing new track complements both her and her N.Y. co-star, Fabolous.
Fab opens the nostalgia-tinted track before Blige appears in verse two. He references The Notorious B.I.G.’s 1997 track “Kick in the Door,” which sampled Hawkins’ song previously. He also mentions Blige’s torch anthem, “Not Gon’ Cry,” and its companion soundtrack, Waiting to Exhale.
“Not gon lie / I hate to take an L / Had me sitting there hot, like waiting rooms in hell / But I’m not gon cry / No waiting to exhale,” Fab spits in a loose, easy flow.
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In the second verse, Blige revives a genre that she pioneered, sounding fresh and focused. She sings, “Those things you do to me / Leaves a lasting impression on my heart / There’s no second best / I’ve had my wasted times but no regrets.”
Blige later reveals herself to no longer feel the need to suppress her feelings about a new partner, fitting into the gritty production. “Flyest part of you and me, we give each other space / I’m always excited to see ya / Never really felt this freedom / I think to myself: Is this real or can I be dreaming? / I think I’m in love,” she belts.
According to Mediabase, “Breathing” is the most added song on R&B radio for the week of Aug. 7, with 30 adds.
“Breathing” was first teased during DJ Funkmaster Flex’s Thursday mix show on 107.5 WBLS in July and has since been reposted in his Instagram Stories.
It is the follow-up to Blige’s 2023 single “Still Believe in Love,” which featured rapper Vado, her Beautiful Life Music signee.
The optimistic track, produced by DJ Cassidy and Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman, topped Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart, holding the No. 1 spot for eight consecutive weeks.
“Breathing” is Blige’s first original music of the year. She plans to release a new project later this year.
“I’m working on a project,” she revealed in an Audacy Check In with Big Tigger of Atlanta’s V-103. “Something nice for my fans,” she added, hinting that it will be more closely aligned with her core music style of hip-hop soul.
Following the interview, Blige told People that her forthcoming project might be her last. “It’s probably my last studio album.” She also detailed what type of creative headspace she’s in for her new material.
“I believe in love for myself, love for life, love for happiness, love for God , love for peace. Know that life is full of ups and downs, and roll with the punches because life is important,” Blige said.
Blige’s 15th studio album will be her first music collection in two years. Her latest album, Good Morning Gorgeous, was released in 2022. A deluxe edition and a vinyl version were also released later that year.
Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe) received nominations at the 65th Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Album and Album of the Year.
The album’s title track, “Good Morning Gorgeous,” tallied another No. 1 R&B hit for Blige and earned nominations for Best Traditional R&B Performance, Best R&B Song, and Record of the Year.
Up next for Blige is Rod Peace, a new film directed by Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, which opens in U.S. theaters today (Aug. 16). She also returns to Starz’s Power Book II: Ghost on Friday, Sept. 6.
In October, Blige will be inducted into the performer category of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. It will be streamed live on Disney+ and later broadcast on ABC, also available on Hulu on Sunday, Oct. 20.
Listen to Mary J. Blige’s new single “Breathing” featuring Fabolous below.
