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Mariah Carey releases 14th studio album - Me. I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse

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Touchdown

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Title: Me. I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse
Producers: Mariah Carey and friends
Writers: Mariah Carey and friends
Release: May 27th, 2014


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Buy your official copy today on Itunes.
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Posted by Jonny on Tuesday, 27-May-2014, 9:08AM EDT
HOUSTON CHRONICLE: In title alone, "Me. I Am Mariah ... The Elusive Chanteuse" is business as usual for Mariah Carey. She's no stranger to unwieldy titles. ("The Emancipation of Mimi," "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.") But the alternately bewildering and bewitching diva does something here she hasn't in a long time. She lets the music take center stage.

"The Elusive Chanteuse," online and in stores Tuesday, is Carey's strongest work in years, her most fully realized album since 2005's "Mimi" comeback. In fact, the new album bears strong resemblance to that earlier comeback. It's a stirring, soulful showcase for her lush, honeyed voice. The tunes are nostalgic and familiar without feeling like simple retreads. And it sounds like she's simply having a great time. It's one of the year's most effortless, enjoyable listens.

Carey teams with producer Jermaine Dupri for several songs, and he again brings out the best in her as a performer, deftly balancing pop and R&B strengths with her penchant for hip-hop - without letting her teeter too far in any direction. It makes for a collection of many compelling moments.

Carey reasserts her power with "Cry," the rousing, gospel-tinged piano ballad that opens the album. It feels good to hear her singing songs like this again, reminders of what first made her such a unique pop force. It's classic Carey in the vein of past hits "Vision of Love," "Love Takes Time" and "Can't Let Go." She stays in that lane through standouts "Camouflage," "Heavenly (No Ways Tired/Can't Give Up Now)" and a faithful cover of George Michael's "One More Try."

It was initially alarming to see producer Mike Will Made-It listed among the credits. (This is the man, after all, who helped reinvent Miley Cyrus' musical image.) But Carey isn't interested, thankfully, in becoming a twerk queen. Instead, the pair came up with "Faded," a dreamy midtempo that fits nicely alongside earlier hit "#Beautiful" featuring Miguel and recent single "You're Mine (Eternal)," which should have been a bigger comeback hit.

Carey dips deeper into hip-hop during "Dedicated" featuring Nas and "Thirsty," which both ride effortless club grooves. She coos alongside her twins, Monroe and Moroccan, during "Supernatural," a sweet addition to the line of superstar mom lullabies. And she hits the dance floor during buoyant disco throwbacks "You Don't Know What to Do" and "Meteorite," which kicks off with a signature Andy Warhol sentiment.

"Everybody will be world famous for 15 minutes," Carey says amid a hazy groove. She's managed to last much longer, obviously. And "The Elusive Chanteuse" should ensure the ride continues for much longer.
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LOS ANGELES TIMES: The music on Mariah Carey's new album Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse would be hard pressed to follow the inscrutable splendor of its title. But take her word for it — this record really is enjoyably elusive. No one doubts Carey's ability as a belter, but now she's cut a perfectly modest, sonically contemporary album without any need to show off her glass-shattering range... "Dedicated (Ft. Nas)" has some of her guest's '90s New York glow in its production; her duet with Miguel, "#Beautiful," is actually much more timeless and indebted to vintage R&B than its unfortunate hashtag title would suggest. "You're Mine (Eternal)" is the album's highlight, with jittery rave synths bolstering a feather-soft breakup lament. A generation of today's pop singers like Ariana Grande have grown up idolizing Carey, and her sound is again back in vogue. What a treat that this daftly titled album really is a statement of a still-relevant musical identity as well.
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BOSTON GLOBE: Under the guiding hand of old buddy, producer Jermaine Dupri and help from a cavalcade of friends — including rappers Nas and Wale, soul crooner Miguel, and Stevie Wonder pitching in on harmonica — Me. I Am Mariah... offers up rhythmic hip-hop pop, gospel-inflected power ballads, old-school soul, and straight-up disco fantasias.

Miguel injects oomph and warmth into throwback gem "#Beautiful," the relentless yet elegant "Meteorite" would make Donna Summer shimmy, and "Cry" summons all the highs and lows of Carey's still powerful — and sometimes pleasantly dusky — voice in service of a commanding song.
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TORONTO STAR: On the immodestly (and somewhat cumbersomely) titled Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse then, the New York-based diva generally sticks to what works. Which is probably the best course of action since her last record, 2009's Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, made an admirable bid to mess with the Mariah formula a bit and suffered the commercial consequences accordingly.

No, people don't want "experimentation" from Mariah Carey, no matter how mild that experimentation might be. People want Mariah Carey to do exactly what Mariah Carey is supposed to do: throw herself full-tilt into an ooey-gooey ballad or three, play the flirty hip-hop coquette a couple of times and turn that powerhouse voice loose over the most expensive contemporary R&B production money can buy.

She does all that on I Am Mariah and in fairly good form, too. With longtime right-hand man Jermaine Dupri overseeing the proceedings, Carey ticks off all the requisite Mariah Carey boxes in the finest form in a while. "Cry" gets the melodramatic ballad out of the way right off the top, cycling back to the stock in trade on which her name was originally staked later on in match-fit style on "One More Try."

"Faded," "Thirsty" and "Meteorite" dip into plush 21st-century R&B. "Dedicated" samples the Wu-Tang Clan and invites Nas to guest on the mike in capable service of the genre known as "hip-hop soul," while "Money ($*/...)" recruits Fabolous in service of the same and the bonus track, "It's a Wrap," goes right to the Queen herself, Mary J. Blige, for a sumptuous slab of modern-day girl-group whimsy.

"Make It Look Good" is vamp-y soul, "Supernatural" is invitingly groovy wee-hours house, "You Don't Know What to Do" is an effervescent bedroom jam and "Camouflage" finds Mariah dipping a toe into Kylie's futuristic dance-music universe and conducting herself most respectably.

Lots of guests, too, to add value to your product: Wale, Miguel, R. Kelly and Stevie Wonder contributing harmonica to "Make It Look Good." And, hey, you even get a version of "America the Beautiful" if you spring for the deluxe package.

Mariah doing Mariah. If you're into that, you'll have no complaints.
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KENTUCKY COURIER-JOURNAL: Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse gives Carey's fans exactly what they wanted with a 1990s vibe so strong that you'll be checking your calender. It even has Rodney Jerkins and Jermaine Dupri as producers. Sometimes you can go back.
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Time: Mariah Carey’s New Album Title Is the Best Album Title of All Time
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Newsday: Mariah Carey's 'Me. I Am Mariah' review: Songstress nails it on latest effort
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USA Today: Mariah sings to her strengths on 'Chanteuse'
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-----------------------------------------Time: Make Your Own Iconic Mariah Carey Album Title---------------------------------------------

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#Beautiful
You're Mine (Eternal)
Thirsty


The Fairy Godmother of Pop has returned. You're Welcome.
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D

Deleted member 22576

Unconfirmed Member
This is probably the greatest album title of all time.
 
L

Leona Lewis

Banned
Baconbitz said:
Why would the allow sluts into the rock 'n roll Hall of Fame?
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What is this shit.

Mariah is happily married with twins after a career heartily maligned by the media for its squeaky clean-ness.

No "scandal" Mariah ever had involved another man, or another man's wife.
 
S

SpaceShark

Member
Time: Mariah Carey’s New Album Title Is the Best Album Title of All Time
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Sure, if they mean 'best' as 'most laugh worthy'.

Seriously, WTF at that title. That's total "living in crazy famous person bubble" stuff right there. I mean I knew she was already living in that bubble, but now she named her album after it.
 
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