Mary J. Blige — The Breakthrough

Everyone knows that Mary J. Blige is The Queen of hip-hop soul. While her longevity speaks for itself, she really hasn't produced a decent album since My Life. The Breakthrough is a disappointing, generic disc with far too many plugs for Blige's prior successes. For example, "MJB Da MVP," is comprised of a medley of lyrics from prior hits including "You Remind Me" and "No More Drama." Then, when you think songs like "About You" and "Be Without You" are about pain and heartbreak (that's what made MJB a star), it turns out they're really schmaltzy love tunes about nothing. It's too bad your career goes to hell when you sober up.

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