• pigduck
• Jan 17,2008
• In: Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey - First Promotional Picture for 2008

I like this picture… it’s classic Mariah but something new that she’s never really done before. I’m guessing this is from the media kit but it’s raelly not bad if it makes it as the album cover. It’s sexy, dark, classy…

Discopop Directory got a first listen of Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey’s upcoming albums. I’ll probably cut and paste the Mariah bits. It ain’t a stellar review by a mile since he did only give the album a 6/10 but at least he’s honest and it is his first listen… you need time to savour songs. You’ve got to experience the many layers and textures of the songs… that’s how I got hooked to the Spice Girls’ Spice Up Your Life that’s made me a fan of theirs ever since. The good thing about such a review is that it lowers our expectations and maybe when we do hear it, we’ll be bowled over and screaming for more.

Her album is a long time coming. After false starts at the end of last year, we’re finally seeing something and it’s giving me something to look forward to…and 6 singles planned?! Wow!

Here’s MC’s bits from Discopop Directory:-

…Label Boss Antonio “LA” Reid seemed very excited about both of them, although that is his job, and mentioned plans for six singles from Mariah’s That Chick, which hits the stores in April…

…Their old diva (in terms of contract, not age, of course) is Mariah, who is riding high after the 7xPlatinum-selling Emancipation Of Mimi.

We got to hear 10 tracks from the follow-up, That Chick, which I have to say sounded more polished and commercial than Janet’s effort.

One track in particular is set to make big bucks, and that’s Bye Bye - a torch song for people “who lost they grandmothers”. I guarantee that Simon Cowell will be sick of hearing badly-realised auditions of it by the end of the year.

Lyrics were never Carey’s strong point, mind you, so her paean to loss is summed up with not-very-insightful Hallmark platitudes like “I’d give the world to see your face” and “Life goes on”. Profound, eh?

Still, at least it’s better than when she desperately attempts to prove how bang up to date she is. In Touch My Body, she purrs to her lover: “If there’s a camera up in here then I best not catch this flick on youtube (youtube)”. Not exactly the sexiest boudoir come-on you’ve ever heard, is it?

But there are plenty of good tunes to counter the awesomely bad lyrics. Migrate, about a night out with Mariah while she wears jeans (”yeah, they fit”, she informs us) is sure to be a candidate for heavy MTV rotation, although I hope to god they excise T-Pain’s hopelessly strained vocals. Lovin’ You Long Time, meanwhile, is a strutting uptempo number very much in the style of It’s Like That.

So, what have we learnt from this listening “event”? Well, I wasn’t overwhelmed by the music - despite (or perhaps because of) the fact it was played so ear-splittingly loud that it felt like I was being punched repeatedly in the ears by a cyberman. Both artists have turned in a tuneful, competent set of R&B songs, but I’m not sure that any of them have the charisma or vitality to compete with the Rihannas and Beyonces of this world.

And so, the marketing machine has started…. YES!