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Growing Pains (Mary J. Blige album)

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Growing Pains is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. An R&B album that was released on December 18, 2007, by Geffen Records, it debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 629,000 copies in its first week, and reached number one in January 2008. Growing Pains was ranked number 29 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007 and was eventually certified Platinum by RIAA.[1][2]

Growing Pains
Studio album by
Mary J. Blige
ReleasedDecember 18, 2007
Recorded2006–2007
GenreR&B
Length64:53
LabelGeffen
Producer
Mary J. Blige chronology
The Breakthrough
(2005) 		Growing Pains
(2007) 		Stronger with Each Tear
(2009)
Singles from Growing Pains
  1. "Just Fine"
    Released: October 16, 2007
  2. "Work That"
    Released: December 18, 2007
  3. "Stay Down"
    Released: March 18, 2008

"Work That" was released as the second single on December 18, 2007, and managed to peak inside the top 20 of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number 65 in the Billboard Hot 100. The third official single, "Stay Down" reached the top 40 R&B charts, and was chosen in favor of "Hurt Again", which was originally the third single, but eventually was only a radio single by receiving airplay in Spring 2008. Growing Pains was awarded the Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 51st Grammy Awards in February 2009.[3]

Background

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In an interview for Blues & Soul, Blige explained the significance of the album's title, stating:

I started writing the record right after that whole gigantic day I had at the Grammies last year. So it was important to me to get across to my fans that whole feeling I was going through of 'How do I sustain this breakthrough? How do I continue to remind myself I'm in a better place?'... And the only way to continue to stay in that place is to GROW! I believe the majority of people out there, if something uncomfortable is going on in their lives, are forced to either go back to where they were, or to GROW – and that that tension is called PAIN. So the light, happy songs on the album are celebrating my growth. While the less poppy, darker tracks represent the places I'm forced to grow out of. So in that way the title represents the growth, as well as the understanding that – in order for anything to develop – it has to have some kinda tension behind it.[4]

— Mary J. Blige

Singles

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"Just Fine" was released as the album's lead single on October 2, 2007. It was the only single from the album which was released in multiple formats. The song peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 3 on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In the UK, the song performed well, peaking at number 16 on the official chart. "Work That" was released as the album's second single on December 18, 2007. The single charted from digital downloads when the album was released, and eventually peaked at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100, but did become a top 20 hit on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The song "Hurt Again" was intended to be released as the official third single from Growing Pains, but at the last minute was changed in the favor of "Stay Down". Between the loss of momentum from the album's first and second single and lack of promotion for the single, "Stay Down" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; it peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic77/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [6]
The A.V. ClubB+[7]
The Guardian     [8]
The Independent     [9]
MSN Music (Consumer Guide)A−[10]
NME     [11]
PopMatters8/10[12]
Rolling Stone     [13]
Slant Magazine     [14]
USA Today    [15]

Growing Pains received positive reviews from most music critics.[16] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77, based on 17 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[16] Allmusic editor Marisa Brown gave it four out of five stars and called it "a mature, polished, and utterly professional set of well-crafted songs", noting that "the album takes an even greater step toward pop".[6] Alex Macpherson of The Guardian complimented its themes of Blige's "past and present", while citing the track "Roses" as "one of the best songs of her career".[8] NME commented that it "finds Blige on chirpier form".[11] Michael Arceneaux of PopMatters complimented Blige's "cheerful demeanor" on the album and called it "a good addition to the Mary J. Blige catalogue".[12] USA Today's Edna Gundersen wrote that "Her vulnerability and vocal prowess are undeniable, and resistance melts away as her voice [...] commands and communicates with startling clarity".[15] Steven Hyden of The A.V. Club commended Blige for "reaching beyond the relative stability of her personal life and playing up the vulnerable everywoman persona that's long resonated with her female fanbase".[7] BBC Online's Talia Kraines commended Blige for "keeping it real" and complimented her "empowering emotion".[17]

However, Andy Gill of The Independent commented that "it's hard to tell whether the whiplash snares and crisp handclap grooves [...] are suited to [Blige's] needs here" and criticized "Blige's capitulation to R&B cliché, with all women downtrodden and all men culpable, and a corrosively bling-driven worldview".[9] Slant Magazine's Eric Henderson called the album an "overstuffed collection of affirmations, self-definitions, and keepin'-it-real-isms" and wrote that "what's both most compelling and most limiting about Blige's Growing Pains: She keeps her most salable characteristic, her emotiveness, under duress, which provides tension but no release".[14] Alfred Soto of The Village Voice noted "no more drama, but plenty of (occasionally excellent) melodrama", adding that "as her acting chops diminish, her command over plush, slightly jagged Contempo r&b improves".[18] Writing for Rolling Stone, critic Robert Christgau commented that "the tone of her confessions has changed with her music", stating "Growing Pains is an edgier record than The Breakthrough, but Blige has definitely lost or just outgrown the brassy urgency of her twenties".[13] In his consumer guide for MSN Music, Christgau described the album as "an expensive, honorable, credible sampler of the hottest current R&B brands", and gave it an A− rating.[10]

Accolades

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In 2008, at the 50th Grammy Awards, "Just Fine" was nominated in the 'Best Female R&B Vocal Performance' category, losing the award to Alicia Keys' "No One". At the 2009 51st Grammy Awards it was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album and Just Fine was nominated for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical. The album won Best Contemporary R&B Album.[3]

Commercial performance

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Growing Pains sold 629,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart,[19] and number one on the R&B chart. In its second week the album climbed to number one on the Billboard 200 with 204,000 copies sold.[20] By December 2009 the album sold 1.6 million copies in the US.[21]

In the UK, the album entered the charts at number 6, making it her highest-charting album there since No More Drama in 2001 with first week sales of 21,755. In Germany, the album was her worst one charting, peaking number 48 and staying on the German Albums Chart for only 3 weeks.[22] As of March 27, 2010, the album had sold over 81,681 copies in the UK.[23]

Track listing

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Growing Pains – standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Work That"
  • Feemster
  • Garrett[A]
3:30
2."Grown Woman" (featuring Ludacris)
  • Dejion
4:05
3."Just Fine"
4:02
4."Feel Like a Woman"
  • Blige
  • Feemster
  • Nash
  • Feemster
4:02
5."Stay Down"
  • Cox
4:22
6."Hurt Again"
4:07
7."Shake Down" (featuring Usher)
  • Blige
  • Nash
  • Stewart
  • Alexander
  • Stewart
  • Pha
  • Harrell[B]
3:36
8."Till the Morning"Pharrell WilliamsThe Neptunes4:17
9."Roses"
  • Blige
  • Nash
  • Stewart
  • Stewart
  • Harrell[B]
4:35
10."Fade Away"
4:15
11."What Love Is"
  • Blige
  • Smith
  • Eriksen
  • Hermansen
  • Stargate
  • Ne-Yo[A]
4:03
12."Work in Progress (Growing Pains)"
4:00
13."Talk to Me"
  • Hudson
4:09
14."If You Love Me?"
  • Blige
  • Austin
  • Cox
  • Cox
3:39
15."Smoke"
3:10
16."Come to Me (Peace)"
  • Blige
  • Nash
  • Harrell
  • Stewart
  • Stewart
  • Harrell[B]
5:01
Total length:64:53
Growing Pains – UK[24] and Japanese editions[25]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
9."Nowhere Fast" (bonus track)
  • Blige
  • Nash
  • Stewart
  • Alexander
  • Stewart
  • Pha
  • Harrell[B]
3:46
10."Roses"
  • Blige
  • Nash
  • Stewart
  • Stewart
  • Harrell[B]
4:35
11."Fade Away"
  • Blige
  • Ne-Yo
  • Eriksen
  • Hermansen
  • Stargate
  • Ne-Yo[A]
4:15
12."What Love Is"
  • Blige
  • Smith
  • Eriksen
  • Hermansen
  • Stargate
  • Ne-Yo[A]
4:03
13."Work in Progress (Growing Pains)"
  • Smith
  • Harmony
  • Harmony
  • Ne-Yo[A]
4:00
14."Talk to Me"
  • Blige
  • Austin
  • Hudson
  • Wright
  • White
  • Hudson
4:09
15."If You Love Me?"
  • Blige
  • Austin
  • Cox
  • Cox
3:39
16."Smoke"
  • Smith
  • Reggie Perry
  • Syience
  • Ne-Yo[A]
3:10
17."Come to Me (Peace)"
  • Blige
  • Nash
  • Harrell
  • Stewart
  • Stewart
  • Harrell[B]
5:01
18."Hello It's Me" (bonus track)Todd RundgrenMark Ronson4:07
19."Mirror" (featuring Eve; bonus track)
  • Stewart
  • Harrell[B]
3:54
Total length:76:34
Growing Pains – Japanese bonus track[25]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
20."Sleep Walkin'"
  • Blige
  • Stewart
  • Stewart
  • Harrell[B]
4:24
Total length:80:58
iTunes edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
17."Nowhere Fast" (featuring Brook Lynn)
  • Blige
  • Nash
  • Stewart
  • Alexander
  • Stewart
  • Pha
  • Harrell[B]
3:46
18."Hello It's Me"Todd RundgrenMark Ronson4:07
19."Mirror" (featuring Eve)
  • Stewart
  • Harrell[B]
3:54
20."Just Fine" (remix; featuring Lil Mama)
  • Blige
  • Nash
  • Stewart
  • Alexander
  • Stewart
  • Pha
  • Harrell[B]
 
iTunes UK edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
17."Nowhere Fast" (featuring Brook Lynn)
  • Blige
  • Nash
  • Stewart
  • Alexander
  • Stewart
  • Pha
  • Harrell[B]
3:46
18."Hello It's Me"Todd RundgrenMark Ronson4:07
19."Mirror" (featuring Eve)
  • Stewart
  • Harrell[B]
3:54
20."Just Fine" (Moto Blanco Vox Remix)
  • Blige
  • Nash
  • Stewart
  • Alexander
Moto Blanco3:46

Notes and sample credits

  • ^[A] denotes co-producer
  • ^[B] denotes vocal producer
  • "Talk to Me" contains a sample from "Key to My Heart", written by Robert Wright and Verdine White, and performed by the Emotions.

Personnel

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Credits for Growing Pains adapted from AllMusic.[26]

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for Growing Pains
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[49] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[2] Platinum 1,600,000[50]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Release history for Growing Pains
Region Date Format Label(s)
Canada November 9, 2007
  • Digital download
  • CD
  • DVD
United States December 18, 2007
United Kingdom February 4, 2008
Brazil February 15, 2008
Japan April 28, 2008

References

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  1. ^ Robert Christgau, David Fricke, Christian Hoard, Rob Sheffield (December 17, 2007). Growing Pains top the Billboard 200, charting at number 2. "The Top 50 Albums of 2007" Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 20, 2007
  2. ^ a b "American album certifications – Mary J. Blige – Growing Pains". Recording Industry Association of America. January 6, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Grammy 2009 Winners List". MTV. February 8, 2009. Archived from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
  4. ^ Pete Lewis Interviews Mary J. Blige, 'Blues & Soul' February 2008
  5. ^ "Growing Pains by Mary J. Blige Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. December 18, 2007. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  6. ^ a b Brown, Marisa (December 17, 2007). "Growing Pains - Mary J. Blige". Allmusic. Retrieved on April 17, 2011.
  7. ^ a b Hyden, Steven (December 18, 2007). "Mary J. Blige: Growing Pains". The A.V. Club. Retrieved on April 17, 2011.
  8. ^ a b Macpherson, Alex (January 25, 2008). "CD: Mary J Blige, Growing Pains". The Guardian. Retrieved on April 17, 2011.
  9. ^ a b Gill, Andy (February 1, 2008). "Album: Mary J Blige, Growing Pains (Geffen)". The Independent. Retrieved on April 17, 2011.
  10. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (February 2008). "Consumer Guide". MSN Music. Retrieved on December 30, 2012.
  11. ^ a b SW (February 1, 2008). "Mary J. Blige – Mary J Blige – Album Reviews – NME.COM". NME. Retrieved on April 17, 2011.
  12. ^ a b Arceneaux, Michael (December 18, 2007). "Mary J. Blige: Growing Pains". PopMatters. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (December 13, 2007). "Growing Pains". Rolling Stone. Retrieved on April 17, 2011.
  14. ^ a b Henderson, Eric (December 16, 2007). "Mary J. Blige: Growing Pains". Slant Magazine. Retrieved on April 17, 2011.
  15. ^ a b Gundersen, Edna (December 18, 2007). "Mary J. Blige goes to great 'Pains'". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Growing Pains Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved on April 17, 2011.
  17. ^ Kraines, Talia (February 6, 2008). "BBC - Music - Review of Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains". BBC Online. Retrieved on April 17, 2011.
  18. ^ Soto, Alfred (December 11, 2007). "Mary J. Blige's Growing Pains - Page 1 - Music - New York - Village Voice". The Village Voice. Retrieved on April 17, 2011.
  19. ^ Brandi Hopper, "Mary J. Blige Sells 629K On The Billboard 200, Jahiem & Lupe Fiasco Surprise" Archived December 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, sohh.com, December 27, 2007.
  20. ^ Katie Hasty, "Blige Topples Groban, Radiohead Debuts Early", Billboard.com, January 2, 2008.
  21. ^ Mitchell, Gail (December 12, 2009). "Strength of Character". Billboard. Vol. 121, no. 49. p. 19. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved July 26, 2023 – via Google Books.
  22. ^ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche - musicline.de". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
  23. ^ "Key Releases". Music Week. March 27, 2010. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  24. ^ "Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains (UK Edition)". discogs.com. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  25. ^ a b "Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains (Japanese Edition)". discogs.com. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  26. ^ Growing Pains - Mary J. Blige | AllMusic. Allmusic. Retrieved on April 17, 2011.
  27. ^ "Mary J. Blige ARIA Chart History complete to 2024". ARIA. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  28. ^ "ARIA Urban Album Chart - Week Commencing 9th June 2008" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (954): 19. June 9, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 26, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2023 – via Pandora Archive.
  29. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Mary J Blige – Growing Pains" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  30. ^ "Ultratop.be – Mary J Blige – Growing Pains" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  31. ^ "Ultratop.be – Mary J Blige – Growing Pains" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  32. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Mary J Blige – Growing Pains" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  33. ^ "Lescharts.com – Mary J Blige – Growing Pains". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  34. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Mary J Blige – Growing Pains" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  35. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Mary J Blige". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  36. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Mary J Blige – Growing Pains". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  37. ^ グロウイング・ペインズ | メアリー・J.ブライジ [Growing Pains | Mary J. Blige] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  38. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Mary J Blige – Growing Pains". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  39. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  40. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Mary J Blige – Growing Pains". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  41. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Mary J Blige – Growing Pains". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  42. ^ "Western Weekly Top 20, Week 5, 2008" (in Chinese). Five-Music. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  43. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  44. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  45. ^ "Mary J Blige Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  46. ^ "Mary J Blige Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  47. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  48. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  49. ^ "British album certifications – Mary J. Blige – Growing Pains". British Phonographic Industry. July 22, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  50. ^ Mitchell, Gail (December 12, 2009). "Strength of Character". Billboard. Vol. 121, no. 49. p. 19. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
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