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看板MARIAH作者loveyourself (瑪的方程式)時間18年前 (2008/04/14 16:29)推噓3(3推 0噓 4→)

留言7則, 5人參與討論串1/2 (看更多)

http://0rz.tw/c43WO 考試成績：B Mariah Carey CD "E=MC2" follows familiar formula by John Soeder/Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic Saturday April 12, 2008, 12:00 AM I believe it was Albert Einstein who said: "Dreamlover, come rescue me / Take me up, take me down / Take me anywhere you want to, baby, now." No, wait -- that was Mariah Carey. I keep getting them confused, especially since Carey went and titled her latest release "E=MC2." Listeners hoping for a lecture on relativity from the Grammy-winning R&B diva are in for a disappointment. On the other hand, songs about relationships are in ample supply, including "I Stay in Love," the disco throwback "I'm That Chick" and "Thanx 4 Nothin'," a kiss-off to a two-timer. The album's guest list includes T-Pain, Damien Marley and Young Jeezy, but Carey leaves no doubt about who's calling the shots. Her alleged five-octave voice remains a formidable weapon, although from time to time her multiplatinum pipes are enslaved by tickety-tick-tick rhythms or poorly served by slick production. Pity she didn't record a few more organic tunes like the closer, "I Wish You Well," a no-frills piano ballad. Before cranking it up, better hide the crystal. The single "Touch My Body" recently gave Carey her 18th No. 1 hit, one more than Elvis Presley. This comes as yet another crushing blow to the King's loyal subjects, who only a few years ago suffered the indignity of having Carey's "Glitter" supplant Presley's "Harum Scarum" as the worst movie ever made by a singer with so many chart-topping singles. In the latter category, Carey is now second only to the Beatles, who have 20 No. 1 hits. And if the fact that Carey is second only to the Beatles in ANYTHING has you convinced the whole universe is seriously out of whack, join the club. Anyway, back to "Touch My Body." Over a sultry bedroom groove, Carey promises to embrace her lover "tighter than my favorite jeans" and warns him in no uncertain terms not to post a video of their liaison on YouTube. Ah ... love in the Internet age. At least it's not rocket science. In stores Tuesday. http://0rz.tw/a13Wf (Entertainment Weekly) 考試成績：A- By Margeaux Watson Daydream. Butterfly. Rainbow. Glitter. No, those aren't the names of Barbie's pet ponies, they're the ridiculously saccharine titles of Mariah Carey's albums from 1995 to 2001. So when she called her 10th studio CD The Emancipation of Mimi three years ago, it was clear that she intended to drop the cutesy shtick, let down her weave, and start getting real. It was a clever move. Emancipation was the lucky strike that updated Carey's sound with bass-heavy flavor and reversed the downward spiral of her sales. Now, with E=MC2 — another bold title — she's out to prove that her comeback was no fluke. Of course, it's doubtful that Carey is a secret admirer of Einstein's theory of relativity, but one thing's for sure: The golden-throated diva has discovered a formula that works. Not unlike Emancipation, E=MC2 finds Carey stacking the deck with the hottest producers and guest artists in urban music (Jermaine Dupri, StarGate, T-Pain, Damian Marley, Young Jeezy). The result is a largely enjoyable mix of flirtatious club jams, midtempo love songs, and emotional ballads anchored by hip-hop beats that handsomely showcase the singer's powerful vocal chops. Ever the party girl, Carey opens the album with the sleek and seductive ''Migrate,'' where she imagines getting buzzed on pinot grigio during a night out with the ladies. Other dance-floor anthems include ''I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time'' and ''O.O.C.,'' which, for all of their pop polish, never lose their soulful spirit. But it's not all about velvet ropes and playful come-ons; notably, Carey suffers from a major love hangover on ''Side Effects,'' a synthy cautionary tale about an abusive relationship. ''Wakin' up scared some nights still dreaming 'bout the violent times,'' she sings with outspoken intensity. And yet Carey remains a romantic at heart. With the ballads ''Love Story'' and ''Last Kiss,'' she reunites with Dupri to recapture the passionate splendor of 2005's ''We Belong Together.'' It's unfortunate, then, that E=MC2 closes with its only missteps, the somber elegy ''Bye Bye'' — an odd choice for the follow-up single to the cheeky hit ''Touch My Body'' — and the preachy gospel hymn ''I Wish You Well'' (this CD's version of Emancipation's ''Fly Like a Bird''). Still, for an artist whose career was all but dead four years ago, Carey is wise to play it safe by building on the finest elements of her last CD. Were it not for the final two tracks, she could've gotten away with calling this album Treasure http://0rz.tw/1b3W6 (嗶波雜誌) She's proclaimed emancipation before, but Mariah Carey's never sounded as free as she does on her 10th album. The usual hummable radio hip-hop and bold ballads are here, in pristine form. ("Bye Bye," a memorial for a lost loved one, is particularly effective.) But so are some coy surprises, like the irresistible "I'm That Chick" (which covertly samples "Off the Wall" for an early Michael Jackson disco bounce) and the Swizz Beatz-produced "O.O.C.," which is catchy enough to make that the vernacular's standard abbreviation for "out of control." Carey even digs deep and pulls up "Side Effects," a Scott Storch-produced, dark hip-hop track that follows a passive woman's descent into domestic abuse ("Sleeping with the enemy/ Aware that he was smothering every last part of me"). Capping it off with Bible-quoting, upright-piano gospel ("I Wish You Well"), Carey's made a pop album with equal parts levity and gravity. —Kerri Mason http://0rz.tw/bd3V4 (英國BBC) by Tom Young 11 April 2008 It doesn't take Einstein to calculate the secret of Mariah Carey's success. A voice with such ability that it could probably kill added to a reputation that many would kill for equals a global appeal that's spawned 11 studio albums and 150 million odd worldwide sales… and counting. Somewhere at the start of the Millennium, this equation failed to add up. The Glitter and Charmbracelet era of Carey's career represents a sticky period to say the least. Yet, on the back foot, Mariah produced one of her career highlights in the form of The Emancipation Of Mimi, and, wisely, she follows its lead for this fan-pleasing follow up. After her lucrative hip-hop team-ups with Snoop Dogg, Nelly and Twista on Emancipation, Mariah returns this time with Damien Marley, T-Pain and Young Jeezy in tow and all of the cameos are sublime; T-Pain's showing on Migrate in particular. Whether it's the reggae outing on Cruise Control, the crunk-pop of Side Effects or the Cristal-soaked hip hop of Migrate, Carey handles every style that her producers throw at her with mind-boggling vocal dexterity. With all three of these tracks in the album's first half, it's inevitable that Carey eventually steps off the gas. Back to back ballads Last Kiss and Thanx for Nothin' help dim the lights on the previously frenetic start, and by the time, the gospel lullaby of album closer I Wish You Well kicks in, you are ready to be tucked up tight. Mind you, where Carey's concerned, if you've got it, flaunt it, and all six of the album's ballads will hit home with her fans, even if it'll be sickly sweet overkill for many. It doesn't quite hit the heights of Emancipation, but E=MC2 will keep Carey on her throne until someone actually dares take on her crown. While, you get the sense that her famous eight-octave vocal range never gets totally stretched, the record is still a showcase for a remarkable voice suited for any occasion. A timely reminder for the UK audience that Leona Lewis still has a long, long way to go. -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 61.66.243.100