Blind Colors feat. Melonie Daniels Walker - Found Love (Remixes)

This is a new release from the Def Mix record label which is owned by the legendary David Morales. The vocals are by Melonie Daniels Walker who is best known for her distinct background work on many of Mariah Carey's songs, and of course on those re-sung remixes by David Morales which featured radically different vocal arrangements. Melonie delivers an excellent vocal here. Her lead vocals are controlled and restrained, and then she really lets loose with the ad libs and backing vocals. The first two remixes are by David himself. The first one is in David's traditional classic House style whereas the second one has a stronger Disco flavor. The R&D mixes are in a Deep House style echoing the glory days of Masters At Work. Sami Dee's remix is softer than all of the others but it is still quite effective.

-Listen to clips and purchase the single here (Beatport)

Grade: A

Mariah Carey - Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse

This is the 14th studio album from the legendary singer-songwriter. After numerous delays and changed release dates, the album will be released on May 26. The album is one of her most introspective since her Daydream and Butterfly albums released in 1995 and 1997. Those gave fans a window into the her troubled first marriage and her emotional state. This album also shows signs that all is not well with her current marriage, as illustrated on a number of the songs. While some of the songs are open for interpretation and could be hypothetical, but given how involved Mariah is with the writing of her songs, it's safe to assume that these songs could be at lease semi-autobiographical.

The album begins with the midtempo ballads "Cry" and "Faded" which seem to hint at potential trouble in her marriage. Things pick up with "Dedicated" which features Nas and "Beautiful" which features Miguel. "Dedicated" is a delightful throwback to late 90s Mariah. "Thirsty" is a campy Hip Hop club banger that is sure to be a fan favorite with all of its quotable lines. "Make It Look Good" and "You're Mine (Eternal)" also recall 90s Mariah. "You Don't Know What To Do" is a stunning, groovyy Disco/R&B cut which samples the underground classic "I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair)" by Inner Life & Jocelyn Brown. This is a borderline Disco/House track. It's the closest Mariah has come to Dance music since 2008's "I'm That Chick", and her own remixes. "Supernatural" is a sweet track with additional vocals by Mariah and Nick's adorable children. Things go Disco for one more song in the form of "Meteorite" which is an interesting critique on fame. It could be argued that this song is about American Idol. "Camouflage" is a dark song about hiding how one really feels. This could be seen as a companion to "Looking In" (from Daydream). "Money" is another ratchet uptempo. Things close on an almost church-like note with her cover of George Michael's "One More Try" and the rousing "Heavenly".

Overall, this album is her strongest since her comeback album The Emancipation Of Mimi. It is a cohesive collection of songs covering a variety of styles and sounds dating all the way back to her debut. Mariah's voice sounds stronger and fuller than it did on her last two albums. The songwriting is mature and deeply personal. There are no surprising disasters or missteps with this one.

Purchase the album here (iTunes)

Grade: A

Mariah Carey - You're Mine (Eternal)

After several false starts with a couple of singles that didn't perform as expected, the official lead single from her new album due out this May has been released. It is cut from the same sensual cloth as 2008's "Touch My Body", but it isn't quite as commercial. This one has multiple hooks and other sections versus the traditional verses and choruses. The slow groove of the song is really hot.

There is an alternate remix which features additional vocals by Trey Songz. His heavily auto tuned vocals do not mesh well with Mariah's soft, delicate ones, but his backing vocals during the verse do.

Dance mixes by Jump Smokers and Kurd Maverick have also been released. The Jump Smokers remix uses just a handful of the vocals, selecting just some bits of the climax which makes the mix feel incomplete as there is nothing leading to those vocals. It's very sloppy. Sadly, the Kurd Maverick mix uses even less vocals. It's puzzling that both remixers chose to omit the stellar vocals as they did.

Listen to the 4 versions here (YouTube)

• Original
• Remix with Trey Songz
• Jump Smokers remix
• Kurd Maverick Remix

Grade: A-

Mariah Carey - The Art Of Letting Go

This is a new song from Mariah's upcoming album of the same name. The soft Quiet Storm sounding production provides the appropriate backdrop for this song which could possibly be summing up where Mariah is in her life right now. This is also a highly relatable song as many have gone through some of what she sings about. Mariah's vocals are stronger than they have been in a while and she lets loose with that upper part of her range at the end. While the song is well done overall, it does not feel like single material, feeling more like an album track, more specifically an album closer.

-Listen to the song here (YouTube)
-Purchase the song here (iTunes)

Grade: B+

Mariah Carey feat Miguel - #Beautiful (Louie Vega remix)

The R&B song has been doing its thing on radio for the last few weeks. Earlier this week, Mariah unveiled one of the rap mixes featuring an added verse by A$ap Rocky. Today she unveiled the first dance remix by Louie Vega, one half of legendary House production team Masters At Work. The R&B song translates perfectly into Louie's style as it has a soulful, laidback feel. However, the melody of the production seems to not match the vocals all that well. It seems a little off. The remix really lacks direction in its edit. The full length version might flow better as it may have additional instrumental buildups, however, this edit just falls short. Mariah and her team must be commended for selecting someone who hasn't done a mainstream remix of this nature in almost 8 years. 

Listen to the mix here (YouTube)

Grade: B-

Mariah Carey feat Miguel - #Beautiful

This is the highly anticipated single from Mariah's upcoming new album. She teams up with sexy R&B singer Miguel who recently smashed with "Adorn." Produced by Mariah herself, Miguel, and Happy Perez, the song is a mature R&B midtempo. It has an early 90s feel, yet with all the recent throwbacks, it will be perfectly at home on radio and it will stand out too. The song ends up being a duet with slightly more of Miguel than Mariah on lead, but it all works. Mariah sings in a full voice versus the sensual whispering she is known for sometimes. Miguel sounds smooth. They complement one another and blend so well. The slightly sexual lyrics are suitable for a song of this nature. Overall, this is an amazing song and is a great taste of what is to come with the new album. R&B is back in a big way.

Listen to the song here:

Buy the song on iTunes here

Grade: A

Mariah Carey - Almost Home

This is a new song specially composed for the new Disney movie Oz The Great And Powerful. The poppy midtempo might be a tad too sweet for some, but within the context of a Disney film, one would expect it to be like that. Mariah really sings her heart out on this. She sings with her full voice versus some of the breathy whispering she has done on some of her songs throughout the last decade. She really lets loose in the final parts of the song with the thundering ad-libs one would expect from her. Overall, this song is really beautiful.

Listen to the song here:


Buy the song here (iTunes)

Grade: A

Mariah Carey - Triumphant

This is the highly anticipated new single off of her new album due later this year. She teams ups with rappers Rick Ross and Meek Mil on this inspirational hip hop song that is co-written and co-produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan Michael Cox. The song is inspirational in nature and bears some resemblance melodically to her critically acclaimed "Fly Like A Bird". Mariah's singing is limited to the hook, chorus, and bridge on the album version as the guest rappers perform the verses. However, it has been announced that there will be additional versions featuring more of Mariah. With Mariah basically guesting on her own song, it just doesn't work that well.

The song will be available for purchase next week.

Listen to the song on her website here

Grade: B

Mariah Carey - Oh Santa!

This is the lead single off of her upcoming new Holiday album Merry Christmas II You. This is meant to be a sequel to her previous Holiday album Merry Christmas, released in 1994. "Oh Santa!" is a joyful uptempo. This is a brand new song. It's a bit whimsical, but it's very festive and cute. Mariah's vocals are in fine form here. While this song may not become a classic anytime soon, it is a lot of fun.

Grade: B+

Mariah Carey - Up Out My Face

This originally appeared on her Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel album. It was also remixed as a duet with Nicki Minaj for the now-shelved Angel's Advocate remix album. This fun and sassy kiss-off truly deserved more success than it received. Ralphi Rosario completed remixes for this, making it into a floorfiller. The song translates extremely well into dance mixes. Just enough of Nicki's vocals are kept for the remixes in the right places. Ralphi really turned this one out.

Listen to the Ralphi Rosario Radio Edit here (YouTube)


Grade: A

Various - Just Dance Volume 3

This is the third installment of the compilation series. Featuring an assortment of remixes of Pop, R&B, Rap, and Alternative songs, plus some Dance thrown in for good measure. There are only a couple of exclusives, most notably the Jason Nevins remix (one of them) of Mariah Carey's "H.A.T.E.U.", which has not been released previously. Continuously mixed by Mike Rizzo and Joey Arbagey, they mix together 16 songs in just 68 minutes. The tracklisting is pretty good, except for a minor misstep with the Akcent song at the end.

Tracklisting:
1-Rihanna Feat. Jeezy -Hard-(Jody Den Broader Club Remix)
2-School Gyrls-Something Like A Party-(Ralphi Rosario Club 1)
3-Mariah Carey-H.A.T.E.U.-(Jason Nevins "Loves U" Mix)
4-Taio Cruz Feat. Ludacris-Break Your Heart-(Wideboys Club)
5-MANN Feat. Jason Derulo-Text-(Chew Fu 'He-Mann' Fix)
6-deadmau5 Feat. Rob Swire-Ghosts N Stuff-(Vocal Mix)
7-Mr. Hudson-Supernova-(Dave Aude Club)
8-Shiny Toy Guns-Major Tom (Coming Home)-(Adam K & Soha Remix)
9-Chicane Feat. Natasha Bedingfield-Bruised Water-(Michael Woods Full Vocal)
10-Ludacris-How low-(Groove Police Club Mix)
11-Utada-Dirty Desire-(Mike Rizzo Club Mix)
12-Kim Sozzi-Secret Love-(Stellar Project Remix)
13-Inna-Love-(Club Version)
14-Robbie Rivera Feat. Fast Eddie-Let Me Sip My Drink-(Chuckie Remix)
15-Tiesto Feat. C.C. Sheffield-Escape Me-(Extended Remix)
16-Akcent Feat. Lora-That's My Name-(That's My Name 2010)

Purchase the compilation digitally and physically on June 8 (Amazon)

Grade: B+

VA - Just Dance 2

This is the second release from the new series this year. The first release which came out a few months back was fairly successful. This releasese, too, features a good blend of both dance remixes of non-dance songs and some pure dance songs too. The significant majority of the songs and their versions have been previously released. One of the exclusives is the new Jump Smokers mix of "Russian Roulette" by Rihanna which is not available anywhere else at this time. Only a couple of songs are a bit older, however it's great that those have been included as they do deserve to be heard by a wider audience.

Tracklisting:
01. Rihanna – Russian Roulette (Jump Smokers Remix)
02. Mariah Carey – Obsessed (Jump Smokers Remix)
03. Honorebel featuring Pitbull & Jump Smokers – Now You See It (Club Mix)
04. Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You (Chriss Ortega Club Mix)
05. Tinchy Stryder featuring Taio Cruz – Take Me Back
06. The-Dream featuring Kanye West – Walkin’ On The Moon (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Club Mix)
07. Kim Sozzi – Cry Tonight (Kiss Me Back) (Extended Mix)
08. Jessica Jarrell – Armageddon (StoneBridge Club Mix)
09. Kristinia DeBarge – Goodbye (Mike Rizzo Funk Generation Club Remix)
10. Noisettes – Don't Upset The Rhythm (Go Baby Go) (Dave Audé Club Remix)
11. Armin van Buuren feat. Jacqueline Govaert – Never Say Never (Alex Guadino Remix)
12. Kaskade with Tamra – Angel On My Shoulder (EDX’s Belo Horizonte at Night Remix)
13. Calvin Harris – I'm Not Alone (deadmau5 Mix)
14. deadmau5 & Kaskade – I Remember (Vocal Mix)
15. Tiësto – Louder Than Boom (Extended Mix)
16. Basshunter – Every Morning

The compilation will be available in both physical and digital formats on December 1, 2009.

Grade: A

Mariah Carey - HATEU

This is the third single off of Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel. This too had been a favorite at the listening parties held over the summer. The original is a smooth R&B midtempo. Vocally, Mariah sounds great. The lyrics are nice as well. The real gem is the new remix which is slated to be on an upcoming remix album of the MOAIA album. The remix is an energetic uptempo. Sampling heavily from the mid 90's R&B/Freestyle hit "My Boo" by Ghost Town DJs, Mariah re-recorded her vocals and added some new lyrics. She even sings some of the hook from the "My Boo" track. It's refreshing to hear her do a remix of this sort as it has been a while. It's a great way to introduce the classic to a new generation in this form. Also featured are some verses by OJ Da Juiceman, Big Boi & Gucci Mane. Both versions are wonderful.

Listen to the original here (YouTube)
Listen to the remix here (YouTube)
Grade: A

Mariah Carey - I Want To Know What Love Is

There has been talk about this being the second single in the U.S. This is indeed a cover of the Foreigner classic. It has been remade several times during the last few years, most recently by Wynonna Judd. Throughout her career, Mariah has covered a number of songs such as "Against All Odds", "Bringin' On The Heartbreak", and "Without You" and truly made them her own. This is yet another one. With this one, it is meant to be gospel-tinged. The production is minimal with light percussion and a lush piano, so there's plenty of room for Mariah's vocals to shine. Vocally, she sounds amazing. Those signature vocal acrobatics and notes of are here. The song builds slowly to an epic climax. This is a great cover overall. The only minus is that it's over too quick. The song could easily be one minute longer.

Listen here (YouTube)




Grade: A

Mariah Carey - Obsessed

This is the highly anticipated lead single off of her forthcoming album Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel. This comes nearly a 15 months after her E=MC2. It just premiered on Chicago's B96 a few minutes ago.

Produced by The Dream, she sings about a certain someone who is quite preoccupied with her. For the last week or so, rumors have swirled that the mystery person was rapper Eminem, but no one person is mentioned by name on the song.

The song is a midtempo with an old school type of vibe. It has Summer club smash written all over it. Mariah's vocals are heavily vocoded a la T-Pain or Zapp & Roger. It works well though. A remix version featuring rapper Gucci Mane will be released in the next few weeks.

This song will be streamed on Mariah's official website at 4PM (Eastern Standard Time).

Grade: A-

Various Artists - Just Dance

Record labels Island Def Jam and Ultra have collaborated to bring the music buying public this mixed CD. It features some of both labels' recent hit singles in remixed form. It must be mentioned that his compilation is continuously mixed. Some of the remixes featured were previously unreleased in any form, and some still have not been in a full, unmixed state. The choice of songs is good. Some of the songs are new and fairly recent. A few are bit older (like last year). The mixing is decent. It is a bit jerky in some parts with the first vocals of a song just suddenly starting when a track does on the CD. Otherwise, it's a good package.

Tracklisting:
01. Pitbull - I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) (More English Extended)
02. Rihanna - Disturbia (Jody den Broeder Remix)
03. Ne-Yo - Mad (Ultimix)
04. The Killers - Human (Armin van Buuren Club Remix)
05. Duffy - Mercy (Hott 22 Vocal Remix )
06. Mariah Carey - Touch My Body (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Club Remix)
07. Kim Sozzi - Feel Your Love (Extended Mix)
08. Anastacia - Absolutely Positively (Moto Blanco Remix)
09. Sharam feat. Kid Cudi - She Came Along (Ecstacy of Club Remix)
10. Kraak and Smaak - Squeeze Me (Fedde Le Grand Remix)
11. Utada - Come Back To Me (Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Club Mix)
12. Lionel Richie - Just Go (Mike Rizzo Funk Generation Club)
13. Guru Josh Project - Infinity (Klaas Vocal Mix)
14. Annet Artani - Alive (Jason Nevins Electrotek Club)
15. Alina - When You Leave (Numa Numa) (Basshunter Extended)
16. Basshunter - All I Ever Wanted (DJ Alex Extended Mix)

This CD is available at Target, Best Buy, and Amazon. It is available digitally at iTunes, Amazon's MP3 store, Rhapsody, and Masterbeat.

Grade: B

Mariah Carey - I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time

After "Bye Bye" failed to match the success of "Touch My Body", which has still managed to stick around, the third single from E=MC2 entitled "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" has been released. This is a midtempo that is "classic Mariah." It's a smooth vocal track with a great hook. It's too slow to be a clubbanger, but it's a nice end-of-evening song. It feels like something you could listen to while in a convertible or on the beach. The music video ties into the latter theme and is an all around fun video. This one should jump-start the album's momentum which was temporarily lost during the run of "Bye Bye."

Grade: B+

Mariah Carey - E=MC2 + Adventures Of Mimi DVD

The much-awaited followup to 2005's The Emancipation Of Mimi will be released on Tuesday, April 15. There are both a physical and digital release planned. A limited edition is available at some store and online. The overseas editions include a bonus track called "4Real 4Real" which features Da Brat. The iTunes edition also includes it as a bonus for pre-ordering the album. It is still available.

A digital release of the "Touch My Body" remixes will be happening on April 15. It includes the Seamus Haji and Craig C. mixes. Amazon's MP3 store already has previews of all the mixes up.

And a wider release of the Adventures Of Mimi tour DVD will also happen this Tuesday. The DVD was only available at Best Buy stores previously.

In support of the album, Mariah will be making the following appearances on TV (these are subject to change):

April 14th-April 20th - MTV Artist Of The Week (10 hours of
commercials, skits, etc.)

April 14th - The Oprah Winfrey Show

April 15th - Mariah will be a celebrity mentor on American Idol

April 16th - Mariah will be performing on American Idol
BET concert special: The Relativity Of Mariah

April 17th - E=MC² CD Signing @ Universal City Walk

April 25th - Live With Regis & Kelly

April 25th - Performing LIVE in Times Square on Good Morning America

Mariah Carey's 1st single-COMING SOON!

4 more days and a few minutes until the date Mariah Carey's highly anticipated new single "Touch My Body" is to be played on radio stations across the United States! Her forthcoming studio album, which is officilly untitled until further notice. Plans to release it on April 1, 2008 may or may not change after the single hits radio. La C's last project The Emancipation Of Mimi was a major success after two underperforming ones. The album spawned four top 40 hits including two number ones and one that peaked at number two. In terms of remixes, none have been officially announced, however, it was confirmed at music message board SoundCheck that David Morales would be remixing the lead single, whatever it might be. He may not be at liberty to say what the first single is since it may have been undetermined at that time.

Mariah Carey's new album

There have been all kinds of rumors and speculation surrounding the much-anticipated followup to The Emancipation Of Mimi. Finally there is some information from an industry publication about the title, some of the songs and who worked on the album.

Mariah Rolls With T-Pain, Dupri On New Album

January 18, 2008, 1:05 PM ET

Mark Sutherland, London

Mariah Carey has set an April 1 release date for the follow-up to her mega-selling album "The Emancipation of Mimi," which was the biggest selling album of 2005. Dubbed "That Chick," the set features production from Jermaine Dupri, will.i.am and Rodney Jerkins, plus collaborations with the likes of T-Pain and Damian Marley. The album veers between breezy pop tunes like "Lovin' You Long Time" and the title track, ballads like "Love Story" and urban club bangers like the standout "Migrate." The latter features T-Pain in a guest slot, providing the counterpoint to Carey's anthemic "single girls on the town" lyrics with the killer line: "Don't wait for me to buy drinks, or you're going to dehydrate." Other highlights include the frisky R&B of "Touch My Body," with Carey cooing, "If there's a camera up in here then I best not catch this flick on YouTube," and the catchy "OOC" -- short for "out of control." There's also a new sound for Carey on "Cruise Control," which features Marley and sees the artist try her hand at Jamaican patois. "It's kind of strange but I heard a lot of her records and it sound like the album is better than the last album," Dupri recently told Billboard. Additional reporting by Clover Hope

Here is the track list for "That Chick":
"Lovin' You Long Time"
"Touch My Body"
"That Chick"
"Thanx for Nothin'"
"For the Record"
"Migrate"
"Cruise Control"
"Love Story"
"OOC"
"Bye Bye"