Mariah Carey-
The Emancipation Of Mimi (WW) (Island/Def Jam/Universal)
For most acts, getting even one
album out is an achievement. Fewer still ever get that album in the spotlight, and
fewer still ever become stars from it, if only for a little bit. For Mariah
Carey, being in the spotlight isn’t just a fact of life but her job- so much so
that she even had to spend a stint in a hospital to recover from stress. She’s
been on the upswing since then, with this album, her tenth overall and second
since the stress-inducing debacle that was “Glitter”.
Of course, just looking at Carey
may make it hard to believe that she’s been in the business since 1990, but if
“The Emancipation of Mimi” will show anything, it’s that Carey’s age may be
beginning to show. “Mimi”, which was born out of a nickname Carey apparently
decided upon when looking for a new “persona”, is an obvious attempt to
“modernize” Carey, with the focal point being club tracks and the obvious
association with hip hop’s current stars, like Nelly, Twista and Snoop Dogg,
and despite some good intentions, it comes out as rather plain and redundant.
For example, “Get Your Number”
is your quintessential club song, featuring an upbeat tempo and some catchy
lyrics about Jermaine Dupri’s (who is featured in the song) attempt to “pick
up” Carey after a night of dancing. This kind of song- that is in itself a
cliché- is usually the kind of song that you would expect newcomers to sing, as
it is “safe” and easily relatable. However, for Carey, who didn’t build her
multitude of No. 1’s by simply repeating what everyone else did, it becomes a
case of failed expectations, where everyone knows that, as a star, she
shouldn’t have to resort to “safe” material (Dupri’s awful singing in this song
also doesn’t help). The same too can be said for several of the other club
tracks here, like “To The Floor” (with Nelly and the Neptunes) and the attempt
at the sultry club track in “One And Only” with Twista- if they were done by
anyone else they would be great songs, but done by Mariah and they become
forgettable, simply because we know that she can do better.
This isn’t to say that “Mimi” is
completely worthless- “To The Floor”, despite being quick entertainment, is
actually quite danceable, as is “Say Something” with Snoop Dogg and her first
single, “It’s Like That”, the most successful of the club tracks here. However,
this is largely an album that, despite palatable, once it’s done isn’t
memorable, and while that may pass for newcomers needing to establish
themselves, it doesn’t pass for Carey. Simply put, Carey did not build her
career by being “one of the pack”- she rose above it, and here she simply
refuses to leave. Granted, she’s still on the comeback trail since “Glitter”
and thus may still feel like she has something to prove, but if she keeps this
up she won’t have another fifteen years in the business. However, if you’re
looking for quick entertainment, “Mimi” is a good place to look. However, if
you’re looking for the proper return of Carey, you’ll be sorely disappointed.
-DG