Mary J. Blige Reveals Why She Fired Staffer

Mary J. Blige tells PEOPLE that she had to let a staffer go after the setlist for her upcoming tour began circulating online. Blige’s For My Fans Tour will kick off on Jan.30 in Greensboro, NC. The “What’s The 411” singer will trek across 36 cities, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York.

According to Mary J. Blige, her setlist is “sacred” to her, and she’s “pissed” it’s online. “We worked too hard and the setlist is the most private thing,” she tells PEOPLE. “It was unprofessional. Obviously, it was somebody within the camp, and they risked their whole life just to get a couple of likes.”

Luckily, only a portion of the setlist ended up online, and she says she still has a few tricks up her sleeve for fans. The set list will include hits from her decades-long career, and her latest album, Gratitude. “Only a little bit got leaked, and that’s not even half. People don’t even know what else is coming.”

“I am in such a place of immense gratitude,” Mary J. Blige says when asked about upcoming tour

Mario and Ne-Yo will be joining the singer on tour to help serenade the crowd and according to Blige, the two have the “best love songs of their generation.” She continued: “Last time, I had Queen Naija and Ella Mai [on the Good Morning Gorgeous Tour.] I love me some Ella Mai, and I love Queen. This time I said, ‘We really need the women to be serenaded this time.’ We really need the women to feel special, and it’s time for women to feel special.”

Blige is ecstatic to kick off the tour and says it’s an ode to her fans. “I am in such a place of immense gratitude and peace at this moment, so also having the chance to release my new album “Gratitude” on November 15th ahead of this tour is really special to me,” the singer said in a press release.