“Mine Again”

The first track to follow the triple-whammy of singles is track 4, “Mine Again.” Opening with a live keyboard played by the song’s co-writer and co-producer, James Poyser of The Roots, there’s a vintage smokiness in the keyboard’s bass, and a sweet ringing in the treble. It yields to Mariah, swirling with melancholy as the words “I remember when you used to be mine… way back when” seem to tumble out of her mouth. She delivers the poignant verse with unhinged soulfulness, while still maintaining impeccable vocal control. The music halts, and she ruminates on an ascending melody “maybe you could be mine again.” She triumphantly takes flight over the chorus. What ensues is one of many vocally astounding moments throughout The Emancipation of Mimi, but the key change that takes hold later is where she really lets loose. Her vocals are so powerful that when streamed through Spotify/Apple Music they can actually distort when played back through. She’s doing her best Aretha Franklin here, effortlessly. 

“Circles”

“Circles” takes a similar approach in sound. The keyboard once again leads the instrumentation, but instead she’s glossed with a bass that’s more akin to 80’s R&B and a funkier sound which magnifies the sadness and torture she conveys. Her professions of “boy, my world has changed, and I don’t think I can make it without you” intensify with each repeat of the chorus, and reaches a climax as the music drops out and she gets caught up “running around, and running around, and running around” because “nothing’s the same.” 

“I Wish You Knew”

Mariah even serves a faux-live moment during “I Wish You Knew,” which is also very Aretha, but very Diana Ross as well. She speaks to the “audience” about the yearning that’s swirling for this torch she carries. She’s pining away at the idea of love, while singing about how she longs to express her feelings, but her “inferiority complex kicks in” and the words flutter away like a butterfly. Yet her words to describe the experience are poignant and gut-wrenching. They impeccably capture the experience of pining away over someone. Again, her vocal intensity swells to match the overwhelming emotions, culminating in a leap where she reaches into that famed whistle register. 

“Stay the Night”

Huge vocal show-outs are a hallmark of Mimi, but she’s consistently belting on the Kanye West-produced, retro-soul sampled “Stay The Night.” Laced with a loop from Ramsey Lewis’ cover of The Stylistics’ “Betcha By Golly Wow,” Mariah sings in full voice from the opening note as she struggles to decide whether to stay or go. While she does utilize her whisper range, most of “Stay The Night” revolves around Mariah belting. She’s facing some persistent persuasion, and she’s torn. The hook prefaces the repeat of the loop with a few swoops and then Mariah powerfully accentuates the melody at the beginning of the loop. There’s even an unsuspecting key change while Mariah holds a powerful note. The song closes with Mariah rallying “and you keep on keep on keep on.” 

“Your Girl”

“Your Girl” employs a similar sampling technique. Though the shortest cut on Mimi, what it lacks in length it makes up for in power. But unlike “Stay The Night,” on “Your Girl,” Mariah is brazen and emboldened as she pontificates that she’s the hottest thing since sliced bread and she should be your girl. She’s confident as fuck in it, too. She knows she has the juice, and the hook is nothing short of audacious: “I’m gonna make you want to get with me tonight. I’m gonna put those naughty thoughts into your mind. I’m gonna show you clearly I can rock your world. You’re gonna know for sure that I should be your girl.” The Scram Jones-crafted beat allows Mariah to punch each word on the hook, adding a unique and memorable edge to the song. (Above is the recently uncovered original version featuring N.O.R.E. Be sure to check the Mariah-favorite Diplomat Remix featuring Cam’Ron and Juelz Santana)

“When I Feel It”

“When I Feel It” was supposed to be track 13 on the album, but didn’t find its way to listeners’ ears until 2007. The song revolves around a significant sample of The Dynamic Superiors’ “Here Comes That Feeling Again.” Copyright clearance was denied, and the song was forced to be excluded from the final tracklist. It’s unfortunate, because the retro vibe of the song is unmistakably Mimi. It’s got a unique edge though, because the sample is more than just a few seconds looped up. It’s a series of long pieces strung together. Unlike the chopped-up, replayed elements of “Stay The Night” and “Your Girl,” this gives Mariah room to fully embody 70’s R&B diva over a largely untouched retro track. 

“Fly Like a Bird”

Emancipation culminates into a moment of gospel fervor on the closing cut, “Fly Like A Bird.” The same keyboards, bass, and brass that surround Mariah throughout much of the album’s backbone once again unite on “Fly,” helping carry Mariah higher and higher. She starts reserved, mainly using her whisper register, until she starts mixing in her throat voice. By the final chorus, a choir takes over the chorus and Mariah vamps and riffs from low to high all the way to the big finish. If you aren’t saved before “Fly Like A Bird,” you sure are after.

Listen to The Emancipation of Mimi:

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When Mariah Carey released The Emancipation of Mimi in 2005, the album received critical acclaim. It went on to become the best selling album of 2005 in the US, and won Mariah 3 Grammy Awards. The album’s original 14 tracks are nearly flawless. However, there are 3 other tracks that almost made the cut, yet didn’t. Let us take you back…

Sprung

The first song that did not make the album is this Mahogany produced moment. It was included on most international versions of the albums, and released in a special Target deluxe edition in the US in late 2005. However, it’s generally unknown outside of the fans. The sampled track is airy. fun, and upbeat to say the least. It’s not the most dance-able track, but it’s fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVrlQjXsGMM

Secret Love

Mariah’s second released collaboration with Swizz Beatz (the first being Jay-Z’s “Things That U Do”) found it’s way onto the Japan edition of The Emancipation of Mimi. It also served as a bonus track on certain copies of the “Shake It Off” & “Get Your Number” single. Backed by Swizz’s hard-hitting drums and staccato piano chords, Mariah vocally shines.

I Feel It/ When I Feel It

Perhaps the most notable and elusive of the bonus material, this song never received a formal release. Originally, it was destined to be track 13 on The Emancipation of Mimi, but the sample did not clear in time. Also produced by Mahogany (who tried to scam fans into paying him for it in 2007 and never delivered it), this is a classic retro-soul moment. The song would have fit nicely alongside album cuts such as “Mine Again”, “Circles” and “I Wish You Knew”. Mariah’s vocal track is notably strong and ends with a powerful high-note. The high-note was also used for one of her Pepsi ringtones in 2007.

Which is your favorite non-album track from The Emancipation of Mimi?

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On this day in 2005, Mariah Carey held the #1 and #2 spots on the Hot 100 with “We Belong Together” and “Shake It Off.” By the time 2005 rolled around, Mariah Carey had gone from being the most successful music artist of the 1990s to not having had a genuine hit in 5 years apart from a guest spot on a Busta Rhymes track. If expectations for her 2005 release The Emancipation Of Mimi were shaky, it was with good reason. Little did anyone know that Carey would release her biggest and most influential song in a decade with “We Belong Together.”

Mariah Carey thought she had completed her album, The Emancipation of Mimi, but L.A. Reid sent her to work with Jermaine Dupri some more because he felt the album lacked a big record. One of the songs that came out of that time was “We Belong Together.” After hearing Carey sing the song, Reid said, “That’s the one we’re looking for.”

Second

“We Belong Together” was released as the second single from The Emancipation of Mimi, and the track found Carey continuing her habit of fusing pop and urban music in a way that created its own genre. Lisa Lopes of TLC famously credits Carey with creating ‘hip-pop,’ but the ballad style of “We Belong Together” gave hip-pop a new twist.

As Pop Journalism‘s Robert Ballantyne wrote in naming it the top song of 2005, on the surface “We Belong Together” seems like a trademark Mariah ballad. There’s a piano intro, a plaintive melody and vocal, and lyrics about a man Mariah can’t get over. But as Ballantyne points out, “at the eight-second mark, all preconceptions get thrown out the window when that hip-hop beat kicks in.” The song is fueled by an 808-styled kick and hi-hat, thus integrating the sleek syncopations of hip-hop styled R&B.

Add in the lyrical references to Bobby Womack and Babyface, and Mariah’s rapid-fire vocal part (which Michael Slezak of Entertainment Weekly says is “so devastating you get the urge to create turmoil in your own relationship just to have an excuse to play this track”), and “We Belong Together” perhaps becomes the single that best combines Mariah’s gifts as a music artist. Kalefah Sanneh writes in New York Times that the song “seems simpler than it is,” and Johnny Loftus of the Metro Times Detroit notes the “classic sensibility” of the song and states it makes for “perfect pop/R&B songwriting.” It’s also, as Sal Cinquemani of Slant says, “as innovative as Mariah’s been in years.”

Jon Caramanica of the New York Times pointed out that Mariah “learned how to game the system with songs that appear to have multiple tempos all at once, languorous vocals set against steady beats” so that she had “slow records masquerading as fast.” Rivers Cuomo of the rock band Weezer noted something similar when he talked to Pitchfork about “We Belong Together” being one of his favorite songs of 2005. Cuomo noted that the song has a lot of lyrics and the vocal feels conversational, yet “there’s a great, catchy melody there.”

In naming it one of the best songs of the decade, Popdose noted that Mariah and producer Jermaine Dupri “found a midway point” between classic R&B and a contemporary feel. Stylus called Carey’s performance “evocative,” Rich Juzwiak has called the song “ingenius,” and musician Matt Nathanson dubbed it “a perfect song” to VH1. It’s no wonder Carey won the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the song, and “We Belong Together” won the Grammy for Best R&B Song and was nominated for the overall Song of the Year.

Success

Great and innovative songs can be overlooked, though, especially by artists who haven’t had the favor of radio and consumers in years. This wasn’t the case with “We Belong Together.” It became huge in 2005 and spent 14 weeks total at #1 on the Hot 100. Media sources ranging from New York Times, Metro Times Detroit, Boston Globe, and Chicago Tribune ran articles anointing “We Belong Together” the song of the summer in 2005, and it became a record-breaker.

“We Belong Together” broke the BDS record for audience impressions at radio multiple times. It became the most-listened to song ever in a week, a record it would hold until 2013 when it was surpassed by Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.” “We Belong Together” would end up spending 16 weeks at the top of the Hot 100 Airplay chart. Billboard named it the Song of the Decade. As Stylus said in naming “We Belong Together” one of the best singles of the year, when the song came on the radio, “none of us dared to change the station.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLUMsb8vOxU

Influence

Another mark of a great single is often its influence. After the ascension of “We Belong Together,” critics began noting songs that were created in the same mold (i.e. pairing a pop ballad sensibility with a hip-hop beat). Slant magazine mentioned songs by artists ranging from Jessica Simpson to Christina Milian to Ne-Yo being in the “now-popular ‘We Belong Together’ mold.” Katharine McPhee told VH1 her own song “Each Other” reminds her of “We Belong Together,” and Amazon.com said Paula DeAnda’s top 20 hit “Walk Away” is “like a lost track” from [The Emancipation of Mimi].

Perhaps the most direct evidence of the influence “We Belong Together” came from co-writer Johnta Austin. Austin told Billboard that he was called by Jimmy Iovine to create a song “in the same lane of ‘We Belong Together’” for Mary J. Blige. The result was perhaps the biggest hit of Mary J Blige’s career: “Be Without You.” Cinquemani was thus correct when he wrote for Slant, if not for “We Belong Together,” “there wouldn’t be [Mary J. Blige’s] “’Be Without You.’” Rivers Cuomo has even acknowledged that “We Belong Together” was a big inspiration for Weezer’s 2008 song “Heart Songs.” Whether or not “We Belong Together” was the first song of its kind, it’s obvious that its success led to the creation of similar songs. However none that followed have been able to match the success of Carey’s song.

It seems pretty clear that “We Belong Together” is not only a quality single and a popular one, but that it led to a mini-trend in music. As Cinquemani stated in naming it one of the best singles of 2005, “Mariah’s finally got her own anthem.”

Please vote for your favorite #1 to Infinity article:

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“Don’t Forget About Us”, released on December 5, 2005, belongs in a category of Mariah Carey songs that are unmistakably about a specific event or person, but which she wants the general public to interpret however they want, as an open-ended narrative. Just as she wants “Obsessed” to be interpreted as a song that she wrote for all the little girls who are constantly having their ponytails pulled by sinister little boys who just won’t leave them alone, Mariah didn’t or wouldn’t want you to think that she is in the habit of turning past heartbreaks into chart-topping break-up jams. She would rather that people hear her songs as something that they could think of as being about anyone or anything in their lives.

With “Obsessed”, this claim is dubious – how else could anyone interpret it as anything other than about being stalked by a weed-toting, pill-popping rapper who’s constantly broadcasting an inexistent tryst? As a create-your-own-meaning song, then, “Don’t Forget About Us” works because it’s specific enough to appeal to people who are captivated by the confessional nature of her songwriting (often with a little help from frequent songwriting collaborators Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox and Johnta Austin), not to mention, daring dips into different vocal registers, but vague enough to let people relate with the very familiar ‘wistful ex’ storyline.

Even the video, directed by “Honey” music video director Paul Hunter, seems to be telling something, and at the same time, nothing. The video is supposedly rife with references to past loves or certain Mariah moments, but to the casual viewer, the video’s main messages are that Mariah is pining for an unforgettable ex and she chooses to do so while paying homage to a scene in a Marilyn Monroe film.

Lyrically, there is no trickery, just a slow burning march towards a climactic bridge involving a slightly vindictive Mimi who isn’t going to take being replaced sitting down. The word “trickery” does appear, however, and the verse it appears in provides a glimpse into the kind of insane lyricism that she’s about to dabble in for succeeding albums. Has there been a Mariah lyric as hard to sing as the “And if she’s got your head all messed up now, that’s the trickery…” bit?

The clever turns of phrase, the zany wisecracks, the Harvard University graduating class of 2010-referencing break-up bops, would, in fact, show up in follow-ups E=MC2, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, and beyond. In retrospect, The Emancipation of Mimi, from whence her 17^th #1 came, looks like a much tamer Mariah album. Compared to its successors, Mimi did not have lyrics more outrageous than ‘them chickens is ash and I’m lotion’, ‘hot as you can stand it, something like organic, you and me seems organic’, and ‘I gotta shake you off, just like the Calgon commercial I, really got to get up out of here,’. In Sasha Frere-Jones’ otherwise flattering Mariah Carey New Yorker profile ‘On Top’, he points out that Mariah was ‘keeping with current trends in R&B.’ in reference to meandering Mariah melodies, but somehow failed to make mention of Mariah’s remarkable fast-singing (such as in the aforementioned bridge), something Fourfour saw fit to bring up in his equally astute Mariah piece.

Despite being similar in theme and sound to “We Belong Together” (a song that’s quite worthy of emulation), “Don’t Forget About Us” managed to reach number 1 which could have meant that: 1. People like Mariah heartbroken, or 2. The song was really good enough to merit the peak position. The ascension to top was simply a sublime surprise. It was not the kind of hit that “Shake it Off” – a more memorable song, more to the taste of radio, a song that almost dethroned last decade’s Billboard Song of the Decade – should have been (ie, #1), and its receipts certainly were not as thick as “We Belong Together”. She would go on to make beat driven ballads with a similar tempo (“I Stay in Love”, “For the Record”) and be criticised (and sometimes, praised) for doing so, but “Don’t Forget About Us” seemed to have a struck a chord with those who, like Mariah, think themselves as infinitely superior to their ex’s current amours.

Massive amount of goodwill also helped Mimi single #4 hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Although, it wasn’t just goodwill. Being 2005’s “it-girl” she had become radio gold and “Don’t Forget About Us” was the perfect single to fall next in line in her string of emancipating hits. Not to mention, as Jadakiss and Styles P said on the “We Belong Together” remix, “This is the emancipation of Mimi/Hot like a real fever, the real diva/So successful, yet still so eager,” Mariah was indeed eager and determined for success. In the video for “Don’t Forget About Us,” there was a hidden message on the graffiti wall behind the soccer net that read “making history is seventeenth,” revealing her obvious goal: to make “Don’t Forget About Us” her 17th #1. The single was also a hit at the Grammy Awards, reaping what “We Belong Together” had sown, getting nominated for a Best R&B Female Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song – the former award won by another “We Belong Together” beneficiary, Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You”.

Prior to 2005, Mariah was languishing in an underdog status and was frequently referred to as the ‘Glitter star’; which is almost unflattering but not inaccurate. Against all odds, Mariah silenced naysayers with The Emancipation of Mimi, and “Don’t Forget About Us” reaching the top helped make her “comeback” that much sweeter. Although Mariah was ready to take a much needed break, she sealed that glorious era with a reminder that when it comes to making the personal universal, very few come close.

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Like most superstars of her caliber, Mariah Carey’s career has seen both its highs and lows. This year, however, is a significant one for Carey. First, she is beginning her first Las Vegas residency in May. Second, she is dropping a new single and hits set featuring all 18 of her Hot 100 #1’s. Third, because she is now a single mother. Fourth, because she is celebrating 25 years in the music industry – her debut single “Vision of Love,” was released in May 1990, and her self-titled album in June of the same year. Fifth, because it’s been 20 years since the release of one of her biggest, best, and most successful albums, 1995’s Daydream… and finally, because it’s been 10 years since Mimi came back with a vengeance with 2005’s The Emancipation of Mimi.

While the album was released on April 12, 2005, the era began in January with the release of the lead single, “It’s Like That.” However, it really kicked into full steam when she dropped the second single, “We Belong Together.” Deservedly so, “We Belong Together” needs a moment of its own to be given the proper treatment – and we will do that in the coming months as we walk through Mariah’s #1’s to Infinity as announced yesterday. In the United States alone, The Emancipation of Mimi went on to sell upwards of 6 million copies and was successful worldwide too. She earned 3 Grammy awards for the album, and countless other accolades and achievements – such as her 16th and 17th #1’s, “We Belong Together” and “Don’t Forget About Us.”  However, there is plenty more worth discussing in regards to Mimi than simply its success. 

While “It’s Like That” was the stepping stone and “We Belong Together” was the corner stone of her comeback, it couldn’t have happened if their parent album wasn’t superb in its own right. The Emancipation of Mimi was fresh and modern, yet still had that classic Mariah Carey feel to it. With relatable lyrics, phenomenal vocals, and inescapable melodies, The Emancipation of Mimi was the perfect combination of the perfect formula – yielding massive success. Amidst this perfect formula were several notable gems that sit among the top songs in Carey’s catalog.

The first is the Kanye West co-produced “Stay the Night.” Here, Mariah combines her hip-hop sensibilities with her soulful brand of R&B and big vocals for a song that is unmistakably Mariah Carey. The theme of sensual yearning is a common one throughout her music and the dark, sexy vibe of “Stay the Night” suits that perfectly. The song feels akin to Butterfly’s “The Roof” or Rainbow‘s “Cry Baby,” but vocally it is in a different lane. With “Stay the Night,” it’s clear Carey was on a mission to prove to her naysayers that she still has it vocally – and she certainly delivered.  The song knocks, the vocals slay, and the lyrics paint a relatable and engaging narrative.

Another highlight is “Circles,” a throwback to 70’s soul that once again finds Mariah sanging her face off. Again, the theme is yearning for a lost love and her vocals drip in pure, soulful emotion. If you didn’t know any better, you would think the song actually came out in the 70’s – not on Mariah Carey’s 2005 “comeback” album.

A more subtle gem on the album is “One and Only,” a collaboration with slick-tongued rapper Twista. Here, a much experienced Mariah treads in slow jam waters – slipping and sliding effortlessly over the beat with whispery but crisp vocals and impassioned, heartbreaking lyrics. Like on Butterfly’s “Breakdown,” she aimed to match Twista’s style of lyric delivery and succeeds – dare say, she sounds better doing his trademark style than he does. The pair re-teamed on “So Lonely (One and Only Part 2)” which appeared on Twista’s own album as well as the reissue of Mimi.

With “Fly Like a Bird,” Mariah continued a trend that began with 2002’s Charmbracelet – to include a spiritual song on her albums. Of the several, she has done before and since “Fly Like a Bird” stands out as perhaps her best gospel-tinged moment (Christmas albums excluded). The track boasts live instrumentation and a horn section that really warm up the song and album overall.

In fact, the theme of live instrumentation is strong throughout most of Mimi – “I Wish You Knew,” “Circles,” “Fly Like a Bird” and “Mine Again” all boast soulful, organic production which really helped attribute to the album’s warm, rich atmosphere. It is too bad that the sample on the leaked track “When I Feel It” was not approved in time for the album, because it would have been a standout on the album, as well.

However, Mimi was not an album full of solely soul – it had its more hip-hop inspired up-tempos and mid-tempos, too. The best of those up-tempos are the Jackson 5-inspired “Your Girl” and 80’s-tinged “Get Your Number” (featuring co-producer Jermaine Dupri). Meanwhile, the album’s third, fourth and fifth singles, respectively, “Shake It Off,” “Don’t Forget About Us” and “Say Somethin'” (a Pharrell Williams collaboration, featuring Snoop Dogg) lead the mid-tempo pack.

For the first time in her career, a Mariah Carey album lacked a truly big “power ballad,” in the traditional sense, though. The closest The Emancipation comes to such a ballad, aside from “We Belong Together,” is the soulful and warm R&B love ballad, “Joy Ride.” However, you hardly notice it’s missing, really… because The Emancipation of Mimi was all about showing us the true Mariah – and for the most part, she ain’t really about the power ballad moments.

Mimi’s emancipation was without a doubt the most rewarding era for the singer since, most likely, her debut. It was a rebirth of her career and, at the same time, cementation of her legendary status. Few have pulled off a comeback of its magnitude. In fact, no R&B album has sold as much as The Emancipation of Mimi since its release 10 years ago. Not to mention, she once again spawned the song of the decade: “We Belong Together” – like “One Sweet Day” before it, from 1995’s Daydream.

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