New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Interscope Records) Mary J. Blige's music played a starring role in her appearance on HSN Wednesday, as the singer, philanthropist and businesswoman performed while promoting both of her fragrances.
Blige sang "
You Bring Me Joy" from her seminal 1994 release, "My Life," as well as "25/8" and "Mr. Wrong" from her newest album, "My Life II...The
Journey Continues (Act 1)," as well as "
No More Drama" from the album of the same name, performing at 12:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. HSN is also selling the new album, which was released last week.
"We decided to make it a complete 'My Life' moment," Blige told WWD in an exclusive phone interview from HSN's St. Petersburg, Fla., offices. "Both the music and the fragrances have evolution, growth and consistency. When I put my first album out, it was about me. Now, it's about the movement. It's a responsibility. I am being used to touch a lot of lives. It's a responsibility and it is bigger than me. I have to be consistent, kind, patient, gentle and have manners, and I have to be honest with myself. It's not about, 'I have a headache today and I'm not going to smile at you.' I have to speak, because we still have work to do."
Blige sold two limited edition holiday gift sets during her appearance. The My Life Holiday Gift Set included the My Life Eau de Parfum, Body Lotion and Shower Cream, for $49.90; 6,000 sets were available and all sold. The $59.50 My Life Blossom Holiday Gift Set included the My Life Blossom Eau de Parfum and Body
Cream plus the "My Life II…The
Journey Continues (Act 1)" CD, along with an exclusive download card including: "You Gotta Believe," "You Are Everything," "You Bring Me Joy," "I'm The Only Woman" and "No More Drama." All 20,000 available units of that set sold out.
"We continue to excite our customers by offering unparalleled experiences that foster their connection to Mary and her art form, whether it be music, film or beauty products," said Steve Stoute, chairman and lead investor of Carol's Daughter, which produces Blige's scents. "HSN continues to be a platform for us to do that."
"We love Mary and are so proud to be the exclusive launching pad for her fragrances and to have her as a part of the HSN family," said Betsy Olum, general manager of beauty and merchandising strategy for HSN. "Her latest success demonstrates the staying power of her brand and her ability to move people and move product is extraordinary."
Blige has broken HSN records since her original appearance on the channel, introducing her first fragrance, My Life, in July 2010. Her second scent, My Life Blossom, bowed in August and she is developing a third, which is tentatively slated for a fall 2012 launch. My Life is composed of florals with undertones of wood, while My Life Blossom is a softer composition with a white floral accord and a warm vanilla heart. Both scents were inspired by Blige's life experiences, which also inspired Blige's original "
My Life" album and launched her into the public eye. "I couldn't have named the first one anything but "My Life," because that was such a personal album and when I really started touching fans." She noted that she's still working on a name for her third scent. "We're trying to get the title right, along with the scent. My name is on these products, and I want women to get these fragrances and be happy. I want their friends to say, 'you smell great, what are you wearing?' not 'Whoa, you stink — what is that?'" she said with a laugh.
Blige's latest film project is "Rock of Ages," which is slated for a June 2012 release. "It features Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paul Giamatti, Alec Baldwin and a great cast," she said of the film, which is a love story set in 1987 Los Angeles. "It was a lot of fun to work on."
Despite Blige's many accomplishments, she isn't content to rest on her laurels. "It's not over until it's over — when they're burying you. Until then, you continue to evolve and to grow," she said.
