Mary J. Blige Reveals What She Thinks About Taylor Swift After Their 1989 Tour Duet Resurfaces 10 Years Later (Exclusive)

• Mary J. Blige is opening up about a sweet memory she has of Taylor Swift.

• In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the "Family Affair" hitmaker recalled performing a duet with Swift during her 1989 tour.

• Blige also recalls being "shocked" by being asked to perform alongside her on tour

Mary J. Blige is reminiscing about 1989 in 2025.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, 54, recalled a sweet memory she shares with Taylor Swift.

Earlier this month, a clip of Blige and Swift singing Blige’s famed hit “Family Affair” at The 1989 World Tour resurfaced online. Internet users appeared surprised to see the pop megastar taking on Blige’s rap-singing cadence, which prompted the performance to go viral.

However, the internet wasn’t alone in their surprise. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul tells PEOPLE that she was “shocked” to receive that call from Swift to perform alongside her on tour.

“Just to let you know how it happened, Taylor called me,” Blige begins. “She was like ‘I want you [to come on tour.’] I was shocked. I was like, ‘Oh, Taylor Swift likes Mary J. Blige?!’”

The two musicians performed “Family Affair” and “Doubt,” the latter coming from Blige’s 2014 album The London Sessions. While sharing details from that concert, held on Aug. 22 at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as the Staples Center) in Los Angeles, Blige praised Swift’s sweet disposition.

“When I went to do the [songs] with her, I thought she was a really down-to-earth person,” says Blige. “I mean, so nice, so sweet. And I think what connects is exactly that.”

In the near-decade since that performance, Swift’s popularity has skyrocketed with the help of her fans, the Swifties, making her an undeniable pop force within the cultural zeitgeist.

It’s that kind of dedicated fan support that Blige has also been privileged to experience over her three-decade career. Blige says that Swift has mastered the art of fan connection by baring her soul in her music.

“I think her ability to express herself through her songs and what she's dealing with is what is our connection," Blige explains. "Because I do the same thing.”

Blige echoed similar sentiments last year after Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav drew a comparison between the "No More Drama" performer and Swift in an interview with HOT 97.

“[Taylor] definitely gives you a piece of a relationship in a minute and whatever she may be dealing with,” Blige told PEOPLE in April 2024. “And that's just her therapy. That's just her way of expressing herself through her song, and people relate."

As Blige gears up for her upcoming For My Fans Tour, kicking off on Thursday, Jan. 30, after recently celebrating another birthday earlier this month, the Oscar-nominated actress says she’s been reflecting on her life and career over the years. While she’s often praised for her vulnerability in her music, Blige says the “courage” she exhibits is merely her life’s purpose.

“You know, the therapy is to tell someone, is to let someone [know] so you can release it off yourself,” Blige says. “I did it because it was for me to do. It's not everyone's assignment. With growth and evolution, there's going to always be some kind of obstacle. But when you overcome that, you level up. You get to the next level."

Read the original article on People