LOS ANGELES — When Mary J. Blige turned 50 last year, the best birthday present she received didn't come from a friend or a colleague or a member of her family.
"Man, the best present was the one I got me," the R&B star says with a laugh, recalling a lavish trip to Turks and Caicos that she documented with a series of striking swimsuit photos that quickly went viral online. "I remember I was just playing music all day long — 'Alright' by Kendrick [Lamar] — and me and my girlfriends were bouncing and dancing and having a good time.
"But really I was just happy that I made it to 50. I cried happy tears."
