In no way do I consider myself a music critic, but I do enjoy music a lot. And, I have a very unique collection of favorites. I was very excited for April 15th to arrive and it wasn’t for tax reasons. The 15th was the day that the new Mariah Carey c.d., E=MC2 came out. I pre-ordered it on iTunes, which granted me the extra song “4real4real”. I definitely could have done without this Da Brat collaboration song.
Though “Touch My Body” wasn’t my favorite the first time I heard it, the song grew on me. Though the lyrics “I will hunt you down” scared me a little, it somehow sounds okay when sung by Mariah’s soothing, whispery voice. The first song on the c.d. is Migrate featuring T-Pain. “Migrate” is the first of four songs on the album that feature a rapper. This is not including the other songs that clearly have Jermaine Dupri laced throughout. “Migrate” is a decent song that attempts to give us the inside scoop on a night out with Mariah. She apparently has bottles upon bottles of Patron delivered to her, which then get old, so she has to migrate to another club. She even has to go home at one point because her jeans are too tight… Definitely a big problem.
“Cruise Control” features Damien Marley (and Jermaine Dupri shouting in the background) and Mariah’s extensive range of vocal styles. At one point she begins to sing reggae. This was a bold decision on her part, but she actually pulls it off pretty well.
My favorite song on the c.d. so far is ”Side Effects” with Young Jeezy. This is a fast-paced song that is actually about a low point in Mariah’s life. I know that many people out there can relate to the lyrics in this song – “Kept my tears inside/ cause I knew if I started/ I’d keep crying for the rest of my life… but I still live with the side effects”.
The song after “Side Effects” is one of my least favorites. “I’m That Chick” is Mariah confidently telling a man that she is the woman he should like. I’m not sure how she knows this, but she has “flavor like ice cream” that he will appreciate. And, watch out for the beginning of “For the Record”. The song is listenable, once you get passed the beginning. It’s that breathy humming she does in the commercial for her fragrance that is accompanied by music seemingly stolen from a Disney princess movie. I can’t stand it.
Mariah redeems herself with “Last Kiss,” which is another one of the slow, rhythmic songs that Mariah excels at. Though Jermaine Dupri is “rapping” in the background, it reminds me of “We Belong Together,” which was a favorite on Emancipation of Mimi. “Bye Bye” also follows this rhythmic criteria, but is a little too message-y for me. She is trying to help people deal with death, similar to her duet with Boys 2 Men in “One Sweet Day”. “Bye Bye” is pleasant, but it is no “Together Again” from Janet.
Another upbeat song on the c.d. is “O.O.C.” It took me a good week to figure out what that meant. Out-of-control needs to be abbreviated in this song so it can fit at the end of the chorus. I don’t know why Mariah is so into abbreviating things. Like the name of this c.d. is E=MC2, (that’s squared, but I don’t know how to do that on my computer…) which means the “Emancipation of Mimi Squared”. That’s right, that’s what she told Oprah last Monday. It sounds like Mariah is trying to recreate the surprise success of her comeback c.d. I guess I don’t blame her – one can never have enough money…
Despite my sarcasm, I really do like the new c.d. I haven’t really stopped listening to it since last Tuesday. Except to stray to my Coldplay collection while doing my homework… I would suggest that people check it out if you are a fan of Mariah. It’s a safe purchase, precisely following all the Mariah criteria.
