Artist: Mariah Carey
Album: E=MC2
Record label: Island
Rating:
Reviewer: Jonathan Reyes

Age appropriate? Not Mariah. The flagship single "Touch My Body" was destined for No. 1. Stacked with "earnest" lyrics like, "if there's a camera up in here then I best not catch this flick on YouTube," how could it not? With that she broke Elvis' No. 1 record and showed off her newly sculpted body.

"The Emancipation of Mimi" had Mariah return to singing gorgeously instrumentally filled ballads as well as pop/R&B tracks that coyly tickled the line between R&B and hip-hop. After having one of the best-selling records of that year, three No. 1 singles, and the reacceptance of the pop Gods she sealed the deal with a Grammy performance of "Fly Like A Bird." Mariah had an official comeback.

E=MC2 is, for lack of a better term, the expansion version of "Charmbracelet." E=MC2 lacks of any of the raw instrumentals that The Emancipation offered. It rides the hip-hop wagon unapologetically with tracks like "Migrate," "Cruise Control," "Side Effects," and "O.C.C". Any difference from The Emancipation lies heavily on what she's already done before her comeback - whispering lyrics over hip-hop beats. "Cruise Control" even has MC imitating a Jamaican accent on a verse, all while Damien Marley is already featured on it. On "Migrate" Mariah uses the term to describe her man-accompanied trip between the club and her crib. If there's any confusion on whether the term's usage can be used for other combinations T-Pain will give you a lengthy list of some in form of a rap.

Collaborations aren't so left-field as Jermaine Dupri, Danja, Swizz Beats, Bryan-Michael Cox, Johnta Austin, Scott Storch and Stargate were migrated to the studio for E=MC2. James Poyser manages to produce "I Wish You Well" - the token last track/inspirational on every Mariah album, which falls immensely short to create the impact of last albums. It's all very impersonal even on "Bye Bye" which was supposedly about her father, but the opening lines tell listeners it's for them. Which is it? Noticeably absent on E=MC2 is Jim "Big Jim" Wright who collaborated with Carey on "Circles," "I Wish You Knew," and "Fly Like A Bird" on her Grammy award winning album.

Mariah still manages to shell out some catchy and melodious tunes by way of "I Stay In Love," "I'm That Chick," "I'll Be Lovin' You Long Time," and "Last Kiss." But even these moments are second-rate to what Mariah is vocally known for - they all sound very much like Janet Jackson's mid-tempo and slow ballads on Discipline.

It's not that anyone is asking Mariah to replicate the grandeur of The Emancipation of Mimi, but to simply push herself for more than singing about the party life she seems to adore right now. Is it fair to say she should act her age? It's a paradox, really. When she debut with Vision Of Love - she acted older than she was. Now, she seems frantic to turn back time by franticly making blatant pop music that's impersonal. With the way things are nowadays, fans will embrace this like Patron on a Friday night. So...way to go Mariah!