Mary J. Blige has revealed the song she will likely perform at the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show on Feb. 13. Speaking with Elle, Blige said she is leaning towards the Dr. Dre-produced “Family Affair” song from her 2001 album, No More Drama.
According to Billboard, the 51-year-old will take the stage with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. As she teams up with the four other artists, Blige will only be able to perform one song. That one song, “Family Affair,” encapsulates Blige's perspective on the hip hop industry today.
“We are the culture; [hip-hop artists] give people a way to speak," she told Elle. "We give people a way to walk. We give people a way to talk. We give people a way to think. That’s what hip-hop and hip-hop soul have done for our culture since [the beginning].”
The iconic artist raves about the opportunity to perform at the big game.
“It’s like getting an Oscar nomination,” she said.
Blige performed at 2001 Super Bowl, joining Aerosmith, *NSYNC, Britney Spears and Nelly. Although she only sang a few words on that stage, the beloved artist is poised to have a bigger role on Feb. 13.
"This time I’m going to be front and center—Mary J. Blige, in her glory and greatness and swagger,” she said.
The Grammy Award-winning singer will continue to promote unity when she releases her upcoming album, Good Morning Gorgeous, on Feb. 11. Blige said the album is inspired by a habit she developed while shooting the 2017 film, Mudbound.
“During Mudbound and when I was married, I was feeling so low. I had to pay myself the highest compliments, even if I didn’t believe it, just so I could build myself up,” she said. “I would do it in the morning, because that’s the time when your hair is not done and you don’t have on makeup. You’re just kind of dealing with yourself for real.”