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Home • ESSENCE Black Women in Music

Mary J. Blige Reveals to Tamron Hall How Making Her New Album Saved Her Life

"I had to take something so dark and nasty and turn it into something positive to save my life."
By Rachaell Davis · Updated October 26, 2020

Tamron Hall and Mary J. Blige have an indepth conversation about love, heartbreak and healing on the 2017 ESSENCE Festival Empowerment Stage. Touching on a range of personal experiences including her recent divorce, dealing with mental and emotional abuse in her marriage and creating music in the midst of it all, the reigning Queen of Hip Hop soul leaves no topic untouched as she opens up about the rollercoaster ride of her life that led to the release of her highly-anticipated thirteenth studio album, Strengh of A Woman.

See the full discussion in the video above.