Last year, I did a monthly series looking at the hits from the same month 20 years prior. It was a lot of fun, and although I haven't been writing about 1991 this year, I've been listening to songs from each corresponding month as the year's gone by. So I decided I might resurrect this feature.
Singles
Mariah Carey had the month's biggest hit with "Emotions," the lead single from her second album of the same name. It was Carey's fifth #1, leaving little break between it and her previous #1, the last single from her self-titled debut, "I Don't Wanna Cry," which was a #1 hit in May and June. Although most of Carey's singles to date had been ballads, she chose an uptempo track to introduce emotions, with production courtesy of dance pop powerhouse duo David Cole and Robert Clivilles, the men behind the C&C Music Factory that had scored a #1 hit earlier in the year with "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)."
Mark Wahlberg is best known as the Oscar-nominated star of acclaimed and hit films like The Fighter, The Departed, Boogie Nights, and Planet of the Apes. But 20 years ago, he was the hard-bodied, pants-dropping, little brother of New Kids on the Block's Donnie Wahlberg, who, with his own act, Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch, scored a #1 hit with "Good Vibrations." The track is frothy dance pop with rapped verses by Wahlberg and a chorus comprised of a sample of Loleatta Holloway's "Love Sensation" (so much so that she was given a featured credit). Although the sound is unmistakably 1991, the idea has a lot in common with the current trend of blending electronic dance pop production and rap. The video effectively showed off his body, and while it's pretty silly, in 1991, I thought he was totally hot (and I know what wasn't alone there, not by a long shot). Marky Mark had another top 10 hit with "Wildside," and even released another album a year later. Following the music career, Wahlberg capitalized on his penchant for showing off his tightie-whitie briefs by becoming a Calvin Klein underwear model. He made his film debut in the 1994 Danny DeVito film Renaissance Man.
Natural Selection was never a household name, but they did have one big hit, "Do Anything, "which spent 3 weeks at #2 in October. For this song, the Minneapolis-based trio employed the vocal talent of Niki Haris, best known as one of Madonna's longstanding backup singers at the time. The track is a laid-back mid-tempo R&B/pop sound, kind of like a mellow New Jack Swing. The group would have another minor top 40 hit, "Hearts Don't Think (They Feel)."
Light rockers Extreme scored their second major hit, "Hole Hearted," the follow-up to their #1 debut hit "More than Words." In contrast to that song's slow tempo, "Hole Hearted" was upbeat, slightly folksy, but showcased the same blend of guitar and harmonized vocals. "Hole Hearted" peaked at #4 and was the group's last top 40 hit.
Bonnie Raitt had been making albums since the early '70s, but didn't achieve massive success until 1990, when she broke through to mainstream consciousness by winning the Album of the Year Grammy Award for Nick of Time. Capitalizing on that success, she followed that album in 1991 with Luck of the Draw, which gave the singer her first top 40 singles, the bigger of which was the top 5 hit "Something to Talk About." The following year, Raitt would win the Grammy Award for Female Pop Vocal Performance for this song, which was also a Record of the Year nominee.
Martika, who scored a number of top 40 hits in 1989, including #1 single "Toy Soldiers," had her only other top 10 hit in October, "Love...Thy Will Be Done," which peaked at #10. This wasn't something I was particularly into back then, but I really like it now. It's a gorgeous song, with a pretty static rhythm that builds a bit with some strings but mostly reaches its stirring climax because of Martika's vocal. It was written and produced by Prince, who found the time to do this despite having his own album coming out at the time. The song was a hit in many other countries, including Australia, where it hit #1.
Rapper Heavy D had appeared on Janet Jackson's #4 hit "Alright" the previous year, but scored his first major hit on his own with "Now that We Found Love," which hit #11. I remember really like this song at the time, which is propelled along at good clip by its dance pop rhythm. The track is a remake of a song by the O'Jays, although it was not a single for them.
Prince had a huge hit in 1991 with "Cream," which became a hit so fast it basically buried what had been Diamonds & Pearl's first single, "Gett Off," which peaked at #21 in October. As good as "Cream" is, I've always been partial to the dirty grind of "Gett Off." Given its suggestive lyrics and racy video--not to mention his butt-baring MTV performance--it's no wonder the record company released "Cream" just 6 weeks after "Gett Off," rightly sensing it was too hot for radio (it did not reach the top 40 at pop radio). "Cream" eclipsed "Gett Off" after just 3 weeks, but "Gett Off" was still climbing the chart, an unusual occurrence for an artist to have two singles climbing within the top 40 at the same time.
When it comes to her singing career, actress and former Miss America Vanessa Williams is best known for her hit ballads--songs like "Colors of the Wind" and "Love Is." But she had some uptempo releases too, of which "Running Back to You" was the biggest. It was the first single from her second album The Comfort Zone, which in 1992 would give the singer her landmark #1 hit "Save the Best for Last."
British alternative group Siouxsie and the Banshees had only one top 40 hit in the US, "Kiss Them for Me," which reached #23 on the Hot 100 (which surprisingly wasn't a big hit for them at home, hitting #32 in the UK). It was the first album from the group's 10th album.
Albums
Prince & the New Power Generation - Diamonds and Pearls. This was Prince's 13th album and first with his band The New Power Generation, which he also used for his 1992 album, . Prince's popularity wanted in the '90s, but at this early point, he was still really hot. Diamonds and Pearls was his biggest hit album of the '90s, scoring two major hits--"Cream," which hit #1 and the title track, which reached #3, plus minor top 40 hits "Gett Off" and "Money Don't Matter 2 Night," as well as "Insatiable," which hit #3 on the R&B chart. The album cover was notable for its 3D image.
Mariah Carey launched her career on a high note. Quite literally actually, for it was the soaring pitch of the final notes of her first single "Vision of Love" that set her apart from the pack of female pop singers she so successfully broken into. As the '80s concluded, Madonna, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson were the reigning queens of pop music--a circle that would widen to admit this lady in due time.
This debut isn't perfect, and in fact many of the tracks after the opening salvo feel like filler. After the buoyant fourth track, "Someday," there isn't another real standout until the closing #1 hit "Love Takes Time." But those first few songs--#1 hits like the dramatic "Vision of Love," tear-jerking "I Don't Wanna Cry" and why-wasn't-it-a-hit "There's Got to Be a Way"--are worth the price of admission.
The rest of Mariah Carey, while not bad, is actually kind of interesting. "All in Your Mind" and "You Need Me" are very of the late '80s/early '90s era, reminiscent of the sound Carey would later explore as "retro" on the Glitter album. "Sent from Up Above" compares sex to a religious experience, a trick Madonna did earlier and better with "Like a Prayer."
It's interesting to compare Carey then to Carey now. As a 20 year-old, she chased an older sound that found the sweet intersection between pop, R&B and adult contemporary. These days, at 40, she does the opposite, trying to compete with other pop/R&B singers half her age. I guess the grass is always greener.
Despite being a bit uneven, this album was a major launch for Carey, with all four of its singles hitting #1 on the Hot 100. The album was nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy Award and, although it lost, Carey was awarded best female pop singer and best new artist. It was also the best-selling album of 1991 in the US.
Best: Vision of Love, Someday, I Don't Wanna Cry, Love Takes Time, There's Got to Be a Way
"Imperfect" is definitely the right word to describe Mariah Carey's new album. Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, her 11th album of new material, starts out strong but quickly sinks into a quagmire of mediocre R&B pop before pulling itself out of the slump with a rather grand finish.
The album is generally much darker than most of her work, particularly at first with opening track "Betcha Gon' Know," a deliciously downbeat piano ballad over which Carey sings with a decent vocal range. It sets the stage for the album, telling us some sad story, while name-checking a bunch of talk show hosts. Next is first single "Obsessed," a stomping pop ditty about the famous singer being stalked by a nutty fan (or Eminem, as some reports have said, and Carey herself won't deny). "H.A.T.E.U." follows, a lovely ballad about a failed relationship which like the opening track finds Carey making good use of her range by singing in her lower register as well as her "whisper" voice.
Unfortunately after "H.A.T.E.U." follows a long stretch of songs that are rather unimpressive and all rather similar, probably the result of Carey having relied almost solely on producers Tricky Stewart and The-Dream--the men responsible for her last album's only hit, "Touch My Body." "Candy Bling" is first, and although it has a bit of a retro vibe to it, the song never goes anywhere interesting, delivering a continuously unvaried level of sound. These guys aren't much interested in exploring all the hills and valleys Carey's voice can deliver, and consequently we're left with a bunch of bland tunes none of which are too fast or too slow and generally have the same Butterfly-era skittering beats (a rhythm she's used a lot in the last 12 years).
In fact, I find little to distinguish "Ribbon," "Inseparable," and "Standing O," all of which have about the same middling tempo, synths over piano chords tune, and little vocal variation. "It's a Wrap" opens with some wine being poured--and you'll want one too by then, a little Mariah screech and some piano before bringing in its mild R&B beat. It has a bit of retro flavor, but it's otherwise pretty thin. The repetition wears even thinner on "Up Out My Face" (mid-tempo, piano, skittering beats) and "More Than Just Friends" (mid-tempo, piano, skittering beats)--is there no other sound worth making anymore Mariah? The answer comes with plodding "The Impossible."
The album's last stretch though manages to yield a few successes. "Angels Cry" and its prelude, "Angel," are sweet mid '90s-era Mariah slow jams, that brings a bit of warmth and sweetness missing from the album's middle section (and a similar melody to "H.A.T.E.U.," the early slow jam that I actually liked)." This part of the album finds each song divided by a prelude or a reprise, most of which are generally related to the song being introduced or reprised, save for "Languishing," which stands on its own. This is actually one of the album's strongest moments, and its a real shame it wasn't fully developed into a song, for it's quite lovely.
Carey finishes her set with "I Want to Know What Love Is," a power ballad in the grand old style of power ballads she used to make in the '90s. It's quite tuneful and majestic, with Mariah's vocal soaring at the end with the matching choir. It's delightful pop at its cheesy best.
When I heard the album hearkened back to the '90s, and then this was released, I was really hoping the would be a strong return to her adult pop roots. Unfortunately it ended up not being that, and while her efforts to be a little more personal and a little less trendy are respectable, I wish it would have been backed with a stronger set of songs that didn't all basically sound the same. Still, the best moments show she's still got some range in her, there just aren't enough of them here.
Best: I Want to Know What Love Is, Obsessed, Languishing, Betcha Gon' Know, H.A.T.E.U.
Next week, Mariah Carey will release her 11th studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. Like I did with Whitney Houston, here's a look back at the first ten:
Mariah Carey (1990). Is there a more lovely opening note to a career than “Vision of Love?” Nineteen years later, the soulful love ballad that launched one of the most successful pop careers of all time still gives me tingles. While it was the best song on her debut, Mariah Carey has a lot of good moments—mostly ballads like “I Don’t Wanna Cry” and “Love Takes Time,” but upbeat moments work great too like playful “Someday,” do-gooder “There’s Got to Be a Way,” and keyboard-heavy “All in Your Mind.” Best: Vision of Love, Someday, I Don’t Wanna Cry, There’s Got to Bea Way, Love Takes Time, All in Your Mind, You Need Me (4.5/5).
Emotions (1991). In contrast to her debut, Emotions kicks off with an energetic first single, and populated with several Clivilles and Cole-produced tracks, Emotions was a ploy to subtly shift the focus toward a younger audience than her adult-pop debut. Otherwise, Emotions sounds a lot like Mariah Carey, with big, baudy ballads like “And You Don’t Remember” and “Can’t Let Go.” While sounding similar, somehow the songs just weren’t as good this time. “You’re So Cold” is so over-the-top it’s corny, and “If It’s Over” sounds like “Vanishing” part 2. Dramatic “So Blessed” is a nice surprise though, underscored by a chord progression she would use again (“Forever” from Daydream). Best: So Blessed, Can’t Let Go, Emotions (3.5/5).
Music Box (1993). This was much better and broader, effectively incorporating both fun, upbeat songs like “Dreamlover” and memorable ballads like “Hero,” as well as R&B (“Never Forget You”). Even the dance pop was better this time, with the decent Clivilles & Cole productions “Now that I Know” and “I’ve Been Thinking About You.” My favorite track though is “Without You,” a power ballad that finds Carey singing in contrasting styles—her lowest register yet during the chorus and controlled soprano during the chorus. Best: Without You, Dreamlover, All I Ever Wanted, Hero, Now that I Know, Anytime You Need a Friend (4.5/5).
Daydream (1995). Although it’s not a personal favorite, Daydream is probably Mariah Carey’s most acclaimed album. It certainly produced the hits: its three U.S. singles collectively topped the Billboard Hot 100 for over 6 months. There’s really little difference between this and Music Box: frothy “Fantasy” serves as this album’s “Dreamlover,” “One Sweet Day,” her duet with Boyz II Men, it’s “Hero” power ballad, “Open Arms” its remake of a pop classic a la “Without You.” New touches include the lovely doo-wop ballad “Forever,” the clubby “Fantasy” remix “Daydream,” and a bit of R&B flavor to the upbeat songs like “Long Ago” and “Fantasy.” Best: Fantasy, One Sweet Day, Always Be My Baby, Forever, Underneath the Stars, Open Arms (4/5).
Butterfly (1997). As the ‘90s wore on and the mainstream embraced hip-hop while moving away from adult pop, Mariah Carey shifted her sound in that direction. Butterfly was her first album to feature rap guests, and quite frequently the marriage works well. Opening track “Honey,” which features Sean “Puff Daddy” “P. Diddy” “Diddy” Combs, is a particular delight—a breezy, groovy, upbeat pop song. The Bone Thugs-N-Harmony matchup, “Breakdown,” is also pretty good. Appropriately soaring “Butterfly” is one of my favorite Mariah Carey ballads, such a lovely song, although it’s a shame this where Carey introduced a nasal quality to her singing (perhaps because she was losing her ability to effectively sing in higher octaves?). “Whenever You Call” is another gorgeous love ballad, showcasing Carey’s vocal abilities. Lovelorn “My All” is also good and gave the singer her fifth consecutive #1 hit (her second run of five #1s in a row). “Babydoll” has a laid back vibe and skittering beats typical of R&B production of the time. The remake of Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones” is a little pointless, since it adheres so closely to the original. Best: Honey, Butterfly, Whenever You Call, My All, Breakdown, The Roof (4/5).
Rainbow (1999). Carey’s final Columbia release is a head-scratcher. Despite having been a fan from the beginning, I took a pass on this album, and I’m still not really interested in it. “Heartbreaker,” while a fun song, is basically a “Fantasy” repeat—in fact sampling the same song. “Thank God I Found You,” her collaboration with Joe and 98 Degrees, is uninspired. Her remake of “Against All Odds” is decent, but I like the duet version with Westlife better (not part of the U.S. release). Best: Heartbreaker (not rated).
Glitter (2001). Glitter was the much-maligned movie and album project that found Mariah Carey at a career lowpoint, best remembered for her wacky MTV popsicle appearance. Like many such supposed downfalls (think Madonna’s Erotica), it deserves a closer look, for Glitter—the album—is actually not bad. Nodding to the film’s setting, there are quite a few nice ‘80s touches—years before that was so in vogue. “Loverboy” is goofy but fun. “Didn’t Mean to Turn You On” has great ‘80s stylings in the vein of The Time, while with you, which features Eric Benet(!), features a cool late ‘80s pop production style that recent ‘80s-inspired work has overlooked. “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life” is probably the least interesting of the ‘80s retreads, although it does feature an early appearance from Kanye West. “Lead the Way” is a lovely piano ballad, and “Never Too Far” succeeds with a classy strings and guitar arrangement. The lowpoint is the Ja Rule collaboration “If We,” which sounds like an uninspired “I’m Real.” Best: Lead the Way, Didn’t Mean to Turn You On, Never Too Far, Loverboy, With You (3.5/5).
Charmbracelet (2002). This is the other Mariah Carey album I don’t own. Following Glitter, she needed something to restore the public’ faith, but this didn’t do it. The reviews were not positive. What I’ve heard of the album is rather bland, and it’s only major single, “Through the Rain,” is just mediocre. Best: Through the Rain (not rated).
The Emancipation of Mimi (2005). The Emancipation of Mimi was a big comeback for Mariah Carey, who hadn’t had a major hit in years. The album’s effective blend of modern and old school styles introduced the singer to a new generation while still pleasing older fans. Upbeat hip-hop leaning tracks like “Shake It Off” and “Get Your Number” work as effectively as the modern ballads like “We Belong Together” and “Don’t Forget About Us,” as well as the soulful older-sounding stuff like “Mine Again” and “Circles.” Best: We Belong Together, Shake It Off, It’s Like That, Mine Again, Say Somethin’, Get Your Number, Don’t Forget About Us (4/5).
E=MC2 (2008). When Mariah Carey hits on something that works, inevitably the album that follows is quite similar. Such is the case with E=MC2, which continued in the modern, R&B-flavored pop vein of The Emancipation of Mimi, although with fewer retro touches. Sadly, a mistimed single (“Bye Bye”) threw this project off, resulting in the album having only one major hit (frothy “Touch My Body”), but there are lots of good songs here, particularly “I Stay in Love,” one of her best love ballads. Best: Migrate, Touch My Body, I Stay in Love, I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time, Cruise Control, I’m that Chick (4/5).
Because I couldn't narrow it down to just 10, here are 12 other notable albums from 2003 through 2005:
Evanescence - Fallen With its dark, but accessible tones, the gothic yet top 40 friendly Evanescence struck a chord in 2003 with its hit single "Bring Me to Life." Better yet was their gorgeous third single "My Immortal." I remember particularly enjoying this album walking around the city on cold but sunny winter days that year. Essential: My Immortal
Innocent Eyes - Delta Goodrem Australian Delta Goodrem's debut showcased the pop singer as a classy act, as adept in front of the piano as she was in front of the microphone. Sadly, her tabloid romance with former Westlifer Brian McKnight seems to have completely eclipsed her musical career, but back in 2003, she looked on course to become the next Celine Dion. Essential: Lost Without You
Dido - Life for Rent Dido's second album was almost as good as her first, continuing in the electronic adult pop vein with songs like "White Flag" and "Don't Leave Home"--the latter of which was about drug abuse but mistakenly assumed to be a love song and played at weddings (according to Dido, who told this story during her 2004 concert tour). Essential: White Flag
Sugababes - Three Three was the Sugababes last great album. Although it lacked singles as good as its predecessor, the other tracks were more consistently good, such as the slamming "Whatever Makes You Happy" and cool "Conversations Over." It was with this album that the group tried but failed to break into the US market. Essential: Hole in the Head
Alicia Keys - The Diary of Alicia Keys Alicia Keys' albums haven't quite lived up to their hype, but this, her second, was the best of the trio. I love its old school flair, and there are a lot of great moments here (like the spoken word confession of the diner waitress on "You Don't Know My Name"). Essential: If I Ain't Got You
Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin Avril Lavigne's second album largely avoided the punky/pop sound she cultivated on debut Let Go. Pity it didn't work out for her, for I actually think this is by far her best album, with darker more mature themes. Essential: Together
Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous As a stepping stone between their indie roots and their recent, more mainstream Under the Blacklight (which I'll be featuring later), More Adventurous effectively shows off both sides of the band. Essential: I Never
Gwen Stefani - Love.Angel.Music.Baby Breaking from No Doubt in the mid 2000s, Gwen Stefani released two stylized dance pop albums. This, the first and better received of the two, showcased the singer's taste for fashion, dance, hip-hop and '80s synths. Essential: Cool
Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi After seeing the quality of her albums decline from Daydream through Rainbow (and hitting rock bottom with Glitter and Charmbracelet), Mariah Carey reinvented herself with The Emancipation of Mimi, a winning set of modern R&B with a retro sensibility. Essential: We Belong Together
Gorillaz - Demon Days With Demon Days, Gorillaz, the cartoon band side-project from Blur's Damon Albarn stepped off the page to become a legitimate musical act ("Feel Good Inc." was a much bigger hit than anything Blur's released in years). Essential: Feel Good Inc.
Kaiser Chiefs - Employment The playful debut from the Kaiser Chiefs was upbeat and fun, with nods to punk and '80s new wave similar to that of the Killers (who broke out at about the same time). Essential: I Predict a Riot
James Blunt - Back to Bedlam Earnest, acoustic male pop singers proliferated this decade (see John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Daniel Powter, etc.). While I'm generally not into this kind of thing, I rather liked James Blunt's 2005 debut. Essential: You're Beautiful
Many of our beloved big female pop stars have new projects coming the second half of the year. Here's the current skinny on we can look forward to:
Christina Aguilera's planning a new album for September called Light & Darkness. After the throwback styles of 2006's Back to Basics, word is that her new album will be thoroughly modern and electronic, with collaborators like Goldfrapp, Ladytron, and Sia in tow (plus good ol' Linda Perry of course). "Keeps Gettin' Better," the single from her recent greatest hits set, certainly pointed in this direction. No word on the first single, but it's rumored to have a July release.
Mariah Carey's last album came out just over a year ago, but she's already got its follow-up ready. Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel is due in September, with first single "Obsessed" due to hit radio on Tuesday. Behind-the-scenes work comes from the usual mix of producers, including The Dream, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, and Timbaland, as well the return of longtime collaborator Walter Anasieff, the man behind many of Carey's early hits, including "Love Takes Time," "Hero," and "One Sweet Day." Also rumored is a cover of Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is."
Whitney Houston hasn't released a popular album since 1998 (2002's Just Whitney was a flop). Having dealt with drugs, divorce, and reality TV since then, the singer has been reportedly working to rebuilding her career the last few years. And while rumors have surfaced periodically about her return, this time it looks like it will happen. The album is currently slated for release in September. Although no word on its title, the first single is said to be "I Didn't Know My Own Strength," written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster--a powerhouse team for a pop ballad comeback.
Leona Lewis, who became the first star from a British reality show music contest to break into the US, is due to release her second album in November. Ryan Tedder will be returning to the mix, along with Timbaland, Ne-Yo, Xenomania, and Jay-Z. Lewis is reportedly interested in having Coldplay's Chris Martin contribute as well.
Madonna, wrapping up her 27-year relationship with Warner Brothers Records, will release a career-capping greatest hits collection this fall. No word on the format yet, but I'm hoping for something like we got from Celine Dion last year--multiple releases, depending on your interest, such as a one-disc version for casual fans, and a three-disc version with remixes and b-sides for the devoted. Paul Oakenfold worked with Madonna to record some new material for the release, which he told Attitude magazine are called "Broken," "I'm Sorry," and "Celebrate." We'll see if they make the cut.
Shania Twain is rumored to be releasing her new album this fall, her first since Up! in 2002. I can't find any details about it though, so among these potential new releases, this would seem to be the most tentative.
Billboard is reporting that both Mariah Carey and Usher have new albums planned for fall, both of which announced their titles today (Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel and Monster respectively). This is an interesting choice for both artists, who seem to be on parallel tracks these days. Both released albums last spring (E=MC2 and Here I Stand) that both had one big hit ("Touch My Body" and "Love in This Club") and failed to generate any significantly popular follow-up singles. Both albums were years in the making following massive hit albums (The Emancipation of Mimi and Confessions) that were both Grammy Album of the Year nominees (and Grammy Contemporary R&B Album winners) that scored multiple #1 hits ("We Belong Together" and "Don't Forget About Us" for her; "Yeah!," "Burn," "Confessions," and "My Boo" for him--with the last #1 hit in both cases being available only on subsequent special edition re-releases) as well as Grammy Record of the Year nominees ("We Belong Together" and "Yeah!").
Sometime in the late ‘90s, Mariah Carey and I parted ways. Having been a fan since her 1990 debut, “Vision of Love,” I started losing interest as her music became increasingly R&B and decreasingly AC flavored. More about singing through her nose and less about exploring her amazing range. Rainbow was the first Carey album I didn’t buy, as its singles “Heartbreaker”—a “Fantasy” repeat—and “Thank God I Found You”—just dreadful—failed to win me over. It was soon after that she hit bottom with Glitter and Charmbracelet, so from an investor’s perspective, I got out just in time.
But like a reliable blue chip, Carey made a comeback. In 2005 she put out The Emancipation of Mimi, a winning combination of old school and modern R&B sounds that delivered one of her biggest hits, “We Belong Together,” and her third Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.
Now Carey offers E=MC², which doesn’t stray far from Mimi’s winning formula. It provides a mix of more purely modern R&B—there are fewer retro-flavored tunes and no torchy ballads like “Mine Again” or “I Wish You Knew.” Having scored such a major hit in “We Belong Together,” as well as “Don’t Forget About Us” from Mimi’s special edition release, many of the songs on E=MC² are cut from those tracks' template of mid-tempo pop R&B, heavy in bass and skittering hi-hat beats. Frankly, that’s about half the album, with the other half consisting of slightly faster upbeat jams featuring a who’s who roster of guest rappers. Mimi gave us Snoop Dogg, Twista, and Nelly. E=MC² gives us T-Pain and Young Jeezy, both of whom have already had guest turns on #1 hits this year.
Despite its formulaic basis, I actually like E=MC² better than The Emancipation of Mimi, for its her best album since Butterfly. If she’s figured out what works and stuck with it, then I can’t fault her. Sure she’s not taking many risks, but few Mariah Carey albums ever have. And while I was kind of ho-hum listening to this during the week at home in D.C., down in sunny Florida, it sounded a lot better. E=MC² is a soundtrack for driving in the sun and going out with friends, despite some of its surprisingly personal more serious moments.
The album opens strong with three particularly breezy tracks. First there’s upbeat “Migrate” with T-Pain, featuring sharp bass beats and the vocal auto-tuning Cher popularized 10 years ago with “Believe.” Both Carey and T-Pain migrate from the car to the club to the party to the after party to the hotel…etc. The song has nothing else on its mind than going out and having fun, which it does well. Next up is “We Belong Together” clone (the first of several) “Touch My Body,” the album’s current #1 hit. The mid-tempo track features the aforementioned sharp bass and skittering hi-hat, plus some piano twinkles. The schizophrenic lyrics are interesting too, during the chorus she’s uninhibited, asking her lover to “put (her) on the floor” and “throw (her) on the bed,” but during the verses she cautions that if their tryst ends up filmed for YouTube there’ll be trouble. “Cruise Control” adds a Caribbean vibe to the party.
Next comes ballad “I Stay in Love,” which stands out because it has more melody than most of the other “We Belong Together”-style mid-tempo numbers such as “Last Kiss” and new single “Bye Bye,” of which all I can say is that they’re pleasingly bland. “Bye Bye,” however, is somewhat interesting because it mines more personal territory than we’re used to hearing from Carey. In it she reflects on lost loved ones, but on other tracks, namely “Side Effects” and “I Wish You Well” she reflects on her marriage to Tommy Mottola. In the former she enlists the assistance of guest rapper Young Jeezy to tell her rather dark story over a harder hip-hop vibe, confessing that she “kept (her) tears inside because (she) knew that if (she) started (she’d) keep crying for the rest of (her) life.” Yikes. “I Wish You Well” is the soulful closer, in a similar vein to Mimi’s “Fly Like a Bird.”
There are a few other noteworthy highlights. Among the uptempo numbers, I liked “I’m that Chick” quite a bit. It’s probably the album’s fastest song, with a slightly retro ‘80s-sounding groove. “I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time” is also fairly uptempo and a little old school, employing horns, piano, bass, and keyboards in the production-heavy mix. “O.O.C.” for “out of control” starts out with an interesting beat, but never takes off. There’s a wind instrument (flute?) that could have used a good solo. I also liked “For the Record,” a mid-tempo number with a dark streak and an ‘80s influence.
E=MC² is Einstein’s formula explaining the relationship between energy, mass and velocity. For Carey, it’s an acknowledgement that this album owes a great debt to its predecessor: E (Emancipation of Mimi) = MC (Mariah Carey) 2 (Part 2). I think Carey actually has a simpler formula in mind: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Best: Migrate, Touch My Body, I’m that Chick, I Stay in Love, I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time, Cruise Control, Side Effects, For the Record
This week, Mariah Carey broke Elvis's record to become the solo artist with the most #1 hits--18--and second only to the 20 #1 hits from the Beatles in terms of overall artists with the most #1s in the rock era. Here's a rundown of all 18 of her chart toppers:
1. Vision of Love (4 weeks, August 1990)
Mariah Carey's first single, which went on to become her first #1, remains, in my opinion, one of her best. The dramatic ballad perfectly showcases her vocal prowess. The song went on to snag Grammy nominations for best record and song of the year, and won Carey one of her first two Grammys, Best Female Pop Vocal (the other being Best New Artist). "Vision of Love's" parent album, Mariah Carey, was also nominated for Album of the Year. Unlike other big pop artists of the time, such as Madonna or Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey's success (once she got a record deal and released material) was instantaneous. The video isn't that great. Given that she was an unknown quantity at the time, its expectedly simple. Although Wikipedia says they spent money on it, it looks pretty cheap to me. I remember seeing it on VH1, but the video itself was not a hit. The tight black outfit she wore in it was her signature look at the time.
2. Love Takes Time (3 weeks, November 1990)
"Love Takes Time" was another ballad for Carey, and her second consecutive #1, although it almost wasn't, as the song was a last minute addition to Mariah Carey. I remember friends liking this single better than "Vision of Love," although I never did. The video, like "Vision of Love," also wasn't very interesting--B&W Mariah on a beach.
3. Someday (2 weeks, March 1991)
Another personal favorite. After two ballads, it was nice to hear something upbeat from Carey, and "Someday" easily became her third #1 hit. Given the more up-tempo track and youthful targeting of the video, it was around this time that Carey's popularity really took off, having reached a broader audience. Around this time Mariah Carey hit #1 on the albums chart, spending 11 weeks at #1, and going on to be Billboard's #1 album for 1991. The song got a remix for the video, which was filmed on location in a New Jersey high school complete with bucket drummers and dancers. This was her first decent video, and unlike her previous two, received a lot of play on MTV.
4. I Don't Wanna Cry (2 weeks, May/June 1991)
"I Don't Wanna Cry" was the fourth and final single from Mariah Carey, and like the previous three, it also hit #1, giving the singles from Mariah Carey a 100 percent #1 striking rate and matching the recent, albeit still remarkable feat of scoring four #1 hits from a debut album (Paula Abdul had just done it with Forever Your Girl). This one was another ballad, not bad, but not a classic. Unlike the previous ones, its video was also a hit.
5. Emotions (3 weeks, October 1991)
"Emotions" quickly followed "I Don't Wanna Cry" as the first single from Carey's second album, Emotions. Although not as a successful as Mariah Carey, Emotions was still a decent hit, and gave her another #1--now her fifth consecutive chart-topper--securing her still unbroken record as debut artist with the most consecutive #1 hits (a record that, incidentally, future Carey duet partner Westlife holds in the UK with their first 7 #1 hits). Having struck a hit with a younger audience in "Someday," "Emotions" features a similar uptempo dance-pop production, this time courtesy of David Cole and Robert Clivilles, who hit #1 earlier in the year with their dance act C+C Music Factory. This set the template for singles releases for future albums: lead with a breezy upbeat track and follow it with a ballad, in this case, "Can't Let Go." "Emotions" was nominated for the female pop vocal Grammy. It's a pretty decent song, although I liked "Someday" better. The video is somewhat unusual in that its color was drained and then tinted red, yellow, or blue in alternating takes. Carey's next single, "Can't Let Go," would break her #1 streak when it peaked at #2.
6. I'll Be There (featuring Trey Lorenz) (2 weeks, June 1992)
As a stopgap between Emotions and Music Box, Mariah Carey released an EP of her MTV Unplugged appearance in the summer of 1992. This was the first of a number of albums based off the MTV Unplugged show, two of which--works by Eric Clapton and Tony Bennett--won Album of the Year Grammy Awards. This remake of the Jackson 5 classic because Carey's sixth #1, and a was a major hit at radio that summer. The MTV Unplugged release was nominated for the best female pop vocal Grammy, and "I'll Be There" specifically was nominated in the R&B duo/group performance category.
The video is simply that portion of her MTV Unplugged appearance featuring this song, although it does have an interesting quirk, which is that Carey is heard introducing Trey Lorenz before his vocal segments, which was edited out of the album and single version of the song.
7. Dreamlover (8 weeks, September-October 1993)
The first single from Mariah Carey's third album, Music Box, was another breezy slice of upbeat radio friendly pop. Fans eagerly, propelling the single to #1, where it stayed for nearly 2 months, doubling Carey's previously longest stay at the top. This song I love, as it epitomizes what Carey was about at the time: carefree, tuneful pop. The appropriately lightweight video find Carey frolicking with dancers in a lush meadow and swimming in a lake in upstate New York. The track was nominated for the Female Pop Vocal Grammy.
8. Hero (4 weeks, December 1993-January 1994)
"Hero" was the last of a 3-single consecutive run of #1s. Released at the end of 1993, the song has become perhaps her most memorable of her early ballads. It was also nominated for the Female Pop Vocal Grammy. The video is rather uninteresting; it's a live performance. The album's following single, "Without You" has a similar video, recorded during the same concert. "Without You" was the first Mariah Carey single not to top the radio top 40 chart ("Can't Let Go" and "Make It Happen," which missed the top of the Hot 100, were still top 40 radio #1s). Notably, however, "Without You" was her first UK #1. "Hero" isn't bad, but I always liked "Without You" a lot better.
9. Fantasy (8 weeks, September-November, 1995)
"Fantasy" was the first single from Daydream, Mariah Carey's fourth album and second to get nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy. Daydream, like her last album, Music Box, would go on to be certified diamond by the RIAA for shipping in excess of 10 million units. Daydream is actually her best-selling U.S. album, and second worldwide only to Music Box. "Fantasy," like "Dreamlover," was a breezy pop ditty, although with a more R&B feel and a sample of Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love." "Fantasy" was notable for debuting at #1, the second single ever to do so, following Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone." The feat owed more to record company manipulation than instant popularity--due to Billboard rules at the time, only tracks with commercially available singles could appear on the chart, so if companies withheld their singles for a few weeks until airplay was peaking, voila, instant #1. "Fantasy" was nominated for the Female Pop Vocal Grammy, one of five nominations Carey received that year (Daydream was also nominated for Best Pop Album). The video showcases a new hairstyle for Carey--straighter and blonder--than her previous long curly brown locks. Set mostly at an amusement park, the best bits are watching Carey try to lipsync while riding an actual rollercoaster. She's understandibly a bit off.
10. One Sweet Day (with Boyz II Men)(16 weeks, December 1995-March 1996)
I still amazing to think that "One Sweet Day" spent 16 weeks at #1. That was nearly 4 months, a longer stay at #1 than most #1 singles released in 1990 even spent in the entire top 40. Boyz II Men got equal billing with Carey on this, although I still mostly think of it as her single, given that it came from Daydream and did not appear on a Boyz II Men album. At the time, the 16-week run beat the longevity record established 3 years earlier by Whitney Houston's 14-week stay at #1 with "I Will Always Love You." It remains the longest-running #1 single of all time. The single was nominated for the Record of the Year Grammy, as well as Best Pop Collaboration with Vocal. The video is rather boring--it's just footage of them recording the song in the studio.
11. Always Be My Baby (2 weeks, May 1996)
In a nod toward the fact that Carey's sound was increasingly movng away from pop and toward R&B, this single was nominated for the Best Female R&B Vocal Grammy. The video finds Carey this time romping around a summer camp.
12. Honey (3 weeks, September 1997)
"Honey" was the first single from Butterfly, Carey's fifth album and further showed her move away from straight up pop toward R&B. It's a pretty decent song, one of my favorites, but the video has to be her best. The James Bond spoof is well done, Carey looks great, she really hams it up at the beginning, and I love how she escapes by diving into a swimming pool while changing her clothes, which is something Bond really would do. There's even some good dancing, courtesy of her personal crew of Navy men. Very cool and a nice break from her heretofore breezy or performance videos. The song got two Grammy nods, for female R&B vocal and R&B song.
13. My All (1 week, May 1998)
It was around this time that in the U.S., it became frequent practice for record companies to not always release a commercial single for popular tracks, which instead were promoted only through radio and video in hopes of strengthening album sales. In an apparently stroke of luck, Carey's record company withheld official singles from what turned out to be her weaker performing tracks at radio ("Forever," "Butterfly," and "The Roof") which resulted in her having a second 5-single string of consecutive #1 hits from "Fantasy" to "My All." This is one of my least favorite of her #1s. It's okay, but it's too simple and too slow for my taste.
14. Heartbreaker (2 weeks, October 1999)
At first I didn't care for "Heartbreaker," as I felt it was a retread of "Fantasy," given that it samples the same song. In time though, I've actually come to see its charm. It's even breezier than "Fantasy," if that's possible, and it has a cute video. But this is Carey at her absolute least substantive moment--meaningless song, singing through her nose, repetitive, sample-heavy, and Jerry O'Connell shows up in the video, apparently two-timing Mariah with her mean twin, while attending an animated film that features Mariah. Later good Mariah and bad Mariah duke it out in the girls room.
15. Thank God I Found You (feat. Joe & 98 Degrees)(1 week, February 2000)
This is my least favorite Carey #1. It sounds vaguely like "Love Takes Time," but not nearly as good. I'm not sure how it managed to score a Grammy nod for best pop collaboration with vocal. This was 98 Degrees biggest hit too. Boring vid.
16. We Belong Together (14 weeks, June-September 2005)
From "Vision of Love" in 1990 to "Thank God I Found You," in 2000 Carey had presence at #1 in every year. That all changed in 2001 with Glitter, Carey's first album not to score a #1 hit. It wasn't just that it didn't have a #1 though--it was a flop, and Carey's career suffered dearly. The lukewarm 2002 follow-up, Charmbracelet, did little to restore her credibility. Then came 2005's Emancipation of Mimi, which found Carey hitting R&B sounds--both traditional and contemporary--harder than ever. The first single, "It's Like That," wasn't a major hit, but the second one "We Belong Together" was the song that saved Mariah Carey's career. The earnest ballad become her first #1 hit in 5 years, and one of her biggest hits ever, spending 14 weeks at #1. It's a great comeback single, which ushered in the latest era of her successful career. The song and its album were also responsible for giving Carey her most Grammy nominations in one year yet--8 nods--including her third Album of the Year nomination--and wins for best contemporary album for Mimi, and for this song, best female R&B vocal and best R&B song. The song was also nominated for Record and Song of the Year.
17. Don't Forget About Us (2 weeks, December 2005-January 2006)
Having scored such a major hit with "We Belong Together," Mariah Carey re-released The Emancipation of Mimi just before Christmas in 2005 with new tracks, including this single, which is basically a remake of "We Belong Together." It's not bad, but it's nothing new. It also managed to score Grammy nods for Female R&B vocal and R&B song.
18. Touch My Body (April 2008)
That brings us to present day, with "Touch My Body," Carey's 18th #1, which pushes her just above Elvis's 17 #1 hits and second only to the Beatles' 20 for most #1 hits.
Prince & the New Power Generation - Diamonds and Pearls. This was Prince's 13th album and first with his band The New Power Generation, which he also used for his 1992 album, 
. Prince's popularity wanted in the '90s, but at this early point, he was still really hot. Diamonds and Pearls was his biggest hit album of the '90s, scoring two major hits--"Cream," which hit #1 and the title track, which reached #3, plus minor top 40 hits "Gett Off" and "Money Don't Matter 2 Night," as well as "Insatiable," which hit #3 on the R&B chart. The album cover was notable for its 3D image.
