Love & Life

1	Love & Life Intro / Puff Daddy 2:48
2	Don't Go 4:28
3	When We 3:36
4	Not Today / Eve 4:13
5	Finally Made It (Interlude) 1:39
6	Ooh! 4:07
7	Let Me Be the 1 / 50 Cent 4:40
8	Love @ 1st Sight / Method Man 5:18
9	Willing & Waiting 4:19
10	Free (Interlude) 2:04
11	Friends 4:02
12	Press On 4:17
13	Feel Like Makin Love 4:42
14	It's a Wrap 4:20
15	Message in Our Music (Interlude) 1:49
16	All My Love 4:16
17	Special Part of Me 4:33
18	Ultimate Relationship (A.M.) 5:05

Barnes & Noble

For an in-demand R&B star with only the best producer connections, Mary J. Blige has always resisted crass commercial moves, preferring to sing straight from the heart, with an unparalleled blues- and gospel-rooted delivery. So it's not surprising that the raspy vocalist packs her latest disc with tunes that feel lived-in and real. But in contrast to 1994's confessional My Life and 2002's cathartic No More Drama, Love & Life's deft mix of hip-hop and R&B recaptures the more carefree mood of Blige's classic debut, What's the 411? The difference has everything to do with a thriving romantic relationship and a professional reunion with P. Diddy -- the producer who launched Blige's career more than a decade ago and returns to the booth for this disc. The good-time vibe is palpable on the energetic single "Love @ 1st Sight," which grabs its thumping beat from A Tribe Called Quest's "Hot Sex on a Platter" and reteams Blige with Wu-Tang charmer Method Man. Expanding upon the themes outlined in the album's title, Blige enlists hip-hop all-stars including 50 Cent (on the bombastic "Let Me Be the 1") and rap vixen Eve (for the girl-power anthem "Not Today"). Although her moods don't seem as ever-changing, Love & Life's blend of up-to-the-minute R&B, dance grooves, and melodic ballads proves the queen of hip-hop soul's reign is far from over. Elon D. Johnson

Rolling Stone

Love's greatest strength is the same as its predecessors': Blige's simmering vocal intensity and the way it slowly boils over into a cathartic exultation. Ernest Hardy

Vibe

1/2 When it comes to affairs of the heart, Mary J. Blige knows the beat better than anyone. And on this, her sixth studio album, it's the songs about sadness and anger that work best. Dimitri Ehrlich