Last Thursday (April 16th) Mary J. Blige premiered her film The London Sessions at the Tribeca Film Festival, a showcase which was immediately followed by a live performance from the queen of hip hop soul herself. Presented at the ornate Beacon Theatre the evening unfolded in similar fashion to the premiere of last year's Nas documentary Time Is Illmatic – this movie-and-a-concert format is fast becoming a TFF tradition.
Directed by Sam Wrench, the 45-minute film black-and-white film chronicles the making of Mary's latest album, also titled 'The London Sessions', which was recorded over the course of two weeks at RAK Studios last year. Cameras follow the artist's every move as she chats with London cabbies, stops for fish and chips, collaborates in the studio with UK talents Sam Smith, Disclosure, Emeli Sandé and Naughty Boy, pops into a local nightclub to test out a new track, and finally performs the songs at the iTunes Festival in Camden.
Though the film – which was produced by Capitol Records and includes a few phone calls with boss Steve Barnett – may seem like a glorified EPK, what elevates the concept is simple the fact that we're talking about Mary J. Blige here. Not only is she one of the greatest vocalists alive but also one of the most guarded, emotionally vulnerable artists ever to set foot in a studio.
Like her music, the film focuses on Mary's emotional state as she speaks openly about her struggle with self-doubt and the perils of fame. "I was trying to kill myself, subliminally," she admits of her years of alcohol and drug abuse. Now that she's clean and sober, and married to Kendu Isaacs – who is also her manager – Mary speaks of conquering self-doubt and finding true peace by learning that "your faith has to be stronger than your fear."
During a moving conversation with Amy Winehouse's father Mitch – which happens to take place one day after the third anniversary of the singer's death – Mary does her best to hold back tears as she expresses how much Amy meant to her. It's unusual to see such an experienced vocalist be so moved by a younger artist.
Both singers have a similar vibe surrounding them: two talented tortured souls whose voices express the pain of love and loss and life under the microscope of showbiz. The big difference, of course, is that Mary survived long enough to clean up her life where Amy's trials and tribulations played out through in the press until the bitter end.
When it came to the performance Mary did not fail to bring it to the stage. From start to finish she had everyone in the room entranced by her aura. It's often the case where an artist with such a rich catalogue of hits that classic cuts over shadow the new stuff.
But the film made a perfect prelude to the fresh songs, and Mary made sure to intro each album cut with extended commentary, shedding light on what each particular song meant to her. Her opening track, 'Therapy', set the tone for the evening and it's safe to say that not a soul in the packed auditorium was unmoved by Mary's powerful performance, with songs like 'Whole Damn Year' and 'Doubt' bringing more than a few tears.
But the best was saved to last as Mary rocked the place with a combo of classics: 'No More Drama', 'One', and the Dr. Dre-produced club banger 'Family Affair' which saw her whirling around the stage in heels and whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Looks like a month in London was just the therapy she needed.
Words: Reshma B
www.reshmab.com
www.twitter.com/ReshmaB_RGAT
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