November 13, 2014
MARY J. BLIGE LAUNCHES NEW ALBUM, THE LONDON SESSIONS, WITH SERIES OF TELEVISION APPEARANCES
Blige Will Perform On “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” Today,
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” On December 1 And
“A Very GRAMMY Christmas” On December 5
Nominated For Favorite Female Artist – Soul/R&B, Blige Will Perform
At American Music Awards, Airing Live On November 23 On ABC
The London Sessions – Out December 2 On Capitol Records – Features Collaborations With Disclosure, Eg White, Emeli Sandé, Jimmy Napes, Naughty Boy, SAM ROMANS And Sam Smith
The Queen Mary J. Blige traveled across the Atlantic to record her new album, The London Sessions, but she’s back home and ready to share her new music and the story behind the album during her visit to “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” today, where she will perform “Right Now.” She will perform at the 2014 American Music Awards, airing live on Sunday, November 23, on ABC, and has been honored with a nomination for Favorite Female Artist – Soul/R&B. Blige will also appear on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on December 1 and on “A Very GRAMMY Christmas,” a one-hour entertainment special that will air on December 5 on CBS.
With The London Sessions, her 13th studio album and first for Capitol Records, the legendary artist took a leap of faith and ventured far out of her comfort zone, both geographically and musically. The album was born in a whirlwind 20 days – 10 days writing and 10 days recording – and finds Blige forging vital creative connections with some of today’s most celebrated U.K. musical talent, including Disclosure, Eg White, Emile Sandé, Jimmy Napes, Naughty Boy, SAM ROMANS and Sam Smith. Many of the artists she had not even met prior to their sessions together. The album will be released on December 2. See below for track listing.
After teaming up with Disclosure in early 2014 for a remix of “F for You,” which became a Top 10 dance hit in the U.K., Blige made plans to record an EP with the acclaimed house music duo. Happily, she found the scope of the project widening as introductions were made and London’s vibrant musical community embraced her, excited about playing a role in her evolution as an artist. Longtime collaborator Rodney Jenkins also joined Mary in the studio and produced several tracks.
“I was never expected to do more, jump further, go the extra mile,” recalls Blige. “But breaking boundaries happened for me the minute I left Yonkers…And I won’t stop as long as I live.”
Blige takes in London by night in the official video for “Right Now,” which can be viewed HERE. Produced by Disclosure, the song is one of four that Mary wrote with Sam Smith, who can be heard on background vocals.
Fans who pre-order The London Sessions digitally HERE will instantly receive the following four tracks: “Therapy,” “Right Now,” “Whole Damn Year” and “When You’re Gone.”
“Vocally, Blige has never sounded better,” said SPIN while Complex observed, “Mary once again proves why she is a legend in the game.” “This new album has a distinctively fresh sound that is new for Blige, but it still keeps the emotive soul that we love from her,” noted Idolator.com. Vulture.com hailed lead single “Therapy,” which Blige co-wrote with Smith and Eg White, as “gorgeous” and named it as one of the “Best Songs of the Week.” Rolling Stone’s “In The Studio” piece on The London Sessions can be found HERE while this trailer introduces fans to the new music and features interviews with Mary and her collaborators.
With a track record of eight multi-platinum albums, nine GRAMMY Awards (and a staggering 31 nominations), a 2012 Golden Globe nomination and four American Music Awards, Blige is a global superstar. Over the years, the singer/songwriter has attracted an intensely loyal fan base – responsible for propelling worldwide sales of more than 50 million albums.
Track Listing and Partial Credits – The London Sessions
- Therapy
Written by Sam Smith, Eg White and Mary J. Blige.
Produced by Eg White, Jimmy Napes, Stephen Fitzmaurice and Rodney “Darkchild” Jenkins.
- Doubt
Written by Mary J. Blige and SAM ROMANS.
Produced by Rodney Jenkins and SAM ROMANS.
- Not Loving You
Written by James Napier and Sam Smith.
Produced by Jimmy Napes and Stephen Fitzmaurice.
- When You’re Gone
Written by James Napier, Eg White and Mary J. Blige.
Produced by Rodney Jenkins.
- Right Now
Written by Mary J. Blige, Sam Smith, James Napier, Guy Lawrence and Howard Lawrence.
Produced by Disclosure.
- My Loving
Written by Mary J. Blige, SAM ROMANS and Rodney Jenkins.
Produced by Rodney Jenkins.
- Long Hard Look
Written by SAM ROMANS, Harry Craze, Hugo Chegwin, Ben Harrison and James Murray.
Produced by Craze & Hoax.
- Whole Damn Year
Written by Mary J. Blige, Emeli Sandé and Knox Brown.
Produced by Knox Brown.
- Nobody But You
Written by Mary J. Blige, Sam Smith, James Napier and M. Coleman.
Produced by MJ Cole.
- Pick Me Up
Written by Mary J. Blige, Emeli Sandé, Shahid Khan and Shakil Ashraf.
Produced by Naughty Boy.
- Follow
Written by Mary J. Blige, James Napier, Guy Lawrence and Howard Lawrence.
Produced by Disclosure.
- Worth My Time
Written by Mary J. Blige, James Napier and Stephen Fitzmaurice.
Produced by Jimmy Napes and Stephen Fitzmaurice.
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