Mariah Carey: Emancipation of Mimi Album Review (2005)

20 years ago, Mariah released her 10^th album The Emancipation of Mimi. Her past two efforts Glitter and Charmbraclet weren’t successful at the time and many thought that Mariah career was slipping away. So what she did, she decided her next album she was going to let loose and break down this wall she had from her previous works. It was going to feature some of her more dance and showcase a freer version of Mariah. Well let’s see how this goes. 

Mariah Carey “Emancipation of Mimi”

1.       It's Like That: I think this is a perfect leadoff single for this rebirth. Mariah club song where she’s just here for the good times. No worries, no stress it’s like she blossomed like a butterfly yet again. It’s a song that’s needed for her given the early decade turmoil she been through. The song also features Jermaine Dupri & Fatman Scoop as they hype up Mariah on her return. It’s a song perfect for a party starter and could’ve been the signature song. But instead… (AMAZING)

2.       We Belong Together: This would be the signature song of this era the song that erupted her comeback and it’s a song I already discuss. I think I said something like this… [from Top 10 Best Songs of 2000s https://youtu.be/qpuamsspT0M] (AMAZING)

3.       Shake It Off: Growing up I disliked this song. My lone reason for this is overplay as where I from and what I remember they played this over We Belong Together. Going back to this, I kind of soften my stance. What Mariah has to shake off is toxic men and she’s out and gone. The lyrics are very playful in a sense but if you think is empowering, that’s for you to believe. In all, there are elements that I respect and I’ll say it’s good enough. (GOOD)

4.       Mine Again: Now this begins the album cuts of this album and it’s one of the good ones. Sure the song is about a second chance at a failed relationship, but what won me over is how easy the song is on the ears. I would take this song on production alone. And yeah, another highlight on this album (AMAZING)

5.       Say Somethin': People forget that this was a single and I kind of understand why. For one, this was produced by Chad Hugo & Pharrell and they do fine. I think the problem is with both Mariah and Snoop. Snoop is in his laid back flow like he normally does on crossover singles. And for the song, it’s a tease waiting for the other to make a move. That’s the thing the song waits for the move to be made but it never gets there. I wouldn’t even call it bad but it’s not memorable for me to care (DECENT)

6.       Stay The Night: Kanye on production and the first thing that come to mind is the Betcha By Golly Wow sample, thus Philly legend Thom Bell got a songwriting credit, that’s one of my favorite song of the Philly Soul era. I’m kind of disappointed in this one. I don’t like how Mariah sounds in the chorus and she trying her best to avoid sexual advances. But again, the chorus weighs this song down but not as bas as (DECENT)

7.       Get Your Number: Many people claim that this is the worst song on the album. And I agree but for different reasons. When I was younger, I thought Nelly was doing the chorus only finding out years later it was Jermaine Dupri. No wonder he sounds like crap, why he couldn’t get Nelly to do this to begin with (then again, I wouldn’t tolerate this from Nelly anyway).  The content is the same as Same Something but at least a move is being made. But JD makes this song unlistenable, production and all. This song should’ve never made the album (BAD)

8.       One And Only: Here’s a mind blowing stat of the day, this isn’t the first time Twista & Mariah worked together. People forget Twista was more major than you think in the mid-2000s. In this song, Mariah is dealing with a player while on the hunt for Mr. Right. I know Twista fast rapping can be hard to interpolate but from what I’m getting is that he looks like a player but he said he could be the one and only Mariah is looking for. Add good R&B production, I think this one works, the most I liked a rap collab from Mariah since Heartbreaker. (GOOD)

9.       Circles: This song I’ve listen to before I gone through this album, and there’s a reason for this being one of the underrated highlights on the album. The content may be redundant with Mariah unwillingness to forget about her ex and having her mental spiraling out of control. Here’s the thing, like most of the songs here the production was what won me over.  (AMAZING)

10.   Your Girl: This song is back to the modern trends of R&B, at the time. This song is short and self-explanatory but it’s weighed down by the chorus. I don’t like how she sounds on the chorus in this song. Kudos on getting the job done, but that’s all it did. (DECENT)

11.   I Wish You Knew: Another highlight on this album. What separates this one from all the others was the live setting of this one. It’s about how he doesn’t have a clue about how Mariah feels about him. She even has a spoken interlude where she says its about finding the perfect someone to fill in the void. This is another underrated cut from this album, give this a listen. (AMAZING)

12.   To The Floor: This one actually does feature Nelly and it’s the second appearance of the Neptunes. I just got one question, why did Pharrell himself handle the verse and adlibs, he could’ve done this you know. This isn’t to knock Nelly. But the song is just nothing to me. When I hear the words, to the floor I’m bound to have a good time but I didn’t feel that. This was one that should’ve stayed in the storage (DECENT)

13.   Joy Ride: I’ve heard that this was one of the fan favorites on the album and this one was the last song she did for the album. In fact, Mariah said this song was thrown together weeks before the album was released. And you can tell. She’s saying that love is a joy ride it goes round and round, up and down, but at the end of this ride, they find love. I do want to shine the light on the producer Young Genius who was fifteen when he produced this. Goes to show you that kid was in his bag and that was a moment that he’ll never forget. Surprised that this wound up being another favorite of mines. Definitely a highlight (AMAZING)

14.   Fly Like A Bird: Final song taps into to the gospel elements of Mariah. It’s about Mariah’s freedom from every burden she encountered or haven’t encountered yet. She wants to feel free like a bird. If I have a problem it might come with the scriptures her Pastor includes which were Psalms 30:5 & Hebrews 13:5. I’m not sure how those scriptures tie into flying like a bird but Mariah stated that she included these verses because it helped her through tough times so maybe, like most of these songs I’m not interpolating this right. As is, good encouraging message to close the album for those who has doubt. (GOOD)

Final Thoughts: What a comeback album, I feel like this was the album that put Mariah back in the market for good reasons. The hits they stand out and the deep cuts were well supported. You can tell with some of the songs here, she has her confidence back. Also, did anyone noticed that this album didn’t have a cover song on it, her first since her debut. A generous 8/10 is a defining score and like with Daydream, how did this not win Album of the Year? Next album is E=MC2, where Mariah tries to follow up the success of Mimi.

Best Songs: We Belong Together, Circles, I Wish You Knew, Joy Ride

SUPER DUD: Get Your Number (ft. Jermaine Dupri)

8/10