Mary J. Blige, a 9-time Grammy winner and 2-time Oscar nominee, celebrated the release of her 15th studio album, “Good Morning Gorgeous,” on Thursday night at The Classic Cat in West Hollywood.
Bruno Mars, Anderson Paak, Nas, Taraji P. Henson, Ellen Pompeo, Joan Smalls, D Nice, Porsha Williams, Ella Mai, Jadakiss, and more attended the special event.
Mary discussed how her new album, ‘Good Morning Gorgeous,’ comes from a place of positivity in a recent interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1.
“That’s exactly where I’m at, a really important place. A place of self-acceptance, self-love, continuing to keep growing in that direction. And that’s where I’m at,” Blige told Zane Lowe. “I wouldn’t never even decided to do this record if I had stayed stuck where I was at. It was too much time, too much self-hatred, too much stuff that needed to change. It wasn’t intentionally done this album, I had to get through this first to say, “Okay. I’m ready now. I’m ready to speak from a place of positivity. And not always come out with a record that says, “Oh woe, it’s me.” But come out with a record that says, “You know what? I’m tired of being in a box and having to deal with what everybody else thinks of me. What do I think of me? How do I feel about me? I feel amazing. I’m greeting myself with positive affirmation, good morning gorgeous.” And so this is the first time I’ve ever come out the gate with records like this. I love me. Yes, I love me for it. I love me for being able to say these things about myself, to feel these things, to feel what it feels like to love on myself and enjoy my life finally. Enjoy the fruits of my labor and not dumb myself down because somebody else can’t handle it.”
Doesn’t she look amazing? Mary also opened up about how her album title ‘Good Morning Gorgeous’ came from the affirmation she used to lift herself out of a negative space.
“Good morning gorgeous the affirmation came from being in a very, very dark, low place where I was never enough, I wasn’t good enough, I wasn’t this, I wasn’t pretty enough.,” Blige told Zane Lowe. “Nothing would please this person and I had to speak something positive over my life in order to build my spirit back up so I can pull myself out of that negative space I was in. It’s just a positive word I had to speak over my life that has gotten me to this title of this album.
I don’t know if you heard the interlude on the album, but I didn’t even want to give up the title. And when I went in the studio to work with H.E.R. and Lucky Daye and D’Miles we were all sitting around. Everyone was like, “Okay. What do you want the song to be about?” And everybody’s having these discussions about what they want, what they think it should be. And I’m just holding back on the title. I’m holding back because I don’t want to give up this story about how I was going through hell and I had to use this to help me.
And then I finally gave it up. And then everybody was like, “Oh my God. Good morning gorgeous. Wow. We love that.” And so the whole session turned into a therapy session. Everyone started talking about what they had to say to themselves or what they need to build themselves up out of a negative situation. So yes, I had to go through a lot of hell to get to Good Morning Gorgeous. Because it’s not coming from a place of vanity it’s coming from a place of inner beauty and a strength. And it’s a powerful word.”
Isn’t that a fantastic story? We especially appreciate how Mary’s musical community has rallied around her. Isn’t it easy to see the love in the images from the release party? Sun Goddess Wines, Pepsi, 300 Entertainment, and Amazon R&B Rotation sponsored the event.
Here’s the full track listing for ‘Good Morning Gorgeous’:
No Idea
Love Will Never
Here With Me (featuring Anderson .Paak)
Rent Money (featuring Dave East)
Amazing (featuring DJ Khaled)
GMG (Interlude)
Good Morning Gorgeous
Come See About Me
On Top (featuring Fivio Foreign)
Love Without The Heartbreak
Falling in Love
Enough
Need Love (featuring Usher)
Mary also spoke with Zane Lowe about collaborating with Anderson Paak, telling him, “I mean, he’s one of my favorite artists and he’s so soulful. And I knew when I heard the Malibu album I was like, “I have to work with this.” He has an old soul, his spirit is old. Everything about Anderson is like stuff our parents grew up on, and a younger person and I just needed to… I had to work with him.’
We agree but we know that’s gotta feel like a hell of a compliment for Anderson!
