The math works out a little differently this time…
[Video]
[4.71]
Pedro João Santos: “When you hear the word ‘queen’, you automatically think of a woman getting everything she wants,” MJB tells us in the prologue to her umpteenth anthem of sacrifice and triumph over adversity. “They just don’t know, know, know, know / How many times I lost.” But who’s they? Anyone listening to da MVP is in the know, as her singles of late are either self-extolling, hustling anthems designed for fighting trauma, heartbreak, getting through drama, or just getting a kick out of it. And though justified by her heaps of real-life drama, the recycling places Mary on the brink of self-parody. “Know” — which isn’t firing back at a particular target, but just one-size-fits-all, feminist self-mythology — at least adds a granular groove and knows to rely on the potency of its hook.
[6]
Alfred Soto: Often she’s relied on chops to blast her through or soar around scenarios demanding scrutiny; “Know” is one of those scenarios. Her plumminess isn’t even compelling here, not with those backup vocals.
[2]
Ryo Miyauchi: Mary’s street-rap cadence directly channels Sounwave’s rich production, which knocks like a pristine deep cut from a ’00s New York gangsta-rap album with those skull-cracking drums and that bone-chilling doo-wop loop. Her whole approach feels like a freestyle, and it’s better as a display of style and a show of wit than a genuine life sermon like her famed R&B songs.
[6]
Kylo Nocom: “Know” takes a brief shot at the heart with a charming little intro, Mary J. Blige offering an enticing speech as Sounwave’s boom bap drums enter. Then that low pass filter kicks in, and soon enough you figure out that this song is embarrassingly empty: self-aggrandizing meant as profundity, poor attempts at sounding triumphant (who knew “I ain’t missing no meals” could be delivered so sadly?) flatlining for three minutes straight.
[3]
Tobi Tella: Starting this song with an overlong spoken-word skit about women being queens might be irritating from someone else, but it’s such a Mary J move I can’t even be mad. The song itself is kinda generic, uplifting R&B that her voice and the arrangement elevates.
[6]
Thomas Inskeep: Strong R&B from the queen of it, albeit a bit clichéd in its (still important) feminist sentiments.
[7]
Joshua Minsoo Kim: “Know” seems pleasant on the surface, but much of it fails upon closer inspection. The undulating harmonies don’t complement Blige’s own vocals; they exist in their own space, oddly mixed and slightly too brash to be soothing. Blige’s vocals are similarly forced, her repeated words just incessant attempts at forcing impactful lyricism. When her frustratingly short second verse comes around–filled with personal lyrics and a topline that works in conjunction with the vocal harmony–it becomes clear how short the rest falls.
[3]