Nope, it wasn’t just you. We all dreamed of having hair like Mary J. Blige.
And understandably so. The undisputed Queen of Hip-Hop Soul’s three decades of reinvention gave us license to feel seen and empowered.
Mary delegated more hair inspo than we knew what to do with, while never once missing the mark. The blunt-cut chunky bobs with a twist, rapunzel-length waves and daring pixie cuts are only a few of the many reasons why we’ve embraced her trailblazing hair game.
And while we will probably never tire of the Bronx native’s chameleon-like hair transformations, we’ve also come to count on the one style staple she keeps constant: her blonde hair.
Mary’s signature golden mane is just as iconic as her music, so it’s only fitting to give credit where credit is due and celebrate some of the living legend’s most quintessential hairstyles in recent history, including a few from right now:
With a raw singing talent and soul-baring lyrics, Mary was like no other R&B singer we’d seen before. She cultivated a demeanor and style that was considered unconventional for most women at that time.
She was a pioneer in the charge that thrust New York’s “ghetto fabulous” style movement into more conservative, mainstream spaces.
The inspiration for the nine-time Grammy award winner’s hair color is courtesy of Salt from the rap group Salt and Pepa. Mary noticed it in the ‘Shake Your Thang’ music video and was hooked.
The two-time Oscar nominee paved a path of individuality and self-acceptance for everyone from the around-the-way girl, to the most prominent celebrities of the day.
Thank you, Mary.
