Many of today’s major female pop stars are creatively indebted to Mary J. Blige, the singer who single-handedly united two musical worlds. In the 1990s, through her powerful soul voice and predilection for the then relatively young phenomenon of hip-hop, the New Yorker brought together two genres that would impact the sound of future decades in a major way. With that innovative sound, and memorable classics such as No More Drama, Family Affair (both 2001) and Be Without You (2006), this US artist has carved her name into the very heart of pop history. Now aged 54, her impressive achievements to date include selling in excess of 100 million albums, winning nine Grammys, and also illuminating the silver screen, as proven by the Golden Globe and Oscar nominations she received for her role in the film Mudbound (2017). Her fourteenth album Gratitude (2024) was recently released with a subsequent For My Fans Tour. Her appearance at this year’s festival is the ideal opportunity to show your appreciation to this icon for all her memorable work.
