I have a friend of mine who is in the throes of a painful breakup. From what I know, it isn't really any one's fault, they just broke up for whatever reason. I know about the ups and downs of their relationship, not because I saw them with my own eyes, but via her detailed, and very explicit blog. This week alone she has produced a higher volume of work than she has in quite some time, and I left a comment on her blog the other day, letting her know that she is proving my Mary J Blige theory to be correct.

It is my contention that Mary J Blige's, My Life CD is the best piece of work she has ever produced. Her first CD will always remind me of college, her most recent CD will always remind of David Gregory dancing, and I cherish those sentimental memories, but "My Life" is her best work to me. Why? Because she was in the midst of a very painful breakup, and in each and every song you could feel her pain and struggle. I didn't take pleasure in her hearing her pain at all, but I appreciate how she seemingly lost herself in her work to hide the very pain, that was so clearly evident in the songs. Even in the last song, "Be Happy", you could still feel that she was tired of struggling, and she was searching for happiness and everywhere.

Now Mary isn't as unhappy anymore, and while I still buy and support her music, I don't quite feel it as much. I love that she's happy, but a rich woman singing about everything is fine, causes more of a disconnect. I can't relate to that shit man. Now if she were singing about fine wine and sports, I could connect to that..but she doesn't. I connected to Mary J's "My Life" not necessarily because I had gone thru a bad breakup, but it was something that I had seen and caused, and it brought her down to a more palatable level. There's something sad and twisted about this logic, but so be it. When I want happy songs, I go to the Brand New Heavies or some group like that. I like my Mary miserable.

Now other artists like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Alanis Morissette, Janis Joplin, and The Cure have done this same type of emotional recording and producing, but I chose Mary J because I have grown up with her work.