Mary J. Blige is opening the book on her life in new and exciting ways these days, gearing up for the November 24 release of her next album, The London Sessions. On her new song “Therapy,” a humming choir introduces a damaged Ms. Mary as she sings, “Why would I spend the rest of my days unhappy? / Why would I spend the rest of this year alone?” Vocally, Blige has never sounded better, mining the depths of her range with class as she goes on and on about how therapy will pull her out of her drama-induced funk.
When the drums kick in, the singer starts looking ahead in a more positive way. The doo-wop track quickly transforms from a one-sided lovers’ quarrel to an introspective look at Blige’s own flaws with verses like, “I don’t blame you if you’re blocking all my calls.” They say one of the first steps to any kind of recovery is acceptance, but for Blige, it might just be a healthy dose of therapy and self-realization.
Listen carefully at the three-minute mark to hear what sounds like the song’s co-writer, Sam Smith, pulling double duty on backup vocals.
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