bloodyblackout reviews: "Me. I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse" Song By Song Review

It's been over 4 years since Mariah Carey last released an album, making this her longest break between albums. By no means did she just sit around and not do anything though. She had twins, released a few singles, was a judge for a season of American Idol, fractured her ribs, and dislocated her shoulder. She's been busy. "Me. I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse" was originally slated for a September release with the title "The Art Of Letting Go" but was pushed back a couple of times after failing to release a Top 10 single. At the end of April rumors began to spread that Mariah Carey was going to "surprise drop" her album, like Beyonce sometime in May. This proved to be false (or was Mariah just confused? No one is still sure exactly what happened.). The album was finally released on May 27th, 2014, debuting on the Billboard 200 chart at #3. Further proving the point that an album doesn't need to go #1 to be good.

1. Cry.

The album opens with the ballad "Cry." Mariah is notorious for being the one who picks what order the songs appear on the album, and she knew exactly what she was doing by choosing "Cry." to open the album. "Cry." is a homage to the Mariah Carey of the early 90's. Mariah's voice is silky smooth while singing about wanting an ex back. "Cry." is a reminder of why Mariah Carey is one of the greatest vocalist of our time.

5/5

2. Faded

Produced by Mike WiLL Made It (famously known for working with Miley Cyrus), "Faded" does what Mariah does best; mixes R&B vocals with hip-hop beats. Backed by her famous whistle register, Mariah reminisces about an old love. "Faded" feels like a sequel to Mariah's #1 hit "Don't Forget About Us" in an "I'm older and wiser now" type of way, and is every bit as good. My only complaint would be that the bass doesn't hit hard enough, but that doesn't discredit the song in anyway.
4/5

3. Dedicated (feat. Nas)
Mariah Carey is no stranger to bringing in rap artists to feature on her songs. Normally however, the song is actually good. The song begins with Mariah talking to a man who I am going to assume is Nas, talking about nostalgia and the good ol' days. Mariah's vocals are on point, but the song is forgettable. If this feature is any indication of why Nas hasn't had a hit in awhile, I completely understand it. Once a great rapper, now seems watered down and weak compared to rappers of today. "Dedicated" ends with the two laughing and it's clear they are laughing because they know they just wasted our precious 4 minutes and 17 seconds on this filler track.
1/5

4. #Beautiful (feat. Miguel)

Rebounding 100%, the next song on the album is the official first single "#Beautiful (feat. Miguel)". Released May 6th, 2013, "#Beautiful" peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #15 and #3 on the R&B/hip-hop charts, becoming Mariah Carey's 33rd Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The song takes everything she is good at and throws it into 3 minutes and 21 seconds of perfection. There is no doubt in my mind that this song would have went #1 on the Billboard charts had she not fractured her ribs and dislocated her shoulder in the middle of promotion. Never the less, the song is a fantastic mid-tempo summer jam that could have been.
5/5

5. Thirsty

Mariah Carey has never been one to shy away from throwing some shade (check out her songs "Obsessed", "Up Out My Face" and "Shake It Off".). Coming out the park swinging "best thing that happened to your ass was me / pull down them Tom Fords and act like you see", Mariah lays a beat down on a man who did her dirty. It's not blatantly obvious who she is talking about, but signs point to Eminem. If he catches wind, be sure to check back here for my review of his reply track. I love a good Mimi smack down, and this is one of the best. Now if only Nicki Minaj and Mariah could kiss and make up, we could get a killer remix.
4/5

6. Make It Look Good

"Make It Look Good" has the words "summer hit" written all over it. Picture it: the sun goes down, the tiki torches get lit, drinks are pouring. You are laughing and talking with friends and family. This song is perfect background music. Whether you are having a chill night with friends, or relaxing on the beach, this song is a must have for every summer playlist. "Make It Look Good" is about wanting someone who you know is no good for you. Everyone loves a song they can relate to, and we have all been there. Let's tweet Mariah and trend #MakeItLookGoodForSingle.
5/5

7. You're Mine (Eternal)

Released on Valentine's Day 2014, "You're Mine (Eternal)" is your standard Mariah Carey love song. But don't let that turn you off. I don't know about you, but i certainly do not mind Mariah Carey painting pictures in my mind on what love is supposed to be like. She sounds great on the track (Okay, let's be honest. Does she ever really sound bad?), I know I've said it before but I feel the need to tell you every time. I'm not exactly sure why the song didn't become a hit, but to try and make it one Team Mariah released a hip-hop remix single and dance remix EP, both of which are also good so check them out on iTunes (links will be at the end of this post). All that said, "You're Mine (Eternal)" is simply just kind of basic, with the remixes being far better.

3/5

8. You Don't Know What To Do (feat. Wale)

"You Don't Know What To Do" starts off with Mariah Carey belting a few lines before Wale chimes in from the background to say what we were all thinking "yes, sing it girl!". Of course she does just that for a few more lines before a sick retro beat drops. Wale spits out a verse with ease, Nas should take some notes on how to do a feature. With EDM beats on the out and retro beats on the rise, Team Mariah would be smart to release this as a single. The song takes you back to a time when things were less complicated. "You Don't Know What To Do" is a feel good song that everyone will love so feel free to play it at your parties this summer.
4/5

9. Supernatural

On "Supernatural" Mariah is joined by her kids, or as she calls them "Dembabbies a.k.a. Ms. Monroe & Mr. Moroccan Scott Cannon a.k.a. Roc n' Roe" (God bless her). The song is about her love for her kids. It's cute and heart warming, but my bet is the average listener will skip this 9 times out of 10 while listening to the album. "Supernatural" is your typical song that an artist puts out after having a baby. Ms. Monroe saying "I'm a chanteuse!" at the end of the track is really adorable. Nothing new here though really. Still worth at least one listen for the cute factor.
2/5

10. Meteorite

"Meteorite" is a chill out jam. Put it on in the background at a BBQ or at the beach and you're set. But don't go running to your friends about it, it's kinda underwhelming. It's lost somewhere between a dance track and a mid-tempo track. I like it, but it is just okay. If Team Mariah were to release a dance remix, it'd be a major hit at the gay clubs. Until then, just look on youtube for some fan-made dance mixes.
3/5

11. Camouflage

Mariah brings her ballad A-game on "Camouflage", a song about being insecure in a relationship. You can really feel and hear the heartbreak and struggle in her voice. Everything about the song is perfect, from the vocals to the producing. Fans of faster songs most likely won't like this, but for those of us who can appreciate a good ballad, this is great.
5/5

12. Money ($ * / ...) (feat. Fabolous & Hit Boy)

Another solid R&B/hip-hop mixed mid-tempo summer jam. Mariah knows what her fans want and she gives it to them on a silver platter with "Money ($ * / ...)". A summer playlist must have. Fabolous and Hit Boy's verses are really great and don't feel forced. The rap verses mix perfectly with Mariah's vocals about love being more important than money.
5/5

13. One More Try

Originally recorded by George Michael for his album "Faith". Mariah breathes new life into a song about love, or God, it depends on how you look at it. It definitely has that soul/gospel vibe. "One More Try" is a 6 minute Mariah Carey vocal love fest. When all is said and done however, it's kind of a filler track.
2/5

14. Heavenly (No Ways Tired / Can't Give Up Now)

"Heavenly (No Ways Tired / Can't Give Up Now)" is a soulful reminder that things always get better. Mariah's voice backed by a choir tells us "there will be mountains that i will have to climb / and there will be battles that i will have to fight / but victory or defeat, it's up to me to decide / but how can i expect to win if i never try", something we all know in the back of our minds but tend to forget when things are tough. No matter how many different ways we hear the same message, "life's a climb" type songs always leaving you feeling good after listening.
4/5

15. It's A Wrap (feat. Mary J. Blige)
"It's A Wrap" was originally supposed to be on Mariah Carey's album "Angels Advocate" which was a re-working of her album "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel", but the album was never released. I don't know if the song was re-worked for "Me. I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse" or if "Angels Advocate" was way before it's time (check out the two songs from the album that were released, links are at the bottom of this post), but "It's A Wrap" is an R&B masterpiece. The song opens with Mary J. Blige reminding Mariah of exactly who she is to give her confidence to leave a loser guy, but I can't help feel that she is really telling the fans and the general public exactly who Mariah Carey is why she is as successful as she is. This is one of the best album tracks Mariah Carey has ever released. Normally stealing all the spotlight, Mariah let's Mary J. Blige shine on the track as well. For R&B fans this is a must have for every collection.

5/5

16. Betcha Gon' Know (feat. R. Kelly)

Another track originally supposed to be on "Angels Advocate". "Betcha Gon' Know" is a song about catching your partner cheating on you, him/her trying to lie his way out of it, and you leaving him/her. This song is further proof that "Angels Advocate" was an album way before it's time. "Betcha Gon' Know" is perfect for today's R&B market. R. Kelly doesn't make you cringe and run for an umbrella either.
4/5

17. The Art Of Letting Go

Released on November 11th, 2013 exclusively on Facebook, "The Art of Letting Go" was the official second single from the album. After the wrong version of the song was uploaded to Facebook by mistake, all promotion for the single stopped even though critics raved about the song. Mariah Carey later spoke about the incident in an interview saying something to the effect of "I didn't know it was so hard to click a mouse". I'm siding with Mariah on this one, seriously how hard is it to upload the correct file? It's 3 clicks max. That's neither here nor there. "The Art of Letting Go" is a return to the song that gave Mariah Carey her first taste of fame, "Vision of Love". Vocally, it is on the same level. Song quality, is on the same level. It is the perfect closer to the album. Reminding fans why they fell in love with her in the first place and giving them every penny of their moneys worth.

5/5

Final Thoughts:

"Me. I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse" takes everything fans love about Mariah Carey and puts it all on one album. A must have for every Mariah Carey fan, and for music fans in general. It has something for everyone.

Stand Out Tracks:

"Faded", "#Beautiful", "Thirsty", "Make It Look Good", "You Don't Know What To Do", "Money ($ * / ...)", "It's A Wrap", and "The Art of Letting Go"

Overall Rating:

4/5