Johnny Loftus of Decider stated that it "celebrates the lasting influence of an incredible album" while also highlighting "the singer and songwriter’s profound struggle for wellness". Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 56 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 60% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The film received mixed reviews from critics. Blige titled "Hourglass", co-written by Teddy Riley, Andy Murray, Benjamin Wright, and Romans, was released in conjunction with the film. It was made available digitally on-demand through streaming platform Amazon Prime Video on June 25, 2021. On June 23, 2021, the film received its world premiere at the Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. The film also features music composed by Mervyn Warren. It was directed by Vanessa Roth, with Blige serving as executive producer. The film was produced by Amazon Studios in collaboration with Blige's production company Blue Butterfly. In December 2019, Amazon Studios and Entertainment One announced a documentary film on Mary J. The film features appearances by Andre Harrell, Blige's sisters, the My Life songwriters, Sean Combs, Method Man, Alicia Keys, Tyler Perry, and Nas, as well as footage of Blige performing the album live for the first time during its 25th anniversary in 2019. Blige, with a focus on her 1994 studio album of the same name.
My Life revisits the early life and career of Mary J.