Mary J. Blige Gets Emotional Receiving Icon Award at 2022 Billboard Music Awards

etonline.com:

ICON Award on Sunday at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards. She is one of only 11 other artists to receive the honor.While accepting her award, presented by Janet Jackson, Mary reflected on the status of an «icon» in culture, and the public perception of artists deemed icons.«The way the world is now, I think people think icons are born that way, that they become a legend overnight, but that is definitely not the case,» she shared. «It takes a lot of time, hard work, and a lot of surviving, trial and error, to achieve greatness.»«What an icon means to me is overcoming obstacles to accomplish the unthinkable and be wildly admired for having influence over a multitude of people, and that is what I've always represented,» she continued. «I've been on this journey for a long time.

One that didn't always look the way you see me now. One that was filled with a lot of heartache and pain. But God helped me to channel those experiences and emotions into my music.»«I was ghetto fabulous and I still am!

So ghetto, so fabulous, and people were threatened by that. And now everybody want to be ghetto fabulous,» Mary explained. «The message of my music has always been that we are not alone in our struggles and I'm not alone now.

For so long I was searching for real love, but I finally found my real love — and that real love is me.»The ICON Award recognizes artists who have achieved excellence on the Billboard charts and have made a lasting mark on the music industry, and Mary has done just that, with 10 BBMA wins total.