Growing Pains Reviews

• Growing painful to listen to

  
  By A70YTUFJY5HXN on 2008-04-26
  I'm a huge fan of Mary J. Blige. I've been a fan more or less from the moment What's the 411? dropped back in '92. I've bought every single album she released since, including the live and remix albums but excluding 2003's Love & Life, right up to The Breakthrough. I didn't get Reflections - A Retrospective but that was because I just didn't see the point (I had practically everything on it already) and not because I didn't like it.
  
  But I seem to be the only one on the planet who just can't get into this one. I simply don't get it. Mary has been selling millions of albums across the world for 16 years now and that could explain why, to these ears, she's beginning to sound a bit weary. She's been telling us all how she's incredibly happy now, how her life is exactly where she wants it to be and how, whilst going through all the pain in her recent past, one thing she's always strived to do is keep things real with her fans. This might all well be true but I'm yet to see Mary actually LOOKING happy in an interview or a video. (Jill Scott always looks happy for instance, even these days - and she's just been through a divorce!).
  
  But maybe that's just Mary's way. Maybe it's the 'street' or 'ghetto fabulous' thing to; to never smile even if feeling blissful. Her continuous banging on about said bliss is starting to grate on the nerves a tad though. She's a strong woman, no doubt, and a trooper. She does "keep on going", as one reviewer said but at what cost? Like I said, the poor woman is probably just really tired.
  
  When she burst onto the scene back in 1992 with songs like "Real Love", "Reminisce" and "Love No Limit", she showed energy, versatility and raw emotion that have long since dissipated. The bittersweet "Be Happy" and the poignant "I'm Goin' Down from her sophomore album My Life proved she was no one-hit wonder. And let's not forget her star turns on hip-hop classics like "Can't Knock The Hustle" with Jay-Z (1996) and "I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By" with Method Man (1995). I for one thought the title "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" was absolutely well deserved.
  
  But every subsequent album has been less satisfying, and more geared towards what was playing on the radio than the one that preceded it. By the time "The Breakthrough" came out, I was starting to lose interest. It was clear to any objective listener that Mary was just treading water and I've barely played the CD three times since I got it. This one I simply couldn't bear and had to take right back to the store and ask for something else.
  
  As soon as I saw the video to her single "Just Fine", I had my doubts. The Michael Jackson homage-paying intro (and the video itself) was probably well intentioned but to me, they just fell flat. It just doesn't sound or look like she really means it. She's singing about being uplifted but she sounds (and looks) anything but. Jackson looked ecstatic in the video to "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" but to me, Mary looks like she'd rather be somewhere else, doing something else. It's not so much in her moves, it's in her eyes and her facial expressions.
  
  The female empowerment of "Grown Woman" and "Feel Like A Woman" sound like the kind of thing that would play well to Oprah's studio audience but this listener just couldn't find the groove - and I'm no chauvinist. It would take too long to list the female empowerment tunes I've grooved to in my time.
  
  Pharrell's multi-tempoed "'Til The Morning" and Ne-Yo's interestingly winding "Smoke" are probably the only two songs on here that break away from the made-for-radio formula that dominates the album and Mary is probably singing the best she's ever sung - much more control, much less excess - but somehow for me, that just makes her less interesting to listen to. A perfect example of what I mean is the solemn "Fade Away". Forget all the almost spiritual wailing and chest beating of the good old days, Mary sounds like she's barely breaking a sweat.
  
  Maybe that's how music is now in the 21st century and I need to either get with the program or leave it alone. Or maybe, just maybe, as listeners, we've allowed our standards to drop to basement level and as a result, anything even slightly passable is lauded as the next best thing. Mary is undoubtedly one of the legends of our time and I'll never even try to take that away from her but I do wonder if the way many of us fans are almost deifying the woman these days, is blinding us to the fact that her music is simply not as good as it used to be. I realise that we're living in an age where creativity and individuality are not rewarded and where studio executives and radio programmers are now telling artistes what kind of music to make so it's entirely possible that Mary's heart isn't really in the music she's putting out, despite all her talk of the contrary. Whatever. In the end, we'll only get the quality of music that we as consumers demand.
  
  Maybe Mary's new life is indeed the happy and peaceful one she says it is. All I know is that while it must be a good thing (especially for her) that all the pain is behind her and all the angst gone, her supposedly newly-found joy is not coming through in the music quite yet. To me, singing songs of empowerment and bliss while looking and sounding utterly miserable just makes Mary painful to watch - and to listen to.
  
  The album will probably still sell truckloads and earn her all kinds of awards, so I know my view is the minority one. I also know that my review is very likely to be unpopular here but I had to say my piece. I didn't want to post the review but a good Amazon buddy of mine (who will remain nameless) encouraged me to do so, so here it is. Let the hissing, booing and clicking on the "no" button begin.
  
  

• "Growing Pains" Doesn't Dissapoint

  
  By A3PMEJAYKF3VUC on 2007-12-18
  Mary J. Blige follows "The Breakthrough" with "Growing Pains" which to me was an even stronger effort that claims the title of being one of her best, if not the best, albums of her career. She found her footing with "The Breakthrough" and any fears that she'd return with a cd that wasn't as strong should be put aside. "Growing Pains" has something for all of her fans and new ones, a sound that mirrors old R&B but also goes into territory that music seems afraid to venture into. After listening to the entire album, I found myself saying this was true quality. There isn't really a track to skip here; each song adds something to the mix and covers everything from a dance-vibe to a laid-back groove about love and loss.
  
  Some of the standout tracks are "Work That" which is one of the upbeat songs, "Grown Woman" that could be this albums "Enough Crying" with Mary dishing out her good qualities and what makes her stand out at this point in her life. "Feel Like A Woman" is a new kind of song for Blige where she puts aside her reservations about being with someone and shows her most vulnerable of traits in this ballad-like track. "Stay Down" stands as my favorite, another turn for Mary J. Blige as she's asking her man to stay through the troubles and paints a picture of better days in their relationship that are to come. "Roses" is another track, more hard in sound, with Blige proclaiming she's all right and doesn't need people telling her what's wrong with her. "Fade Away" and "What Love Is" both are tracks that stand out for their production and the feeling she evokes. In what's perhaps one of her best closing tracks, "Come To Me (Peace)", is a big R&B/80s type of song that's a no-holds-barge explosion of sound and is moving and leaves you wanting more.
  
  In all, "Growing Pains" is an absolute must own. Where most artist hit their peak at some point and become predictable, Mary J. Blige seems to be getting better with each year. The songs on this cd are fresh, original and yet sound different and a bit experimental for Blige as she matures into her new sound and comfort zone as an artist. Buy this cd, you will not be disappointed.
  
  

• Not "The Breakthrough" but it shouldn't be expected to be!

  
  By A31U2QT7SAL7K on 2007-12-25
  Most popular singers can attest to that one album that is considered by fans and critics alike as being their apex. Michael Jackson had "Thriller," Prince had "Purple Rain," and Mary J. had the multi-Grammy-winning "The Breakthrough." It is unfair to the singers to always compare each successive release with its predecessor for the artists may have different directions and concepts that they wish to pursue.
  
  Mary J, though traveling some of the same roads as her previous works, branches out somewhat with "Growing Pains" with an album that is possibly more pop-oriented than anything that she has previously done, including "The Breakthrough."
  
  "Growing Pains" is a bit of everything that will, no doubt, increase her already large fan base. Riding high on the strength of the first single "Just Fine" and its eye-popping video, the album is a well-crafted blend of R & B, funk, pop, and female angst and strength that can only be done by Miss Mary.
  
  EVERY single song is a winner and each makes a seamless segue to its successor.
  
  Besides that, she looks MIGHTY FINE on every photo in the liner notes!
  
  We all should grow so well!
  
  

• ABSOLUTELY STUNNING

  
  By A1YDNVLHKFZ0BR on 2007-12-24
  Most people love "What's The 411" and "My Life" and they think they are totally classic, and then there's "The Breakthrough" which is a 5 star effort in itself - but here Mary J. Blige surpasses everything she has done - the cut SHAKE DOWN with Usher is so commercial it's sickening which is GREAT it's like the sweetest candy you could ever want - but don't think for a minute she's sold out. NO NO NO - this CD is so deep, so heartfelt, so BLACK, so true, so much full of emotion. Mary J. Blige I think this is her "THRILLER" - this CD is phenomenal from start to finish. Even if you've never heard of her before - you will be infected with these songs - they stay in your mind, soul and heart. This CD is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING - her best effort yet, and how do you surpass "My Life" - she has done it - you will be TOTALLY REWARDED WITH THIS PURCHASE - look out for Mary in 2008 and 2009 - SHE TRULY IS THE UNDISPUTED "QUEEN OF HIP-HOP SOUL" Girl you GO GO GO GO GO!!! Man O Man, Mariah you know you're my heart, and Rickie Lee you are my favorite - but she even revamps some old Emotions samples - THIS CD IS BEYOND BEYOND. Just listen, GUARANTEED!!! Thank you ET for my favorite gift this Christmas. God is alive - Listen to Mary - you'll be a witness!!! It's THAT UNBELIEVABLE - miraculous. Anyone who rated this CD less than 5 stars has not listened to it more than twice, this CD rewards the listener with repeated listens and you see how brilliant this CD is. It's really A NON STOP PARTY. Keep playing this at your Christmas or New Years Party's - you'll see - this grows on your without ANY PAIN. MARY J BLIGE - much respect. This is one of the best CD's I've ever heard - period. Trust me, listen to it a few times - you'll start becoming infected with her "Growing Pains". THIS IS A SLAMMER - all respect to the TRUE QUEEN OF HIP HOP SOUL. God is my witness!! If Mariah is "the voice" - and Rickie Lee is "my heart" - then NO QUESTION Mary J. Blige is QUEEN OF MY SOUL. This CD is too good. YOU WILL NOT REGRET YOU BOUGHT THIS CD EVER.
  
  

• "You could look in my palm and see the storm coming, read the book of my life and see I've overcome it."

  
  By A1S2IY37JU93XS on 2007-12-21
  Back in 2003, someone apparently thought it was a good idea to bring the powers that were Mary J. Blige and P. Diddy back together, in hopes of re-creating the magic of their earlier works. Well, they were wrong. By no means was the result, Love & Life, a terrible album; however, almost any fan will agree that it's Mary's--for the lack of a better term--worst work to date. Yes, there were some great moments, but most of it was uninspired with some pretty lazy production, courtesy of Diddy. The disc barely went platinum, making it her lowest selling studio album by far. The ever-consistent woman who seemingly could do no wrong made a slight misstep. That's what made 2005's excellent release, The Breakthrough, such a pleasant surprise. With the huge success of "Be Without You," the album's triple platinum status, its record-breaking first-week sales, and its eight Grammy nominations, it proved that Blige was on top once again and wasn't going anywhere. Two years later, she is back with Growing Pains.
  
  From the photos, to the lyrics, to the themes and overall sound, Mary J. is definitely getting her grown woman on. Now a wife, she speaks with brutal honesty and maturity on serious relationships. They involve work, conflicts, disagreements, dependency, compromise, pain, passion, effort, and love, of course. Although it is a beautiful thing and brings much joy to people, to quote her, "it ain't all roses." I have read numerous reviews, from proffesionals nonetheless, that simply dismiss some of the lyrics as "preachy," but I would have to disagree. Mary is a woman who has clearly been through many trials and tribulations in her life, and she just wants to share her wisdom and knowledge of the world to her large fanbase, who could most likely benefit from her viewpoints. (If these reviewers really can't hear these true-to-life statements without cringing, then it's probably time they put themselves in check!) The pictures in the album's booklet show Mary keeping it classier than ever.
  
  The stunning back cover shows Mary sitting atop a cabinet of old vinyls. The only vinyl cover that you are able to decipher is Diana Ross' 1981 album, Why Do Fools Fall In Love. It is most likely just a plain coincidence, but it speaks volumes of Growing Pains. This album has the major crossover appeal that Ross possessed back in the day. While Pains will not alienate her solid fanbase that was built upon her original hip-hop/soul (which is still very present), each track, especially "Come To Me (Peace)," contains a slight change in sound that could let them be comfortable on almost any radio format, not just simply R&B. This could be due to some fresh producers and songwriters that have shown much promise recently, such as Ne-Yo, Tricky, The Dream, Jazze Pha, Bryan-Michael Cox, Stargate, and the Neptunes, among others.
  
  "Work That," as heard in the iTunes commercials, is a great choice for the second single. It is upbeat, inspirational, and infectious. The production by newcomer, Theron Otis Feemster, is simple and melodic, but it suits the song perfectly. On this, and a few other select tracks, Mary has a new swagger in her delivery that almost makes her sound like an MC. "Grown Woman" is another example of this. Over the hard-hitting and grungy hip-hop beat, she exudes confidence and pride in her womanhood. "Stay Down" speaks on marriage and how "sometimes when we fight/ it don't seem like God's desgin/ but... I promised I would stand by you." My favorite line appears in the chorus, when she begs her man to "stay down/ we're almost to the very best part." The production, by ingenious Bryan-Michael Cox, complements the emotion and triumph in Mary's strong vocals. "Roses" finds her nowhere near being preahcy; it's about those days when you want to be left alone and quite frankly, your lover just fans the fire. In between verses, she speaks, venting her emotions. On "Talk To Me," she urges her man to communicate his feelings over an Emotions horn sample, casuing the track to have a very nostalgic, old school soul feel.
  
  While this album is excellent, it is not flawless. Ludacris' guest appearance irritates me and almost ruins the great "Grown Woman" for me. His verse, while not terrible, is a bit vulgar, putting him and his supposed grown woman's bedroom business all out there. Lines like "we some Stairmasters/ I make her get her exercise" seem to contradict the classiness that Mary maintains throughout the rest of the track. "Shake Down" sounds a bit too much like something Mariah Carey would record. (I love Mariah, I just think that it's not like something Mary would do.) It's not a bad track, though. "Just Fine," oddly chosen as the lead-off single, is a song I can take or leave depending on the day and my mood. "Till the Morning," however, is my least favorite track. The Neptunes' production and writing has become very bland, stale, and predictable to me by this point in time. The song sounds like Kelis-lite during her Kaleidoscope era. The bridge is good, but that's pretty much all I enjoy of the track. "Work In Progress (Growing Pains)" is a musically very good, but the whole I'm-just-like-you-even-though-I'm-a-celebrity thing is getting pretty tired. "What Love Is" is also exceptional, but lyrics like "it feels like joy/ it feels like pain/ it feels like sunshine/ it feels like rain" are undeniably cliché.
  
  The bottom line: It is not perfect, but Growing Pains is still a darn good album. Her vocals are on point, the production and songwriting is top notch, and the lyrics are mature and real. Growing Pains has a slightly new sound that will most likely lead to an even bigger crossover than The Breakthrough caused. Still, even her fans from the beginning will feel satisfied. How does she do it? It's a mystery. Mary J. Blige is a truly special and talented grown woman.
  
  Key tracks: Grown Woman, Stay Down, Roses, Fade Away, Talk to Me, Work That.
  
  
• Inspiring Mary !
  By AGUI5X48F8P76 on 2008-10-29
  Studio album number eight from Mary J Blige is beautiful, a little bit sad, a little bit happy, immaculately played and exquisitely sung in that gorgeous voice: a warm and charming collection of songs in the styles with which Blige has become associated - blues, jazz, hip hop, soul.
  Sporting a white shift with her strong features in proud profile, Mary J Blige is dressed as the high priestess of self-help for the cover of her latest CD.
  Although the Queen of Hip Hop Soul has long since quit drugs, got married and found God, the motivational message she began spreading with 2005's triple-platinum-selling The Breakthrough will still be delivered in ghetto-fabulous style.
  "Growing Pains" doesn't break much musical ground, but it is inspiring to hear 38-year-old Blige maturing with such energy and honesty.
  The CD is also just a little bit dull.
  Some of the ballads drag, but the fiery upbeat anthems designed to empower the "grown woman" will certainly inspire a few smiles and starjumps between laundry loads.
  The album, which includes Mary's Top 10 single "Just Fine" features guest appearances from Ludacris and Usher, and production by The Neptunes, Johnta Austin, Ne-yo, Stargate, Bryan-Michael Cox, Dre and Vidal, Tricky, The Dream and Sean Garrett.
  Her previous masterpieces that was the becoming of Mary will always come into question because Mary established herself in the Hip Hop/R&B/Soul genre as an artist who had to take the rough with the smooth.
  She was an artist that fought a tough and hard winding battle, opened up to her darkest moments and fought with her demons, which made for good music.
  Compelling music in fact. And music that can even be deemed 'classic'.
  Now Mary has finally found a happy place, an inner pace, her comfort zone.
  It's good that her self-empowered confidence is reflected in the music.
  "Growing Pains" leaves the listener no uncertainty as to how she feels today.
  "You know I love music," she says during the opening bars of "Just Fine". "It makes me move, it makes me wanna have fun!" It's a funky, determined track and the fact that it samples Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" gives it a hugely triumphant feel.
  Plus, its upbeat message is given an inspirational twist because of the long, arduous journey that lies behind its protagonist's getting to feeling "Just Fine".
  The album definitely has an updated feel complete with good ole contemporary (but mature) R&B with the oldskool sound here and there especially in superb gems like "Hurt Again" (signature Mary), "Feel Like A Woman", "Stay Down", "Work In Progress" (Growing Pains) and "If You Love Me".
  Apart from those, the album pretty much hit a couple of blunt corners. Mary has nothing to prove with this album though because everything has already been proved.
  Still the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul without a remarkable doubt, Mary is doing 'just fine'.
  There's plenty to admire here, not least the musicianship.
  But mostly there's that voice - strikingly powerful and unique, utterly flawless.
  My highlights : "Work In Progress"(Growing Pains), "Grown Woman" and "Work That".
  Have a very pleasant listening experience!
  
  
• poor
  By A27PUE7IVNZMFV on 2007-12-21
  I was looking forward to growing pains but this is realy a week album. Its strange mary always seems to follow a really great album like the breakthrough with a weak one. Most of the tracks are just fodder to be honest..really bland tracks..so so disappointing. I hope mary gets it right next time..don't bother with this though..a major disappointment
  
  
• Mary's Growth Gives My Ears No Pain! I'm In Love With This Grown Woman
  By AAFR2JJM7WLLE on 2007-12-18
  If "Love And Life" was supposed to be the reincarnation of "What's The 411" and "My Life" and "The Breakthrough", especially in terms of sequencing and mood I would say was most like an updated version of "Share My World" then "Growing Pains", her eighth album is most definitely the continuation of the "Mary" album, a more mature older sister of it, if you will. They are similar even down to their album covers, which both feature simple, avant-garde, side profile photographs of Mary in all of her "Queen Of Hip Hop Soul" glory.
  
  Like "Mary" there is much more shine on the soul jewels than the hip hop jewels in her crown this time around. So if you are expecting The Breakthrough Part 2, you will be somewhat disappointed. Mary, having grown from the hood chick from the projects of Yonkers, New York that we first met in 1992 to the married, accomplished woman we see today, having collaborated and shared stages with some of the world's best loved performers has made an album that exhibits that growth. Mary's music has always been somewhat auto-biographical and "Growing Pains" fortunately, does nothing to break that mold. So there's really not much in the way of cheating lovers, game playing, and single girl craziness here. Mary is a "Grown Woman" now and is singing about love, relationships, self respect and communication in ways she's never quite done before. Hopefully her fans have grown with her.
  
  The album starts off with "Work That". You may have heard this song featured on Mary's television endorsements for Apple computers iPod MP3 player. It's also the second single from the album. "Work..." is basically the apex of all that Mary had been singing and at times preaching about since her debut over fifteen years ago, confidence and self esteem in women. She even acknowledges her own struggles with it in the lyric: "I'm talkin' 'bout things that I know..."
  
  On the next track, the crunk, club banger "Grown Woman" Mary teams up with Ludacris and starts the song boastfully with these lyrics:
  
  "My Michael Kors gear on and Valentino,
  Yves St. Laurent and Malandrino
  Full length sable way down to the carpet
  Look good on the mannequin
  But wait until I rock it..."
  
  Next is the first single from the album, the upbeat, feel good "Just Fine". The first time I heard the song I loved it and thought that it definitely showed growth in Mary, lyrically and subject matter-wise but I was shocked that it was chosen as a single, and the first single at that. Much like "All That I Can Say", the first single from the "Mary" album it was off the beaten path and lacked some of the gritty, urban, ghetto-girl sensibility that Mary J. Blige has become almost synonymous with over the years. The first time I heard it I was wondering when the urban remix featuring the rapper du jour was gonna drop? But I guess even ghetto girls have to grow up sometime. Thankfully Mary is taking her followers along for the ride.
  
  On her debut album, Mary was looking for a "Real Love". Now that she's found it in Kendu Issacs, her husband of three years it is most certainly reflected in her music. One of my favorites on the album is the sizzling, midtempo, bass-booming, "Feel Like A Woman" in which the single girl from the hood who on "What's The 411?" spit the lyrics: "Yeah, nigga what makes you different from the next nigga? Seen you last week and you couldn't even speak..." has matured, found love and is singing a different tune in these new lyrics:
  
  "I'm tired of screaming independent
  I wanna start depending on you..."
  
  and later on, on the old school, Aretha Franklin-esque (of course not as Aretha as "I Found My Everything" from "The Breakthrough" album) plea for communication "Talk To Me" Mary sings:
  
  "I would never disrespect you, you are the head
  But there are so many things left unsaid..."
  
  The communication theme is continued on "Roses", a midtempo track that Mary states is about "the new definition of love" that:
  
  "...It ain't all about roses
  Flowers and posies
  It ain't all candy
  This love stuff is demanding..."
  
  In between the choruses Mary chimes in with spoken word kernels of her wisdom, that at first listen could throw you off a bit as at face value they sound an awful lot like needless, frustrated rants but come together as a great song, something only Mary could pull off without sounding contrived. Keeping up that same let's stay together vibe on the midtempo ballad, "Stay Down", Mary extols the virtues of couples staying together and "staying down" for each other in lyrics such as:
  
  "Ten years strong and we're looking like a plan
  I'm lookin' like your woman and you're lookin' like my man..."
  
  Another of my favorites, the first real ballad of the album, "Hurt Again" has a 70's soul vibe with in it's live instrumentation. The Neptunes continue that 70's vibe on the club banger "Till The Morning", a different kind of track for them. I love this song, I can see the retro video now with Mary dancing around a club in a big afro wig or a Farrah Fawcett-esque weave ala the "Your Child" video. Pharrell, should get fitted for his leisure suit now.
  
  "Shake Down", a duet with Usher on which they trade verses about shaking each other down, "robbing you for your love" they say, think, idea-wise of Kelis' "Stick Up", sound-wise think of the verses of "Love Changes", Mary's duet with Jamie Foxx. In either case, idea-wise it isn't exactly the strongest metaphor but still pleasing to the ear nevertheless.
  
  My absolute favorite song on the album though is the sad love song, "Fade Away", produced by Stargate, a definite third single contender. It is the quintessential Mary J. Blige, sad slow song. It's a midtempo ballad in which Mary emotes beautifully on the chorus:
  
  "Sometimes I wish that I could stand here and fade away
  So that no one could see the tears running down my face..."
  
  With a funky, underlying bass line, "Fade..." works great as a ballad (think along the same emotional quotient as "No More Drama", except sad) but would also translate well into dance remixes, something which has garnered Mary a larger, more diverse, gay fan base and has been a staple of her career since her "Mary" album (my favorite Mary J. Blige record) in 1999.
  
  Other standouts on the album include the title track "Work In Progress (Growing Pains)". It's another one of my favorites and one of the best songs on the album vocally, but nevertheless, your standard I-may-be-a-star-but-I'm-normal-just-like-you song. Think, the older, slower, more mature sister of Mary's 1999 single "Deep Inside" from the "Mary" album.
  
  "What Love Is", also produced by Stargate is a sweet, piano-laden ballad which like "Fade Away" is reminiscent to "No More Drama" with it's choir-ish vocals at the end. And speaking of piano-laden midtempo ballads there's "If You Love Me?", produced by Bryan Michael Cox. An effort in which he fails yet again, or never bothered to try to re-invent his own wheel, infusing the song with the same beautiful, yet-repetitive piano tinkling as he did in Mary's 2005 hit "Be Without You" and Danity Kane's "Ride For You" and Mya's "Life Is Too Short" among others. Like great producers have in the past such as The Neptunes and Timbaland, B. Cox is becoming a one trick pony. Luckily it's a trick that everyone seems to like for the time being. As lovely as "...Love Me?" is, the fact that is sounds like a "Be Without You" remix can't be denied.
  
  Like "One" from "The Breakthough" album, and "Ultimate Relationship (A.M.)" from "Love & Life", Mary takes a slight switch in genre on the last track. Instead of the respective rock and gospel of those tracks Mary ends the album with "Come To Me (Peace)", an adult contemporary pop song. I know, I know, Mary has been down the adult contemporary road before, namely with "Give Me You" from the "Mary" album, but the subdued, pop vocals of "...Peace", a ballad about forgiveness, take things a step further, in turn taking Mary a step further.
  
  Simply put, this album is excellent. There isn't a bad track on it. Just as "Mary" cemented, and "The Breakthrough" re-cemented Mary's status as an A-list musical performer I can only imagine what heights "Growing Pains" will take her to.
  
  If you must download, download: "Grown Woman", "Just Fine", "Till The Morning", "Fade Away", "Work In Progress (Growing Pains)"
  
  
• Another 2 add 2 your collection, no doubt!
  By A149OQJD0ASI07 on 2007-12-18
  I'm writing this review off the fresh memories from a quick first listen to the LP in its entirety.
  
  Vocally, Mary sounds as strongly as she did on The Breakthrough, so if you felt that one, you'll more than likekly feel this album as well.
  
  "Growing Pains" is a mix of uptempo, retro/'70s-flavored songs with slightly more somber yet more reflective slow jams.
  
  I can already tell that some of Mary's most diehard fans probably won't claim this album because you get the Happy Mary and not the "I'm Goin' Down" Mary. Again, she's got a wide range of tracks with different vibes. But just as you could feel the unhappiness & disilluisionment of her 1994 classic "My Life," her spirit is really high on this newbie and you can feel it.
  
  I'd actually never really listened closely to the lyrics for her first single "Just Fine" but that's my favorite so far having taken the time to listen. I replayed that song six times at work and I'm feeling it because it's such a positive, uplifting track (something you wanna jam to before leaving home 2 face whatever the world will throw at you).
  
  If you like the feel of "Just Fine" with its pulsating, but retro feel, you'll probably enjoy "Till the Morning," "Fade Away" and "Talk to Me" because they also have that same 70s Era feel.
  
  "Work In Progress" might actually be the best song on this album. It pretty much sums up what Mary's trying to communicate with this project. She's not who she was (thank the Lord) and she's not perfect or even where she wants to get to in life, but spiritually she's satisfied and optimistic on life and becoming her better self. Very powerful, very positive and very uplifting material.
  
  Another song I'll shout out is "Roses" because it's Mary's realest track on this album. She's basically breaking it down about how having the wrong attitude or bad mentality can sabotage a relationship. To be human though is to have those ups & downs, so she's saying don't expect every day to be like "Roses". Great track, solid production and great songwriting. It's a Mary song.
  
  I'm sure another diehard Mary fan will give you a more complete song-by-song breakdown, so I won't waste the time.
  
  To more completely understand my mentality in analyzing Mary's catalog, I offer the following information.
  
  Conceptually (this is how I see Mary's work)
  
  1)What's the 411? --Groundbreaking masterpiece. She & Diddy came up with a new sound that changed the game!
  
  2)My Life --Masterpiece (and my personal fav LP) b/c of it's clever melding of hip hop/R&B with blues. Mary's ode to relationship strife is legendary!
  
  3)Share My World --Classic hip hop/R&B gem & Mary's 1st award-winning LP even though it was criticized for its contemporary R&B feel.
  
  4)The Breakthrough --Mary's overwhelming positive, redemptive-vibed testament to perseverance & rising above life's obstacles.
  
  5)Mary --Very retro, very Stevie Wonder-ish. This is the one a lot of non-Mary fans told me they'd buy after hearing it.
  
  6)Growing Pains --Great, great LP. Nothing bad 2 say. But standing up 2 others in Mary's catalog, this will take more time 2 make an impression on me.
  7)Love & Life --Average album by Mary's standards. Nothing necessarily bad, just no hit singles.
  
  8)No More Drama --Loved Mary's singles but I've always viewed this as her weakest album (a few skippable tracks & novice songwriting attempts).
  
  Vocally (this is how I rank Mary's work)
  
  1)The Breakthrough --As close to Whitney as she'll ever be!
  
  2)Growing Pains --Still ridin' the wave of her 2005 Grammy-winning classic.
  
  3)What's the 411? --Mary before the drinking & drug abuse starting taking a toll.
  
  4)Mary --Mary embraces her deeply soulful, lower register vocals & finds a winning formula.
  
  5)Share My World --Most would say this was her lowest point vocally, but this LP is loaded with her signature sound.
  
  6)My Life --Again, still her masterpiece album but this was when her husky, grainy vocals took shape (at the heights of her drinking/drug abuse).
  7)No More Drama --Some off key moments (but at least she find her range on her hit singles).
  
  8)Love & Life --Solid songs but album plagued by more off key moments
  
  "Growing Pains" is at least another 4 star album if that gives you any indication of how strong I feel this album is. It's just tough to rank ahead of some of her undeniable masterpieces b/c at present, I can't say "Growing Pains" is groundbreaking or classic in the vein of some of Mary's earlier work that so obviously set standards and/or really resonated with her fans and what they were experiencing in life.
  
  Great, great CD. Just hard to describe b/c it doesn't have the standout character of some of her earlier work.
  
  Highly recommended purchase though!
  
  
• The Reigning Queen Of Hip-Hop Soul....
  By A1II5KYQFLKMB8 on 2007-12-18
  I was one of the few people who was not in love with the "Breakthrough" and "Growing Pains" is an album very similar in styling's to its predecessor. Not that ether effort is to overlooked for the completing projects that they are, but I guess that I had to change my viewpoint as it is clear that MJB has. Often times with music, listeners expect every album that a favorite artist releases to be a carbon copy. I have often criticized others whom have taken this stance, but know I find myself on the opposite spectrum. We are no longer dealing with the Mary of "What's the 411" or "My Life", and that has taken some getting used to for me. "Growing Pains" perfectly illustrates that trend as we can see that she is still growing, and the product is a very cohesive LP. I do recommend this CD to anyone whom has "grown up" the last 15 years with Mary J. Blige, in addition to those whom want to hear one of the most thought out albums of the year.
  
  
• Yes! Mary you did it again!
  By A3F4HOAP49XC6N on 2007-12-18
  Of course I bought the cd just because it was Mary, but I won't lie I was so scared that this cd was not going to match up to the 'The Breakthrough', but 'Growing Pains' is a pleasant surprise. I've listened to 2/3 of the cd so far and I have not met a track that I would skip. I liked that the cd is not filled with guest appearances, but the tracks with Ludacris and Usher do standout for me. This cd is a great mix of self-esteem mantras, party starters and sexy ballads. You will not be disappointed!
  
  
• Mary J. is on Point!!
  By A2GIB7FPB00V2 on 2007-12-19
  I love this CD. Mary definately put it down!! The lyrics, beats, and vocal execution are superb. Once again Mary gave us a peak into her life. The realness of her lyrics and her strong conviction while singing, make this CD such a pleasure to listen to. I can not get enough. You know how you get a new CD and you listen one time and say "this is okay"; well with this CD I keep thinking, "this joint is bumping". I kepp palying it over and over.
  Mary did her thing. I am proud of her, her strength as a mature "Grown Woman" shines throughout. Even if you are not a Mary J. fan, you'll love the CD.
  
  
• MARY DOES IT AGAIN..STAND UP!!!!!!!!!!!
  By A3PWB55PJ9SBZZ on 2007-12-19
  This is an excellent album. Another hit for Mary! She cant go wrong. SHE IS THE ORIGINAL QUEEN OF HIP HOP SOUL. PERIOD!
  
  
• Debussy of Soul.....
  By A31ISRDL7VUC01 on 2007-12-25
  Beautiful Mary put the soul in our holiday. Mature compositions with a treasure trove of twists, the ever meaningful lyrics we long for. Mary's song strings continually remind us of Debussy, unconventional distinction, regal, imaginative, every stunning note a lovely symphony......
  
  
• COME TO ME (PEACE)
  By A3V6RNAWLONML5 on 2007-12-25
  This song is exceptional. The first time I heard it, it took my breathe away. Mary J does her thing on every cd. She is a huge talent and this cd is definitely one of the best!!
  
  
• Even Alan Thicke will be able to appreciate Mary's "Growing Pains".
  By AGAMDS21PJZPK on 2008-01-16
  I instantly became a fan of Mary J. Blige once I heard the song "You Remind Me". Her debut CD What's the 411? was an instant favorite of mine because of the way that Mary mixed r&b songs with hip hop samples. Obviously, the direction of the production had something to do with that but since I am also a rap music fan, I was able to appreciate Mary J. Blige even more. My favorite tracks ended up being "Love No Limit", "Reminisce", "I Don't Want To Do Anything" w/K-Ci, "My Love", "Real Love" and Mary's remake of the Rufus & Chaka Khan classic "Sweet Thing". In 1994, Mary J. Blige released her 2nd CD My Life. This is clearly my favorite r&b CD of all time. Mary not only surpassed my expectations after her debut CD, but she definitely had gained a fan for life as she did her best to chronicle the good times, the pain and everything inbetween to put together a fantastic CD. My favorite track was "I Never Wanna Live Without You" but I could play the CD in its entirety. My other personal favorites include "Mary's Joint", "I'm The Only Woman", "Be Happy", "Mary Jane" and "Be With You". The alternate versions of the tracks were phenominal as well. I am sure everyone remembers Smif N Wessun on "I Love You", LL Cool J on "Mary Jane", and the late Notorious BIG (Biggie) ripping the "I'm Goin' Down" (Remix)) which used the beat for the track "The What" that was featured on Biggie's "Ready To Die" that also included Method Man. Mary J had plenty of other releases:
  
  Share My World (1997)
  Mary (1999)
  No More Drama (2002)
  Love & Life (2003)
  
  From these 4 releases you had my personal favorites such as "Seven Days", "All That I Can Say", "The Love I Never Had", "Special Part Of Me", "Ooh!", "Everything" and "Share My World". Mary J. returned in 2005 with The Breakthrough. She enjoyed tremendous success with her 1st single "Be Without You". "Darkchild" blessed her with my favorite track, "Enough Cryin'" and my other favorites included "I Found My Everything", "Take Me As I Am", "No One Will Do" and "Father In You". Mary's record company got a little greedy with Reflections - A Retrospective. The CD started off with 4 new tracks which included the single "We Ride", the title track and "King & Queen" w/John Legend. Then Geffen tried to conduct a greatest hits CD with the rest of the CD which was a mere 11 tracks, with 2 of the tracks being songs that were never on her CDs but were quality collaborations with the remix to Method Man's "All I Need", that was featured on "Tical" and "911" w/Wyclef Jean.
  
  "Growing Pains" was released on December 18th, 2007. The CD starts off with the uptempo "Work That". Mary makes an uplifting anthem for the ladies that tells them to be happy with themselves and not to live everyday trying to please other people. Do your best to work with the best attributes that you have. Ludacris appears on "Grown Woman" to return the favor for Mary J. appearing on the track "Runaway Love" that was featured on Ludacris' last release "Release Therapy". In my opinion, "Grown Woman" is basically a continuation of "Work That". You have to come to a point in your life where you are happy with yourself as a woman, mentally and physically. Mary J. has struggled with that fact for many years in her life and she is trying to be a positive example for ladies, young and old around the world. Luda does a decent job with his verse but he is trying to talk about some things that could be done with this woman instead of adding to the positivity that Mary is trying to bring to the track, with a touch of attitude. "Just Fine" is basically Growing Pains' "Family Affair". It doesn't matter how the week at work was or what trials and tribulations that you went through during the course of the week, it's Friday night and this beat comes on, go out and have a good time or just do the infamous 2 step like I do. "Just Fine" is a nice, uptempo feel good jam. "Feel Like A Woman" has Mary talking to her man about making her feel appreciated as a woman. Whether it's a shopping trip, making love to her through the night or just making a nice gesture, tonight she just wants to feel like a woman. The slow jam man, Bryan Michael Cox shows up to produce "Stay Down", which is a thoughtful slow jam. In every relationship, you are going to have ups and downs. No relationship is perfect. The relationship is enduring one of those down times and Mary is asking her man to try to keep putting up with these down times so that they can receive the greater award at the end. "Hurt Again" has Mary describing a situation where she is starting to have feelings for someone but she is hesitant in letting him know that because of all the times that she has been hurt in the past. "Shake Down" is tolerable but when you see Usher and Mary J. Blige on a track, you have huge expectations. Just like when you saw Usher and Alicia Keys on the track "My Boo", you expect the artists to make the collaboration memorable. On "Shake Down", it's decent but nothing that you would expect when you have Mary and Usher on the same track. Pharrell does his best to try to take you back to the 80s on "Til The Morning", but for the most part, unless you want to grab some old fashioned roller skates and go to the skating rink, this song won't work for most Mary J. Blige fans. On "Roses", Mary has to get a point across to her man that she is fed up with all of the confrontations with her man and today she is not having it for any reason. I can definitely relate to this track. Men: You're in a no win situation when this day comes so let her vent and this type of day will go by faster and be much easier for you to handle...lol
  
  Clearly, my favorite track on "Growing Pains" is "Fade Away". Stargate, who has produced multilple Ne-Yo songs, Joe's "It's Me", Chris Brown's "With You", Rihanna & Ne-Yo's "Hate That I Love You", Trey Songz' "Can't Help But Wait" and most importantly to some people, Beyonce's "Irreplaceable", produce this memorable Mary J. track in "Fade Away". Ne-Yo co-produces and writes the track as well. Mary finds herself at times, because of all of her troubles not even wanting to be here on Earth. That's how bad times have gotten for her in the past. Although, her life is definitely much better than those times, she may still have moments where she feels like she did before irregardless of her success because of her past transgressions. Ne-Yo does an excellent job of reaching back so to speak in times in Mary's past to capture these moments. Here's the bridge: "Couldn't look myself in the mirror, asking myself how dumb could you be." "Maybe everything would be much clearer, if no one could see me". Mary's times in the past were so bad she didn't even want to me amongst the living at times. There were times when she just want to take herself out of this world and not even be here anymore. That's where I feel the "....invinsibility would be great" part comes from on the track. "What Love Is" is another memorable Mary, Stargate and Ne-Yo collaboration as Mary writes her rendition of what she feels the four letter word means just like Alicia Keys did on "The Thing About Love" from her "As I Am" CD. The effects at the end of the track add to the track as well. "Work In Progress" (Growing Pains) is also written by Ne-Yo as Mary walks you through how she is getting through life day by day the best she can. She is clearly trying her best, but she also wants to let women in the world know that she is just as human as they are despite her success. "Talk To Me" deals with Mary wanting to receive better communication from her man and the benefits of effective communication in a relationship. "If You Love Me" is a decent track but it sounds too much like "Be Without You" Part 2 to me. "Smoke" is clearly unlike any Mary J. Blige track that I have ever heard. This track seems to be a part of Mary J.'s musical maturity. You never would have heard Mary on a track like this in the What's The 411 and My Life days. As a matter of fact, she would have had a profanity laced tirade ready for Puffy if he even tried to bring her a track like this. In the end, it clearly works for me and it's nice to see Mary trying different things. "Come To Me (Peace)" ends "Growing Pains" on a good note as she is trying to win over the affection of a lost love from the past.
  
  Overall, "Growing Pains" may not be Mary J. Blige's best CD, but if you look at her career since 1992's "What's The 411" to now, you see alot of progression in her music and lyrics in 2007. Not only do you see a growth process with Mary as a 37 year old woman but you also hear the growth process through her lyrics and her production. If you are a fan of the majority of Mary J's releases, then you should also add "Growing Pains" to your collection.
  
  James' Top 5
  
  1) Fade Away
  2) What Love Is
  3) Stay Down
  4) Smoke
  5) Work In Progress (Growing Pains)
  
  Honorable Mention:
  
  Hurt Again
  Roses
  Come To Me (Peace)
  Work That
  Just Fine
  
  
  
  
• A Christmas Surprise - One great R&B release for the end of 2007
  By A3T5ES5LR4DIVM on 2007-12-18
  Just got my digital copy of "Growing Pains" and, after listening to it twice, I can tell that what might be one of the best Christmas music releases this year is, ironically, not a Christmas album. What might be one of the best R&B records of 2007 is being released just a little before the year ends. This time, the best was saved for last. And wisely saved.
  
  "Growing Pains" is a nice album by Mary J. Blige. Sometimes she reminds me of Whitney Houston's way of singing, although MJB has her very own style and personality: she's confident and far away from being a total lovesick, although sometimes she succumbs, and when she does, it happens in a very strong way. With "Growing Pains" she's a bit of both things - cool and touchy. If this record was to be released in vinyl version, the "A" side could be called "The Cool" and the "B" side could be named "The Touchy". This record is a step ahead of "The Breakthrough", musically and lyrically speaking.
  
  The Cool Side:
  
  "Work That", "Grown Woman", "Just Fine" and "Feel Like a Woman" show in the lyrics and in the melodies a lot of what I called her self assurance and firm attitude. "Roses", which despite of the song title, is not a love song, but a tune that surprises everyone for its rage on the inside, making it clear that, in that troubled relationship, it has now to be "her way".
  
  The Touchy Side:
  
  "Stay Down" is a joyful ballad that really puts the listener to relax. "Shake Down" featuring Usher is a subtle invitation to love-making. "Till The Morning" is a happy and stimulating passage with nice words. "What Love Is" doesn't really define what love is on its lyrics (she sings something like: it can be joy/it can be rain/it can be sunshine/it can be pain/it's an excuse to day/it's a reason to live - that's what love is), "If You Love Me" is an attitude-demanding song, "Hurt Again", "Fade Away", "Work in Progress" and "Smoke" seem to be related to personal struggles and finally "Talk to Me" and "Come to Me", as both titles suggest, are about reconciliations.
  
  All in all, this is a great piece of music that only MJB could deliver. Enjoy yourself with this.
  
  
• Mary Keeps Evolving!
  By A1KVU7KDAWMVMP on 2007-12-18
  Just when one thinks she's reached her peak, Mary shows that she still has more climbing to do! Unlike many artists that have to reinvent themselves to stay on top. Mary doesn't do that . She has grown so much and evolved into perhaps the most inspiring performer our generation has seen. By far my favorite song is 'talk to me'. As a man I really felt those lyrics and the strength in her voice. It made me wanna pick up the phone and talk to some damn body! This has to be the most solid album of the year by far. This is a must have CD.
  
  
• The Growth within the Growing pains
  By A2EU0YOC0POMXI on 2007-12-18
  Growing Pains is the eighth studio album from the everyones favorite underdog and peoples champ! Mary J Blige. The Queen of hip hop Soul manages to make an album that treads new ground, yet sticking to the very familiar path that fans, stans and haters alike have come to know, love and hate. The 16 track offering is as honest as a My Life but without the pain, No shes no longer hurting, Yes she still experiences downs, but this time around she doesn't force either extreme like she has in the past on less successful releases (Love and Life anyone?) This outing shes being true to not only her fans but most of all herself.
  
  The album opens up on a perfect note with the upbeat/inspirational second single "Work That" co-produced by Sean Garrett and Theron Feemster. The song is IMMEDIATELY followed by the head-nod inducing track "Grown Woman", which marks Marys best club ready, trunk blasting track since the 2001 infectious number 1 hit "Family Affair". Tracks segue into each other beautifully and without hesitation, grabbing the attention of your ears and keeping it until the very last track, which happens to be one of the best on the album. "Come To Me (Peace)" is arguably the apex of the album, showcasing a synth-heavy sound that's not typical of Mary's yet still familiar, relatable and experienced enough to be VERY MARY, much like the song that precedes it, the piano and string filled smoke "Smoke".
  
  With Lyrics like "Holding on isn't healthy, but its killing me to let go/ Trying to stare at your picture but i cant see it not for all the smoke" and Production/writing from heavy hitters like Brian Michael Cox, Neyo, Tricky Strewart, The Dream, and Stargate, it only proves that Mary can still relate to those going through it, because at times she still is too. Proving that shes still human and, contrary to popular belief, Kendu is not God and flubs up from time to time like anyone else. Songs like smoke and the personal favorite "Roses" only adds to the conviction of the albums push for positivity and love, or at least the up and down personal journey to that.
  
  Like any album there are some weaker moments (not necessarily ineffective tho) within the album. The unbalanced "Shake Down" features Usher and comes off as a teaching lesson from Mary to the R&B crooner more so than anything else it was intended. A more logical and worthy opponent like Jaheim would have been a perfect counterpart for the maturity and polished honesty, in Mary's voice, that even with 45623345245645 million records sold later Usher still lacks. The weak moments are forgivable and completely overshadowed with gems and overall FUN tracks like the throwback sounding "Till the Morning". Produced by the Neptunes, this track takes Mary to an era where she would have fit in perfectly and solidifies the overall 1970s cohesion that this album gives, from the Michael Jackson inspired first single "Just Fine", to the cover shot, to the Wilona Woods inspired hair. Now is it just me or Would a remake of the CLASSIC 1970 track "Sparkle" By the QUEEN OF SOUL herself Aretha Franklin been more than suiting for this album?
  
  This album comes at a perfect time in Marys career, unlike past albums that weren't as appreciated as they should have been due to bad timing. 2003's Love and Life, which came 10 years too late, or one of Marys best, 99's Mary, which came out about 5 years too early for many to appreciate the growth, musicianship, and over all genius of that album. Not an overnight icon, A 15 year spanning career has groomed, trained and polished our coal turned diamond Queen of HipHop Soul and she continues to shine. Mary takes us to a familiar destination with a alternate route filled with beautiful scenery and new surroundings and shows us that Growing Pains is easily one of the best R&B albums since...well..The Breakthrough
  
  
• Another Great Mary J. Blige Album
  By A1QEWOSV05RYEO on 2007-12-19
  Let me preface this review by saying that no true Mary J. Blige fan expected Blige to return with an album that was as classic as 2005's brilliant THE BREAKTHROUGH. Blige even commented that she wasn't concerned about outdoing the success of that milestone in her career. While the exceptional GROWING PAINS doesn't trump THE BREAKTHROUGH, it is another solid album in MJB's career. With that said, Blige does experiment more on GROWING PAINS that she has on previous albums which gives all fans a taste of what the future may hold for Blige. It is a well balanced mixed of adult contemporary styled R&B, hip-hop, and urban contemporary music.
  
  The album starts off on the right foot with "Work That", which is honestly the best of the two singles released from GROWING PAINS as of yet. The production isn't far removed from NO MORE DRAMA's "Family Affair" and proves to be a welcome addition to Mary's collection. "Grown Woman" is one of the big surprises of GROWING PAINS in which Blige channels her hip-hop soul roots for a banger that will surely crossover to R&B purists as well as hip-hop savvy listeners. Ludacris's guest verse is sound here, but Mary J. Blige makes sure that all eyes are on her as she shed's through this albums "Enough Cryin'". The difference? Harder drums and a more spunky vocal performance from MJB.
  
  "Just Fine" follows and keeps the momentum moving forward. When I first heard this track, I was actually a bit disappointed. It took time for it to grow on me and when it did, it was hott!!! Again, "Work That" is still the best. "Feel Like a Woman", "Stay Down", and "Hurt Now" are all strong. "Shakedown" features Usher and while it isn't Usher's best collaboration (that would be "Same Girl"), it is enjoyable. "Til Morning" is this albums "Gonna Breakthrough" or "You Can't Hide From Luv" - it's nearly perfect. "Roses" and "Fade Away" are solid, but not as exciting as the earlier tracks or the phenomenal "What Love Is", "Work in Progress (Growing Pains)", or neo-soul inflected "Talk To Me" with its six feel groove. "If You Love Me", "Smoke", and "Come To Me (Peace)" are solid, though they aren't the best of the best of GROWING PAINS. Notably, "Come To Me" does features innovative production work combining the best of the adult-alternative pop with R&B/Hip-hop synths.
  
  All quibbles aside, GROWING PAINS is destined to be another critical and commercial hit for MJB. It may not match THE BREAKTHROUGH, but who cares. Mary has been representing since circa 1990 and each and every album has been incredibly consistent - she can sing her butt off! Even LOVE & LIFE, weaker than her other efforts, was a shining moment because MJB can make bad material sound better than what it is and that is a gift. 4 stars Mary - Keep working that!!!
  
  
• More love and heartbreak from R&B's Erica Kane
  By A2XPRLCZUORD1Y on 2007-12-22
  For Mary J. Blige, even her drama has drama. She's made her career as pop's rough-around-the-edges diva not only by airing her dirty emotional laundry but also by presenting each album as an episode in an ever-twisting soap opera: New romances, heartbreaking setbacks, teary vows to persevere and more new romances. That's why it's hard to believe her when, in the Quiet Storm of "Stay Down," she pledges, "The drama will not last forever." She's promised as much before, and on her eighth album, she's still thriving on turbulence; her most common protagonist is the heart-scorched but indomitable love survivor.
  
  There are signs of contentment. On the title track, Blige swears perfect equanimity; admiring her fine self in the mirror over a bouncy, girls'-night-out synth beat, she declares, "I wouldn't change my life, my life's just fine." The other shoe drops on cue once a man enters the picture, and the songs waffle between down-tempo affirmations ("I promise never to get hurt again") and tempestuous run-ins with the bums who disappoint her. Her voice has grown more confidently fleshy with every album, and on "Roses" and "Nowhere Fast," two slithery, you-crossed-the-line tracks produced by "Tricky" Stewart (of "Umbrella" fame), she is both a seductive pillow-talker and such a fury that hell hath no other. Still, as the angrier tracks pile up, they start to sound like incomplete excerpts from a script--we get her exasperation and demands in abundance, but her man's crimes are never clear.
  
  This is a story that can go on forever, and much of the CD feels as though it could have been made anytime in the last 15 years, from Blige's reliance on relationship platitudes ("Feels like sunshine/Feels like rain") to the whiffs of Dangerous-era Michael Jackson--her most fruitful collaborations here are with Usher, Ne-Yo and producer team Stargate, all unapologetic Michael worshipers. It's an implicit recognition that in love there's really nothing new, just flirting and fights and make-up sex.
  
  
• Wow... Just WOW!
  By ACMAVHGOYSSR4 on 2007-12-25
  Ok, I admit that I'm biased. I've been a Mary fan from Day One and I don't think she'll ever disappoint. I wasn't even that mad at Love & Life. One of the reasons I love MJB is that she continuously reinvents herself. And yet again, another Mary that we've never seen. She's so classy! I love the new look.
  
  But this here, Growing Pains... what a piece of ART. It's beautiful! Not a single misstep on the whole album. 10 stars if I could. I can't stop listening to it...
  
  Songs I absolutely love: Work That, Just Fine, Hurt Again, Til the Morning, Roses, Fade Away, Work in Progress
  
  
• A Great CD for the Mary J. Blige Fan.
  By A34TFZ48B3UMAO on 2007-12-25
  A Great CD for the Mary fan. Some reviews are not favorable. I don't understand the negativity. Each track has a message of hope, courage, strength, individuality or acceptance. If you want shallow music where the lyrics don't mean anything then Mary is not for you. But if you want a great baseline with heartfelt lyrics then you will listen to this CD over and over.
  
  From 411 to Growing Pains, Mary is for real. She is still finding her way but delivering the goods to her fans. She's for real for real.
  
  
• good cd to get you motivated
  By A4622J2IA15MN on 2008-01-03
  i like this cd. it's upbeat and real. it gets me motivated about ME. i think women around mary's age will appreciate the lyrics and the realness. i love her photos on the cd cover. mary seems to be living well and it's reflected in her work.
  
  
• A Grown Woman
  By A3SV72ZAHH2IDH on 2007-12-19
  Mary J Blige has been around for long, she already debuted in 1992 with What's the 411? a grounbreaking album that perfectly combinated Hip Hop and Soul and would become her trademark sound, her sophmore album My Life that was almost entirely produced by Diddy perfected that sound and was arguably the better of the two. Mary had a rough childhood and she always pay tribute to her past with personal lyrics full of emotion and pain that alot of women in particular in simular situations could relate too. She's street smart but beautiful, emotional but confident and although Mary's music changed alot through the years, she always feel like her old self. Even when she married a few years ago, she kept it simple in a private ceremony without hollywood friends. Just like I said, her recent music have been less Hip Hop and more Soul sometimes with a very flashy production, she also became more of a stylish dressed diva then the girl from the block with baggy clothes. But, afterall that isn't too strange cause she's in a diffrent phase of life now then she was when she was 20 and we find her lyrics dealing with things that concern her everyday life more then the rough things she's been through in the past. But Mary's evolution as an artist only get positive feedback from my part, whatever she does she's always her old self.
  
  Two years ago she released The Breakthrough which was a massive success and completely overshadowed her previous two albums that had been rather bad. Infact "Breakthrough" was one of the best albums of 2005 and now two years later you may ask yourself the question, is it possible to come up with an album that is equally strong?. I say yes, after listening through her new album "Growing Pains" she gives further proof that her career is on solid ground and whatever phase of life she's in her music is always sincere, touching and full of emotional. This album comes closer into pop territory on several songs though, but she also stay faithful to her past with both Soul, Ballads and Hip Hop. The first side of the album seems to be more songs for the radio while the other side is more ballads and soul.
  
  First song is "Work That", her second single which is a very catchy midtempo and produced by Neff-U. The song is dedicated to all the girls with bad self esteem and Mary exlains that they're pretty if they believe in themselves and don't listen to haters. "Read the book of my life
  And see I've overcome it/ Just because the length of your hair ain't long
  /And they often criticize you for your skin tone/Wanna hold your head high
  Cause you're a pretty woman". One of the best songs. On "Grown Women" Ludacris returns the favour after the previous duet "Runaway Love", this song is very Hip Hopish and sound alot like her early beginnings. Here she makes all the men aware of that she's an grown woman full of confidence and style...something that it takes time to gain and something that would make Wesley Snipes petrified. First single "Just Fine" is another strong number, and it is about taking life as it is and act like everything is just fine even when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed. It was produced by Tricky Stewart co written by the Dream that both got a big part in this album. "Feel Like A Women" one of many songs co-written by the Dream and produced by Neff-U. It's simular to "Natural Women" about feeling apreciated in a relationship. The Bryan Michael Cox ballad "Stay Down" is one of the best about sticking together through good and bad times in a relationship. Yeah, that's what marriage is all about. Dre & Vidal's "Hurt Again" got this very smooth Quiet Storm touch and it's basically about a woman who's been through alot of pain not wanting to be hurt again. "Shake Down" with Usher (Produced by Tricky and Jazze Pha) is a welcome addition and nice to see the two in a duet. I can see it become a single. Neptunes "Til The Morning" sound like disco from 1977 and Mary start by saying "we gonna take you way back". It's cool but it doesn't sound like Neptunes at all.
  
  More from Tricky/Dream on "Roses" which is also a midtempo pop/R&B song. She said that a relationship is all but roses and sometimes she just need to be left alone, othertimes just a hug. One of many songs about the married life. The next two songs comes from Stargate and co-written by Ne-Yo but only the second is a ballad, while the first "Fade Away" is more like 80's pop. It's a very emotional song about the tough parts of life, She wish she could be invisible during those times, while "What Love Is" a classic ballad. Ne-Yo writes the nest song "Work In Progress" but it ends up on the flipside of the ballad material and is rather forgetable. Eric Hudson produced "Talk To Me" a ballad in 70s style is followed by Cox produced "If You Love Me" another relationship ballad before Ne-Yo comes back on "Smoke" which is considerably better then many other ballads here, about missing her man when he's gone. Closer is called "Come to Me" and is also from Tricky, another ballad. The album had 16 songs but a few ballads in the end could have been left out in my opinion.
  
  Overall, She's been through alot of tough things in life but instead of looking back she looks forward and she makes the best of her experiences to become a better and stronger woman. Mary always pay tribute to her past but this album is mostly about her present life as a married woman and all the things that it means. The album could have been a little shorter but just like her last album this one is also very strong with plenty of hit potential, stong personal lyrics, emotion and joy. If You're a Mary fan you should defenitely take a look at this album. It won't make you dissapointed.
  
  
• Trendsetter
  By A1UP9TLKX9957I on 2007-12-19
  Ever since Mary came on to the scene with her groundbreaking hiphopsoul disc "What's the 411?", people have tried to categorize her by comparing her style with other artists. After each album dropped, people were quick to say the new artist on the scene had a style that was similar to Mary J. Blige(Faith Evans, Ashanti, Amerie, Keisha Cole, etc.)However, with every new Mary album the new girl on the scene becomes yesterday's news; because, Mary continues to show growth on each album, separating herself from the so-called competition . And with her new album, "Growing Pains", she doesn't dissapoint in showing why she is the trendsetting Queen of Hip Hop Soul. I LOVE THIS ALBUM!!!
  
  
• wow
  By A1EWIP3X4CTIFW on 2007-12-19
  This album is amazing. I don't think this woman is able to fail. She continues to document her journey through her lyrics, and this album is the next step in her powerful progression.
  
  
• Mary J. Has Done It Again! 4.5 stars!
  By A2X28NTPMHWRN4 on 2007-12-19
  I must say that this is a Great record. The flow of quality songs are consistent. The Lyrical content is very clever on most of the songs and the tracks are extremely well produced. Mary lives up to her title, "The Queen Of Hip Hop." The Top 5 Songs that I continuosly put on repeat are:
  1. Roses
  2.Work That
  3. Fade A Way
  4. Grown Woman
  5. Smoke
  Ms. Blige, Job well Done!
  
  
• MJB the MVP
  By AIW5KNFD2114D on 2007-12-20
  MJB is a force to be reckoned with. She comes out with amazing CD after amazing CD. How does she do it?!?! She knows what her audience likes and why fix something that is not broken. She delivers and does it with 110% on `Growing Pains'.
  As with everything thing May J. Blige does she puts every ounce of emotion and rawness into every song on this set. Every song on here is a stand out that it's hard to single out any song. There is everything from classic slow Mary jams to the upbeat dance tracks to songs with a rock twinge fused into them.
  
  My favorites on here include:
  "Work That" which has a great beat to it and promotes a good motto - to be yourself!
  "Roses" is THE cut!! WOW! Great melody, great lyrics and amazing vocals!
  "Work In Progress (Growing Pains" is a song that we can all relate to. Very good
  
  I think the biggest appeal of MJB is that she is very relatable. She sings from the heart and it feels like every song was written for us; the listeners. She is your neighbor, your friend, your sister. Mary deserves every bit of success she gets and this CD is living proof of that! Amazing!!
  
  ~~~JAC 07'
  
  
  
• "Emotional Rollercoaster" a more fitting title!
  By A347KH6SP9ZM71 on 2007-12-21
  This album is a "MUST" buy for those who r true lover's of music because this album has a good vibe str8 through, especially the digital album on "i-tunes" which has 19 tracks versus the 16 track version in stores. To me this album is a combination of "what's the 411", "My Life", "Share My World", & "The Breakthrough", which all involve into "Growing Pains"
  Stand out tracks:
  1. If You Love Me?
  2. Roses
  3. Stay Down
  4. Smoke
  5. Fade Away
  6. Come To Me(Peace)-which has a lot of crossover appeal!
  7. Til' The Morning-nice ol' school favor plus nice club bangger!
  8. Hello It's Me (bonus track)-nice re-make
  9. Nowhere Fast (bonus track) feat. Brooklynn
  
  

• As I Am
• Just Like You
• The Makings of a Man
• E=MC2
• The Real Thing: Words And Sounds Vol. 3