Growing Pains
| Mary J. Blige
Growing Pains
Growing Pains is the eighth studio albumby American recording artist Mary J. Blige. An R&B album that was released on December 18, 2007 by Geffen Records. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 selling 629,000 copies in its first week. Growing Pains was ranked #29 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.[2] "Work That" was released as the second single on December 18, 2007 and managed to peak inside the top 20 of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number 65 in the Billboard Hot 100. The third official single "Stay Down" reached the top 40 R&B charts, and was chosen in favor of "Hurt Again", which was originally the third single, but eventually was only a radio single by receiving airplay in Spring 2008. Growing Pains was awarded the Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 51st Grammy Awards in February 2009.-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Slant Magazine
She keeps her most salable characteristic, her emotiveness, under duress, which provides tension but no release.
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Pop Matters
She’s on a new journey, and if Growing Pains is any indication, it looks to make for an interesting ride.
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All Music
The very sincere passion she expresses, both in her voice and her words making for a very complete and satisfying listen.
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BBC
Mary's cool, clear soulful voice has always worn its emotions in the open.
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EW
Even if that means she’s imperfect (and, yes, a little preachy), at least it feels real.
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Soultracks
She soulfully delivers a passionate project that she hopes will guide many young women toward self-acceptance.
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Wilson and Alroy
Through it all, there are Blige's vocals, which are richer and more varied than the relentless overemoting found on The Breakthrough.
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Music OMH
She needs songs to back that up and the confidence and team around her to let that rich, expressive, tender molasses voice shine on record.
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Robert Christgau
She deserves respect. Like Aretha, her hip-hop soul has long since transmuted into a working relationship with actually existing pop.
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New Yorker
Although she writes many of her own lyrics, her gift lies less in the words and more in how fully she absorbs and embodies the words as she sings them.
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Sound Opinions
This is Blige's best album since 1992's What's the 411.
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People
Three things you can count on: death, taxes and good Mary J. Blige albums. . It’s an instant MJB classic.
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Boston
Hats off to Blige for her willingness to train a light on the blatant contradictions that define us, especially in relationships.
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AV Club
Growing Pains sprints out of the gate with a potent double-shot of empowerment anthems.
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Slacker
A very complete and satisfying listen.
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Urban Legend
Push personal truths to the forefront. Toss refinement out the window. Be like Mary: just tell it like it is.
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The Gaurdian
But her awareness of the bad times runs like a thread through every note she sings, and the album's finest moment comes when she confronts them head on.
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Napster
She looks good and, on her ninth album, she's sounding mighty fine, too. She starts off with two big bangs.
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FYE
Mary J. Blige continues to prove her versatility and strength, building off 2005's The Breakthrough, but not copying from it.
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