Album Review: Mariah Carey "E=MC²"

The Emancipation Of Mimi. It happened & there was no way around it. Sure, as a Mariah fanatic, I am very happy she released that album--more specifically the single "We Belong Together"--& yeah, I like it, too. But the pressure was on to bring it with the follow-up ... & if I have anything to say about it, Mariah did. And did some more. And some more. Well, you get the point.

E=MC² starts off fantastically well with the T-Pain- (& vocoder-) assisted "Migrate." Mariah uses just enough of the tool that makes infinite hits these days & mixes it with MC flare to create a sure-fire hit (that probably should have been released as the second single, as opposed to the "let's follow the Mimi path to success SO exactly that it backfires" plan Island took). The album's first single "Touch My Body" was the perfect tease for what was to come, especially with the song's music video. And just when people might start thinking that Mariah is trying to stick EXACTLY to Mimi's formula, "Cruise Control," featuring Damian Marley, begins to play. One of my personal favorites on the album, MC's Jamaican accent is priceless.

For those who prefer Mariah pre-Butterfly, which just so happens to be another one of her best efforts, her classic diva sound reappears, if only for a moment, in "I Stay In Love." The brilliant ballad fulfills the desire to hear Mariah's amazing vocal chops & is utter perfection. Mariah also gets personal about her broken marriage to Tommy Mottola in "Side Effects" alongside Young Jeezy. The deep, intense song is refreshing to hear & proves any who doubted Mariah's creative ability at this point in her career wrong.

Some of Mariah's best material, in my opinion, is found in "I'm That Chick," "Love Story," & "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time," the latter of which is my favorite song on the album & a perfect single choice, even if the masses don't know it yet. They have everything: the catchy hooks, the sleek vocals, the outstanding production. At this point during my first listen, I knew Mariah wasn't playing around. As for the rest of E=MC², whether Mariah is gettin' funky ("O.O.C."), name-checking her own classics ("For The Record"), reminiscing ("Bye Bye"), or remaining grounded in her spirituality ("I Wish You Well"), Mariah is musically on-point throughout.

Whether it's gettin' jiggy wit it (na na na...) or showing off that massive range she has, Mariah is on fire like she's always been. E=MC² literally has it all &, I have to say, is my personal favorite MC record, if not my favorite album ever.

Rating: 5+/5 Stars