Blige to release new CD this month

NEW YORK, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. recording artist Mary J. Blige is preparing to release her eighth studio CD, "Growing Pains," Geffen Records has announced.

The album, which includes Blige's Top 10 single "Just Fine," is set to drop Dec. 18.

"Growing Pains" also features guest appearances by Ludacris and Usher, and production by The Neptunes, Jazze Pha, Johnta Austin, Neyo, Stargate, Bryan-Michael Cox, Dre and Vidal, Tricky, Dream and Sean Garrett.

"(My fans are) going to get a sense of what my state of mind is and how I view the world," Blige, a six-time Grammy Award winner, said in a statement. "And, hopefully, most of all, they're going to hear just the sincere honesty and love that I have for them. 'Growing Pains' represents accepting that there's pain that goes along with growing and change. No pain, no gain."