Album Review: Mariah Carey- Me. I am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse

A few days ago, after I had….obtained…a copy of the new, and confoundingly titled Mariah Carey album, I posted on Facebook that “in case anyone was wondering…it’s pretty good.” I think my very strong social media presence, to some, is incredibly confusing, because there were those that thought I was joking (I’m not), and those that were aghast at the fact that I was spending my time listening to a new album from Mariah Carey.

Since the inception of this blog, in the dark ages of January of 2013, I found that I can’t just post whenever an album I like, or was looking forward to hearing, comes along. Because if that were the case, it would be updated incredibly infrequently. And since I want people to take this place seriously, I started opening myself up to albums that I was so-so on, then later, albums that were atrocious. With this, came the decision to branch out of whatever was hot in ambient/experimental/drone, or whatever indie band was set to blow up big—that meant mainstream pop music.

And honestly, you’d have to be lying to yourself if you claim you don’t like pop music. Everyone, somewhere, deep down, in the darkest reaches of the blackest hearts (like my own), there is a love of pop music. I grew up listening to pop music in the 80s and 90s. And despite my best effort to scoff at the Top 40 charts, I’ve found it’s just best to accept it for what it is, and even embrace it if you are willing.

So now, that brings us to Mariah. The Elusive Chanteuse. Like, not even joking. That is the name of her album—or at least part of it. The full, cumbersome, clunky title is: Me. I am Mariah…The Elusive Chanteuse.

It’s really best to focus on the music on this album, because the moment you try to wrap your brain around that title, your head will start to hurt from wondering what on Earth she possibly means.

Since 2001s catastrophe (Glitter), I feel like Mariah Carey’s track record has been incredibly hit or miss for the second half of her career. She had some singles in the mid 2000s that received some heavy airplay—2005s “We Belong Together” (from the equally as bizarrely titled The Emancipation of Mimi), and then the auto-tuned warbles of “Obsessed” during the summer of 2009 (again, from the fascinatingly named Memoirs of An Imperfect Angel.)

And save for a Christmas album, Elusive Chanteuse marks what you could call the beginning of her third act as a performer—it’s her first studio album in five years, and first since becoming a bit of a caricature of herself as a judge on “American Idol,” and since becoming a mother to twins with husband Nick Cannon.

It’s worth noting that this is the kind of album that doesn’t take itself very seriously, therefore you, as the listener, shouldn’t either. That’s not what it is here to do. What it does succeed at is being a very listenable, enjoyable, and fun pop record.

Structurally, The Elusive Chanteuse is frontloaded with some its best, catchiest, and most “fun” tracks, including the early single “#Beautiful” featuring indie-set approved R&B singer Miguel, “Make it Look Good,” “You’re Mine,” the nostalgic “Dedicated,” and the Mike Will Made It produced slow burning “Faded.” Less successful, however, early on is “Thirsty,” featuring somewhat generic production from hit-mater Hit Boy (known best for his work on “Ni**as in Paris”) and a guest appearance from auto-tuned singer/rapper Rich Homie Quan.

I hesitate to say that things take a turn in the second half, but this is obviously, like, not a perfect album. “Meteorite” takes on a post-disco beat that starts off with a cringe-worth monologue referencing Andy Warhol, but manages to pull things together eventually. And “Supernatural” finds ways to incorporate samples of Carey’s children. So I mean I guess if you like that kind of thing, maybe this song is for you.

In 2014, Carey is never going to make a song like her best known hits from her early 90s heyday, so going into an album like this, whether you are a fan of Mariah Carey or not, you should really have no expectations. There’ll never be another “Dreamlover,” or the post-Whitney Houston pop R&B of “Emotions” and “Someday.” Nor will she return to the effortless sensuality of “Fantasy” or “Honey.” When Chanteuse attempts sensuality, it doesn’t feel forced so much as it feels too contemporary—like it won’t age well in comparison.

Carey, during her original run of hits, was also known for her powerful ballads. Chanteuse begins with the soulful “Cry.” (and yes, there is intentional punctuation in the title.) It serves as a grand, opening statement of sorts, prior to moving into the songs with more instrumentation. Sure, there are slower, less “club ready” songs (a cover of George Michael’s “One More Try” being one of them) but the only other piano-driven “ballad” per se comes towards the end of the record in the form of “Camouflage.”

In the end, there aren’t really any bad songs, per se, on this record, but there are moments where it clearly works better than others. From a production standpoint, she’s rounded up some interesting beats—closing track “Heavenly” features chopped up bits of dialogue from the late Reverend Dr. James Cleveland incorporated into a hard hitting snare-driven beat, and the infectious “Make it Look Good” boasts some trap-inspired percussion while adding some harmonica into the mix. Early on, with “Dedicated,” she and Nas pay tribute to the late 80s and early 90s hip-hop scene, throwing the RZA saying “Carry like Mariah” from “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’” into a beat that’s both accessible to a pop listener, yet maintains a hand in the rap game.

 As her fourteenth studio release (counting the Christmas albums) and arriving twenty-four years after her debut, it’s hard to say what, if any, kind of “statement” The Elusive Chanteuse is out to make. I was going to say that it’s the kind of album that she, as a performer, wants to make in 2014, considering the give years that have passed her last effort, and considering the long gestation period and countless delays when putting this record together. But, it seems like she, as a performer in her mid-40s, is still a kind of “product” of the record industry—dating back two years, “Triumphant,” a single featuring rappers Rick Ross and Meek Mill was released, but did not perform well commercially, so in the end, it was left off the record completely.

I hesitate to say that Me. I am Mariah…The Elusive Chanteuse is the kind of late-career release that isn’t designed to win new fans. I certainly am not going to rush out and purchase her entire discography, but it did make me appreciate her countless contributions to the history of contemporary pop music. And if you are a long time fan of Mariah Carey’s, hopefully you have grown with her, and will find this to be a fulfilling, if slightly uneven, release.

Me. I am Mariah arrives Tuesday via Def Jam.