Fresh off of her Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance in Mudbound, Mary J. Blige is back and she hasn’t forgotten the little people. Literally. In Sherlock Gnomes, the sequel to 2011’s Gnomeo and Juliet, she voices the no-nonsense Irene, a former love interest of the titular pint-sized detective (voiced by Johnny Depp).

“I love Irene. She’s beautiful, she’s smart,” Blige says of the knockout entertainer. “What I love about her is she is a really, really strong woman.” Irene is Sherlock Gnomes' ex-fiancee, and their break-up was not on the best of terms. Nevertheless, the detective needs her help solving his case. While she has some clues he needs, she isn’t offering any assistance before giving him a piece of her mind. 

In addition to voicing Irene, Blige sings the song “Stronger,” written by the legendary Elton John. Watch as Mary and John work on the song in the studio and bring Irene to life.

The star-studded cast includes Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, Stephen Merchant and Ozzy Osbourne, James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Mary J. Blige. Sherlock Gnomes is set to hit theaters March 23, 2018.