Album Review: Mary J Blige – “Growin Pains”
February 3, 2008
Mary J Blige – “Growing Pains”
Joe Music struggled with this album, because everyone loves Mary. She has a great story of overcoming adversity and pain, and her albums and collaborations have always been critically acclaimed. The problem with this album however is that, except for a few songs, it is so cathartic and emotionally driven by her past that many listeners will find it difficult to enjoy. Joe Music looks to Tina Turner as the perfect example of an artist who expressed her experiences and then moved on to the business at hand: music that her audience could appreciate and enjoy. M’s 2 most recent albums gave her that chance; unfortunately, that continuance of wallowing in her past is something Joe Music can’t listen to any longer, making this album a disappointment.
rates it a C
| Track Title | Notes | Grade |
| Work That | Not a good start to the album, with it’s only claim to fame being the Apple iPod commercial | C+ |
| Grown Woman | MJ pseudo-rapping her independence. She’s no Missy Elliott or Beyonce’, but it’s decent enough. Oh, and Ludicrous throws in his two cents. Eh. | B |
| Just Fine | This track makes the ablum, a Top 10 for 2007. Try to sit still, Joe Music dares you. | A+ |
| Feel Like A Woman | Joe Music fell asleep. Is it over? What did I miss? | C |
| Stay Down | An anthem song about keeping relationships. Joe Music is a hopeless romantic, so it’s kinda hard to fault MJ for this one. | B- |
| Hurt Again | Ok we get it. Never get hurt again. Enough already. | C- |
| Shake Down | Oh, it’s a shake down? Well ok. So long as I don’t get hurt again | C- |
| Till The Morning | C+ | |
| Roses | The Angry Song | B- |
| Fade Away | The “I Want To Be Left Alone” Song | C- |
| What Love Is | C | |
| Work In Progress (Growing Pains) | C | |
| Talk To Me | C+ | |
| If You Love Me? | D+ | |
| Smoke | C | |
| Come To Me (Peace) | Amen to that. Throwaway song alert. | D |
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