Mary J. Blige rocks a stylish plaid suit for the September cover of InStyle magazine…”The Fashion Issue.”
“IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME!” the Grammy-winning singer writes on Instagram, sharing photos from her cover shoot. “This black woman finally got her first @instylemagazine cover and a spread.”
In other photos, 50-year-old Blige wears a tiger-print jumpsuit, a leather hooded jacket, and a golden three-piece Gucci set paired with a long cape.
During the interview, the Queen of hip-hop soul reveals that she keeps her phone close by her bed to write down any inspirational lyrics that come to mind, especially in the wee hours of the morning. Lately, Blige has taken inspiration from other R&B vocalists, including H.E.R., whom she says “has a phenomenal voice and is a great writer.”
Blige continues, “Jazmine Sullivan moves me, Ella Mai moves me, [and] Lucky Daye. So many dope artists out there are doing something great.”
As a veteran in the music industry, Blige bluntly advises younger artists, “Stay on your business. Know the state of your money. Get life insurance. Get all kinds of insurance.”
Along with preparing new music, Blige says she’s finally embracing her single status after divorcing her husband of 13 years in 2018.
“Divorce, that took a load off. The day that I began to lighten up is the day my skin began to brighten, my eyes began to brighten,” she says. “Now I keep beautiful people around me. I’m single, without a kid, and I’m having a good time. I’m doing the most.”
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