Mary J. Blige can't wait to release her next album: 'It's gonna blow everybody's mind'

The Queen of Hip Hop Soul is completing her 14th studio project.

December 1, 2021, 10:52 AM

It's been over four years since Mary J. Blige released her latest album, "Strength of a Woman" in 2017. Now the Queen of Hip Hop Soul is completing her 14th studio project, and she says it's powerful.

"Wait till you hear it, it's gonna blow everybody's mind," Blige said Monday on the "Tamron Hall Show".

"It's something I had to do, and something I had to say when I was in my darkest, darkest moments in that life, to build myself up to this person that I can see and accept my nose, accept my eyes, accept my cheeks, accept all the things that I used to hate," she continued.

The nine-time Grammy winner has been open about her past drug and alcohol addiction, as well as depression. Now she's loving herself more than ever. "When I wake up with no hair and makeup, I'm accepting that chick that goes to the bathroom and I like her," Blige said.

As she reflected on her classic 1994, triple-platinum album, "My Life," Blige admitted the project represents a very unhappy time.

"That album is so full of just moments that were dark for me," Blige said. "But every time I speak to a fan they'll say 'It helped me to get married' or 'it helped me get out of a bad marriage' or 'it took me through college.'"

"But for me, it was like, 'Oh man, I just want to die,'" she continued. "It's so many tears and I wanted to be loved, you know by this man, and I didn't love myself."

Now, Blige is looking forward to releasing new music next year, and performing during the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 13 in LA with Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg and Eminem.