Mary J. Blige Comes To Foxwoods

Mary J. Blige’s “My Life” came out in 1994. Part of her appeal, when she came on the scene, was the sense that she was mature; that, even then, when she was in her 20s, she’d already weathered some of life’s storms and had the fortitude and self-possession to take whatever anybody threw her way.

Blige’s hits, like “Family Affair,” are both delirious and somehow poised (“Let’s get it crunk … Don’t need no hateration, holleration … Let’s get it percolatin'”). Blige is regal, but her face and voice express a deep suffering, fatigue and pain. She manages to radiate uplift, determination and self-empowerment through it all.

Self-destruction, backstabbers, anger and poverty seem to loom in Blige’s songs, and her voice cries and moans out in battle against any forces opposing her. Blige has a powerful, gospel-tinged voice, augmented with the rhythmic phrasing and defiance of hip-hop. For some singers, the search for happiness is a giddy endeavor, but for Blige it’s a serious business.

Mary J. Blige plays at the Grand Theater at Foxwoods, 350 Trolley Line Blvd., Mashantucket, Saturday, Sept. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 1, at 8 p.m. $75 to $150. foxwoods.com.