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

Mariah Carey returns strong, proud and super confident with her brand new release The Emancipation of Mimi! Mariah considers Mimi to be another name symbolizing her true inner self-so even the title of the CD proudly and forcefully announces that she is trying new, fresh things on this CD. Mariah explains it herself in the liner notes for her new CD: her "emancipation" is "to free from restraint, control, oppression, or the power of another" or "to free from any controlling influence" or "to free somebody from restrictions or conventions." You know what? Mariah is a strong creative force and we all are better off for it! The Emancipation of Mimi really highlights how well Mariah can write and co-produce with other incredible talents such as the Neptunes, Kanye West, and R. Kelly. Mariah's new CD is full of songs featuring very personal lyrics-she is brave enough to share her real emotions with us here! The CD also proves even once again that Mariah's dazzling voice has not diminished with time! The album overflows with super creative lyrics and her exceptionally versatile voice makes it very special and a great addition to your collection!

The CD starts off strong with the song entitled "It's Like That." Not only is this a beautiful song, the musical arrangement is strong, aggressive and awesome! Mariah simply sounds great; her voice is perfect here! Then comes the song "We Belong Together"--thoughtful, beautiful, with a great beat! With "We Belong Together" Mariah sings about a love that is no longer.

Mariah also stays in the hip hop scene with songs like "Shake It Off" and the street jam "One and Only." And, if you like THAT, try also the Neptunes-produced "Say Somethin'" which she performs with Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams. Excellent! Mariah also does "Mine Again" with James Poyser on keyboards and "Fly Like A Bird" really shows off what Mariah can do!

Mariah works well with the other greats that I mentioned above; but there are even more talents on this awesome CD! Another Island Def Jam artist who you just might have heard of once or twice-a guy called Kanye West-collaborates with Mariah on "Stay the Night." What's more, three of the "Emancipation" songs are both co-written and co-produced by Mariah and James "Big Jim" Wright: "I Wish You Knew," "Circles," and "Fly Like a Bird." Trey Lorenz, Fatman Scoop, and Jermaine Dupri also provide vocals on this CD. The track "To The Floor" features Nelly.

One critic from Vibe magazine wrote that "Mariah gets back to her winning formula with Mimi." This almost seems like an understatement; the CD is really that good! Do yourself a major favor and get this-enjoy it today!