How Hip-Hop/Soul Aficionado Mary J. Blige Conquered 2022

Mary J. Blige, the nine-time Grammy winner known as the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,” has managed to stay casually in the public eye for her entire 30-plus-year career. As a singer, songwriter, rapper, and actress (she notably appeared in the Dee Rees film Mudbound), Blige has found success in every form of media. Even 14 albums in, she is still conquering the music world, with old classics like “Family Affair” still passing around and new songs making the charts. Here are the ways Mary J. Blige took on 2022 with full force.

This aspect of Blige’s year is impossible to ignore. Jay-Z pressed NFL to let her join the incredible 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show group, and her performance did not disappoint. Watch below if you have not seen the highlights!

Blige’s new album received high marks from critics, some of the best she’s seen in years (one significant outlet, the British journalism website “The Arts Desk,” even gave it a perfect score). While the music is suberb, the lyrical topics are the most revolutionary aspect. Topics like life's uncertainty, frustration, and one's ability to overcome come up once again with more grace and tact than ever before. The depth of even the swaggering bangers is refreshing.

Rating: 8/10 

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Highlights include discussing her woman-centric 'Strength of a Woman' festival, how vulnerability translates into beauty, and how she doesn't need to have kids. What a remarkable person!