Mary J. Blige - You Ain’t The Only One

Mary J. Blige is a legend and can do no wrong at this point. Her legacy is solidified and she can spend the rest of her days touring on the strength of her back catalog. That is not in doubt. In her latest single, “You Ain’t The Only One” from her possible last studio effort “Gratitude”, Mary sings about not giving up and that there are others dealing with bad times as well. The vibe of the song is in the same vein as her classics from the 1990s and 2000s, “Not Gon’ Cry” and “Fine”.

Mary’s voice has definitely gotten huskier over the years. It adds new layers and textures to an already powerful and soulful voice. It also reflects her maturity and the fact that her songs are coming from a grown woman who has lived through life’s ups and downs and come out of it stronger than ever.

My only complaint about the song is that the mixing is strange, where it sounds like they pitched Mary’s voice a half octave lower than even her current huskier tone. Also, the background singer is overpowering Mary’s voice in the chorus, making the song almost a duet at times. It’s possible that in an effort to create a spotless vocal, the producers may have been overzealous in altering Mary and her background singer’s vocals to an almost cartoonish degree, but who knows? Regardless, the song does grow on you and it’s a reminder about the greatness that the 53 year old still exudes after decades in the game.