Spend an evening listening to Blige's slow-burn 1994 opus My Life followed by this smooth sequel, My Life II...The Journey Continues (Act 1), and the only thing you'll have to break your groove for is a bubble bath. Blige can still rip your heart out with a note (see the hurts-so-good ''Why''). But the lovelorn lyrics get same-y, and ''modern'' touches (like snoozy duets with Drake and Beyoncé) show a Blige who doesn't care much about the here and now — or maybe she's just saving that for Act 2. B-
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