If you were around in May 1981, you probably remember the feeling. The air was thick with the smell of transition. Disco was "dead" (or so they said), but funk was just getting its second wind. And right in the middle of it all was a tiny powerhouse named Mary Christine Brockert, known to the world as Lady T. When Teena Marie It Must Be Magic hit the shelves, it wasn't just another R&B record. It was a declaration of independence.
Most people think of Teena Marie as Rick James’s protégé. It’s a common misconception. Sure, Rick was the one who famously "discovered" her at Motown and helped shape her early sound, but by the time this album rolled around, she was steering her own ship. She wrote it. She produced it. She even handled the rhythm arrangements. It was her fourth studio album and, ironically, her swan song for Motown.
Why It Must Be Magic Still Sounds Like Tomorrow
There is a specific kind of alchemy on this record. You can hear it in the title track, "It Must Be Magic," which kicks off with this swirling, hypnotic energy. It’s got the Temptations on backing vocals—Melvin Franklin’s bass voice is unmistakable—but it’s Teena’s show.
She was blending genres before it was a marketing buzzword. You’ve got jazz influences, hard funk, and even a response to the assassination of John Lennon in the track "Revolution." She and her friend Mickey Boyce Hearn were actually in a limo in D.C. when the news broke. That kind of raw, real-life emotion is baked into the DNA of the songs.
The "Square Biz" Revolution
Let’s talk about "Square Biz" for a second. It is arguably her most famous song, and for good reason. It’s catchy as hell. But what most people forget—or maybe never realized—is how radical that rap interlude was in 1981.
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A white woman on a soul label, dropping a rap verse about Sarah Vaughan and Nikki Giovanni? It could have been a disaster. It could have felt like "Elvis-ing" the culture. But Teena was different. She wasn't imitating; she was participating. She cited Blondie’s "Rapture" as an inspiration for the rap, but she took it somewhere much deeper into the funk. She name-checked her godmother's collard greens and her own "wild and peaceful" nature. Honestly, it remains one of the most authentic crossovers in music history.
The Rick James Factor and "Portuguese Love"
You can't talk about Teena Marie It Must Be Magic without mentioning the man who loomed large over her career: Rick James. Their relationship was... complicated. Some say they were the Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell of the funk era. Others call it a "stormy love" that fueled their best work.
Rick makes a cameo on "Portuguese Love," a nearly eight-minute epic that basically defines the "Quiet Storm" genre. If you haven't heard it, you're missing out on one of the most explosive love songs ever recorded. Teena actually wrote it for her boyfriend at the time, photographer Bobby Holland, who was Cape Verdean. Rick’s presence on the track is subtle but powerful, a reminder of the "kismet" they shared as artists.
Even though Rick was busy with his own Street Songs album that same year, the influence they had on each other was a two-way street. He gave her the platform; she gave him the soul.
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A Masterpiece Under Pressure
Making this album wasn't all glitter and gold. Things were getting tense at Motown. Teena was growing restless with the label's control, which eventually led to the landmark "Brockert Initiative."
- The Lawsuit: She sued Motown for non-payment of royalties.
- The Result: A legal precedent that prevented labels from keeping artists under contract without releasing new material.
- The Legacy: She fought for the rights of every artist who came after her.
It's wild to think that her highest-selling Motown album was the one that led to her departure. It peaked at No. 2 on the US Black Albums chart and No. 23 on the Billboard 200. It went Gold within months. Yet, despite the success, she knew she had to leave to truly own her magic.
The Technical Brilliance Nobody Talks About
We often focus on her voice—that incredible, multi-octave range—but Teena was a tech nerd in the studio. She was using Oberheim synthesizers and working with heavy hitters like Patrice Rushen on keyboards and Gerald Albright on saxophone.
"Portuguese Love" isn't just a great song; it's a technical marvel of arrangement. The way the strings, arranged by Paul Riser, swell against the Latin-inflected rhythm is masterclass level. She was a composer in the truest sense.
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What Most People Get Wrong
There’s this weird narrative that Teena Marie was just a "blue-eyed soul" singer. That term feels too small for her. She didn't just sing soul; she was soul. Growing up in a diverse neighborhood in Los Angeles, she didn't see boundaries. Her mother used to say she hung out with everyone, regardless of background. That lack of pretension is why the Black community embraced her so fully. You don't get the Temptations to sing on your record if you're just "faking it."
Actionable Insights for the Modern Listener
If you’re just discovering Teena Marie It Must Be Magic, or if you haven't played it in decades, here is how to actually experience the depth of this work:
- Listen to the full 7-minute versions: The radio edits of "Square Biz" and "Portuguese Love" cut out the best parts. Find the original LP versions to hear the instrumental interplay.
- Look for the 2002 Expanded Edition: It includes a 12-minute live version of "Déjà Vu" that will honestly change your perspective on what a live performance can be.
- Read the lyrics to "Revolution": In a world of 2026 political tension, her 1981 take on social change and the loss of John Lennon feels eerily relevant.
- Check the credits: Notice how many instruments she’s playing and how much of the production she’s handling. It’s a blueprint for the "self-contained artist" model that Prince would later perfect.
Basically, this album is a masterclass in creative autonomy. Teena Marie proved that you could be a pop star, a funkateer, and a political commentator all at once, without losing your soul. It wasn't just magic; it was hard work, immense talent, and the courage to walk away from a legendary label to protect her art.
If you want to understand the roots of modern R&B, you have to start here. Put on the record, turn up the bass, and let Lady T show you how it’s done.
To truly appreciate the era, listen to Rick James's Street Songs and Teena’s It Must Be Magic back-to-back. You’ll hear a musical conversation between two geniuses at the absolute peak of their powers. That is where the real magic lives.