Mary J. Blige feels untouchable in a pair of hooped earrings

She told E! News: "I love them - it's a comfort zone for me to put on a hoop. You can dress it up or dress it down. A hoop is simple, it frames your face."

Mary's love of earrings can be traced back to the American hip-hop trio Salt-N-Pepa, who are known for their outlandish style.

Mary shared: "From the time Salt-N-Pepa hit the scene, all we saw was a 'door-knocker' or a hoop. You had to hustle and get you a pair of door-knockers - 'truck jewellery' they called it."

Despite growing up in modest circumstances, Mary has always taken care in her appearance.

The singer previously admitted Salt-N-Pepa influenced her hairstyles and clothing, before she really found her personal fashion taste.

Recalling her teenage style, she explained: "Everything was about how you look. Although you didn't have, it was about how you looked.

"So when Salt-N-Pepa had the blonde hair, it was about that, it was about the sneakers, it was about the jackets. Then I became Mary J Blige, and it was really about that."

The 'Just Fine' hitmaker often refers to herself in the third person and she explained that she actually makes a distinction between her public persona and her real-life self.

Asked whether they can be seen as two separate entities, the singer - who released her debut album, 'What's the 411?', in 1992 - shared: "Mary J Blige is me, but she is a business, and separate. But she's me."