The album marks Mary’s shortest LP ever at just 38 minutes, and she doesn’t waste any time getting down to business. “What’s love these days? We don’t know what to say,” she ponders on the album’s opening cut “No Idea,” which gives you a sense of what’s to follow. The landscape of 2022 Mary J. Blige is still bruised but definitely not broken. Though she’s skeptical at times, she’s resilient as ever and making progress as she trudges onward.

She’s a bit subdued here vocally, reminiscent of Mariah Carey’s vocal approach to her last LP, 2018’s Caution. The focus is more on navigation of this stage of life, with lyrics and production that seamlessly bridge the gap between Mary’s classics and today’s musical landscape. That doesn’t mean that she’s emotionless though. “I’m so goddamn sick of the pain” she exasperatingly vents on the chorus of “Love Without The Heartbreak,” where she muses on a more perfect love and laments her bad luck with relationships. “When will love give me a break?” she ponders, similar to her woeful laments on introspective “Failing In Love” and the effervescent “Love Will Never.” 

Mary’s not all misery though, those days are behind her. The album is titled and sequentially centers around the title track, “Good Morning Gorgeous.” It’s a simmering blues record akin to 2009’s “I Can See In Color” that finds Mary revealing her key to transcending the worst days, she looks in the mirror and says “good morning gorgeous” when she wakes up in the morning. 

A playful side of Mary that appears both in love and in life. She flexes about buying a coast for her man and challenges him to “match that so we can have two” on the sensual, lounge-y “Come See About Me.” She also trades lines with Anderson .Paak, Usher, and Ne-Yo (on the Target edition) about relationship dynamics ranging from what’s “supposed to be” with .Paak on “Here With Me,” to a dependable partner with Usher on “Need Love,” all the way to the inception of an unexpected attraction with Ne-Yo on the Target bonus track “Running.” 

Mary also mixes in a few feel-good records as a reminder just who she is on her best days. For “On Top” she flips the same sample of The Delfonics “Ready Or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide From Love)” utilized on Three-6-Mafia’s “Who Run It?” Thanks to production from Cool & Dre, the Philly soul classic assumes another place in hip hop (it was already cemented into The Fugees’ “Ready Or Not” and Missy Elliott’s “Sock It 2 Me”) and transforms it into a hard-hitting Brooklyn drill record, sealed with a verse from Fivio Foreign. This is classic Mary; seizing a hip hop sound and sweetening it with her R&B sensibility. Moments like this reinforce her title of Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. 

She also wades into reggae/rocksteady territory on the album’s other big feel-good record, “Amazing” featuring surprisingly subdued ad-libs from the ubiquitous DJ Khaled. This one is a grower. It’s like nails on a chalkboard at first, but the infectious hook quells that initial feeling and this track built for the clubs and VIP tables has an effect, just like the music video illustrates. 

 The album’s only regressive moment isn’t even in a song as a whole, just a sample choice. Third single “Rent Money” is a smooth R&B kiss-off to her deadbeat ex, who drained their joint accounts and then won a hefty alimony sum, forcing her to go on tour to pay his alimony. The song utilizes the hook from The Notorious BIG’s “Fuck You Tonight,” which was performed by R.Kelly, who also co-wrote the song. That means this record is putting money into the pocket of a convicted sexual predator currently attempting to overturn his conviction while simultaneously preparing for a trial on additional charges. It’s an unfortunate choice from someone who herself has vulnerably shared her own experiences of surviving sexual assault.

With the exception of that glaring inclusion, Good Morning Gorgeous is a fantastic addition to the Mary J. Blige canon. It shines bright like it’s title. Mary’s life is so closely intertwined with the content of the music, that this is yet another chapter likely to resonate with and help the masses, just as My Life first did in 1994.

Listen to Good Morning Gorgeous

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Christina Aguilera is undisputedly one of the greatest voices of her generation. Her vocal ability is unquestionable. However, she’s a voice without a sound. She never quite found a signature sound to define her over the course of her seven albums. As a result, her catalog is a mish-mosh of sometimes-defiant experiments. Some have worked better (Stripped, Back To Basics) than others (Bionic, Lotus). Her new album, Liberation, falls in line with that trend of experimentation. Unfortunately it’s not for the better.

It’s not a good sign when the album’s first actual song starts at track 3 of 15. Christina has always insisted on an album introduction, which can work if executed correctly (like on Stripped). But at this point, what needed to be said that the music couldn’t? “Remember”, apparently. That’s the only word that’s spoken after a wasted 1:38 of instrumental during track one, “Liberation”. It’s immediately followed by track two, a timid, 0:25 second acapella of “Maria” from The Sound of Music. Why? That’s just one of many questions surrounding Liberation, including: Why title it Liberation? Why, after 6 years, were these the songs that made the cut? And, what was the objective? After many listens, the answers are still unclear.

Immediately following the two strange interludes, the album actually starts. Liberation’s true opening track is Kanye West’s first contribution, “Maria” (a reference to Aguilera’s middle name). Unfortunately, Kanye’s contributions to Liberation are about as tragic as he is these days. “Maria” is a hodgepodge of the keys from Aerosmith’s “Dream On” or No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak”, a harder “Drunk In Love” beat, and strings for good (bad?) measure. His other production, buzz single “Accelerate”, is catchy but worse than “Maria”, stifled further by Ty Dolla $ign & 2 Chainz. It feels as misguided as some of the worst moments on 2010’s Bionic. Except here, the missteps don’t even fit the album sonically. 

Anderson .Paak’s disjointed post-soul/funk ”Sick Of Sittin” has his fingerprints all over the sound. Topically it would have made a great album opener. Plus, the clear shade towards her stint on The Voice is entertaining. Yet, the song pales in comparison to Paak’s stellar work on Dr. Dre’s Compton and his own Malibu. Equally, his other contribution “Like I Do” doesn’t properly encapsulate his nor Christina’s massive talent. Nor does the feature from Goldlink. It’d be much more palatable to hear Paak using his rough voice to blend with Christina’s over this beat.

Otherwise, songs like the reggae-flavored “Right Moves”, contemporary R&B of “Pipe”, and stuttering drops of “Deserve” aren’t inherently bad. They just feel like filler that’s not worth bragging about on an album with 11 songs.

Elsewhere there’s a very cute interlude “Dreamers” that precedes the middle-of-the-road Demi Lovato duet, “Fall In Line.” Little girls share their dreams and aspirations. The one-two punch is very timely based on the (much needed) changing social climate around women’s rights and equality. Yet, “Fall In Line” fails to truly ignite, despite two powerhouse vocalists and a well-placed key change. It’s a decent song and catchy, but musically it feels out of touch, even with Jon Bellion’s masterful ear handling production.

What Could Have Been

For all that’s bad, there are a few glimpses at what could have been. Liberation’s best songs are also its simplest. The ballad “Twice” instantly harkens back to the Stripped sound. The acapella introduction and piano-driven arrangement put Christina’s voice right where it should be: front and center. It’s searing, soulful, and mesmerizing. The similar “Unless It’s With You”, Liberation’s closer, is in a similar vein. Christina sings directly to her fiance, pledging her commitment. It’s raw, honest, authentic and understated. 

Liberation’s true highlight though, is “Masochist”. It’s another ballad track that allows Christina to vocally soar. Propelled by 80’s synths and subtle percussion, the song is satisfying with every note, chord, and progression. Simply, it sticks, with a hook that is searing ear candy. This is the sonic direction that Aguilera should have focused on for the entire album.

It’s curious that after 6 years, Liberation is the album Christina Aguilera felt would propel her back to prominence. With a puzzling title, lack of direction, and over-the-top production, it notches her third miss in a row. The miss is magnified more by the fleeting moments of brilliance that hint at what Liberation could have been. Maybe it’s time to do a stripped back album, just  the basics: Xtina and piano.

Listen to Christina Aguilera’s Liberation:

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