Mary J. Blige went overseas to record her next album, and has revealed new details about the upcoming effort titled "Mary J. Blige:The London Sessions."

In an interview with The Guardian, the singer explains why she ventured to London for her new sound.

"Our idea was to become part of London, to really embrace the culture -- to really live in it. Not that I haven’t been here before, but I’ve never had the chance to really soak in it the way I have this time," she told The Guardian. To make records -- rekkits -- from the London-scene perspective."

She adds that by leaving the U.S., she was able to enjoy "freedom."

"The music is free over here, the way it used to be in the States," she said. "Artists are just free to do what they love.

"Listening to the radio you can hear the freedom. The music is living and breathing -- you can hear that from Adele’s last album. It was massive -- a big deal. But she did what she loved."

The project will include collaborations with Naughty Boy, who will oversee the project; and Sam Smith, who she performed with on his hit "Stay with Me" at a show at New York's Apollo Theater this summer.

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