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And to celebrate this fact - and the fact that she had a single out last Monday, and a new album called 'Growing Pains' out this Monday - 1Xtra has put together a sheaf of these performance clips, specially filmed for their breakfast show Mary's barnstorming concert at the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Maida Vale studios for their breakfast show.

They're unveiling a new one every day, right here...

At one point, she even takes the shades off. I've SEEN IT, LOOK!

This, doubting readers, is what we REALLY spend your license fee money on. Even if you don't particularly care for Mary J Blige's music - and it's an each-to-their-own world, last time I checked - it's a lot better value than the rubbishy old news* or something...

*The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ would like to point out that the views expressed within ChartBlog are not necessarily shared by the Corporation as a whole. ChartBlog is an independent, and fairly mouthy entity, and actually the news is a really important part of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ programming, and it's really popular too! I mean certainly if you were to compare the amount of people who enjoy the various news services the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ offers with the amount of people who enjoy a single-interest, minority blog such as this, you'd realise that ChartBlog, for all its strengths, is very much a lone voice, howling in the wilderness. It's sad, really. Not that you'll ever get ChartBlog to see it like that. In a way, that's part of the strength of the Corporation, that we can house such a diverse range of opinions, and hopefully provide something for everyone. That's certainly what gets me out of bed in the mornings, the excitement of a new day, and a new challenge. Even on the darkest of winter mornings, there's always something which gets the adrenalin flowing. And no, Mr ChartBlog, not just a Mary J Blige concert, good though it is...

bbc.co.uk/1xtra