Music Review: The London Sessions

Album: The London Sessions
Singer: Mary J Blige
Music: Capitol
Rating: 3.5
R&B: Lest you think that today's female R&B singers like Rihanna, Iggy Azalea and their ilk are the be-all of this genre, here's an eye-opener. Blige is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards, in addition to receiving a record 30 Grammy nominations and eight of Blige's albums have reached multi-platinum status in the United States.And from an artiste of this caliber, you can expect nothing short of music that is simply delightful.
On this, her thirteenth studio album, she has artistes, writers and producers like Disclosure, Naughty Boy, Emeli Sande, and Sam Smith sharing various musical duties. The opening track Therapy is a nice collaboration with Smith and can be best described as blues-meets-gospel with a contemporary veneer. And surprise, surprise, My Loving, probably with dance chart traction in mind, is a well-produced dance number.
Emile Sande steps in with Blige in Whole Damn Year, which talks about moving on and picking up the pieces after a relationship that has gone sour. Nobody But Yousounds almost like Massive Attack while Pick Me Up has a clarinet that hits the high registers along with jabs of staccato piano.
Another nice, peaceful number is the gentle ballad Worth My Time, elevated by tasteful piano playing. Keeping in mind that her voice is her strongest suit, the production never gets too cluttered. So, if her voice makes your heart sing, The London Sessions might just be the entertainment ticket for you.
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Listen to Mary J. Blige songs on Gaana.com
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