The Emancipation of Mimi by Mariah Carey (CD, Apr-2005, MonarC/Island)

Mariah who? Mariah what? These were all common phrases the public was uttering after Mariah's well publicized emotional meltdown after Glitter failed at the box office in 2001. Well Mariah is back on the right track following the melt down and a luke warm attempt at a comeback with 2002's Charmbracelet. To get things back on track and to keep her sound current Carey enlisted the help of hitmaker Jermaine Dupri (Janet Jackson, Little Bow Wow, Omarion, Jay-Z, Nas) who serves as executive producer on the record. Guest appearances by Snoop Dogg, Twista and Nelly only make it that much sweeter.
Emancipation of Mimi begins with club friendly It's Like That and continues to remain a well oiled machine over an hour later on Fly Like A Bird. The marquee track on the disc We Belong Together is the most played track on radio for 2005 and has been number 1 for 13 straight weeks. Carey coos on the track "there ain't nobody better, Oh, baby baby, we belong together" and people are opening their wallets. Sales of Emancipation have crossed the triple platinum barrier and the third single "Shake It Off" just dropped.
What Mariah is demonstrating on Emancipation is a career can be resurrected and be brought back even better than before. Her vocals never sounded better and the melodies are top notch. Pats on the back should be given to Jermaine Dupri and The Neptunes who have breathed new life into Mariah Carey.