E=MC˛ Previews
- Rolling Stone
At a private listening party hosted by L.A. Reid, Rolling Stone recently got a chance to check out Mariah Carey's eleventh studio album, the follow-up to 2005's blockbuster The Emancipation of Mimi. Due April 15th, E=MC˛ jumps from hip-hop-flavored jams like the Young Jeezy-assisted
"Side Effects" to bright, mega-catchy stuff like the disco
"That Chick." The album also tosses in a couple of big-voiced ballads (
"Bye Bye," a piano-based song about losing someone close to you) and beats from big-name producers like Jermaine Dupri, Will.i.am and Scott Storch. In a notable departure from earlier albums, Carey sings in a lighter, less showy voice than we're used to on a few tracks, including lead single
"Touch My Body." A horny jam about a "secret rendezvous," the single was co-written by Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, the team that co-penned Rihanna's "Umbrella."
Nate "Danja" Hills, who produced
"Migrate" (which features T-Pain), tells RS that on that track Carey "definitely opens up towards the end of the song and shows what Mariah does. It's a different array of her vocal range on this record, but she keeps it pretty mid-range and then toward the end she lets loose. She was singing in the room, and I was just blown away by how good it sounded without her even trying. It's incredible, I see why she is who she is."
_______________________________________
Erik Bradley, Assistant Program Director/Music Director of CBS Radio's WBBM (B-96)/Chicago, talks about Mariah's new album, E=MC˛, in the latest issue of FMQB magazine.
On Mariah Carey... Mariah's new CD is LOADED with major, major radio smashes. Historically speaking, this could turn in to a legendary release for her and I predict it will. She's definitely at the very tip-top of her game and as great as she's ever been. The first single, "Touch My Body" is a runaway smash and the toughest part of having this many great songs on a project is trying to figure out what the follow-up single(s) should be. It's a blessing and a darn good problem to have though. I'm sure everyone would like to have that "problem"!
As far as scoop, I'm not one to gossip but I'd expect that she'll be touring on this record, it's too good not to - it has to be heard live.
"Touch My Body" Chart Update
• Mediabase Update: For the week ending February 29, 2008, "Touch My Body" has registered 71.7 million audience impressions with 10575 spins (Pop - 4046, Rhythmic - 3887, Urban - 2098, Urban A/C - 465, Hot A/C - 54, Alternative - 4, MTV - 1, BET - 13, VH1 - 7).
• JoJo of 102.7 KIIS FM in Los Angeles gave a shout out to Mariah and announced she will be in the studio early next week. A few minutes after the announcement, he asked listeners if they have heard about a rumor that "a young girl was listening to an old school Mariah song and it set off her garage door" but he didn't know the song and is planning to ask Mariah next week.
• This week on YouTube, the full "Touch My Body" video is currently at #17 with 557,662 views, and the 45-sec preview clip at #7 with 785,525.
Mariah on the cover of Allure
For April 2008 Issue: