Mariah Carey: E=MC² Album Review

 

Welcome back everyone, today we are going to continue with Mariah Carey’s album cycle with album #11 Charmbraclet. Before we talk about this album, I want to apologize for this one being a little late. I was pushing myself on the brink of burnout with this series and I had to take a miniature break, then come back and regroup. When there’s 14 Mariah albums to cover this will happen. Back with Mariah, I feel like she was facing some expectations after the Mimi album resurrected her career, hopefully MC2 can match those lofty goals.

Mariah Carey “E=MC²”

1.       Migrate : I want to assume that this was slated to be a single at some point and it makes sense. It features T-Pain and he was a high priority collaborator/producer at the time. Well in this song Mariah tries to use autotune, it was a choice but they don’t make it too bad. And the content is nothing more of a Mariah go to the club and hang out type song. What do T-Pain add, not much outside of fat shaming his girls how he migrates from home, to car, to club, to bar to the floor and back home to do it all over again. I don’t know it was an interesting choice for an opening track and I appreciate the risk but I’m cooler on this than I should be. It is what it is (DECENT)

2.       Touch My Body: The song that wound up being the leadoff single and it seems as the obvious choice but this might be her flawed since Loverboy. But it’s not all bad, Mariah is more bubily in this song as she teases this lover, but then she’ll hunt him down if he brags to the homies that he scored the winning touchdown if you know what I mean. But in all honesty, there are elements of this that work and there are elements that don’t. And that’s what hold it back for me (DECENT)

3.       Cruise Control: One of the big criticisms I’ve read for this album was that majority of the song sounded like Mimi leftovers. This song might be the first of the bunch that sound like that. Well it was produced by JD so it shouldn’t be this surprising. And this is a song where Mariah falls for a man who has six baby mamas (the irony), but Mariah realizes that she’s moving too fast and put it on cruise control. Damien Marley shows and warns Mariah if he puts it in crusie control. Fine but I do feel like his verse is out of place. I wouldn’t call this a bad song just a neutral one. (DECENT)

4.       I Stay In Love: So far this album is off to a slow start as every song on here is mediocre to average up to this point. But this might be the first song that actually gets there. The content once again is a breakup song where Mariah can’t fully move on from the relationship. I have one little nitpik and it’s from me because whenever I hear this song I can’t help but to think about her husband at the time Nick Cannon, I mean he directed his music video. Overall, first good song on the album I’ll stand for this (GOOD)

5.       Side Effects: is a diss song aimed her ex-husband Tommy Mottola. There’s a lot of hints that proves it, but since I’ve talked about this countless times during this journey and on my Mariah video won’t elaborate further. But on a song allegedly about Tommy Mottola, why feature Jeezy an artist that has nothing to do with him. I don’t like his flow in this song as he just say that Tommy Mottola is still hating on Mariah. It goes to show you that Mariah haven’t moved on even a decade later. Kind of come of defeating even if Mariah makes valid points, what a shame (DECENT)

6.       I'm That Chick: My favorite song on the album. One the production is very old school as it has a nice groove. Two Mariah Carey’s confidence that she that chick. It’s a perfect display on how you need to have confidence with yourself. While I don’t have much else to say about the song, this was a highlight for me. (AMAZING)

7.       Love Story: Another Jermaine Dupri production so you know this sounds like a leftover from Mimi. Mariah is tell a tale of two lovers, the girl believe he’s a player and guy isn’t ready to settle down, so it looks like the love fails. That is until the second verse were they actually fall in love. Mariah vocally seems all over the place as she interpolates a Hurricane Chris song and this song could’ve been great too. So while I don’t think this is bad, I know it could’ve been way better. Just saying (DECENT)

8.       I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time: It was another forgotten single. I just realize outside of Touch My Body, the other singles aren’t that notable. But while we exercise that demon later, this is Mariah being a ride or die for her partner. Telling him not to worry as long as I love you, I got you. This is another song that Mariah kind of plays it safe, but it does come off good enough for me to re-listen. (GOOD)

9.       Last Kiss: Once again JD production sounds like another Mimi leftover. The production sounds like a trial run of We Belong Together. It’s Mariah trying to cling on to this love and she’s hoping and confident that they’ll meet again and share a kiss. But there isn’t much else to this song, it comes off kind of boring. In other it’s very forgettable let move on (DECENT)

10.   Thanx 4 Nothin': JD comes in with more dated production that sounds like it came from the 90s camp. Mariah feels like her lover is playing with her emotions, Mariah feels like she was being used. I think this one is a as bout boring than the previous so the song lives up to it’s namesake. (DECENT)

11.   O.O.C.: Alicia Keys future husband joins the party. I tried to figure out what did OOC stood, I initially thought out of character but in this case it stands for out of control. Even though I like Swizz Beats productions, this is the perfect title. Mariah, in her terms of out of control, is her emotions for this guy or former lover, there are indications of both. I honestly don’t know how to feel about this Swizz Beats is doing what he does here and Mariah is having fun it seems, something isn’t clicking for me here. That’s what bother me the most. (DECENT)

12.   For The Record: Another song that talks about a past lover and how they’re still meant to be. At this point, I’m starting to get tired of this subject matter and I feel like I’ve done multiple songs on this project with this subject matter. The rest of this song has a ton of potential for me to get on board but Mariah can talk about current love than past loves, I think that’ll be a good thing (DECENT)

13.   Bye Bye : This song is dedicated to all the loves ones she lost in the past. This could id about her father and I’ve already talked about him on Charmbraclet. She mentions that he didn’t get a chance to see how big she become or how she grown as a person. She knows that the bye is only temporary and she’ll see him again in the afterlife. Mariah made sure that fans could connect especially those who have lost close ones in the past. With that, don’t have any major issues with this one, it was well executed (AMAZING)

14.   I Wish You Well: Final song on the album and it’s a piano ballad. This song is about Tommy Mottola yet again. But there’s a difference from this than on Side Effects. It feels like she comes to terms with him and the failed relationship she gives him some scriptures of encouragement like Proverbs 19:29, John 4:4, & Philippians 4:9 and it’s going to be the one I’ll quote for this song (Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you). This is a great summary for this song and I love when Mariah closes albums with these piano ballads. I don’t mind this not one bit (AMAZING)

Final Thoughts: So yeah, I didn’t get the same feeling with this compared to the Mimi album. For one I felt some of the songs had the same subject matter while the others fill like well fillers not bad fillers just little that could grip me. Not too many standout moments, and for that the best I can do is a 6/10 and did any of you notice that I’m starting to run out of things to say about these Mariah songs. Hopefully that won’t be the case for Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.

Best Songs: I’m That Chick, Bye Bye, I Wish You Well

Worst Songs: Side Effects (ft. Jeezy), Last Kiss