Family Affair singer Mary reached the milestone age in January, and opened up about her big day during an interview on Tuesday's The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Reflecting on the moment she turned 50, Mary said: "Oh man, I feel great. When it hit at 12 o'clock that night, I just cried like a baby because I made it. I've been through hell in my life, and to make it to 50, it was just beautiful. Family and friends were around, it was just beautiful."

Elsewhere in the interview, Mary admitted that she'd used the Covid-19 lockdown to take the opportunity to listen to some of her early music - for the first time.

"I really didn't like listening to even my speaking voice, let alone listening to Mary J. Blige, but I've grown so much in confidence that, during the quarantine, I don't know, something just said, 'Listen to some Mary J. Blige'," she explained.

And the process was an introspective one for Mary, who said that when she was listening to her 1994 album My Life, she was struck by the power of the lyrics, even today.