One thing about Mary J. Blige, she’s always going to keep it real which is why it comes to know surprise that she’s sharing her future plans.
In a candid new interview, the 53-year-old R&B icon shared her intention to retire from the music scene in a few years. In a conversation with Extra, Blige expressed her interest in exploring acting further and transitioning into a new chapter of her career. She explained, “Right now, I’m definitely gonna do some more acting and I’m definitely gonna retire in, like, five or six years,”
She continued, “Right now, I’m still doing what I’m doing but not as often as I was doing it because I don’t have to now.”
Although that’s something her loyal supporters may not want to hear, we still have a few more years until that actually happens. In the meantime, Blige is enjoying the music she’s currently creating for her fans. The singer said she is “singing about life … love … being stable and understanding you can have things like love. You can have a good life.” She added, “Mostly the love I have for myself,” she told Extra. “… My real love is me and I found it.”
Mary shared this during an event in her hometown of Yonkers, New York, “to give back” with $100K. It was part of the Pepsi x Mary J Blige Strength of a Woman Community Fund to support programs that help underserved women, EXTRA noted.
Despite contemplating retirement from her incredible music career, which has spanned over three decades, Blige continues to receive major accolades for her contributions to the industry.
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Most notably, she was recently announced as an inductee into the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame alongside other music legends. Now, in addition to her musical achievements, Blige is all committed to empowering women through initiatives like the annual Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit, set to take place in New York City in May.
While speaking about the event with PEOPLE earlier this month, Blige also teased her upcoming album. In the middle of that she also revealed, “I love it, I enjoy it, and it might be the last studio album. It might be.”
Blige has released numerous hit songs and albums, earning her multiple Grammy Awards and other prestigious accolades and is widely regarded as a trailblazer in the music industry and a cultural icon for her impact on contemporary R&B music. Even when she decides to retire, fans will still have ton of great music to listen to from the star.