Share My World

1997’s <i>Share My World</i> marks the first major shift in Mary J. Blige’s career. She had switched labels, moved beyond the personal problems that plagued (and fuelled) the recording of <i>My Life</i>, and come out from under the wing of Sean Combs, who had overseen her first two albums. <i>Share My World</i> features diverse contributions from some of the top minds of ‘90s R&B, and the album’s mood is considerably less downcast than <i>My Life</i>. The opening songs —“I Can Love You”, “Round and Round” and “Share My World”— rise above the pain of old relationships, and focus instead on perseverance and optimism. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis provide one of the album’s best tracks, “Everything”, a lush, hypnotic declaration of love. Despite Mary’s newfound optimism, her voice always provides undertones of sadness, even on the upbeat songs. Of course, that’s Blige’s great talent — she is too complex to portray human emotions in simple terms. The album’s closing song, “Not Goin’ Cry”, is a beautiful evocation of endurance that upholds strength without betraying a feeling of forlornness.