Mary J. Blige is gearing up for the release of her upcoming album My Life Too: The Journey Continues, the sequel to her 1994 release My Life. Speaking with MTV News, the Queen of Hip Hop/Soul explained that she’s “reaching in deep” for the LP, and that it serves as the brighter side to its dark companion.

“It’s called The Journey Continues because on the first My Life album, we all just were depressed and wanted to die,” she said. “This one, we want to live, and we understand with living, life still comes with challenges and triumphs and good times and bad times.”

Noting that there’s production from Swizz Beatz, MJB said there will be ballads, love songs, upbeat tunes, painful joints and workout anthems.

“This one is definitely what people are looking for from me, and I’m digging and I’m reaching in deep to give them what they need,” she continued. “I just wanna express again, not just my own, but just people’s lives around me and just celebrate it, but celebrate it in a way — not that we don’t have, ‘OK, sister, let me get you through this’ [songs or], ‘OK, here’s what I’m dealing with.’ […] And that’s basically what that record is about. But I want to get it right, so my fans can be happy.”

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