Mary J. Blige Shares Story Of Beloved Album In New Documentary

Mary J.Blige’s much-loved 1994 sophomore album My Life is the subject of a new documentary coming to Amazon Prime. The singer and actress opens up about what was going on at the time she recorded the collection that included some of her signature songs including the title track, “I’m Goin’ Down” and “Be Happy.” In the trailer that Blige posted she can be seen and heard talking about her personal struggles with depression and how that fed her music. Sean Combs and Taraji P. Henson appear in the film to talk about Blige’s influence on the culture. Vanessa Roth directed the documentary that started production in 2019. My Life is credited for getting a generation of women through their personal pain and the album’s pulse continues to connect to so many people in need of survival songs. 

Blige’s breakthrough album went triple platinum and in 1996 a remix EP with features from Lauryn Hill and LL Cool J was released. Her vulnerability was something several people were able to relate to and fans felt like Blige’s voice understood and spoke for them. The raw pain emoted in her vocals along with the production that utilized soul samples, thick beats and live instrumentation definitively carved out her place as the Queen of Hip Hop Soul. 

In 2020, the 25th-anniversary edition of My Life was released with bonus tracks. 

My Life was turned into an award-winning perfume and broke records on the Home Shopping Network by selling 65,000 bottles during its debut.

Blige’s career has also been recognized with her induction into the Apollo Theater Walk Of Fame on May 28th. The native of New York had some of her professional beginnings on the stage of the Apollo like so many other music luminaries.

The Amazon Prime film is not the only Mary J. Blige movie project this year. The two-time Oscar nominee will appear as the late jazz legend Dinah Washington in the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect. 

In February 2021 she became a first-time nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Violent Heart mystery thriller which she starred in was also released during that month. 

Mary J. Blige’s My Life will premiere on Amazon Prime on June 25th.