Search - Mariah Carey :: E=Mc2 (Dlx)

You'll Be Lovin' This Long Time

Rudy Palma | NJ | 04/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

""E=MC2" is another one for the record books. Songs from this album will grace radio waves deep into 2009.



In similar fashion to her unprecedented commercial comeback "The Emancipation of Mimi," 2005's highest-selling LP, Mariah Carey has crafted what both fans and casual listeners will enjoy - an album that plays like a greatest hits project, with nearly every selection having the makings of a killer hit single. Her songwriting is at its peak - deep, earthy, frisky and fun - much like Carey herself. That generation-defining voice has never sounded fuller of passion, vigor and purpose. The melodies are strong and instantly memorable, the songs perfectly sing-able even for those lacking Carey's luminous pipes.



The biggest surprise about "E=MC2" is that, aside from its being a consistently satisfying collection of unshakable pop melodies and inspiring ballads, it shares no obvious commonalities with other LPs in Carey's catalogue, including its predecessor. This may discourage those with set expectations, but further listens reveal increased treasures. This is a recording built to last.



Her lyrics are always self-effacing, but she raises the bar on "Side Effects" and the dignified closer "I Wish You Well." The former is dark and straightforward, detailing the pain of an emotionally crippling relationship with a sizzling rap from mega-talented Young Jeezy.



The latter, meanwhile, deals with the same topic in a more understated fashion. Finding solace in verses from the Bible, she rises up against persecution ("No weapon formed against me shall prosper") and finds inner strength:



"So the more you curse me/The more you're blessing me/The Word said it/Love your enemies/Do good to those who curse you/Pray for those who mistreat you."



There is plenty of room for fun as well - as she coos on "I'm That Chick," a bouncy, ultra-catchy slice of old school soul, "I brings that levity." That track, as well as the Supremes-esque "I'll Be Lovin' You Long Time," sizzle with addictive hooks and wall-to-wall Mariahs singing over each other. Others like the sassy, dancefloor-ready "O.O.C. (Out of Control)," which has such snappy lyrics and blazing attitude that its title seems destined work its way shorthand vernacular, sound crafted to blare out of top-down convertible stereos on hot summer afternoons.



"Migrate" featuring T-Pain ("From my car into the club we migrate/From the bar to V.I.P. we migrate") and "Cruise Control" featuring Damien Marley ("I've been told so many sagas/He brings the drama, six baby mamas") both appear destined smash hits with their irrepressible choruses, and "I Stay In Love" is a classic Carey ballad that nevertheless finds her throwing curveballs at her creative palette.



"For the Record," however, may be the album's penultimate moment. Assuring a former love that her fire still burns bright, she namedrops some of her '90s records amid the buoyant, violin-infused instrumentation:



"Can't nobody say/I didn't give my all to you/And for the record/I told you underneath the stars that you belong to me/For the record/It's obvious that we just can't let go of us, honey."



Carey proves herself to be in the throes of an awesome creative streak with "E=MC2." The last album proved her talent unstoppable in spite of the odds against her, but this one affirms she is here to stay. She has never been more sexy, more beautiful, more moving or inspiring. Carey proves yet again that through all the imitators and worthy chart rivals there is only one performer with the killer combo of vocal perfection and songwriting panache.



"Them other regularities, they can't compete with MC," she continues on the aforementioned track. "The whole entire world can tell that you love yourself some me."



Our great-grandchildren will surely not remember most of today's entertainers, but "E=MC2" adds further likelihood that Carey will prove an exception to the rule."

Energy is Mariah squared indeed!

Nse Ette | Lagos, Nigeria | 04/15/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Mariah Carey returned with a bang in 2005 with "The Emancipation of Mimi" which won 3 Grammys and sold millions, winning back loads of people, myself included. On "E=MC²", she returns with more of that winning formula, so much so that lead-off single (and her 18th US #1 single) "Touch my body" reminds one a lot of her hit "We belong together". Still, it is a nice song, with Mariah's vocals fluttering over a stripped beat and tinkling music box with lyrical references to YouTube and her threatening to "hunt you down". She even strikes a pose on the cover, similar to that on "Emancipation..".



While this CD is a natural progression from "Emancipation..", she does attempt to spread her musical wings somewhat more on this album, for which I must applaud her. "Cruise control" is a reggae-ish song, featuring Damien Marley, and with Mariah singing in some Jamaican-ish patois, while getting semi-biographical are a pair of songs; the hard hitting "Side effects" (with sluggish synths, and verbose lyrics about an abusive relationship; hers with ex hubby Tommy Mottola) and the fantastic power ballad (and second single to be) "Bye bye", written about the loss of her estranged father.



There's also quite a bit to dance to; the disco-tinged Stargate produced "I'm that chick" samples Michael Jackson's "Off the wall", the bouncy disco-tinged Swizz Beatz produced "OOC" (for "Out of control", soon to be a catchphrase; that's how to do it Paris "that's hot" Hilton!!) finds her singing in French, Italian and Spanish, and the Danja produced "Migrate" features a dark grinding beat and Mariah toying a lot with her bird whistle register before morphing into a synth note.



Other standouts are the sweeping "Thanx 4 nothin'", "I'll be lovin' you long time" (with vocal layering sounding like a Mariah-filled studio, and a DeBarge sample), and the stunning stripped gospel choir-backed piano ballad "I wish you well" (and with a few Biblical quotes thrown in, you'd be forgiven for not noticing it is in fact a kiss-off song). She sounds exceptionally great and emotional on this song.



The deluxe edition comes in a digipak with a poster, and an iPod skin. No extra tracks.



One other thing I liked is the fact that the album is not chock full of rappers (I can't wait for that phenomenon to just die in American music). For those who loved "Emancipation...", there's more to love here, and to those who didn't? Well, I'm afraid they are going to be hearing a lot off this album like it or not. Now I'm waiting impatiently for the new Madonna Hard Candy and Donna Summer Crayons CDs..."

A Giant Pink Nuclear Explosion

Cabir Davis | 04/22/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
Every Mariah Carey album is an event worth waiting for, and such was the case with this glorious return-to-form. So many professional reviews seem to prefer "The Emancipation of Mimi" over this - but I guess they haven't listened to this long enough. Its twice as playful as `Mimi', and definitely more musically creative. On certain songs, little snippets stand out, a sample here and there - but everything comes together beautifully. This is also clearly an album that holds up - almost demands - repeat listening, only because there are vast riches here to rediscover.



What a treasure that in this day and age we have an artist who understands what it means to truly record a genuine `pop' album, and also one without any filler. The `filler' is something that Mariah herself has had trouble with - on `Mimi' there were at least three sub-par tracks, and early in her career she was notorious for some real snoozefests amongst the more popular singles on her albums. On this new CD, almost every track is made for radio (which may be a good or bad thing based on how interested you are in pop music as art versus pop music as fun), and its easy to see why this is clearly Mariah's best album after "Butterfly" (which despite being from the mid 1990s, never sounds dated in the least).



Lead single "TMB" is actually the least interesting thing here. In between Jamaican banter on "Cruise Control", Mariah makes the time for Jesus ("I Wish you Well"), discusses divorce and sleeping with the enemy (on "Side Effects"), ponders the death of a relationship ("Thanx for Nothin"), flits in and out of nightclubs for no apparent reason ("Migrate"), and spouts eulogies for her dead grandparents ("Bye Bye"). She manages to lacquer all of the above in a bright lavender gloss and Hello Kitty-esque lyrical input, so that even in her most supposedly poignant moments (such as on the final gospel track), its impossible not to just step back and gaze in awe at the absolute pinkness of the project. I mean this in a nice way.



What really shines here though is the production. The best track on the album by a long shot is "I'm That Chick" - an amalgamation of Michael Jackson's late 1970s hits with some Neptunes-lite production - the song has a killer verse, soaring pre-chorus, and an actual chorus that is twenty times better than anything currently on the radio. A perfect pop song - I wish Janet Jackson could have learnt from Mariah before attempting those disco sounding numbers on her last tepid album. "For the Record" towards the end of the album is to me what "We Belong Together" was to the "Mimi" Era - a superb slice of fine songwriting and a verse and chorus that you will be humming for months - I expect this to be a monster hit.



In fact, the album itself is too big and grand to believe - not since Shania Twain's "Come on Over" has an album contained so many potential Top 10 singles - with the sole exception of the somewhat boring "Last Kiss", every track here is top notch. And while Mariah is not exactly hitting the whistle register anymore (those high, glass-shattering vocals are found only on the opening seconds of "Migrate" and on the background of "I Wish you Well"), her singing sounds as capable and interesting as ever.



All in all, this is both a pop music lover and a musicians' album, with emphasis on the music. For all its' chart success, one tends to forget that is definitely the most musically lush release of 2008, and harkens back to the day when Mariah ruled the airwaves and charts - because she deserved to. As a Mariah fan, she has often let me down, especially with the disgusting "Charmbracelet", but the effortless ease and charm of this new CD will make you an instant convert. Seriously, even if you're a die-hard rock music fan, chances are that you will fall in love with this album almost immediately - and how many albums can you say that about?



Four and a Half Stars."