Organizers of the annual Essence Music Festival in New Orleans have announced Mary J. Blige as the official spokesperson and a featured performer at this year's festival, scheduled for the weekend of July 2nd. 

"We're thrilled to have Mary J. Blige on board for this year's Essence Music Festival," the spokesperson said in a statement.  "Her history with the Essence brand, both with the festival and the magazine, makes her a great spokesperson for this year's festival and we're looking forward to working with her over the next few months."

Blige will be performing at the Essence for the ninth time this year, which will be a celebration of Essence Magazine's 40th anniversary. More performers will be announced in the coming weeks.