MJB’s Bittersweet Street

Written By Kensedeobong Okosun

Melancholy is Mary J. Blige’s sonic niche which I tried to avoid but couldn’t due to its evocativeness and irresistibility. MJB’s melancholia is a reminder of our humanity and the accompanying pain of life, injustice and dearth of truth in a patriarchal world. It is the cornerstone of her long lived career and the umblical cord that binds and creates resonance with her legion of female fans, who identify with her lived experiences and traumatic relationships. Her appeal emanates from the absence of fluff and an insistence on authenticity and realness.

Here is a playlist of 33 melancholic and bittersweet songs from the amazingly prolific and resilient Queen of R&B and Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.

  1. “My Life” *** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IDhiGxaS2AMy Life (1994).

  2. “I’m Goin’ Down” *** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsY2uiXkee4My Life (1994).

  3. “Be Happy” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtBeAuKIM9wMy Life (1994).

  4. “Not Gon’ Cry” *** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjYod95sqWY‍ ‍Share My World (1997).

  5. “PMS” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00TFR0zqh1A‍ ‍No More Drama (2001).

  6. “No More Drama” *** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqK8YeZYqbA‍ ‍No More Drama (2001).

  7. “In The Meantime” *** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9Bnjxp9I44‍ ‍No More Drama (2001).

  8. “Enough Cryin’” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyX8fNtvdjM‍ ‍The Breakthrough (2005).

  9. “Take Me As I Am” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe3nyNHPsLYThe Breakthrough (2005).

  10. “Hurt Again” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAQ3fHn08Vg‍ ‍Growing Pains (2007).

  11. “Fade Away” *** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gJO4S4l80A‍ ‍Growing Pains (2007).

  12. “Work In Progress (Growing Pains)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNs6MyQeeN8‍ ‍Growing Pains (2007).

  13. “Talk To Me” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJgceyx1_Po‍ ‍Growing Pains (2007).

  14. “Smoke” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt-Tc1e_2vI‍ ‍Growing Pains (2007).

  15. “Come To Me (Peace)” *** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn7B0n9qf7w‍ ‍Growing Pains (2007).

  16. “Each Tear” *** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBUGyxBHE8Y‍ ‍Stronger With Each Tear (2009).

  17. “In The Morning” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SRW2ao6kl0‍ ‍Stronger With Each Tear (2009).

  18. “No Condition” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHaCp5mfkSg‍ ‍My Life II….The Journey Continues (Act 1) (2011).

  19. “Mr Wrong, feat Drake” *** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXPjaZql8c8‍ ‍My Life II….The Journey Continues (Act 1) (2011).

  20. “Why, feat Rick Ross” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaGSQzetx54‍ ‍My Life II….The Journey Continues (Act 1) (2011).

  21. “Empty Prayers” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AucSKIzSReE‍ ‍My Life II….The Journey Continues (Act 1) (2011).

  22. “Need Someone” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbQfHBTCd_M‍ ‍My Life II….The Journey Continues (Act 1) (2011).

  23. “The Living Proof” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTu9QpAfAM4‍ ‍My Life II….The Journey Continues (Act 1) (2011).

  24. “Therapy” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdMvyYUzVDQ‍ ‍The London Sessions (2014).

  25. “Not Loving You” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyYOcCMk2Yo‍ ‍The London Sessions (2014).

  26. “Whole Damn Year” *** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go_IjcRahlg‍ ‍The London Sessions (2014).

  27. “Love Yourself, feat Kanye West” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lV6SCUVC-Y‍ ‍Strength Of A Woman (2017).

  28. “Thick Of It” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsqSZz-WwdQ‍ ‍Strength Of A Woman (2017).

  29. “Set Me Free” *** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_M8-HyZTWw‍ ‍Strength Of A Woman (2017).

  30. “U + Me” *** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSh3Uh-kj_k‍ ‍Strength Of A Woman (2017).

  31. “Indestructible” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E813XnwXLxY‍ ‍Strength Of A Woman (2017).

  32. “Thank You” *** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez6VDvy3ECw‍ ‍Strength Of A Woman (2017).

  33. “Smile” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB5T_-oP4SU‍ ‍Strength Of A Woman (2017).

Kensedeobong Okosun

Kensedeobong Okosun is a music enthusiast, music researcher, music journalist with expertise in music selection & planning, vocalist and an author. Her academic article “Sisterhood and Soul Music as expressions of Black Power” is featured in the edited volume, Black Power in Hemispheric Perspective (Raussert & Steinitz, eds, 2022). She has reviewed Dorothea Gail’s Weird American Music for the Forum for Interamerican Research (fiar, 2019). Her work has appeared on Nigeria’s Sun News Online and The Nigerian Observer.

Kensedeobong’s blog highlights music’s interconnectivity with society and comprises personal music experiences, researched information, concept playlists for multiple themes, etc.

A hard-core 90s R&B fan, she utilises the vehicle of memory, to position long forgotten music of yesteryears on the front-burner.

She is persuaded that music is a core conduit of collective harmony, equanimity, vitality and healing. And as such requires criticality in the filtration process, in order to disseminate meaning. Her blog promotes music equality and diversity.

She resides in Germany.

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Mary JB’s non-Melancholic Playlist