NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/ PMK-BNC) American Express, in partnership with VEVO and YouTube, announced today that nine-time Grammy award-winning R&B sensation
Mary J. Blige will be the latest performer in its popular livestream music series, 'American Express Unstaged.' The performance will be livestreamed from Club Nokia in Los Angeles, at 11:00 PM ET / 8:00 PM PT on Thursday, November 17 at www.youtube.com/MaryJBligeVEVO and will be available on mobile devices via VEVO and YouTube apps for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android. The event precedes the November 21st release of Blige's highly anticipated album, My Life II…The
Journey Continues (Act I).
The announcement comes just two weeks after Coldplay's record-breaking 'American Express Unstaged' performance in Madrid, which generated more than 19 million streams on YouTube - the most streams ever generated by a single artist live event on the site.
'American Express Unstaged' brings together popular and iconic musical artists with renowned film directors. Mary J. Blige will be paired with filmmaker Adam Shankman (Hairspray, A Walk to Remember, and The Wedding Planner). Shankman has been tapped to provide fans with a visually stunning digital viewing and in-venue experience, which will be the seventh installment within the 'American Express Unstaged' music series and the first solo artist performance. The program has featured such recognized musicians as Arcade Fire, John Legend & The Roots, Sugarland, Duran Duran, My Morning Jacket and Coldplay.
'I can't wait to share in this amazing experience with fans around the world as they join me on a timeless journey of celebration and reflection,' said Mary J. Blige. 'I'm really looking forward to immersing myself in Adam Shankman's creative vision for an unforgettable 'American Express Unstaged' performance.'
American Express, in partnership with VEVO and YouTube, will continue to provide revolutionary access to Mary J. Blige fans and music enthusiasts worldwide through pre-show, in-concert and post-show features and one-of-a-kind content that further blur the line between the at-home and in-concert experience:
Pre-Show
'Press Pass Challenge': Mary J. Blige is the second artist to be featured within the Amex Entertainment channel on the American Express Facebook page. As part of a unique 'Press Pass Challenge,' music fans can submit a question to be potentially used by Billboard.com editor M. Tye Comer at https://americanexpressentertainment.com during an upcoming interview with Mary J. Blige. Members of the American Express Entertainment community can vote for the questions they would most like to see Comer ask Mary J. Blige. The fan who submits the winning question will receive two tickets and backstage passes to an upcoming Mary J. Blige performance. See Official Rules for details.
'Share the Journey' Photo Project: Fans can participate in an on-stage and online video installation by visiting www.amexunstaged.com/maryjblige and submitting photos of impactful moments that have shaped their personal journey. Select fan-submitted photos will join Mary J. Blige during the concert, which will be projected on LED screens behind the stage for one of the songs.
Online Pre Show: Building anticipation of the night, viewers who tune in to the live-stream will catch a behind-the-scenes pre-show created by Adam Shankman.
Behind the Scenes & 'Making of' Content Series: 'American Express Unstaged' will release a series of viral teaser videos, uniquely showcasing the collaboration and vision of Adam Shankman & Mary J. Blige as they reveal their secrets for the live event.
Official Concert Trailer: Fans can get an early glimpse at the creative vision behind Mary J. Blige's 'American Express Unstaged' performance by visiting www.youtube.com/MaryJBligeVEVO to view an exclusive pre-concert trailer.
In-Concert
Choose Your Cam: The at-home audience can control their viewing experience throughout the show by switching between multiple cameras, capturing the excitement of the night from a variety of angles.
Global Chat: Fans around the world can join the global chat along with the show, or invite friends to have a private viewing and chat experience on Facebook to celebrate the event.
Post-Show
Free Live Tracks on Facebook: Following the concert, fans who 'Like' the American Express Entertainment tab on Facebook can enjoy access to download three Mary J. Blige tracks from the evening.
Rebroadcast: Following the live performance, Mary J. Blige's 'American Express Unstaged' performance will be rebroadcast for approximately the next 10 hours and on-demand clips of the live performance will subsequently be available at www.youtube.com/MaryJBligeVEVO.
About Mary J. Blige
Since her 1992 debut, What's The 411?, Mary J. Blige has sold over 50 million albums worldwide. Among her many accolades, Blige can claim eight multi-platinum albums, nine Grammy Awards (she has been nominated for a staggering 29) and 4 American Music Awards. Blige is the co-founder of the Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN), whose mission is to empower women from all walks of life to reach their full individual potential. On July 31, 2010, Mary J. Blige sold over 60 thousand bottles of her "My Life" perfume on the Home Shopping Network. Her perfume was the first to sell over 60,000 bottles in one day on HSN and $1 from each purchase was donated to FFAWN. For more information please visit www.mjblige.com.
About 'American Express Unstaged'
Mary J. Blige's November 17th performance represents the seventh installment within the innovative music series 'American Express Unstaged,' which launched in the summer of 2010 in partnership with VEVO and YouTube. Bringing the in-concert and at-home viewing experiences to new heights, 'American Express Unstaged' showcases some of the music industry's most breakthrough artists playing at landmark venues across the country, while tapping some of today's most influential filmmakers to direct the live-streams and using digital and social media to connect the online audience to the live shows in unexpected ways. 'American Express Unstaged' has generated nearly 60 million total streams for all six artists' performances.
