Strength of a Woman (2017)

 

Strength of a Woman is the thirteenth studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. It was released on April 28, 2017, by Capitol Records. A pre-divorce album with heavy adult contemporary trap sounds,^[3] Blige co-wrote most of the album with American musicians Brandon "B.A.M" Hodge and DJ Camper, while additional production was provided by BadBadNotGood, Bigg D, Hit-Boy, Kaytranada, Lamb, and Neff-U. Strength of a Woman's subject matter was inspired by her personal journey of marital struggle and heartache which culminated in her separation from her manager Kendu Isaacs in 2016.

The album was released to positive reception from music critics, who complimented its current but faintly retro production and Blige's emotionally transparent songwriting. Commercially, it became her first top three album on the US Billboard 200 since Stronger with Each Tear (2009) with opening sales of with 78,000 album-equivalent units. Internationally, it peaked at number three on the UK R&B Albums chart and reached number 22 in Canada. Earning Blige a number of accolades and nominations, Strength of a Woman won the singer the BET Her Award at the BET Awards 2018.

Strength of a Woman produced four singles, including "Thick of It" and "U + Me (Love Lesson), both of which peaked atop the US Adult R&B Songs chart, with the former spending a record-breaking 16 consecutive weeks at number-one. Two further singles, "Love Yourself" and "Set Me Free," were released in March and July 2017. In support of the album, Blige embarked on the Strength of a Woman Tour from April 2, 2017 to September 9, 2017. In 2022, she named the inaugural Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit, a three-day festival in Atlanta, in partnership with Live Nation Urban after the album.