12 Apr

Posted at 16:46h in Music
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The year was 2005 and Mariah Carey was 15 years into her career. She had sold more albums and achieved more Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s — 15 at the time — than any woman in history. If she did nothing else, she would go down as one of the greats, but fortunately and unfortunately, Mariah still had a lot to prove.

Today in 2005, Mariah released her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi. The album is arguably her greatest triumph, but to understand why that is, we would have to examine the four years leading up to its release.

In 2001, MC released her biggest failure at the time, the movie Glitter and its accompanying soundtrack. The project was a monumental setback, but not just because of its relative commercial under-performance — it came with personal drama and endless bad press. In a single week during her promotional tour for the project, Mariah had a series of much-talked about public appearances, including her infamous TRL appearance that had people questioning her mental state. By the end of that week, Mariah would check herself into a hospital for exhaustion. At the time, there were rumors of a mental breakdown, which wouldn’t be confirmed for another 17 years.

Throughout this saga, Mariah rings the alarm about an ongoing sabotage being carried out by her ex-husband and former label boss, Tommy Mottola, with an assist from Jennifer Lopez. It’s all happening behind the scenes, so people write her off as crazy, but she was right.

On top of all of this, her record label, Virgin Records, paid Mariah $28 million to terminate their $100 million contract with her. She was officially the biggest pariah in showbiz.

Soon after Virgin gave her the boot, she signed with Island Records and released Charmbracelet (2002), which also under-performed. The album was only able to chart one of it singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and said single peaked at No. 81.

Mariah had essentially been counted out, but in 2005, we found out that you can’t keep a good woman down.

Mariah had been hard at work on a new album, and by the fall of 2004, she had what she though was a complete project — in fact, she had shortlisted “Say Somethin'” (produced by the Neptunes) and “Stay the Night” (produced by Kanye West) as possible first singles. As legend has it, label head L.A. Reid heard Mariah’s finished product and thought she needed to get into the studio with Jermaine Dupri.

Luckily, Mariah obliged.

The recording sessions with JD — which included Bryan-Michael Cox, Johntá Austin and Manuel Seal — produced four songs that would all become singles for The Emancipation of Mimi. “It’s Like That” was released as the first single, and while it was her highest-charting single in years, it failed to crack the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

And then came “We Belong Together.”

With “We Belong Together,” Mariah was officially back. The song became her record-extending 16th No. 1 hit, spending 14 weeks at the throne and becoming the biggest song in the history of American radio at the time. It was followed by “Shake It Off,” which only peaked at No. 2 because “We Belong Together” wasn’t done cooking. The fourth song resulting from the 2004 JD sessions, “Get Your Number” (featuring JD himself), was released as a single internationally but not in the States.

For the album’s reissue, Mariah got back into the studio with JD, which resulted in two new tracks, including Mimi‘s fourth single, “Don’t Forget About Us,” which became Mariah’s 17th No. 1.

The Emancipation of Mimi would go on to become the biggest album of 2005, selling over 10 million copies worldwide. It would also earn Mariah her first Grammys since 1991 — a triumph and yet a great malfeasance, but I digress. The album is a fan favorite and widely considered to be the greatest comeback in the history of show business.

Picking a favorite track from a classic album can be difficult, but in the case of The Emancipation of Mimi, “Shake It Off” is the clear winner. Join me in celebrating this history-making album.

12 Apr

Posted at 01:04h in Music
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While social media was dragging the Weeknd for talking reckless, Usher linked up with Lil Jon and Ludacris to give us “SexBeat,” which had been previewed days earlier during Lil Jon’s IG Live battle with T-Pain.

When I learned of this song’s release, I got excited about the opportunity to say that “Usher, Jon and Luda did it again,” but the truth is that they did not. The song sounds like something off a Pretty Ricky album and I mean that in the worst way.

I had hoped they could replicate the magic they had on previous collabos, but the fact of the matter is that all three artists are way past their prime, so there’s a limit to how disappointed one can be.

If this is what Usher is coming with on Confessions 2, he might need to shelve the project.

09 Apr

Posted at 22:00h in Music, Throwback
2 Likes

Cocaine is bad, as is an oversized ego. Mix the two together and you get The Weeknd saying that Usher’s “Climax” was influenced by his sound. Unfortunately, the Weeknd and many of his deluded fans will never appreciate the recklessness of his comments because Diplo, who co-wrote and produced “Climax,” essentially co-signed what he said.

As a token of my rejection of the Weeknd’s tomfoolery, this week’s TBT selection could only be one from Usher’s catalog, which offers dozens of hits. However, I’m opting for an album cut.

Ursh’s third album, 8701, gave us classics like “U Remind Me” and “U Got It Bad,” but it also blessed us hidden gems like “Twork It Out.” Co-written by Usher, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, “Twork It Out” takes us back to a time when major R&B stars needed to know how to sing, and with the Weeknd showing his whole ass and getting away with it, I long for those days more deeply than usual. Click play.

07 Apr

Posted at 21:50h in Music
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The Weeknd just dropped a new video that appears to pick up from where the last one left off, with the singer still rocking a red jacket and bruised face as he continues his trippy journey. The video begins in a what appears to be a hotel lobby party and ends in a desert.

Much like Abel’s previous clip, this one tries way too hard to not make sense. Some hipster somewhere thinks this video is deep, but it’s not. Check it out below.

06 Apr

Posted at 11:06h in Music
1 Like

Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great shame that I confess that I enjoy Woah Vicky’s new song, “Big Vick.” The lyrics are predictable as hell and Vicky’s whole schtick feels wholly inauthentic, but the beat slaps just hard enough for you to ignore all those other things — momentarily, at least. Check it below.

03 Apr

Posted at 13:35h in Music
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Drake just dropped a new song and a Coronavirus-inspired video featuring a solo Drake with his face covered. The “Tootsie Slide” video also comes with a new dance routine to go along with the song’s instructional hook. It also comes with the “Life Is Good” bass line, but that’s neither here nor there.

The real story, however, is Drake’s McMansion, which serves as a reminder that not all quarantines are made equal. Check the video out below.

02 Apr

Posted at 22:52h in Music, Throwback
1 Like

On what would’ve been his 81st birthday, it would be a crime for our TBT pick to be anything other than a Marvin Gaye song.

A little over a month ago, I referred to TLC’s “Red Light Special” as being possibly the quintessential baby-making song, and while it is up there on the all-time list, Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” might have a stronger case for the title.

Penned by Gaye himself and Ed Townsend, “Let’s Get It On” was the title track from the Marvin Gaye’s thirteenth studio album. The song is pure sex vibes and is a forefather for most of the slow jams ever since.

“Let’s Get It On” was Marvin Gaye’s second No. 1 and sixteenth top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and was the top-selling single of 1973. Almost 50 years later, the song’s legacy is evergreen — we hear it in movies, we hear it in commercials, and we even hear it as an uncredited sample in hit songs.

Happy birthday to one of the greatest to ever do it. Click play.

02 Apr

Posted at 10:12h in Music
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DaBaby just dropped a new song and a short film to go with it.

Musically, “Find My Way” offers a good balance of “commercial”and “gully” – both questionable terms to use when describing music, but I’m sure you know what I mean. DaBaby sing-raps throughout the song, but the lyrics have just enough gun references to placate rap fans that are allergic to melodies.

The 10-minute music video is an absolute masterpiece. DaBaby and B. Simone are true thespians, and as played out as Bonnie-and-Clyde themes are, the “Find My Way” video does it without making you roll your eyes.

Check it out below.

29 Mar

Posted at 22:57h in Music
0 Likes

This past Friday, Future released a song that is sure to light the clubs up when we’re finally allowed to leave our homes. Who doesn’t want to yell “I’m a ty-tycoon!” despite having four dollars in their bank account?

“Tycoon” is Future’s first solo track of 2020, following collabos with Drake, Jhené Aiko and Lil Uzi Vert. Check the video out below.

27 Mar

Posted at 18:44h in Music
1 Like

Mariah Carey turns 50 years old today – or, as she would say, marks the 38th anniversary of her 12th birthday today. Because she is eternally 12.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you probably know that Mariah is a favorite around these parts. She has given us three decades of hits (and shade), and is easily among the most successful musicians ever. She is a vocal beast and the musical genius that most of your faves are pretending to be.

Unfortunately, because she’s a woman – a pretty and glamorous one at that – Mariah has never gotten her just due. A lot of her work has been relegated to fluff status because she doesn’t fit any of the prototypes preferred by the music critic class. Also, a lot of people don’t even know that she writes and produces all of her songs — with covers being the exception.

Fortunately, what Mariah has lacked in critical acclaim is more than made up for in commercial success. She has sold over 200 million albums worldwide — making her the highest-selling female artist ever — and has registered 19 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 — just one No. 1 hit shy of the all-time record. She had a US No. 1 hit every single year of the ’90s and is the only artist in history to have a No. 1 hit in four different decades. She has also written more No. 1 hits than other woman in history. And the list goes on and on and on.

Mariah’s legacy is further cemented by the long list of megastars who cite her as an influence, including Beyoncé, Britney Spears and Ariana Grande.

Mariah’s 30 years in show business have been nothing short of eventful, and when her biopic is eventually made, it is going to be a good one. From a bitter ex-husband sabotaging her career to a crazed ex-manager blackmailing her (and thereby forcing her to reveal her mental health struggles), she has had more than her fair share of drama. However, after each devastating low, she somehow bounces back to a history-making high.

Mariah Carey is a true model of resilience and longevity, and hopefully, she will get the recognition she deserves while she’s still with us.

In celebration of her 50 years of life, below are my five favorite* Mariah songs.

“Underneath the Stars”


“Melt Away”


“Dreamlover”


“Honey” (Bad Boy Remix) [featuring Mase & The LOX]


“Fantasy”



*This changes from day to day.