In recent years, Mary J. Blige has enjoyed much success as an actress, garnering historic nominations and awards for her roles in Mudbound and Power Book II: Ghost.
Nearly five years after releasing the relationship-gone-bad album Strength of a Woman, the reigning queen of R&B and hip-hop soul is ready to return to the basics with her new album Good Morning Gorgeous.
Blige’s 15th studio album is the product of a positive affirmation that she started pouring into herself at one of her darkest hours.
“During Mudbound and when I was married, I was feeling so low. I had to pay myself the highest compliments, even if I didn’t believe it, just so I could build myself up,” Blige expressed in a recent Elle interview.
“I would do it in the morning because that’s the time when your hair is not done and you don’t have on makeup. You’re just kind of dealing with yourself for real.”
Reinvigorated after a painful divorce, Blige proved that you couldn’t keep a good woman down and released two singles last December. The tracks, “Amazing” featuring DJ Khaled and “Good Morning Gorgeous,” were met with favorable reactions from supporters, particularly the latter anthem.
“Good Morning Gorgeous,” the new classic produced by D’Mile and H.E.R., is moving nicely up the charts, updating her record-extending streak for the most top 10 singles at Billboard Adult R&B to a career total of 24. It also recently sparked rotation on urban radio, dominated by hip-hop songs, and claimed a top 40 entry for the 51-year-old legend.
As Blige looks to regain national consciousness for Good Morning Gorgeous, here’s everything we know so far about the album.
When does Good Morning Gorgeous come out?
Good Morning Gorgeous will release on Friday, Feb. 11.
One of the earliest release dates of a project came in May 2019, when Blige had an interview with Ebro Darden that promised an arrival ahead of co-headlining Royalty Tour with Nas.
She later announced that an album would come in late 2020 before giving a November 2021 release date two months prior during an Instagram Live with D-Nice to promote their two-sold fall concerts. However, Blige soon retracted her statement and said January 2022.
What is the meaning behind Mary J. Blige’s Good Morning Gorgeous?
Hard to believe that Mary J. Blige felt anything less than beautiful, but she did, partly while shooting the film Mudbound in 2016. She told Elle’s Nerisha Penrose that she began to see herself for the masterpiece she is through her unglamorous, Oscar-nominated portrayal of Florence.
Commenting that she had “no real confidence” in her toned-down appearance, Blige was challenged to tell herself each morning that “this chick is beautiful” after being flattered by kind words on her image from those on set.
“I started to believe it and started to pay myself high compliments to get past that feeling and that fear.”
Who is featured on Good Morning Gorgeous?
Of course, we know DJ Khaled is a part of the album as he appears on “Amazing.” Dave East and Usher once again join forces with Blige for their respective album cuts, while Anderson .Paak and Fivio Foreign collaborate with her for the first time.
How many tracks are on the album?
There are 13 tracks on the standard version of Good Morning Gorgeous. The Target limited edition includes an untitled bonus track. See the tracklisting for the standard edition below:
- “No Idea”
- “Love Will Never”
- “Here With Me” featuring Anderson .Paak
- “Rent Money” featuring Dave East
- “Amazing” featuring DJ Khaled
- “GMG Interlude”
- “Good Morning Gorgeous”
- “Come See About Me”
- “On Top” featuring Fivio Foreign
- “Love Without The Heartbreak”
- “Failing In Love”
- “Enough”
- “Need Love” featuring Usher
What record label is Mary J. Blige signed to?
In December, it was announced that Blige had inked a deal with independent label 300 Entertainment, in partnership with her imprint Mary J. Blige Productions.
Later that month, 300 was acquired by Warner Music Group, resulting in Good Morning Gorgeous being part of the WMG umbrella.
What producers and songwriters are credited on the album?
Mary J. Blige recharged her sound this era with support from D’Mile, who co-produced the title track, and produced the third offering, “Rent Money,” featuring Dave East. He received songwriting credit on both records.
Tiara Thomas and H.E.R., winners of Best Original Song at the 2021 Oscars, were part of the writer’s room for the title track. Lucky Daye, a frequent collaborator of Blige, helped too. Additional credits include Nova Wav, STREETRUNNER, Tarik Azzouz, and DJ Khaled, among others.
Will there be merch for Good Morning Gorgeous?
Fans can get their hands on a generous assortment of merchandise bundles that includes two packages tailored to the first two singles. While under a deal, grouped items such as hoodies, t-shirts, beanies, and dad hats can also be purchased separately. The capsule collection is now on sale on her official website.
How does Mary J. Blige plan to promote her new album?
For the next step in introducing Good Morning Gorgeous, Blige is hosting an album-listening event powered by iHeartRadio in collaboration with Dish Nation. It happens on Feb. 11 at 10 p.m. EST and will stream across iHeartRadio stations and dishnation.com.
Other promotional elements include her Super Bowl LVI Pepsi Halftime Show performance that should draw in new and existing fans to stores and preferred streaming platforms. Blige also is set to headline the 2022 Jazz In the Gardens on March 12 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Will there be a vinyl edition of Good Morning Gorgeous?
According to Mary J. Blige’s official website, the vinyl format of Good Morning Gorgeous will be available for pre-order soon. The price is $34.98. Those interested in purchasing a vinyl copy can sign up on Blige’s website to be notified of when pre-orders begin.
Is Mary J. Blige going on tour in 2022?
At this time, Mary J. Blige has not announced tour dates to support her album, Good Morning Gorgeous. She shared in a recent Essence interview that she plans to tour following her post-production work on Power Book II: Ghost season three.