Mariah Carey – E=MC2

Island 2008

Rating: 5/10

While it is doubtful that Mariah Carey has been reading up on Einstein’s work on relativity, it’s clear that she’s been working on a different kind of formula: bring in talented producers, add some diverse guest artists, subtract the frothy vapidity of her earlier work and multiply the catchy beats. The result is a continuation of Carey’s comeback effort that began with 2005’s The Emancipation of Mimi.

Switching from steamy club jams to power ballads to adult contemporary empowerment singalongs, Carey covers all the bases on her latest. “Migrate” is the requisite club soon-to-be hit featuring T-Pain, “Cruise Control” with Damien Marley flirts with reggae and surprisingly works, and Young Jeezy wins the most-out-of-place award on the deeply personal “Side Effects.”

The biggest problem with E=MC2 is what should have been its strongest asset: Carey’s voice. Blessed with a five-octave range, Carey for the most part plays it safe, staying within a couple octaves and barely taking any risks.

The same could be said for the record at large: having seen Emancipation of Mimi destroy the charts, it’s no surprise that Carey pretty much does the same thing here, taking the best of modern pop and combining it into a single package. It might not be anything special, but you’re guaranteed to hear it for the next couple of years or so.

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