I can't just make a song people can dance in a club to... it still has to be real.
Interpretation
Art should be genuine and authentic, not just created for commercial purposes.
Mary J. Blige emphasizes the importance of authenticity in her music, suggesting that while it's important for songs to be enjoyable, they should also reflect real emotions and experiences. This highlights the tension between commercial success and artistic integrity, advocating for art that resonates on a deeper level rather than mere entertainment.
In practice
During a music workshop to inspire creators.
When I was five years old I was molested and just, you know. I remember feeling, literally right before it happened, I just could not believe that this person was going to do this to me. That thing followed me all my life. The shame of thinking my molestation was my fault - it led me to believe I wasn't worth anything.
We are all spirits. We get depressed. But music makes you want to live. I know my music has saved my life.
I don't know. Only God knows where the story ends for me, but I know where the story begins. It's up to us to choose, whether we win or lose and I choose to win.
As a child I always wanted to be a singer. The music my mother played in the house moved me - Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Mahalia Jackson. It was truly spiritual. It made you understand what God was. We are all spirits. We get depressed. But music makes you want to live. I know my music has saved my life.
Really, every woman is an example to me, because as women we go through so much pain. We have to live this perfect life when we are messed up inside. We all go through trials and tribulations.
I've been praying to God to show me how to forgive myself. Because... maybe... that's the thing I've been searching for.
A great building must begin with the unmeasurable, must go through measurable means when it is being designed and in the end must be unmeasurable.
In terms of helping people understand and know each other a little better, music is universal - universal and transporting.
What I dream of is an art of balance.
The essence of my lyrics is the desire for peace and harmony. That's all anyone has ever wanted. How could it become outdated?...We are trying to communicate a fulfilled ideal...I am a reflection of what I sing. Sometimes I have to get serious because the things I've been through are serious...The way I see it, rock n' roll is folk music.
One morning, one of us ran out of the black, it was the birth of Impressionism.
I was a product of Andy Warhol's Factory. All I did was sit there and observe these incredibly talented and creative people who were continually making art, and it was impossible not to be affected by that.
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