Mary J. Blige extends her Essence magazine cover record, landing her 13th cover story for the publication’s November 2017 issue.
On her record-breaking cover, Blige wears an all-white ensemble with a blonde side braid.
In her cover story, the 46-year-old singer dishes on her performance in Dee Rees’ Mudbound, a film set in the Mississippi Delta during the Jim Crow South.
Blige reveals how leaving behind her glamorous superstar exterior to portray her character, Florence Jackson, helped her self-esteem.
“Shedding Mary J. Blige for Florence gave Mary J. Blige some confidence… like a lot of it,” Blige told Essence. “[On set] I could hear people whispering, ‘She’s so beautiful.’ And I was like, ‘Who the hell are they talking about?’”
While it was difficult to do without nails and weaves, Blige didn’t let it interfere with doing her job. “If I didn’t let go and give into the character, the movie probably wouldn’t be what it is right now. It was the one thing that needed to be done, and I couldn’t let Dee down.”
Recently, the “Set Me Free” soulstress collected three 2017 Soul Train Awards nominations including Best Collaboration for “Love Yourself” with Kanye West.
Mudbound is set to make its official debut on Netflix on November 17.
Pick up a copy of Mary’s 13th Essence cover story on October 20.
