E=MC2 | Mariah Carey | Better than TEOM...WELL MAYBE     popular music:     E=MC2   E=MC2 Mariah Carey Island, 2008 average customer review:based on 31 reviews view larger image  for more information click here        highly recommended A Giant Pink Nuclear Explosion Every Mariah Carey album is an event worth waiting for, and such was the case with this glorious return-to-form. So many professional reviews seem to prefer "The Emancipation of Mimi" over this - but I guess they haven't listened to this long enough. Its twice as playful as `Mimi', and definitely more musically creative. On certain songs, little snippets stand out, a sample here and there - but everything comes together beautifully. This is also clearly an album that holds up - almost demands - repeat listening, only because there are vast riches here to rediscover. What a treasure that in this day and age we have an artist who understands what it means to truly record a genuine `pop' album, and also one without any filler. The `filler' is something that Mariah herself has had trouble with - on `Mimi' there were at least three sub-par tracks, and early in her career she was notorious for some real snoozefests amongst the more popular singles on her albums. On this new CD, almost every track is made for radio (which may be a good or bad thing based on how interested you are in pop music as art versus pop music as fun), and its easy to see why this is clearly Mariah's best album after "Butterfly" (which despite being from the mid 1990s, never sounds dated in the least). Lead single "TMB" is actually the least interesting thing here. In between Jamaican banter on "Cruise Control", Mariah makes the time for Jesus ("I Wish you Well"), discusses divorce and sleeping with the enemy (on "Side Effects"), ponders the death of a relationship ("Thanx for Nothin"), flits in and out of nightclubs for no apparent reason ("Migrate"), and spouts eulogies for her dead grandparents ("Bye Bye"). She manages to lacquer all of the above in a bright lavender gloss and Hello Kitty-esque lyrical input, so that even in her most supposedly poignant moments (such as on the final gospel track), its impossible not to just step back and gaze in awe at the absolute pinkness of the project. I mean this in a nice way. What really shines here though is the production. The best track on the album by a long shot is "I'm That Chick" - an amalgamation of Michael Jackson's late 1970s hits with some Neptunes-lite production - the song has a killer verse, soaring pre-chorus, and an actual chorus that is twenty times better than anything currently on the radio. A perfect pop song - I wish Janet Jackson could have learnt from Mariah before attempting those disco sounding numbers on her last tepid album. "For the Record" towards the end of the album is to me what "We Belong Together" was to the "Mimi" Era - a superb slice of fine songwriting and a verse and chorus that you will be humming for months - I expect this to be a monster hit. In fact, the album itself is too big and grand to believe - not since Shania Twain's "Come on Over" has an album contained so many potential Top 10 singles - with the sole exception of the somewhat boring "Last Kiss", every track here is top notch. And while Mariah is not exactly hitting the whistle register anymore (those high, glass-shattering vocals are found only on the opening seconds of "Migrate" and on the background of "I Wish you Well"), her singing sounds as capable and interesting as ever. All in all, this is both a pop music lover and a musicians' album, with emphasis on the music. For all its' chart success, one tends to forget that is definitely the most musically lush release of 2008, and harkens back to the day when Mariah ruled the airwaves and charts - because she deserved to. As a Mariah fan, she has often let me down, especially with the disgusting "Charmbracelet", but the effortless ease and charm of this new CD will make you an instant convert. Seriously, even if you're a die-hard rock music fan, chances are that you will fall in love with this album almost immediately - and how many albums can you say that about? Four and a Half Stars.  for more information click here Better than TEOM...WELL MAYBE I listen to this CD 24/7, she is the only artist i listen to now an i already know all the words to her songs on this album. I think everyone should get this CD cause it has a little of everything from Rap to reggae from 70's ish kind of songs to gospel, from ballads to club bangers, etc. Anyway buy the CD....you won't regret it. Only songs i don't like on this CD is O.O.C. which might grow on me oneday but for now its "play count" in my Itunes library is 1. INSANELY AMAZING!!! Wow!! I am soooo happy right now. This album is so amazing. The voice, the energy, the songwriting. music truly makes me happy. i really think we have to not pay so much attention to media and really focus on the talent. I just can't figure out which ones could be release as singles - they are all so frickin amazing. This is going to be a great summer!!! Top down, Versace sunglesses on, sun beamin, Mariah pumpin, coastin down PCH and then Sunset. Oh my, what happiness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU MC!!! Todd N LA  for more information click here Oh My! I love this album, I love Mariah Carey and everything she does! I have listened to this non-stop since getting it and still can't get enough! If you like Mariah Carey get this! Nice I didn't think I could listen to anything other than TEOM, but this is really nice. I have to say that while JD and MC makes mad magic together, I really wish he would stop laughing and yelling "Yall know who this is" in every song. He kinda makes me sick. But then again, they are a wonderful team. The CD is "harder" than what I usually listen to, but it is a really great cd. Good job MC!!!  for more information click here reviews: 1, 2, 3, page 4, 5, 6, 7 products you might be interested in   search for popular music mc2      toavi.com    web randomly chosen DVD: The Namesake