Mary J. Blige has been slaying stages lately on her new round of the ‘Liberation’ Tour. While, she hasn’t released any new music this year, the R&B legend is cookin and she has revealed her plans to release her first Holiday album later this fall.
The project will be fittingly titled ‘A Mary Christmas,’ and it is expected to include some special duets with singers such as Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, and even Barbra Streisand, on a jazzy version of “When You Wish Upon a Star.”
In addition MJB has been at work on her next studio album of original material. Although the initial plan was to follow “My Life II” with an “Act 2,” she’s decided to take a new approach for the collection.
“We’re in the process of beginning that. I’ve already come up with the title and started writing songs,” says Blige, emphasizing that penning new lyrics doesn’t just happen spontaneously.
“You really have to focus on it,” she says of the songwriting process. “For me, I have to be living what I’m saying. I have to be around what I’m writing about. Sometimes if a word comes to mind, you have to type it down into your Blackberry or on a piece of paper so you don’t forget it, but that’s the only thing that happens on the fly. As far as writing goes, you have to concentrate to be in it.”
Also this fall, you can catch Mary starring in the upcoming holiday film Black Nativity, alongside Jennifer Hudson, Tyrese, Forest Whitaker and more.
