Mariah Carey - E=MC² Review

Posted by Byron Lee on 04.19.2008

Can Mariah top MIMI?

Her Story

Mariah Carey burst onto the scene with the heart-wrenching ballad “Vision of Love” in 1990. Her eponymous debut made her a star. Subsequent albums rarely deviated from the template set by Mariah Carey. While her albums sold well, Carey became dissatisfied with the ballads and middle-of-the-road pop that had become her stock and trade. After her marriage to mentor Tommy Mottola ended, Carey left Columbia for Virgin Records and used the Butterfly album to fully embrace the hip-hop and straight ahead R&B she flirted with on Daydream’s “Fantasy” remix (featuring Ol’ Dirty Bastard). Fans initially responded well to the change, but, with each album, the reception seemed to dissipate. Her songs sounded the same (She seemed to have a fixation on contorting World Famous Supreme Team’s “Hey DJ”, Cameo’s “Candy”, and Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love” in as many ways as possible.), her new tarted-up fashion sense seemed overdone, and the appearance of big name guests on her songs (Jay-Z, Snoop, Jadakiss) reeked of desperation, while also taking the focus off of the main artist. Following the dual-failures of the film Glitter and its accompanying soundtrack (which preceded a well-publicized breakdown), her tenure at Virgin infamously ended with the label paying her $28 million to leave.

After signing to Island Records, she released the lackluster Charmbracelet. She kept her name in the public eye in the years following by appearing on hit singles by Busta Rhymes ('I Know What You Want") and Jadakiss ("U Make Me Wanna"). During this time, she also changed both her publicity and management teams. She collaborated with Jermaine Dupri, Kanye West, Bryan-Michael Cox and The Neptunes on her next project. By getting better songs and toning down her wardrobe, Carey found her way back to the top. The Emancipation of Mimi, which sported the monster hit “We Belong Together,” was the biggest selling album of 2005, selling 5 million copies, that year.

Carey reunited with Dupri and Cox for MIMI’s follow up, E=MC².

The Album

On April 15, 2008, Island Records released E=MC², the follow up to 2005’s The Emancipation of MIMI.



The Songs: 7.0

1. "Migrate"
(featuring T-Pain)
2. "Touch My Body"
3. "Cruise Control"
(featuring Damian Marley)
4. "I Stay In Love"
5. "Side Effects"
(featuring Young Jeezy)
6. "I'm That Chick"
7. "Love Story"
8. "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time"
9. "Last Kiss"
10. "Thanx 4 Nothin'"
11. "O.O.C."
12. "For the Record"
13. "Bye Bye"
14. "I Wish You Well"


MIMI benefited from a narrow, contemporary R&B focus that was less awkward than her mid-period work, and E=MC² tries to follow suit. A bounce runs through the first three songs (the emphatic, snap-your-fingers intro “Migrate” (boosted greatly by the ubiquitous T-Pain), the infectious, if fluffy, lead single “Touch My Body”, and the aptly-titled, Damian Marley-assisted “Cruise Control”).

Strong work is also found, elsewhere on the disc. Cascading keyboard chords augment “For the Record,” nicely, while “I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time” puts a breezy, monogamous spin on the words uttered by the Vietnamese prostitute in Full Metal Jacket (later made infamous by 2 Live Crew). Furthermore, on “Thanx 4 Nothin’” a track buoyed by acoustic guitar, the songstress gives her second most impassioned vocal performance (more on that, later.)

Carey also does well, when she goes off the beaten path. The Off The Wall-sampling “That Chick” (rumored to be the original title of the album) and the ominous, low-end rumble of “Side Effects”. (which features a solid, but brief, verse from Young Jeezy) are effective, while “O.O.C.” (Out Of Control) is an up-tempo nostalgia trip, referencing “Upside Down”-era Diana Ross.

E=MC² gets bogged down, however, when Carey reaches for past success. She and her cohort are clearly trying to recreate “We Belong Together” (It was, after all, her biggest hit in a decade.), and one can practically hear the sound of dripping sweat on the disc. “I Stay In Love” is merely inoffensive. “Love Story” and “Last Kiss,” however, tried my patience with their desire to seem as “urban” as possible. (The first has a chorus that owes a great deal to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, and the latter is so greatly influenced by Twista that I was disappointed that the man didn’t show up to spit a verse.)

“Love Story” and “Last Kiss” exemplify a major issue with this album. Much has been made of the fact that Carey’s powerhouse, multi-octave vocals are mostly regulated to the ends of the tracks. For many of the songs, Carey adopts a stutter-step vocal delivery introduced to the mainstream by Aaliyah and now more closely associated with Usher.

(Also mediocre is “Bye Bye” (the second single), a banal tribute to the dearly departed. (As I type this review, I realize that the record company will probably make a heartfelt video that will have me eating my words. Remember, I called it here, first.))

The album ends with the best performance to be found on the disc. “I Wish You Well” (produced by okay player contributor James Poyser) finds Carey accompanied only by a piano and a backup singer. Carey belts out the gospel-tinged song in the manner that made her famous. Although there are many enjoyable moments on this album, this one is the only spot in which the singer seems completely at home.

The 411: Mariah Carey does best when she’s not trying so hard. E=MC² does everything The Emancipation of Mimi did, only The Emancipation of Mimi did it better. You won’t turn E=MC² off, but you won’t be captivated by it, as you were by its predecessor.

Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]