Why would I spend the rest of this week so bitter

And welcome to the New York Times podcast.

You're struggling and curious expatriate of music, news and criticism.

I am your host, John Caramonica.

When I can go. I am your host John Cara Monica.

When I can go therapy,

when I can go there a be two times a day. a day. I don't want to be around me.

And I don't blame you if you're blocking you know my call. you have just been listening to therapy coming out of your therapy.

That is Mary Gay Blige from her new album which is called London Sessions, which sounds like a record that should

come out in 1968.

Yes.

Yeah.

And we have Ben Ratliff here.

Hi, Ben.

Ben did not go to London, but he did listen to the London sessions and write about it in

this Sunday's Arts and Leisure section.

Before we get into why Mary is undergoing this, I wouldn't say a radical makeover, but a bit of a makeover on this album.

Let's talk about, as you talk about, the Mary J. Blige Enterprise.

What is the Mary J. Blige Enterprise at this moment in time?

Well it's like there's her music and then there's her story.

The plot, her representation as a persona as it moves through time.

It's all, you know, we've gone through many stages

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