Mary J. Blige - Stronger

Back in early June, Stronger lead single I’m the One polarized Booth readers and staff; while many appreciated the catchy club cut for what it was, a sizable portion rallied behind DJ Z, who called Mary J. Blige‘s use of Auto-Tune “completely unnecessary.”  The latter group had a point—if you need a reminder of how spectacular MJB’s vocals sound au naturel, look no further than the LP’s title track.  Leaked to the ‘net back in June but recently selected as single number two, the record finds MJB in full-on R&B ballad mode.  Over Hit-Boy‘s heartstring-tugging instrumental, which builds from mellow guitar strumming to a sweeping, string-driven chorus, the singer tells an impassioned tale of enduring love, adding to the emotional impact with some soaring vocal runs at the cut’s climax.  Is this a Stronger single selection than I’m the One? You be the judge—either way, fans are sure to find more to their liking on the singer’s new album, due out Nov. 24th.  This track will also be included on the soundtrack to LeBron James documentary More Than A Game, which arrives in record stores Sept. 22nd.