Officio Star Birthday : Mary J. Blige

 

      Mary J. Blige (born Mary Jane Blige - January 11, 1971) is an American singer, actress and songwriter, also referred to as the Queen of Hip-hop Soul / Queen of R&B. 

   Her debut album What's the 411? was released July 28, 1992 via Uptown Records and MCA Records. The album peaked at No.6 on the Billboard 200 chart, while topping the equivalent US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) chart, and reaching No.53 in the UK.  Billboard ranked it at #72 in 1982 and #36 in 1983 on the year-end list. It has thus far been certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA in the US. The set contained the singles "You Remind Me" (UK #48, US #29), "Real Love" (UK #26, US #7), "Reminisce" (UK #31, US #57), "Sweet Thing" (US #28), and "Love No Limit" (US #44).  A remix version, What's the 411? Remix, was released December 7, 1993, and it peaked at No.22 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) chart. 

  Her sophomore album, My Life, was released November 29, 1994 (Uptown/MCA Records). Peaking at No.7 on the Billboard 200 chart, the album became her second top-10 effort therein while topping the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums list. In the UK, the album reached No.59 while hitting No.7 on the UK R&B Albums (OCC) list. Billboard ranked it at No.20 at the year end list in 1995. In 1996, the album was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 38th Grammy Awards ceremony. It contained the singles "Be Happy" (US #29, UK #30, AUS #76), "I'm Goin' Down" US #22, UK #12, SCO #43), "Mary Jane (All Night Long)" (SCO #63, UK #17), "You Bring Me Joy" (US #57), "I Love You" (US #57). 

    In 1997, her third album, Share My World was released on April 22 (MCA / Universal) - and it opened up atop the Billboard 200 chart, earning the singer her very first chart topper and would later earn a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album at the 1998 40th ceremony. It marked her first album to chart in the top-ten of the UK Albums chart where it peaked at No.8, while topping the UK R&B Albums (OCC) and US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) lists. Billboard ranked it at No.25 at the year-end chart of 1997. It's been certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA. The singles off the album were - "Love Is All We Need"(UK #15), "I Can Love You" (feat. Lil' Kim) (US #28), "Everything" (UK #6, US #24), "Missing You" (UK #19), and "Seven Days" (UK #22).  In 1998, she released the live album The Tour, and it peaked at No.21 in the US. 

   Her fourth album, Mary, was released on August 17, 1999, and it debuted at No.2 on the US Billboard 200 chart (behind Backstreet Boy's Millennium). The set would spend 57 weeks on the chart since then. It peaked at No.5 in the UK, No.30 in Scotland, while topping the UK R&B Albums (OCC) and US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) charts. It contained the singles - "As" (with George Michael) (AUS #45, SCO #7, UK #4, IRE #12), "All That I Can Say" 9UK #29, US #44 - was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 42nd Grammy Awards), "Deep Inside" (UK #42, US #51), "Give Me You" (AUS #58, IRE #45, SCO #24, UK #19, #US #68), and "Your Child". 

   No More Drama was released August 28, 2001 via MCA  and it debuted at number 2 in the US as her previous set, this time blocked by Aaliyah's self-titled album which had risen to the top following the singer's untimely death. Elsewhere the set reached No.5 in Canada, No.10 in Denmark, No.7 in Ireland, No.8 in Scotland, and No.4 in the UK, also topping the UK R&B Albums (OCC) and US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) lists. It spawned Blige's only career number-one entry on the Billboard Hot 100 - "Family Affair", charting atop the chart for 6 weeks, while reaching #8 in Australia, No.5 in Ireland, and No.8 in the UK. "No More Drama" peaked at No.15 in the US , No.30 in Australia, No.20 in Scotland and No.9 in the UK.  The other singles were "Dance for Me" (IRE #24, SCO #22, UK #13), and "Rainy Dayz" (feat. Ja Rule) (US #12, UK #17, SCO #29, IRE #25). She earned two Grammy nominations for Best R&B Album and  Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (for "Family Affair") . She won in the latter category in 2002 for the track "He Think I Don't Know" . 

   Love & Life, her sixth effort - released August 26, 2003, marked her second record to open atop the Billboard 200 chart. It was nominated for a Grammy in the category of  Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 2004 ceremony. In the UK, the album peaked at No.8 while reaching No.3 on the UK Albums (OCC). It also topped the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard). It contained the singles - "Love @ 1st Sight" (US #22, AUS #32, IRE #34, SCO #24, UK #18), "Ooh!" (US #29 - Grammy nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 2004), "Not Today" (UK #40, US #41), "Whenever I Say Your Name" (with Sting) (UK #60 - Grammy win for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2004), and "It's a Wrap". 

   The Breakthrough was released December 20, 2005, via Geffen Records, and also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming her third to do so, while topping the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) list. Billboard ranked it at No.5 at the 2006 year-end list of albums. It spawned the the iconic single "Be Without You" (AUS #30, UK #32, US #3 - the record was nominated at the 2007 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, and went on to win in the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance category. Other singles were "Enough Cryin" (US #32, UK #46), "One" (with U2) (US #86, UK #2, SCO #3, IRE #2), and "Take Me as I Am" (US #58). 

Her first greatest hits compilation Reflections (A Retrospective) was released December 12, 2006 via Geffen. It debuted at No.9 on the Billboard 200 and reached No.2 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard).

   Growing Pains, released December 18, 2007, debuted at No.2 on the Billboard 200 chart, behind Josh Groban's Noel. The week after, the album climbed to No.1, earning the singer her 4th number-one score on the chart. In 2009, she was awarded a Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album. The track "Just Fine" was nominated for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical at the same ceremony. It had also been nominated in 2008 for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, however it was awarded to Alicia's "No One". The album contained the singles - "Just Fine" (SCO #21, UK #17, US #22), "Work That" (US #65), and "Stay Down". At the year-end list of 2008, Billboard ranked the album at No.12. 

Her ninth album, Stronger with Each Tear, was released December 18, 2009 under her own imprint Matriach Records and Geffen Records. It started at number 2 on the Billboard 200 behind Susan Boyle's iconic I Dreamed A Dream. It still topped the equivalent US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard). It was ranked at No.24 at the Billboard year-end chart of 2010. It featured the singles - "The One" (US #63), "Stronger", "I Am"(UK #34, US #55), "Each Tear" and "We Got Hood Love" (feat. Trey Songz). 

  My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1), was released November 21, 2011 - debuting at No.5 on the Billboard 200 and No.2 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard). Billboard ranked it at No.34 at the year-end list in 2012. It contained the singles "25/8", "Mr. Wrong" (feat. Drake) US #87), "Why" (feat. Rick Ross), and "Don't Mind".  

   Her eleventh album was her first Christmas album titled A Mary Christmas, released October 15, 2013 - peaking at No.10 on the Billboard 200, marking her twelfth top-ten effort, while toping the US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard) and at No.5 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) chart. 

Her first soundtrack album, Think Like a Man Too, was released June 17, 2014 via Epic Records. The album debuted at No.30 on the US Billboard 200 list while reaching No.3 on the US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard) and No.6 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard). It contained the single "Suitcase" 

  The London Sessions, was released November 24, 2014 via Capitol Records and Matriach. It peaked at No.9 in the US as well as topping the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard), marking her 10th topper on the latter. It featured the singles "Therapy", "Right Now", "Whole Damn Year" and "Doubt". 

    Strength of a Woman, her 13th album, was released April 28, 2017 via Capitol Records. It debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200, marking her tenth top 5 entry and 13th top-ten effort therein. Peaking at No.22 in Canada, it reached No.2 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard). It saw the singles - "Thick of It", "U + Me (Love Lesson)", "Love Yourself" (feat. Kanye West), and "Set Me Free". 

   Good Morning Gorgeous, the 14th set, was released February 11, 2022, via 300 Entertainment as well as her Mary Jane Productions imprint. Debuting at No.14 on the Billboard 200 list, it marked her first studio album entry to miss the top-ten, while it reached No.9 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard). The deluxe version received six Grammy nominations at the 2023 Awards including Album of the Year and Best R&B Album. The album contained the singles - "Good Morning Gorgeous", "Amazing", "Rent Money", "Come See About Me" and "Gone Forever".