Mariah Carey – E=MC2

R&B/Soul

Mariah Carey embraces her extremes: She’s either grinding out R&B-hop or singing syrupy ballads, talking dirty or cuddling with a Hello Kitty. Her tenth studio album is no different: It starts in a club and ends in a church. Carey tries on reggae with Damian Marley’s scorching “Cruise Control” cameo, conjures a text-message title for Swizz Beatz’s flute-loopy “O.O.C.” (“out of control”) and dials cool Seventies soul with “I’m That Chick” (where she compares herself to ice cream, Tupac and a blunt).

.. Her best work comes when she lets go her Tommy Mottola anger on the bouncy, Young Jeezy-assisted “Side Effects” and gets high on Danja’s head-nodder, “Migrate,” which uses Auto-Tune to dabs her vocal. However, almost all of the songs limit Carey to four-note verses, which leaves minimal space for her magnificent range, and the six ballads are filled with clichéd lyrics that never quite fit into The Emancipation of Mimi’s froth.

However, Mimi’s 2008 album also explores redemption; in the song “I Wish You Well,” which closes the album, she demonstrates that all it takes is a piano and a few Bible passages to rescue someone, perhaps herself.

Stream Mariah Carey’s E=MC2 and let us know what you think

Mariah Carey’s E=MC2 Tracklist

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

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