What I listened to: "Me. I am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse" By: Mariah Carey
How did I listen to it: 320 kbps on Apple EarPods
Release date: May 27th, 2014
Like I said: her voice is smooth. It's not just that, though. Her voice is huge too. Her vocal range is just crazy big and she uses it to the full advantage. Let's get right into it. The first song "Faded" mixes her smooth voice with the pointy-sounding pop beat. You boys should grab your lovely lady starting right about now because it's some good baby-making music. (Just kidding....well...unless you want to 😜)
It's piano arpeggios mixed with the hip-hop bass is very pleasant to the ears.
The second track, "Dedicated (Featuring Nash)" starts off with voices just laughing and reminiscing about the 80's. The hip-hop is great. The low male voice with Mariah's fits well with the low end synth pads. The "Carey-like Mariah" line isn't over done. The chord changes are different compared to other artists you would hear. It's well done. Then the rapping comes in. So funny. The idea of rapping is funny to me. But Nash does a job of what you would expect from a pop-mixed-with-hip-hop song. Pee-Wee Herman is mentioned. Yeah...that's why it's so funny to me. I can thank a good buddy of mine for showing me that.
The next track titled "#Beautiful (featuring Miguel)" has a cool guitar line to it. Yes. That's "hashtag beautiful". Aside from being very easy to post on twitter, this is a great song. I love it. The duet is #beautiful. See what I did there? My favorite on the album by far. It's a very basic song but that is what makes it great. It will be stuck in your head for quite a while, no doubt about it.
"Thirsty" is one of those strange songs you would expect to hear on a hip-hop album. It has that one, rapper guy who can't really sing, but can say the same phrase in monotone. He says it with a slur, too. That makes it a little hard to understand. It's ok. It's just another catchy tune...only with Mariah Carey.
The next track, "Make It Look Good" is a retro sounding song. It has harmonica to it and her voice is nothing but great here. The "Oooohh's" are reminiscent of old 60's or 50's music. The bass and harmonica make this song into something that is very unique. She is making a new sound not done in mainstream audio. A laugh at the end makes you think she is having a great time producing this album. So far, I think she is because it shows.
About halfway through the album at this point, the song "You Don't Know What I Do" features a rapper named Wale. Starts off with beautiful piano and Mariah using almost the full extent of her voice. The classical influence continues with orchestrated licks between some of the phrases. This song reminds me of something from 14 years ago when I used to listen to whatever my sister had playing on the radio on the way to school. It has a retro, new sound. It's hard to explain but I really enjoy it. Wale isn't really in it. Just mainly the beggining and a bit at the end. The rapping is funny. He rambles what I'm sure is about sex but like all rap, he goes around the world and then lands close to where he was trying to. Yeah...typical rap. Nothing too fancy.
"Supernatural" features, I think her son? It would make sense. It's cute and just plain adorable. His laugh in the background every so often makes you go, Awwww!! It is strange though, because the song could be interpreted as something between a man and a woman. Not necessarily a woman and her child. A slight record scratch brings an interesting touch to this song. The key change sounded strange at first but after a few times of listening to it, it sort of became more natural sounding. She's just showing off her voice at this point. I want to say, "look Mariah, we know you can sing".
The kids voice at the end is, again, adorable. It made me smile every time.
"Meteorite" is the next track and it's a huge difference compared to the kid track before it. This is more upbeat and kind of boring. Her voice fits the simple melody and there really wasn't much she could do. That's okay though because we know she can sing. It's good to hear a song that we, vocal beginners, can sing along to. The use of an orchestrated string section is welcomed, as well.
Another cool R&B chord progression in "Camouflage" makes the cut. Her blended voice with the piano is beautiful. Simple and elegant. It's songs like these I love. No intense instrumentation. Just voice and piano. The most intense it gets is with a choir behind her but that's really about it. It's a very sentimental song. The writing is genius too. I don't know how hard it would be to write a song with her in mind, but I'm sure one would have endless possibilities due to her voice. It's another great cut on this record. You'll like this one.
"One More Try" features an church organ and some synth pads with a voice, again, that is just as beautiful. It turns into a nice hip-hop rhythm heavy song. This another simple, elegant melody. I think she uses autotune a bit heavy in this song though. It's a shame because she doesn't need it. Not sure why she would do it this far into the album.
The next song is a beautiful, gospel song. "Heavenly (No Ways Tired/Can't Give Up Now)" features a reverend preaching the Word. It's about having God help you through any problems and giving up is the easy way out. It features an interesting chord progression and a choir of voices, although I think it's Mariah overdubbing herself a few times. It's still a great tune. The only thing, she uses her voice a lot but it does get kind of annoying, a bit. I'm glad it goes into an actual choir singing later on the song. The Black Soul music is amazing, as you would expect.
Now, if you actually have a physical copy of the album in your hands, you can see the back of the record. It features a drawing of Mariah. You learn it's actually a self portrait. She was 3 1/2 years old when she drew it. Her story is one you'll enjoy as she describes it. I won't ruin what she says. It does give the impression that she is just like you and I-very down to earth. Only one thing though: she can sing better than most of us combined. This little voice bit ends the album on a high note. If you have the digital version, you'll be missing out.
So..........is this album Boring, O.K. or Brilliant?
Verdict: Brilliant
From the soul, to the hip-hop, to the little boy singing into our hearts, this album is one not to pass on when it is released here in a few days. The vocal ability of someone who had more talent than most people on the radio today, are showcased in this album very well. The phrasing...everything. It's brilliantly made. She doesn't conform to the mainstreamed sound. It's her. Mariah. You'll love this album if you love her music. Even if you never really got into her music before now, give it a listen. You won't be disappointed. It's never to late to become a fan of her talent.
