Mariah Carey: Official Topic

February 22, 2008 at 08:36 PM

AMAZING REVIEW FOR THE ALBUM FROM VH1!!!!

Yesterday, Island/Def Jam honcho L.A. Reid hosted a few journalists in his office for a special preview of Mariah Carey's upcoming E=MC² album, tentatively due April 15. While Reid looked on, Mariah's A&R man and long-rumored beau Mark Sudack played 12 of the album's cuts from his laptop, often passionately (and adorably!) singing along. On the album, there was drama, there was death, there was disco. What follows is a track-by-track breakdown of our impressions of the album. Note that this isn't the final track sequence, that L.A. ticked off the producers list to us but it is by no means etched in stone and the tracks that we heard weren't always mastered.

One final note: so much of this album is sung in Mariah's chest voice. The vocal gymnastics and whistle notes, while there ('cause, duh, it's Mariah!), take a backseat to clear, purposeful singing, and Mariah sounds better for it. Oh yeah, Mimi's back.

1. "Migrate" (co-produced by Danja) -- After announcing itself with Mariah's patented whistle notes, this club track gets to bangin' and it takes that task really seriously. It's about as meta as a banger gets, with Mariah explaining during the chorus how her night goes: "From the car to the club / We migrate / From the bar to the V.I.P. / We migrate." And so it goes, from the party to the after party, from the after party to the hotel. There's a slight autotune effect on Mariah's voice on the last "migrate" of each chorus, which I assume is to put her on equal ground with the man she shares the mic with here. T-Pain, mercifully shows up for just a guest verse -- this is not a full-blown duet. It's a feisty track, with tough Storch-esque beats that Mariah's bravado attempts to match: "If you're inked up thuggin', that's what I like," she says. See, I always thought she went for the pretty boys. Already we're learning stuff!

2. "Touch My Body" (co-produced with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and The-Dream) -- There isn't much to say about this ultra-femme track that wasn't said when it leaked. Hard to believe that that was only a little more than week ago -- in the time since, it's become so ubiquitous that it's kind of hard to imagine what radio was like before it. Even L.A. seemed taken aback by how quickly it has caught on -- he described the track's out-of-the-gate success as virtually accidental.

3. "Last Kiss" (co-produced by Jermaine Dupri) -- One of the album's many declarations of eternal love, this one is "We Belong Together, Part 35." It's nice but extremely safe. One thing that's very much in its favor are Mariah's vocals, which are nimble as they are in "We Belong Together" (she changes up her flow more times than I could count) and maybe more robust than they've sounded in over a decade. There's a nice little duet at the end of this one between Mariah's full chest voice and her higher register. Of course, if she didn't show off that stellar natural resource, this wouldn't be a Mariah Carey album.

4. "Lovin' You Long Time" (co-produced by DJ Toomp) -- Pure and utter joy is this one, which is most reminiscent of the lovely Mimi outtake "When I Feel It." Except this one's, like, 10 times better. The chorus of DeBarge's "Stay With Me" is the foundation of this track (as opposed to the verses, which provided the foundation for the single remix of Biggie's "One More Chance" and Ashanti's "Foolish," among tracks). However, the sample sounds more weathered, and overall, the track comes off as a '60s throwback rather than an '80s one. One hundred percent feel-good and packing in a killer breakdown and conclusion that's a wall of Mariah voices, this was the first song that felt like the work of unstoppable pop genius.

5. "Thanx for Nothin'" (co-produced by Jermaine Durpri) -- A mid-tempo ballad that sports a beat rougher than anything Jermaine Dupri has laid down for Mariah and a guitar line not unlike Mimi's "So Lonely" (though this track is more sassy and less dour than that), "Thanx" suggests that Mariah and Jermaine aren't sentenced to live in the shadow of their former glory and can actually make relatively new sounds together. Lyrically, this break-up track is a cross between the self-deprecating "Mine Again" ("I never knew enough about you, babe / And I guess I only have myself to blame") and the streetwise posturing of "Get Your Number" ("Seems like all I do is think about your pseudo-romance / While you're somewhere burnin' diesel in the streets, havin' laughs"). Mariah packs in so many lyrics that she barely has time to sing them, and sort of just growls them. It's not nearly as ridiculous as that description might make it sound.

6. "That Chick" (co-produced by Stargate) -- Instant. Classic. An absolutely brilliant disco track that plays on Mariah's strengths and sexiness without ever crossing the line into indulgence. It's slick, it's chic (and Chic, with its slap-you-on-the-#ss bass line), it's silly ("La da da a oooh wee-wee" goes the bit between the chorus and the verses) and it carries a killer middle 8 that's as exhilarating as the one in Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T." (you know, the best part of one of the best songs ever that goes, "Don't you know nowwwww / Is the perfect time..."?). Mariah makes references to 2Pac and Biggie, compares herself to ice cream and the lottery and maybe even references the long-lost track from the Charmbracelet sessions "Touch the Sky." Oh, and also she delivers the most her line of her career, complete with a 10-cent word: "I brings that levity." Maybe one day they'll bottle the essence of Mariah, but until then, we have "That Chick" and I seriously am counting down the days till I can hear this track again. This needs to be a single, like, now, and Mariah needs to dust off those "Heartbreaker" remix roller skates for the video, pronto.

7. "Cruise Control" (co-produced by Jermaine Dupri) -- Another J.D. track that deviates from what could have been a detrimental pattern, this is a reggae-lite extended car metaphor ("I need a caddy wit some cruise control," belts Mariah). The chorus consists of her spelling out, "C-R-U-I-S-E control" and the second verse finds Mariah adopting a Jamaican affect for kicks: "When da door open I de gals pon de block / They be hop-on, to rob the clock / Me say no mam / Step up step up / Bottle broken / Tink I'm jokin'." Seriously, she says that. Damien Marley gets a guest verse, and I have to say, his shtick is a little more convincing.

8. "Side Effects" (co-produced by Scott Storch) -- You know how sometimes Southern rap almost has a heavy metal feel? Mariah and Storch exploit that by turning out a Southern-fried power ballad that's a thinly veiled portrait of her time under Tommy Mottola's reign ("Hell we built, and I dealt with it…Kept my tears inside ‘cause I knew if I started, I'd keep cryin' for the rest of my life with you / I finally built up the strength to walk away / Don't regret it…"). For someone as guarded as Mariah is publicly, it's shockingly frank (she alludes to "violent times") and really naked (the titular side effects refer to the toll the relationship has taken on her: she's "still a little depressed inside" and "still a little defensive thinkin' folks be tryin' to run my life"). This is another highlight, and having a rapper so associated with drugs (Jeezy) on a track called "Side Effects" that isn't about drugs at all, only makes things cleverer.

9. "Love Story" (co-produced by Jermaine Dupri) -- Anther ode to endless love ("This ain't no fairy tale or fiction / This is truly ours for eternity"), this ballad is more of the baby-making ilk. It's like Prince-lite with a synthesized beat a la "The Beautiful Ones," but not as effects-laden (i.e. the beat doesn't have the backwards sound). The melody is reminiscent of Mimi's "Joyride," and that should give you an indication of how sweet this track is.

10. "OOC" (co-produced by Swizz Beatz) -- This one has a pummeling thump so pronounced, it's somewhat surprising that it's not the work of Stargate or Tricky. "OOC" stands for "out of control," and while the track isn't exactly wild, it's a fun mix of The-Dream's "Ditch That N…" with a melody like Blu Cantrell's "Hit ‘Em Up Style." Besides the hypnotic refrain of "Forever and ever," the track is most notable for including the word motherf***er. As in, "I know y'all motherf***ers feel like we / When you're messin' with the one true lova / That makes you OOC." Hardcore!

11. "Bye Bye" (co-produced by Stargate) -- When Mariah first started promoting Mimi, she described "We Belong Together" as a cross between "Breakdown" and "One Sweet Day." That description is infinitely more appropriate for "Bye Bye," a song about death that's "for my people who just lost somebody," "for my people who lost their grandmothers" and seemingly for Mariah's departed father, Alfred Roy ("You never got to see me back at No. 1"). It's nice that Mariah's on a confessional kick, although a track with the "We Belong Together" sonic template and lyrics tailored appeal to everyone on such a basic level seems like too easy of a combination for someone as established as Mimi. This one's like insurance -- in case nothing else is a hit, here's a sure-shot. But ultimately, it turns out that the album is too good for that.

12. "I Wish You Well" (co-produced by James Poyser) -- We were told that this was hot off the presses and a very rough version of the song, but even in its unpolished state, it was a stunner. A piano ballad that features Mariah, some gospel-tinged backing vocals, a piano and that's it, this track is a throwback to the fan-favorite "Vanishing" from her 1990 debut. Part feisty ("You can't manipulate me like before") and totally spiritual (Mariah name-checks a bible verse in the chorus, although I couldn't catch exactly what it was, and she ends the song repeating, "The Lord is my salvation / I will trust in him"), "I Wish You Well" will have fans wetting themselves. It's gorgeous and in its simplistic way, the type of risk that Mariah should take more often.

The risky moments on the album ("Lovin' You Long Time," "That Chick," "Side Effects" and "I Wish You Well") bode well for the future. Though E=MC² feels extremely safe, there's enough variation to signify some artistic growth. She's cranking out hits and that's fine because that's what she's always done (hitmaking is her medium), but when she goes out of the Top 40 comfort zone, the album truly soars. Over 10 years after she first sang about it, it's only now that Mariah has worked up the courage to really spread her wings. The next question is: how high can they take her?

Source: VH1

February 23, 2008 at 06:41 AM

Well, to hear is to believe, Nikosn. I think I'll be buying the album even for curiousity alone. Will I go "Hail Holy Mimi, I Adore Thee " after listening to it or not? That's the question.

February 23, 2008 at 07:54 AM

Well, to hear is to believe, Nikosn. I think I'll be buying the album even for curiousity alone. Will I go "Hail Holy Mimi, I Adore Thee " after listening to it or not? That's the question.

I agree... we can't tell what the album will be from these reviews cause this is other people opinions about it. But I thought it was interesting to know what type of songs there are. It looks like this album beats ''The Emancipation Of Mimi'' in terms of variety. We'll see.

February 23, 2008 at 08:13 AM

Well, Nikosn, I'm very curious about that piano ballad. Gosh, when was the last time she sang with no pomp and pageantry to accompany her, but with just a simple background that brings her voice to the fore?

February 23, 2008 at 08:24 AM

Well, Nikosn, I'm very curious about that piano ballad. Gosh, when was the last time she sang with no pomp and pageantry to accompany her, but with just a simple background that brings her voice to the fore?

Me too. This is the song that I'm most excited about. The only song that is with only piano is... Vanishing (from her debut album) I think. I can't think for another one at the moment. I love ''Vanishing''. Have you heard it ?

http://megavideo.com/?v=YNCH1A7H

February 23, 2008 at 09:02 AM

"Vanishing" is pretty good but "Music Box" and "Daydream" are the only Mimi albums that I own. I know it's a matter of opinion but I have always preferred Celine's voice to Mimi's because it's more fluid and more agile. Mimi has the tendency to bore me bec. she likes to play with the melody too much. Then again, that's the reason her big fans like her. Just like Celine's screams are what her fans love and what others dislike.

February 23, 2008 at 09:40 AM

manuel can u give me an idea why mariah's voice is deterioarated right now? nippy's good reason for losing her voice, CRACK IS WACK. but mimi? why? :innocent:

February 23, 2008 at 10:54 AM

manuel can u give me an idea why mariah's voice is deterioarated right now? nippy's good reason for losing her voice, CRACK IS WACK. but mimi? why?

Her voice has always been fragile that is why her previous tours were very short and she takes 3-4 days between shows. For example Music Box Tour was only 6 concerts, Daydream Tour - 7 concerts, Butterfly Tour - 11 concerts, Rainbow Tour - 19 concerts, Charmbracelet Tour (over 70 concerts- that's her longest) and The Adventures Of Mimi Tour - over 40 concerts.

That's just how her voice is and now after 18 years of singing her voice is not in it's best condition as you all can see (The Adventures Of Mimi tour for example).

I heard that those whistle notes was one of the reasons. They can kill your voice.

But she hasn't done a live performance for 15 months so we don't know what's her current vocal condition. Her voice has been chaning with every year.

1990-1992 - Strong Powerful Vocals

1993-1995 - Again strong and powerful but with more girly sound.

1996 - becomes airy (however one of my favorite periods)

1997-1998 - Raspy vocals - still good

1999-2000 - Not very good vocals.

2001- She did some amazing live performances in 2001. Better than 1997-2000.

2002- Not as good as 2001... too much whispering

2003-beginning of 2005 - her best vocals since 1996

late 2005 - 2006 - her worst vocals ever

"Vanishing" is pretty good but "Music Box" and "Daydream" are the only Mimi albums that I own. I know it's a matter of opinion but I have always preferred Celine's voice to Mimi's because it's more fluid and more agile. Mimi has the tendency to bore me bec. she likes to play with the melody too much. Then again, that's the reason her big fans like her. Just like Celine's screams are what her fans love and what others dislike.

I agree with everything you said.

Edited February 23, 2008 at 11:02 AM by Nikosn17

February 23, 2008 at 11:39 AM

oh wow well said. infairness to nikosn17, he's not like the other mimi fans who are always in denial that mimi's voice now had deteriorated when compared to her early 90's peak. i watched her CB tour here in 2003. her voice is quite ok but after like 6 live performances, her voice gets weaker and weaker. the more her chest voice gets weak, the stronger her whistle register become.

good for you boy.. :wink:

February 23, 2008 at 11:50 AM

oh wow well said. infairness to nikosn17, he's not like the other mimi fans who are always in denial that mimi's voice now had deteriorated when compared to her early 90's peak. i watched her CB tour here in 2003. her voice is quite ok but after like 6 live performances, her voice gets weaker and weaker. the more her chest voice gets weak, the stronger her whistle register become.

good for you boy..

Thank you for the nice words. And I agree about the chest voice-whistle register thing. She said that herself actually. She even said that sometimes it's easier for her to do a whistle note than a chest voice note. Most of the CB tour concerts are quite good... I haven't the chance to go to a Mariah concert but I have soooo many bootlegs from every tour and I think CB tour was a good tour (vocally). The choreography was awful but that's another story

February 23, 2008 at 12:03 PM

oh wow well said. infairness to nikosn17, he's not like the other mimi fans who are always in denial that mimi's voice now had deteriorated when compared to her early 90's peak. i watched her CB tour here in 2003. her voice is quite ok but after like 6 live performances, her voice gets weaker and weaker. the more her chest voice gets weak, the stronger her whistle register become.

good for you boy..

Thank you for the nice words. And I agree about the chest voice-whistle register thing. She said that herself actually. She even said that sometimes it's easier for her to do a whistle note than a chest voice note. Most of the CB tour concerts are quite good... I haven't the chance to go to a Mariah concert but I have soooo many bootlegs from every tour and I think CB tour was a good tour (vocally). The choreography was awful but that's another story

i totally agree! mariah should not try to dance! she's nooo way a good dancer! but her CB tour is quite good vocally. but i wonder, her live performances of VOL during CB is awsome, but her Hero performances is awful, knowing that VOL is a very difficult song to sing and hero is very easy.

February 23, 2008 at 12:10 PM

Yes... during the CB Tour she did her best VOL performances in my opinion. She even did some great VOL performance during the Mimi Tour as well but they can't compare with the ones during the CB tour. I don't know about ''Hero''... depends on which performance you've watched. Most of the performances were ok, not something special ... just ok. But she did something at the end of ''Hero'' during CB tour that I liked a lot. She did a great whistle note at the end '' a hero lies in yaaaaaaaaaa''

Here's the best VOL performance from CB Tour IMO - http://youtube.com/watch?v=4Hnkdds9kj4

February 23, 2008 at 12:32 PM

Yip, thanks Nikosn17 for the updates. (and your English is great BTW)

That VH1 review has really got me excited now. Cruise Control is gonna be one of those tracks that fans are either gonna love or hate. I mean Mariah singing reggae is gonna be so different and, personally I'm looking forward to this track the most. It's interesting that L.A Ried wasn't expecting Touch My Body to get the reaction it has been getting and since MC chose this track as the lead single, just shows she's got great instincts. I wonder if she'll tour for this album? If she does, I agree she needs to work on her dancing....new choreographer is DEFINITELY needed and STOP stroking your hair Mariah!! :lol

BTW, David Morales is remixing Touch My Body...It's gonna be HOT!

February 23, 2008 at 12:38 PM

Yeah and another thing I love is that she is re-recording the song for her remixes. This is great. It's like a new song. Can't wait for the remix.

February 23, 2008 at 12:41 PM

OMG!! when's that remix gonna be out, guys?? I can't wait to listen to it :w00t:

February 23, 2008 at 12:49 PM

OMG!! when's that remix gonna be out, guys?? I can't wait to listen to it

Here's what David Morales wrote at his MySpace page

Tuesday, February 19: "Letting all u Mariah Carey fans know that I'll be working on her new club remix of her new single 'Touch My Body'. It's always a pleasure working with her. She's the real deal!"

Wednesday, February 20: "It's 7:05pm and I'm in the studio w Quentin Harris laying down some tracks for Mariah's 'TOUCH MY BODY.' It's coming out so funky! I'll be recording vocals with her at her house on friday I can't wait! I wish I had it for this wknd to play at STEREO. Oh well I'll have to wait to debut it at the WMC."

Thursday, February 21: "I just got home from the studio and I want to say that 'Touch My Body' is coming out lovely. I can't wait to get her to sing to the new track. After working with her for 14 years now (yes we did 'DREAM LOVER' in '93) it's always a challenge to go to the next level. But knowing Mariah, I'm sure she'll work it! ok I'm going to bed now. That's all for now."

February 23, 2008 at 12:58 PM

O God !!! I can't wait

Talking about the tours, I had the ticket for her Rainbow tour for Toronto on April 7th, 2000 but she was sick or something so they postponed it. But I couldn't see her cos my return flight to India was on April 10th

But the tour organizers were very helpful cos they said that normally they wouldn't refund it as she was "postponing" it and not "cancelling" it but i told them my problem and they just deducted the taxes and gave me back my money.. so I couldn't see her LIVE :down: At one point, I even considered giving away my tix to my cousin there, but he'd prefer to watch U2 more than Mariah or Celine.. so heck, I just refunded it

February 23, 2008 at 01:06 PM

O God !!! I can't wait

Talking about the tours, I had the ticket for her Rainbow tour for Toronto on April 7th, 2000 but she was sick or something so they postponed it. But I couldn't see her cos my return flight to India was on April 10th
But the tour organizers were very helpful cos they said that normally they wouldn't refund it as she was "postponing" it and not "cancelling" it but i told them my problem and they just deducted the taxes and gave me back my money.. so I couldn't see her LIVE At one point, I even considered giving away my tix to my cousin there, but he'd prefer to watch U2 more than Mariah or Celine.. so heck, I just refunded it

Wow, that's sad. This was the last show from the tour. I heard it was postponed because she has eaten poisonous food or something like that. I actually have 13 videos from the Rainbow Tour in Toronto. It was one of the best shows during the tour. She even throught one of her dresses in the audience. It was also filmed for a DVD but they never released it. I'm sorry you weren't there :confused:

Edited February 23, 2008 at 01:09 PM by Nikosn17

February 23, 2008 at 01:11 PM

Oh God Oh God :eek_drop:

My visa was valid till June :doh: Stupid me should have re-scheduled my flight :chair:

February 23, 2008 at 01:15 PM

Oh God Oh God

My visa was valid till June Stupid me should have re-scheduled my flight

:mellow: Don't worry , I have never seen Mariah and Celine live... sooo :glare: By the way have you ever been to a Celine concert ?

February 23, 2008 at 01:19 PM

Yeah... once in Tokyo in her LTAL tour... I was not even 12 but my dad took me there and I was like Wheeeee!!

The only performance that can remember very well is MHWGO and the ret are just vague memories :giggle: The only thing to remind me that I went there are the tix and the tons of photos me and my dad took outside the dome.. but my dad was kinda scared of taking pics inside when the concert was on.. so i have no pics of her :glare:

February 23, 2008 at 01:24 PM

Sounds great... at least you had the chance to see her. I hope one day I will too.

February 23, 2008 at 01:29 PM

Yes... during the CB Tour she did her best VOL performances in my opinion. She even did some great VOL performance during the Mimi Tour as well but they can't compare with the ones during the CB tour. I don't know about ''Hero''... depends on which performance you've watched. Most of the performances were ok, not something special ... just ok. But she did something at the end of ''Hero'' during CB tour that I liked a lot. She did a great whistle note at the end '' a hero lies in yaaaaaaaaaa''

Here's the best VOL performance from CB Tour IMO - http://youtube.com/watch?v=4Hnkdds9kj4

thanks dude! i love it. i think she should stick to that image. she looks so beautiful, elegant and decent during CB. my favorite mimi image are the MB era (girl-next-door image), Daydream (very sassy and neat!), Butterfly (sexy, but decent) and CB. she should put some clothes on. she's quite huge now.

February 23, 2008 at 02:11 PM

Yes... during the CB Tour she did her best VOL performances in my opinion. She even did some great VOL performance during the Mimi Tour as well but they can't compare with the ones during the CB tour. I don't know about ''Hero''... depends on which performance you've watched. Most of the performances were ok, not something special ... just ok. But she did something at the end of ''Hero'' during CB tour that I liked a lot. She did a great whistle note at the end '' a hero lies in yaaaaaaaaaa''

Here's the best VOL performance from CB Tour IMO - http://youtube.com/watch?v=4Hnkdds9kj4
thanks dude! i love it. i think she should stick to that image. she looks so beautiful, elegant and decent during CB. my favorite mimi image are the MB era (girl-next-door image), Daydream (very sassy and neat!), Butterfly (sexy, but decent) and CB. she should put some clothes on. she's quite huge now.

She was quite huge during the TAOM Tour but she looks really good lately and what is strange to me... she started wearing herself not as slutty as she used to during the TEOM era.

Here are some photos from 2008:

http://mariahsource.free.fr/2008/0128_beverlyhills/gucci/005.jpg

http://mariahsource.free.fr/2008/0210_beverlyhills/005.jpg

http://mariahsource.free.fr/2008/0103_caribbean/006.jpg

and her pictures from the Bahamas.

http://mariahsource.free.fr/2008/0119_bahamas/009.jpg

http://mariahsource.free.fr/2008/0119_bahamas/008.jpg

http://mariahsource.free.fr/2008/0119_bahamas/005.jpg

you can see more here: http://www.gallery.mariah-source.net/2008/0119_bahamas.php

February 23, 2008 at 02:21 PM

those pics are pretty good. she should cover herself a little bit. and look at those first 3 pics, she looks so natural. i don't know, i really hate her outfits on her latest dvd esp. the blue-green one. she looks so dirty and dark there. but her yellow gown is fine.

February 23, 2008 at 02:23 PM

those pics are pretty good. she should cover herself a little bit. and look at those first 3 pics, she looks so natural. i don't know, i really hate her outfits on her latest dvd esp. the blue-green one. she looks so dirty and dark there. but her yellow gown is fine.

Oh yeah I agree. The outfits for TAOM tour were awful.

February 23, 2008 at 02:30 PM

Oops nikosn17, for the second time in a row u typed TAOM. it's TEOM. :giggle:

February 23, 2008 at 02:34 PM

Oops nikosn17, for the second time in a row u typed TAOM. it's TEOM.

No , I don't think I made a mistake

TEOM = The Emancipation Of Mimi

TAOM = The Adventures Of Mimi

:chinese:

February 23, 2008 at 02:38 PM

OMG im sorry! im thinking of The Emancipation of Mimi. The Adventures of Mimi never crossed my mind. :doh:

February 23, 2008 at 02:42 PM

OMG im sorry! im thinking of The Emancipation of Mimi. The Adventures of Mimi never crossed my mind.

It's ok :flowers:

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