Is Mary J. Blige planning to retire? Music icon reveals

Mary J. Blige, 53, the renowned R&B icon, recently announced her retirement plans in an interview published on April 29. She expressed her desire to leave the music industry in “five or six years”.

Blige, best known for her roles in Umbrella Academy and Scream: Resurrection, reportedly told EXTRA that she plans to retire in five or six years and continue acting. She indicates that she is no longer as involved as she used to be, because she is not obliged to participate.

About the music she is currently producing, Blige said she sings about life, love, stability and understanding that you can have both love and a good life. She further told EXTRA, “Especially the love I have for myself. My true love is me and I have found it.”

Mary J. Blige inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Although the singer’s three-decade music career is coming to an end, her achievements — including her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024 — continue to pile up.

On April 21, American Idol announced the introduction of Blige, along with Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Ozzy Osbourne and A Tribe Called Quest.

Blige shared her thoughts on the information, stating that she is still trying to process it all. The “Just Fine” singer continued, telling Extra that receiving this kind of recognition is “the most amazing thing… it’s in a league of its own.” Blige will perform at the ceremony, scheduled for Oct. 19 in Cleveland.

Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit is coming to New York

Blige spoke with PEOPLE earlier this month about her third annual Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit. This will take place from May 10 to 12 in her hometown of New York City, just in time for Mother’s Day weekend.

Celebrities will appear at various events during the three-day festival, which is the only festival organized entirely by Black women. These events include the Strength of a Woman Summit at The Glasshouse, as well as other motivational seminars and programs.

Blige told PEOPLE: “It was amazing and exciting and so fulfilling to do what I always wanted to do: continue to give people a piece of me, to uplift, inspire and uplift us – the same way I have done through my music, I do it now through my festival – and of course entertain us too.

Blige stated in the interview that the album she is currently working on may be her last. She told PEOPLE that she loved it, enjoyed it and said it might be her last studio album.