A More Mature and Mesmerizing Mary!

Mary (1999)

1. "All That I Can Say"

This may be one of the most beautiful songs ever produced for Mary as well as her giving a wonderful vocal performance. The lyrics are written so well also as Mary is questioning to go forward with love interest because of being hurt in the past. The song just has an incredible flow to it with it's uplifting hip hop beat over Mary's painfully conflicted vocals. I love every minute of this song as it's an indication that the Queen of Hip Hop Soul is still ever so present and she hasn't forgotten her roots. This song may hold a special place in my heart for that exact reason. :)

(A+)

2. "Sexy"  (Featuring Jadakiss)

Well, isn't this the steamiest little track??? Mary can't help giving into her sexual desires with man in her life and the song's production helps that stand out. I like the smooth groove of the song that makes you want to dance but at the same time, makes you want to get very intimate with a potential lover for the night. Jadakiss comes in for a ferocious rap verse but it really isn't needed once again as Mary's voice, the sensual melody and the "sexy" beat is all that's needed to make this another strong outing for album.

(A)

3. "Deep Inside" (Featuring Elton John)

WOW!!! Sometimes I wonder how this collaboration happened...but I don't care as this is a personal career achievement for Mary! Not only does the song justifiably samples Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets" but has the master himself playing parts of the original song's melody in the background! The song itself? It's probably Mary's most reflective and introspective as she looks not only inward again but deeper than she has before trying to figure out the answers to not finding the true love of her life. She questions everything from her trouble with keeping friends to the judgmental nature of the people around her. Her answer is simply: "I'm just Mary". That even with all that she owns and is worth that it doesn't make her the woman that she is, it's WHO she is that makes her Mary or "MJB" as she calls herself at one point. Truly a triumphant moment for Mary as she realizes what truly matters in her life and that comes with some needed wisdom and maturity on her part.

(A+)

4. " Beautiful Ones"

Not to be confused with Prince's classic, "Beautiful Ones" has a stunning simplicity to it with it's acoustic guitar playing over a bob inducing beat. It actually makes for a sweet melody and Mary gives such strong vocal performance along with it. Lyrically, the song is a story of the lengths one would go to for the ones they consider beauty and love. "You are my soul when there is not music". What lovely lyric! Another well written song honestly and I can't get enough of this album so far as I am getting chills from it. Such a heartfelt song about what love's perception of beauty can create in us. WOW!!

(A+)

5. "I'm In Love"

WOW!!! I love how this almost feels like a sequel to "Love No Limit" with it's heavy jazz influences. There's even some saxophone playing at one point of the song and if you can have a sax solo without it coming off overbearingly cheesy, then you know you're song is an immediate success! I love Mary's brass vocals as she feels like she is commanding a crowded club as the lights deem and the spotlight shines on her. A pretty superb track from this album!

(A-)

6. "Time"

WOW!! This song is a cautionary tale of the world's impending doom as Mary sings about there not being enough time to stop all of the chaos going on in the world. I like how this song could be interpreted as a political anthem or new millennium fears at the time. Whichever the point to the song is, I love it's production with it's laid back nature over a bouncy beat. It's also nice to see Mary explore some different topics and show some activism in work to n extent. Overall, this is another strong track from the album that will make you think and just enjoy the easy going groove of it.

(B+)

7. "Memories"

Hmmm...this song has a frantic, bizarre beat that feels like Darkchild got a little overzealous in the studio. At first I thought I wouldn't like this song, but the odd arrangement of the beat juxtaposed to Mary's soulful, effervescent vocals sound surprisingly well together. Mary reminisces again about a previous relationship that has its ups and downs, which ultimately lead to a falling out and Mary realizing she had to move on. But she looks back on it fondly and knows it was for the best anyway. An overall solid track!!

(B+)

8. "Don't Waste Your Time"

Hmmm, is this another Darkchild production?? Or is this a Timbaland beat?? Either way, Mary teams up with the legendary Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, who show even then by the late 90s, she hasn't lost an ounce of raw power that her voice usually delivers and Mary herself holds her on with ease right next to her. When they aren't competing for that high note (Well, Aretha is the only one who is! lol), they both harmonize so well together.  The song itself is a ode to women who rather be single than waste their time with a man that doesn't deserve them. I'm just in awe of both these women's vocal prowess and sassy confidence they exude throughout the track as it's definitely a standout on the album. If only Aretha kept her ego in check! Lol I'm kidding....maybe...

(A)

9. "Not Lookin'" (Featuring K-Ci)

Well, well, well, what could have been an awkward reunion between two ex-lovers turns up to be a more mature outing for the two as they both reflect and analyze why the relationship will never rekindled as they both have moved on aka "they aren't lookin'". I like how they both scream and growl through their vocals; trying to make their point. It's a song that makes sense for two people who not only use to date but had a rough relationship. Sure there's some name calling and the way the song abruptly ends with Mary saying "I know you're sorry!" after K-Ci apologizes is a complete "oh sh!t" moment! O_O A dark and gritty`re-opening of a chapter in Mary's life you surely don't want to miss. :)

(A+)

10. "Your Child"

Oh sh!t!! O_O The sh!t has hit the fan as Mary sings about unraveling the truth about her man having a child with another woman. This is like a musical version of an episode of Maury!! lol The production does drag a bit but the moral of the song is an entertaining and relatable one I'm sure. I do enjoy how Mary handles this song with a sense of maturity instead of outright rage at both her man and especially the baby momma in question. She is just adamant about accepting his responsibilities as a father...which is a VERY noble and selfless thing to do! Overall, a pretty good song, just wish the production was stronger that's all!

(B-)

11. "No Happy Holiday"

"I can't believe I'm in love with a man who can't be man!" Wow, talk about unrequited love!! :( Mary sings about the holidays being empty after realizing that the relationship she was in, just wasn't meant to be! Mary sings this with a great regret and passion in her voice; I also like the guitar riff at the middle portion of the song. Not one of the highlights of the album but a decent track from the album over all that is good to listen to and will definitely have many women singing along at the pain of reliving such a situation.

(C+)

12. "The Love I Never Had"

WOW!!! This is a pretty sensational track!!! I love the live feel to the song with band playing in the background!!! There are also some better than usual vocals from Mary as she pours her heart out why she needs this man's love and can't live without it. I really like the instrumentation of the specific instruments in background, like the drums and guitar. The breakdown just gives me chills!!! This is another excellent track that I am expecting from an album that has been very strong up to this point!

(A)

13. "Give Me You" (Featuring Eric Clapton)

With just potent piano melody and great guitar riff by the great Eric Clapton, Mary sings with a soft sentimentality for her man to be vulnerable and intimate with her in the closest possible way. The lyrics are heartfelt as Mary just expects loyalty and promises her can keep. Her vocal delivery is once again beautiful as she rides the beat with her sensual roars and gorgeous flow. Stellar track!

(A+)

14. "Let No Man Put Asunder"

This almost feels like a post-modern disco track with elements of classic soul....and I love it! But what else would you expect from Mary once again covering  classic SOOO well!!! She confidently does her thing on this track bringing us back to the days of rich soulful music and late night discos!! The perfect end to  near flawless album if you ask me! :)

(A+)

To me, "Mary" almost feels like a direct sequel to "My Life" (even though years later, Mary would create the ACTUAL sequel to that album) There's something about Mary (HA!) that feels deeper, more personal but also feels Mary has matured IMMENSELY from her origins as streetwise singer. This is what "Share My World" was painfully missing and while that album was still great, "Mary" does what that album wishes it did. It takes Mary's unique style and show some amazing growth on her part. While I feel she worked with the same producers for the most part from her last album, "Mary" feels like also her most ambitious sounding album yet going from the lush, divine soulful groove of "All That I Can Say", to the hip hop fluidity of "Sexy" to the delightfully insightful "Deep Inside" that channels old school pop, "Mary" shows an artist pushing her creative muscles and showing some variety in her music never seen before. I could go on with the acoustic bounce of "Beautiful Ones" and the surprising concern of "Your Child", as Mary seems to be eager to show that she has serious come a long way from her early days of womanhood. Also, the fact she works with such legends as Aretha Franklin and Elton John as well as modern day heavy hitters like Lauryn Hill shows she drive to be very eclectic and more diverse with her music than ever before. Commercially, the album debut at number 2 on the Billboard 200 and sold over 239,000 copies it's first week. It went on to sell a little over 2 million copies worldwide. Which isn't too shabby if you ask me! :)

"For her 4th studio album, simply titled "Mary", the already R&B veteran at the time released her most daring evolution thus far with songs that range from such subject matter are infidelity, moving on/letting and once again, looking inward to find that this woman has grown from the various problems she use to sing about. Incredible!"

(A+)