Frequently referred to as The Queen of R&B, Mary J. Blige is the quintessential tough New Yorker with a heart of gold. And, a fashion icon in her own right. From a rough upbringing in the Bronx, to sending out her demo made at a mall karaoke spot when she was 17 for four years until she found someone who believed in her, she’s the gorgeous icon of the pain-to-gain story. Her six million Twitter followers are a strong indication that Mary’s an inspiring living legend. This week just so happens to be the the 28th anniversary of Mary J. Blige’s debut album, What’s The 411?. In celebration, here we’re taking a look back through Mary J’s top fashion moments in her music videos.
1. Real Love
From her debut album ‘What’s the 411’, the track ‘Real Love’ gives an early example of Mary J. Blige’s talent. In the 1994 video, her sense of fashion is spot on, from an all-white outfit complete with a bustier and wide-legged trousers, to a NYC-tough sports jersey with leggings and a baseball cap. A nostalgic, old-school proper R&B jam, ‘Real Love’ is the real thing.
2. I’m Goin’ Down
Rose Royce’s original 1976 track from ‘Car Wash’ has been completely flipped in the best possible way in ‘I’m Goin’ Down’. In the 1994 video, Mary J. sports total 90s makeup with a side of chunky gold hoop earrings and a plush fur coat—as she sings to an almost empty jazz club. The best part of the video is when it cuts to an army of Marys, dance-marching in unison while wearing black suits with newsboy caps. It remains one of Mary J.’s personal favorite songs, and she performs it frequently in concert.
3. I Can Love You, Mary J. Blige featuring Lil Kim
Mary J. hypnotically sings, “I can love you better than she can,” alongside Lil’ Kim in this joint from her third album, ‘Share My World’. The video is a memorable one, with both Mary J. and Lil Kim traipsing through an apartment and a nighttime party in a forest, donning black jumpsuits and larger than life curls. It’s also a notable song, in that it’s one of producer Rodney Jerkins’ first hits.
4. One, Mary J. Blige and U2
The sultry, ultra-clear vocals of Mary J. collide with the smooth voice of U2’s Bono, creating the ultimate rock meets R&B mix in this video from 2006. Mary J’s voice is high contrast in the best possible way when paired with U2’s soft rock vibes. She shows that she’s not an artist bound to any one genre of music–she can sing R&B beats and collaborate with an iconic rock band. The timeless black and white video serves as a rebranding of the song, which was previously released by U2 in 1992. The fusion of generes here is also represented well in her clothes–total early 2000s jeans with a little vest, lots of jewelry and big, big hoops.
5. Be Without You
Mary J. belts it out in her legendary video, ‘Be Without You,’ circa 2005. Vignettes show the R&B queen fighting with, then falling in love with her boyfriend, played by Terrence Howard. One of her most commercially successful songs of all time, Mary J. proves that she’s got the lyrics, voice and look to captivate millions. In this video, she dons a simple white headband, matching tank and little cross necklace.
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