Friday, 29-Feb-2008, 6:00PM EST | Posted by Liron Jack McBrayer: "Mariah's A Comedy Nerd!"
30 Rock's Jack McBrayer: Mariah Carey 'A Comedy Nerd' (People) 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer may fantasize about dating Mariah Carey in the diva's new music video for "Touch My Body." But, it turns out, the two have something major in common. "She's a comedy nerd," McBrayer, who plays Kenneth the Page on the hit NBC show, tells PEOPLE at WonderCon in San Francisco. In the cheeky video clip, the geeky star gets to romp on a bed with Carey and even walk a unicorn down the street. "It's the craziest thing ever," he said of the experience. "It was the most surreal thing ever." While the video depicts Kenneth's fantasy date with the songbird, the comedian says that working with the pop star was nothing less than a dream come true - and not just because she told him she's a big 30 Rock fan. Returning the compliments, he raves, "She was awesome! She was fantastic!"
How "Kenneth" Came to 30 Rock Mariah's World (TV Guide News) A sneak peek of the music video for Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" features the va-va-vivacious pop star cavorting with... Kenneth the NBC Page?! How did 30 Rock star Jack McBrayer luck into the dream gig of every red-blooded male? Turns out Carey is "a big fan of 30 Rock" as well as McBrayer's turn in Will Ferrell's Talladega Nights, her rep tells TVGuide.com.
Might this unlikely collaboration turn itself around and find Carey someday visiting "The Girlie Show" as a guest star? "Yeah, it would be fun!" the singer tells TV's Extra.
Mariah Carey Spanks 30 Rock Nerd? (TV Guide Editors' Blog) Music videos these days tend to feature love interests that are from the land of pretty and prettier. But, Mariah Carey has really deviated from the norm with her latest video-and we have the full-length version-"Touch My Body," which features none other than our favorite geek, Kenneth, from 30 Rock (Jack McBrayer) as the object of her affection. Who knows, maybe Mimi and Jack will fall madly in love and get married just like Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelley. Hey, it could happen!
Your Take: What do you think of Mariah's new video? Cute and funny, or were you done after the viking hat? Leave a comment on TV Guide's site.
Source: Robbie
Friday, 29-Feb-2008, 5:24PM EST | Posted by Lynn Rolling Stone Previews E=MC²
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=MC² 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."
Friday, 29-Feb-2008, 4:34PM EST | Posted by Lynn Mariah Calls In To New York's WKTU 103.5
Mariah was on air with DJs Hollywood and Goumba on WKTU 103.5 FM in New York at around 3:40pm ET today talking about her upcoming album, E=MC²; "Touch My Body" video; the "M" Gold edition fragrance; among other things.
[ Listen to the interview below. Click here to download. ]
Mariah also reportedly phoned in to an Atlanta radio station shortly after the WKTU interview. If you were able to capture this interview, please send it to us so we can share it with all the fans.
Source: Josie | Bobby | MariahDailyJournal
Friday, 29-Feb-2008, 10:47AM EST | Posted by Lynn B96's Erik Bradley on Mariah's New Album
Erik Bradley, Assistant Program Director/Music Director of CBS Radio's WBBM (B-96)/Chicago, talks about Mariah's new album, E=MC², 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.
Friday, 29-Feb-2008, 12:01AM EST | Posted by Lynn Mariah Video Downloads
EXTRA Extra correspondent AJ Calloway caught up with Mariah after premiering her "Touch My Body" music video on BET's 106 & Park on February 27th. During the interview, Mariah talked about her co-star in the video, Jack McBrayer ("I love the show 30 Rock and he's hilarious on the show."); how she keeps her killer curves ("It's not about late nights with the macaroni & cheese and fried chicken as we have experienced in the past."); what the new album title, E=MC², stands for ("Basically it's like Emancipation, the last album, equals Mariah Carey the second power. We're taking this to the next level.")
Also, in another interview video from Extra.com, Mariah talked about:
• Her Three Upcoming Films
» Tennessee - "That was intense. It was tough. It was like a discipline, to not be me, walk like me, do anything like... 'cause you don't want to take people out of the movie and so this is the route that I've always wanted to take. It's like doing independent films with people that I really respect."
» Don't Mess With The Zohan - "I did a little cameo in that with Adam. It was so much fun. It was like... they are hilarious. I wish I could do that all day and just nothing else but hang out with them. It was so much fun. Like everybody is like from the School of Comedy or whatever. Every single person you encounter has a great vibe, great sense of humor and Adam Sandler is the nicest guy."
» Push - "It is a book that a friend gave me to read a while ago and it's an amazing... it's kind of a difficult book for people to read but I do recommend it. I didn't know I was gonna be involved in the film until the last minute. Lee Daniels who's directing called me up and said 'I wanna see if you want to come down and do this.' And I had to do like prosthetic moments. It was kind of intense. I'm gonna look very, very... not a pretty picture but actually it wasn't not about that. It was about totally taking on, you know, a subtle situation. You could tell it was me if you peel the nose to the side. The role is a supporting part, a little scene but it's a very important scene. And Mo'Nique is really in this movie. She is incredible. The character is a social worker. She's inexperienced. I don't want to tell what happens but it's kind of important that character because things are revealed through her."
• The New Album "This record, I went back in the studio with some people I worked with before - Jermaine Dupri, we wrote a few songs that I feel like some of my best ever - [I'm] very excited. I worked with a whole gang of new "crop of new folk" as well and that was fun. But, yes, writing songs, producing, doing all that kind of stuff that most women don't get credit for is something that I love. It is very personal. Some of the songs people are gonna be like, 'Oh, she's writing about this person in her life or whatever' but honestly I wrote some of the songs for friends, for people who I've seen go through situations, I add my own personal... I'm talking about like the serious songs. There's a song called "Bye Bye" that is about somebody passing away and a lot of people really have strong reaction to it and really feel emotional but I do say this is for everybody. Basically, it starts out with this is for people who just lost somebody so it's like anybody who's been through that experience can relate to it. But it's like you know, that's its own kind of moment on the album and it has its place of that emotion and there's some other songs that are a little bit more about like my personal experiences. But I have one song that needs to be finished. I'm still working on that. I'm down to the wire."
• The Gift From Adam Sandler Mariah talked about the "leaning board" that she got as a present from actor Adam Sandler.
Mariah Interview #2 with Extra.com Type: MPG | Size: 59.4MB [ Download here ]
Thursday, 28-Feb-2008, 9:04PM EST | Posted by Liron Mariah to Appear on "Idol Gives Back"
On tonight's episode of "American Idol" (Fox), host Ryan Seacrest announced that Mariah will be one of the participants in this year's "Idol Gives Back" TV Special. Last year's special telecast raised over $70 million that went towards helping children and young people in extreme poverty in the U.S. and in Africa.
This year's show will be broadcast live on April 9, 2008.
Source: American Idol | MariahDailyJournal
Thursday, 28-Feb-2008, 5:48PM EST | Posted by Liron Great Feedback For "Touch My Body" Video
Blender Blog: Watch: Mariah Frolics With 30 Rock's Kenneth Who: Mariah Carey What: "Touch My Body" [Director: Brett Ratner] Why: Better than Glitter. More entertaining than the Ratner-directed X-Men: The Last Stand. And - thanks to some goofball mugging from co-star Jack "Kenneth" McBrayer - nearly as amusing as an episode of 30 Rock. The most (intentionally) funny video Mariah has ever made.
LA Times - The Envelope: Mariah Carey just released a new video, courtesy of a blockbuster Hollywood director. The clip, from "Rush Hour" director Brett Ratner, features "30 Rock's" Jack McBrayer, and effectively stole some of the thunder from [Janet] Jackson's release.
MSNBC - Scoop: Mariah Carey has won Scoop over How is it possible, you wonder, that Mariah Carey, the difficult-to-interview, always high-maintenance songstress has finally won Scoop over? Easy: She cast Jack McBrayer, the lovable-yet-cloying page from "30 Rock" in her new video, "Touch My Body." Either Carey is much more pop-culture savvy than we're giving her credit for, or Carey has some good advisors at the moment. Either way, the video's worth a look.
MTV - Buzzworthy: Mariah Carey does it big or she doesn't do it at all. But in her new "Touch My Body" video, she's doing it big and totally funny, with 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer (the new Jack McFarland!), a pink princess party dress (which we really want), a for-real unicorn (which we really want), a Catholic school girl costume circa Camelot-era Britney, and over four full minutes of free advertising for YouTube.
Director Brett Ratner - who, in addition to directing several feature films, shot five other Mariah videos and Jessica Simpson in her "These Boots Were Made For Walkin'" video - praised Mariah, saying "Mariah is musically at the top of her game and has never looked better..." and we'd be hard-pressed to disagree - you could freaking clean your dirty laundry on that girl's abs.
"Touch My Body" is currently the 2nd most viewed video on MTV.com.
Source: MariahDailyJournal
Thursday, 28-Feb-2008, 5:47PM EST | Posted by Liron Mariah On Access Hollywood, Reveals New Movie Role
Mariah talked to Shaun Robinson from Access Hollywood after her visit to MTV's "TRL" and revealed the latest details on her new album, upcoming tour and fragrance line. Below is a short recap of some of the things the ladies discussed:
--Mariah's look, her shoes, the diet and training she goes through to have her great-looking body! --The "Touch My Body" music video and the fun shoot with Jack McBrayer. --Coming up with the lyrics for "Touch My Body". --Celebrities talking about their personal lives on magazines. --The three upcoming films in which she appears: "Don't Mess With The Zohan", "Tennessee" and "Push". --The possibility for a tour. --The Gold Edition of her fragrance "M".
"Push" - Movie Information This is the first confirmation for Mariah's appearance in the Lee Daniels' film Push. The film is based on a best-selling novel by author Sapphire and stars Lenny Kravitz, Paula Patton and Mo'Nique. The following synopsis is taken from IMDB:
Claireece Precious Jones endures unimaginable hardships in her young life. Abused by her mother, raped by her father, she grows up poor, angry, illiterate, fat, unloved and generally unnoticed. So what better way to learn about her than through her own, halting dialect.
Thursday, 28-Feb-2008, 5:45PM EST | Posted by Lynn "Touch My Body" Update
• Mediabase Update: For the week ending February 27, 2008, "Touch My Body" has registered 67.678 million audience impressions with 9952 spins (Pop - 3775, Rhythmic - 3731, Urban - 1939, Urban A/C - 438, Hot A/C - 51, Alternative - 4, MTV - 1, BET - 8, VH1 - 5).
RADIO & ONLINE TIDBITS • Austin, TX - Hot 93.3: Finally added to the station's Hot 7@7 countdown. Click here to vote. • Boston, MA:#1 on KISS 108 Hot 7@7 and #3 on JAM'N 94.5 Sexy 7@7. • Albuquerque, NM - 97.3 KISS FM: Currently at #7 on the Top 8 @ 8. • New York City, NY - Z100: Dropped 3 spots from #1 to #4 on today's Shelly's High Noon countdown.
Please continue requesting the song in your local radio stations! You may use our request lines page to find your station's contact information.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES Brazil: Debuts at #7 on Transamerica FM's Top 10.
Canada: In its 2nd week on the Canadian Hot 100, the song takes a 32-point jump from #97 to #65.
France: The song moved up a place from #20 to #19 on the Hit Skyrock countdown today. French fans can vote only once a day by clicking here.
Portugal: Just added to Cidade FM's roster for Top 8 @ 8 countdown. Vote for Mariah here.
Singapore:"New This Week" on 98.7 FM. To request, email at 987fm@mediacorpradio.com or call at +65 66911987 (call DJ Desiree 10am-1pm and DJ Shan 11pm-2am).
United Kingdom: Debuts at #87 on the official UK Airplay chart.
Source: MariahDailyJournal | Alex' | Ricardo | Michael | Shaima | Julio | Rodrigo | Hairul | Mayah | Empeel85 | Byron | Qistina | Lawrence
Thursday, 28-Feb-2008, 10:08AM EST | Posted by Lynn Vote for "Touch My Body" Video
"Touch My Body" has just been added to the list of videos up for voting on TRL, 106 & Park and VH1 countdowns. Vote for Mariah and help her make it to the countdowns!
MTV's Total Request Live - "Top 10" Videos Vote online here! TRL airs Monday-Friday at 3:30pm ET/PT.
BET's 106 & Park - "Top Ten Live" Vote online here all day or call 1-800-617-LIVE (5483) between 5:30 and 6:00pm ET. BET's 106 & Park airs Monday-Friday, 6:00pm ET/PT; Saturday, 11:00am & 6:00pm ET/PT.
VH1 - Top 20 Video Countdown Vote online here. Click on the link to VH1's voting page, enter Mariah Carey and Touch My Body as your wildcard then drag and drop it into the number 1 spot on the right. The Top 20 Countdown airs on VH1 every week. Check your local listings by clicking here.
Source: MariahDailyJournal
Thursday, 28-Feb-2008, 6:40AM EST | Posted by Liron Billboard Update
• Below, find the chart positions for "Touch My Body" in Billboard magazine issue dated March 8, 2008.
"Touch My Body" Billboard Hot 100: #34 (Last Week #57) Billboard Hot 100 Airplay: #12 (Last Week #23) Billboard Pop 100: #38 (Last Week #46) Billboard Pop 100 Airplay: #22 (Last Week #34) Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: #18 (Last Week #20) Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay: #18 (Last Week #20) Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay: #17 (Last Week #39) AIR POWER
• BDS Airplay: 61,850,200 (+15.5 million)
• Fred Bronson from Billboard's Chart Beat reports:
'BODY' LIFTED: After debuting at No. 57 last week, Mariah Carey's new song, "Touch My Body" (Island), leaps to No. 34. That makes it Carey's 31st single to reach the top 40 portion of the chart. In the years that Carey has been charting, from 1990-2008, no female artist has accumulated more top 40 titles.
Counting the entire rock era, Carey ranks fifth among solo female artists with the most top 40 hits. The top five:
Madonna (47) Aretha Franklin (43) Connie Francis (35) Janet Jackson (32) Mariah Carey (31)
Source: Billboard | bks
Thursday, 28-Feb-2008, 3:08AM EST | Posted by Lynn HQ Photos: Mariah on BET's 106 & Park
Source: MariahDailyJournal
Thursday, 28-Feb-2008, 12:01AM EST | Posted by Lynn Download: Mariah on TRL and 106 & Park
Mariah made an appearance on TRL and 106 & Park to premiere her "Touch My Body" music video Wednesday, February 27th.
On TRL, in her interview with host Damien Fahey, Mariah talked about her new album E=MC², her upcoming movie "Tennessee" which she said will be an entry at the Tribeca Film Festival, her collaboration with T-Pain (Mariah is the first female to collaborate with T-Pain), her favorite album from a woman being Mary J. Blige's first album, etc.
Mariah Premieres "Touch My Body" on TRL, MTV Type: MPG | Size: 68.1 MB [ Download here ] Extra Video: Mariah backstage before coming out on TRL, download here.
She also dropped by 106 & Park. Mariah talked to VJs Rocsi and Terrence about her new album, shared her diet secrets, announced that her 45-sec preview of "Touch My Body" was the most viewed on YouTube, introduced the new "M by Mariah Carey" Gold Edition fragrance.
Mariah Premieres "Touch My Body" on 106 & Park, BET Type: MPG | Size: 112.3 MB [ Download here ]
Source: MariahDailyJournal
Wednesday, 27-Feb-2008, 9:36PM EST | Posted by Lynn HQ Photos: Mariah Backstage at TRL
Mariah was backstage at MTV's Total Request Live where she premiered her "Touch My Body" video earlier today. Click on each of the thumbnails below to view high-quality photos. Also seen in pictures is Jack McBrayer who co-stars with Mariah in the music video.
Source: MariahDailyJournal
Wednesday, 27-Feb-2008, 4:35PM EST | Posted by Lynn "Touch My Body" Update
• Mediabase Update: For the week ending February 26, 2008, "Touch My Body" has registered 65.302 million audience impressions with 9541 spins (Pop - 3583, Rhythmic - 3585, Urban - 1898, Urban A/C - 419, Hot A/C - 51, Alternative - 4).
• The "Touch My Body" music video has been added to the roster at TRL. Vote for Mariah and make her #1 on the Top 10 countdown!
• Click on the image to your right to view a high-quality version of the "Touch My Body" promotional picture.
• On her 107.5 WBLS show today, Wendy Williams asked her staff if they had played "Touch My Body" all day. She said that it was too late for today but ordered them to play it 5 times tomorrow and said, "It's a hit!".
• The 45-sec sneak preview to "Touch My Body" video is the Most Viewed Video today on YouTube.
RADIO & ONLINE TIDBITS • Tucson, AZ - Hot 98.3: "Touch My Body" remained at #3 on the Hot 7 at 7 countdown last night. • Tucson, AZ - 93.7 KRQ: The song was # 4 (no change) on last night's Top 8 @ 8. • Los Angeles, CA - KIIS FM: "Touch My Body" did not make it on Jojo's Top 9 @ 9 countdown last night. Click on the link to vote for the song now! • Atlanta, GA - Q100: "Touch My Body" was #1 on A-Bomb'sTop 5 at Nine countdown last night! You can e-mail him to request for the song or call 404-741-Q100 (7100). • Chicago, IL - B96: The song was at #2 on the station's "9 Most Wanted" songs. Request line: (312) 591-9696 • Charlotte, NC: "Touch My Body" was #1 on 96.1 The Beat last night. Every night they have a "7 o'clock threesome" and Mariah was #1. Keep voting for the song here. • Long Island, NY - 106.1 WBLI: Mariah made it back onto the station's 5 @ 9 Countdown at #5 last night. • New York City, NY - Z100: "Touch My Body" was #1 for the first time on today's Shelly's High Noon countdown! On Romeo's Interactive 9 @ 9 last night, the song climbed 4 places to #4. • New York City, NY - Power 105.1: The song was #1 on DJ Clues' 7 @ 7 Countdown. • Yakima, WA - 107.3 KFFM: "Touch My Body" was #1 yesterday on the Fourplay at 4. They play the four most requested songs just to give a preview for the 10 Most Requested Song later. Keep requesting here.
Please continue requesting the song in your local radio stations! You may use our request lines page to find your station's contact information.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES Serbia: "Touch My Body" has premiered on the Serbian radio, 3 FM. United Arab Emirates: "Touch My Body" is getting heavy rotation on Virgin 104.4, Radio 4 104.8, Radio 2 92.0, and 104.1 FM in Dubai. United Kingdom: "Touch My Body" is currently on the C-List on Radio 1.
Source: MariahDailyJournal | Josie | Gawain | Yossarian | Casey | Bojan | Liz | Michael | Dedric | Matthew | Meski | Rodrigo
Wednesday, 27-Feb-2008, 10:26AM EST | Posted by Lynn Download: "Touch My Body" Premiere on VH1
Download the video premiere of "Touch My Body" that aired today at 6am on VH1.
"Touch My Body" Music Video, VH1, February 27, 2008 Download: [ DVD (99.1MB) | VCD (44.9MB) | iPod Video (18.7MB) ]
Thanks to Markus for the video file!
Source: MariahDailyJournal | Markus
Wednesday, 27-Feb-2008, 1:00AM EST | Posted by Lynn Watch the Full "Touch My Body" Video
The full "Touch My Body" music video is now available for streaming at IslandRecords and VH1!
Screen Shots
Source: MariahDailyJournal | Cesar
Wednesday, 27-Feb-2008, 12:40AM EST | Posted by Lynn Mariah on Extra and Access Hollywood Thursday
This Thursday, February 28th, interview segments with Mariah will air on both Extra and Access Hollywood. Make sure to check your local station timetables and tune in, as they'll be discussing Mariah's new video and the new album E=MC²! You don't want to miss it.
Tuesday, 26-Feb-2008, 3:11PM EST | Posted by Liron "Touch My Body" Update
• Mediabase Update: For the week ending February 25, 2008, "Touch My Body" has registered 62.597 million audience impressions with 8929 spins (Pop - 3365, Rhythmic - 3348, Urban - 1776, Urban A/C - 392, Hot A/C - 43, Alternative - 4).
Its stand on the Mediabase charts for the week ending 02/25/08 is: Rhythmic - #11 (Last Week: #28) Pop - #21 (Last Week: #31) Urban - #18 (Last Week: #23) Urban AC - #19 (Last Week: #43)
• Nielsen BDS Update: As of today, "Touch My Body" is #13 on this week's BDS airplay chart. The song's position on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart which is finalized tomorrow is likely to be close to #13 as well.
• Radio & Records Chart Highlights, issue date February 29, 2008: Mariah's 'Touch' Reaches Higher. After an impressive opening last week, Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" (IDJMG) more than doubles its airplay and collects Most Increased Plays at three formats. "Body" rocks 32-23 at CHR/Top 40 (up 104%), 27-13 at Rhythmic (up 111%) and 39-17 at Urban AC (up 220%). The track also charges 23-18 at Urban, scoring Airpower honors and the format's second-best gain in plays.
• From USA Today: Mariah Carey's new Touch My Body, which zoomed 22-13 in its second week on the chart. (Could anyone have devised a safer kickoff single than this? It's got the requisite sexual innuendo, a tune (or lack of same) that could have been fashioned by musically inclined robots in some R&B/pop crossover factory, and lots of trademark Mariah vocal runs while retaining the more contemporary flavor of her last album. We Belong Together, last album's lead single, was a significant departure from her past and quite possibly her best single ever. This is dull and dreary by comparison.)
• The new ringtone for "Touch My Body" can also be purchased here. Those with Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and ATT can also text MARIAH7A to 30303 to get the ringtone for $2.49.
RADIO & ONLINE TIDBITS • Tucson, AZ - Hot 98.3: "Touch My Body" advanced 4 places to #3 on the Hot 7 at 7 countdown last night. • Tucson, AZ - 93.7 KRQ: The song was # 4 on last night's Top 8 @ 8. • Los Angeles, CA - KIIS FM: "Touch My Body" was #8 on Jojo's Top 9 @ 9 countdown last night. The song is currently at #6 on the station's playlist. • New York City, NY - Z100: The song was down 4 spots to #8 on Romeo's Interactive 9 @ 9. Keep requesting here. • Chicago, IL - B96: The song was #1 on Top 9 @ 9 and #1 on 9 Most Wanted! • Yakima, WA - 107.3 KFFM: "Touch My Body" was #1 last night on the "10 Most Requested Songs of the Day." Keep requesting here.
Please continue requesting the song in your local radio stations! You may use our request lines page to find your station's contact information.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES France: "Touch My Body" entered the Hit Skyrock countdown today at #20! French fans can vote only once a day by clicking here. The French Mariah Fan Club is currently having a contest whose aim is to bring Mariah to #1 on Hit Skyrock. Contest rules/details here. Be sure to also check the site's "Touch My Body" promo page for request lines to national and local radio stations.
Malaysia: Malaysian fans, vote for "Touch My Body" to be included on Fly FM's Freaky Top 30.
Philippines: This week on Magic 89.9, "Touch My Body" jumps from #28 to #20 on Final Countdown, and debuts at #4 on Top 5 @ 5. Final Countdown happens every Sunday 2-5pm, while Top 5 @5 Mondays-Thursday at 5pm. To vote through SMS, type "Magic 899, Please Play Touch My Body by Mariah Carey" and send to 2968. Fans can also call (02) 631-0899.
On Monster Radio RX 93.1, in its Final Countdown, "Touch My Body" debuts at #14; and on Daily Survey, the song has been #1 for the past 2 days. RX's Final Countdown airs every Friday at 6 pm, while the Daily Survey every Mondays-Saturdays at 9am. Continue voting for the song at RX by typing "RX 931 Touch My Body Mariah" and send to 2299. Request line: (02) 631-9393.
Source: MariahDailyJournal | Josie | MariahCarey.com | Ken | Qistina | Alex' | Liz | Julio | Jasmine
Tuesday, 26-Feb-2008, 8:08AM EST | Posted by Liron Mariah Explains First Single Choice
MTV Hits (UK) aired a short segment about Mariah's new video "Touch My Body". Footage from behind the scenes was shown as well as a short clip in which Mariah explains her decision to release "Touch My Body" as the first single from E=MC².
"It was really difficult choosing a first single. This time, it's just like okay, I have 20-something songs, and I'm like there's a lot of potential singles, so we all kind of struggled with it. We ended up with "Touch My Body" because up-tempo is one specific way, and a ballad is really specific, so we decided to just go with the mid-tempo and everybody kinda liked the song 'cause it's just fun and cute and sexy and sweet."
Tuesday, 26-Feb-2008, 4:05AM EST | Posted by Lynn VH1 & BET "Touch My Body" Premieres
VH1 will premiere the "Touch My Body" video on Wednesday, February 27th at 6am ET/PT, and repeated every hour on the hour thereafter. Download VH1's announcement of the video premiere here.
BET will also be playing the video starting at 11am ET/PT on Wednesday.
Source: MariahDailyJournal | Josie
Tuesday, 26-Feb-2008, 1:46AM EST | Posted by Lynn New Poll
Thanks to everyone who participated in our last poll, "Which of these song titles do you think would be the best title for Mariah's new album?" The results were as follows:
» That Chick - 34% (3771 votes) » Out of Control - 21% (2330 votes) » Heat - 18% (1971 votes) » Migrate - 14% (1571 votes) » Cruise Control - 13% (1388 votes) Total Votes: 11031
A new poll is now up. Located on the right sidebar, our new poll asks: "Which E=MC² track are you most excited about?" Get voting now!
Source: MariahDailyJournal
Monday, 25-Feb-2008, 7:44PM EST | Posted by Lynn "Touch My Body" Update
• Mediabase Update: For the week ending February 24, 2008, "Touch My Body" has registered 59.479 million audience impressions with 8296 spins (Pop - 3122, Rhythmic - 3094, Urban - 1667, Urban A/C - 352, Hot A/C - 57, Alternative - 4).
• From Radio & Records: Mariah Carey takes Most Increased Plays for a second straight week as "Touch My Body" moves 32-23 (up 1,380) at CHR/Top 40.
Most Increased Plays MARIAH CAREY - Touch My Body (Island/IDJMG) +1380 Stations playing: KKRZ +39, WAKZ +36, WIOG +31, KKDM +29, XT20 +28, WIHT +28, WABB +27, KRQQ +26, WQEN +26, WWHT +25
• Cingular/AT&T now has the "Touch My Body" ringtone available for purchase for $2.49.
RADIO & ONLINE TIDBITS • Open House Party: Keep requesting "Touch My Body" via e-mail to requests@openhouseparty.com or by phone at (800) 669-1010. • El Paso, TX - XHTO Hit Fm 104.3: This station plays "Touch My Body" once every hour. Request Line: 915-541-1043 • New York City, NY - Z100: The song was #3 on today's Shelly's High Noon countdown. It is currently at #21 on the station's playlist. Request on line or call (800) 242-0100.
Please continue requesting the song in your local radio stations! You may use our request lines page to find your station's contact information.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES Australia: "Touch My Body" made 2dayFM's Hot 30 Countdown at #20 this week. Keep voting here. Bulgaria: "Touch My Body" climbs a spot from #30 to #29 on The Voice Of Hip Hop And RnB's The Voice Top 30. Canada: "Touch My Body" was #2 this morning on Flow 93.5 in Toronto. (Request via email to requests@flow935.com or by phone at (416) 935 1935.) and #4 on The Beat 94.5's Top 7 @ Seven in Vancouver. Croatia: In its second week on Croatian radio's Top 50 International chart, "Touch My Body" climbs 35 spots from #46 to #11. Germany: "Touch My Body" entered the weekly charts of Berlin's Kiss FM as the highest entry at #37. German fans can click here to vote for the song. Indonesia: EBS 105.9FM, the leading radio station in Surabaya, Indonesia has premiered "Touch My Body." Indonesian fans can request for the song via SMS to +6281 7999 1059, e-mail or by phone at +6231 5051500. South Africa: On Metro FM's Top 40, after debuting on the chart at #32 last week, "Touch My Body" bolts up a massive 17 spots to #15. Metro FM is the largest urban radio station in South Africa with over 6 million listeners tuning in every day.
Source: MariahDailyJournal | Josie | Gabriel | Kelly | Justin | Neo | Bojan | Zane | Edwin | Julio | Nerissa | Paul | Jasmine | Nicolas | Susan
Monday, 25-Feb-2008, 6:16PM EST | Posted by Lynn "Touch My Body" Video Sneak Peek
Drumroll please...not only does Mariah Carey have a beautiful voice and an incredible new album coming out, she's also got a great sense of humor. In this sneak preview of Mimi's video for her first single off of E=MC², "Touch My Body," she invites the delightfully dorky Jack McBrayer (who you might know as Kenneth from 30 Rock) to, uh, touch her body, have a lingerie pillow-fight and play frisbee. And that's just from the 45 seconds we've seen!
Monday, 25-Feb-2008, 3:49PM EST | Posted by Liron Mariah on BET Wednesday
In addition to the previously announced appearance on MTV's TRL, Mariah will also be appearing on BET this Wednesday, February 27 to present her video for "Touch My Body." The BET Studios are located at 530 West 57th St. in New York City, NY.
MariahCarey.com is giving away a pair of tickets to the taping. More details here.
Watch the world premiere of "Touch My Body" music video on:
» Total Request Live - 3:30pm ET/PT, MTV » 106 & Park - 6:00pm ET/PT, BET
Monday, 25-Feb-2008, 1:43PM EST | Posted by Lynn "Touch My Body" Rolling Stone Review
Rolling Stone, in its March 6, 2008 issue with Jack Johnson on the cover, reviews "Touch My Body" and gives it 3.5 stars.
Mariah Carey "Touch My Body" (Island)
The Dream - who traded in vaginal metaphors as co-writer of Rihanna's "Umbrella" - takes a slightly more literal approach to the female anatomy as co-writer of this hyperdirty single from Mimi's forthcoming album, E=MC². Mariah's storied vocal range is blunted in favor of generic, highly digitized heavy breathing: "Touch my body/Put me on the floor/Wrestle me around/Play with me some more." But with a spare, slick track composed mostly of synths and finger snaps, beat master Tricky Stewart (who produced Mary J. Blige's "Just Fine") creates the perfect backdrop for the singer to ditch the rainbows and charms and score with a sex romp that went to radio just in time for Valentine's Day. --Evan Serpick
Monday, 25-Feb-2008, 12:02AM EST | Posted by Lynn Mariah on April 2008 Allure
Mariah will grace the cover of the April 2008 issue of Allure magazine that hits newsstands on March 25. The accompanying cover story is entitled, "Mariah Carey - Part Butterfly, All Bombshell."
Be sure to grab a copy!
Source: MariahDailyJournal | Erika
Sunday, 24-Feb-2008, 5:59PM EST | Posted by Lynn Mariah Interviews With Australia's 2DayFM
Mariah was on the phone with The Kyle & Jackie O Show on the Australian radio station 2DayFM earlier today. Hosts Kyle & Jackie O were conducting the interview from Los Angeles while Mariah was in New York (at 4:00pm EST). The interview aired live at 8:00am in Sydney, Australia.
Mariah discussed her new single, the new gold edition of her fragrance "M" and her desire to visit Australia again. Mariah also agreed to confirm/deny rumors that are flying around on the internet. Needless to say, most of them, as we already know, turned out to be false.
[ Listen to the interview below. Click here to download. ]
Many thanks to Josie for recording this interview for us!
Source: MariahDailyJournal | Josie
Sunday, 24-Feb-2008, 5:57PM EST | Posted by Lynn News Tidbits
• The Gold Deluxe Edition of "M by Mariah Carey" has been spotted at Macy's Covina & Costa Mesa stores in California. It is marketed as "pure perfume," and priced at $75.00 for a 1.7fl oz. bottle. See photos below. (Thanks to HBF's Mimi247 for the pictures)
Be sure to grab a bottle at your nearest Macy's!
• According to Universal Music Italy, Mariah's new album, E=MC² will be officially released in the country on April 11th.
• The Adventures of Mimi DVD climbs 3 spots from #12 to #9 in its seventh week on the official Greek Top 20 DVD/Video chart.
• "27 Dresses - Celebrity Dress Auction," launches at 19.00hrs on Tuesday, March 4th on www.ebay.co.uk/27dresses. Frock-fabulous red carpet gowns from poptress Kylie, music diva Mariah Carey, Spice Girl Geri, actresses Katherine Heigl & Thandie Newton and supermodel Naomi Campbell are just a few names from the list of stunning dresses donated by stars to raise money for The Lavender Trust, and to mark the release of hit new comedy movie '27 Dresses.'
• Janet Jackson has recently been mentioning Mariah:
--From Contact Music: "My friends tease me and say I have to build a house for my shoes, but I'm not as bad as Mariah Carey." Janet Jackson on her footwear collection.
--In this YouTube video by Jermaine Dupri, Janet jokes about the "lighting" while being filmed and says, "I sound like Mariah now, don't I? Because it's very important."
--Janet talked about the possible duet with Mariah on KIIS FM's On Air With Ryan Seacrest on February 19th: "It's been going on for a while. We've been wanting to. So it's just a matter of getting the two of us together, for the timing to be right for the both of us really. We enjoy each other's work. It would be fun. And I just met Mariah not that long ago after being in this business for all this time. Both of us. We just met a couple of years back. (Ryan: You're saying she avoided you.) Laughs You're a mess. No, I'm not saying she avoided me at all. Our paths never crossed until just a few years ago. At the Grammys, we never saw each other backstage. I never saw her at any function ever."
[ Listen to the interview below. Click here to download. ]
• The online site of the Croatian newspaper, 24 Sata has some photos of Mariah from her Bahamas vacation. Check them out here.
• The French Mariah Fan Club is currently having a contest whose aim is to bring Mariah to #1 on the radio station Skyrock. French fans can click here to find out how you can participate. Be sure to also check the site's "Touch My Body" promo page for request lines to national and local radio stations.
• Carlos has launched a new Facebook site, Mariah Carey UK, for UK Mariah fans to help with the promotion for the new album. If you're on Facebook and a Mariah Carey fan, be sure to check this site out!
• In his "Shopping At The Mall of Mariah" column on Towleroad, a top blog site for gay men and politics, Robbie talks about initially resisting Mariah then falling in love with her over the years. Read his column here.
Source: MariahDailyJournal | Daniel | Glitter2180 | Mimi247 | Bojan | Ila | Robbie | Claire Richland | mcrespect | Carlos | Nacho | Shaima | Alex'
Sunday, 24-Feb-2008, 3:39PM EST | Posted by Michael Mariah's Soundscan Album Sales Thru 1/13/08
Mariah Carey - 4.838 million (pre-Soundscan era release) Emotions - 3.573 million MTV Unplugged EP - 2.732 million Music Box - 7.170 million Merry Christmas - 4.908 million Daydream - 7.545 million Butterfly - 3.711 million #1s - 3.586 million Rainbow - 2.928 million Glitter - 636,625 Greatest Hits - 976,120 Charmbracelet - 1.148 million Remixes - 258,590 The Emancipation of Mimi - 5.826 million Total: 49.837 million
Note: Soundscan measures over-the-counter sales at selected retail outlets (record club sales are not included) since March of 1991.
Source: Jim | Chris | MariahDailyJournal
Sunday, 24-Feb-2008, 2:20PM EST | Posted by Lynn Mariah Scans
U.S.A. Scans from the March 3rd issues of Us (Hot Pics, Lights, Camera, Stars!, page 28), OK! (Poll of the Week, page 18; News Pics, page 27; and Pricey Hairdos, page 32), In Touch (UpClose, page 10), People (Second Look, page 92); and from the March 2008 Blender (The Adventures of Mimi full-page Best Buy ad, page 85).
International From UK's Sunday, February 24th News of The World supplement, Fabolous and March 2008 issue of Glamour; India's February 16th edition of Mumbai Mirror; and Bulgaria's February 27th High Club magazine.
Source: MariahDailyJournal | Kerry - MariahCareyCollection | Julio | Jayesh | Nicolas
Saturday, 23-Feb-2008, 4:20PM EST | Posted by Lynn "Touch My Body" Update
• Mediabase Update: For the week ending February 22, 2008, "Touch My Body" has registered 54.673 million audience impressions with 7202 spins (Pop - 2709, Rhythmic - 2659, Urban - 1517, Urban A/C - 272, Hot A/C - 43, Alternative - 2).
• "Touch My Body" Remix Update: On Saturday, February 23, 2008 at 9:10 AM, David Morales added the following entry in his MySpace Music blog:
"It's 3am and I'm now working on a rough mix idea so that I can play at STEREO this wknd. That's how excited I am about it. I will play a rough mix w/o her new vocal on it. It will be the record of the wknd!"
Check out the rest of his blog entries about "Touch My Body" in yesterday's post.
RADIO & ONLINE TIDBITS • Open House Party: "Touch My Body" is getting heavy rotation on the syndicated radio show, Open House Party. Tonight at around 10pm, before playing the song, they aired an audio of Mariah messing up the phone number to the show. Listen below! Click here to download an MP3 file. (Thanks to Josie for making the audio file for us.)
• Tucson, AZ - Hot 98.3: The song advanced a spot to #7 on the Hot 7 at 7 countdown yesterday. • Los Angeles, CA - KIIS FM: "Touch My Body" climbed 2 spots to #4 on KIIS FM's Jojo's Top 9 @ 9 countdown last night. • Los Angeles, CA - Power 106: Yesterday, the song dropped out of Tito's 4 @ 4 (was at #3 on Thursday, Feb. 21st) and Top 8 @ 8 (#5 previously). Click on the links to vote now! • Denver, CO - KS 107.5: "Touch My Body" has been #1 for 4 days now on 4 Play @ 4 with Dreena Gonzales! • Chicago, IL - B96: On yesterday's B96 countdowns, "Touch My Body" was down a spot to #2 on the Top 9@9, but up 5 spots to #7 on the Weekly 20. The song is currently at #2 on the station's "9 Most Wanted" songs. Request line: (312) 591-9696 • Boston, MA - Jam'n 94.5: "Touch My Body" was #7 on the Sexy 7 @ 7 countdown. It is also the "Hot Pick" on the station's playlist. Request Line: (617) 931-1945 • Albany, NY - KISS 102.3 FM: The song was #1 on the station's The Nine Most Wanted yesterday. Vote for tonight's 9 most wanted by calling (518) 476-1023. • New York City, NY - Z100: The song was #3 (-1) on Shelly's High Noon countdown; and #4 (+2) on Romeo's Interactive 9 @ 9 last night. It is currently at #31 on the station's playlist. • All Access has posted a dance mix (Special K Remix) to "Touch My Body" under Cool New Music in its Top 40/Rhythmic section. Members can log in to check it out. • X17 has posed the questions, "Does Mariah Carey have what it takes?" "Can Mariah dethrone the King [Elvis Presley]?" Or "does 'Touch' just not have what it takes?" Post your comments here.
Please continue requesting the song in your local radio stations! You may use our request lines page to find your station's contact information.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES Australia: Vote for "Touch My Body" on 2day FM's Hot 30 Countdown. Canada: In Toronto, "Touch My Body" was #6 on Z103.5's Hit List and #7 on Chum FM's Sound Lounge Most Requested. Meanwhile, continue to vote for the song on CKOI's Top 6@6 countdown in Montreal. Holland: "Touch My Body" is the most requested song on Juize FM's "Request Top 5." It is also one of the station's "Hot Jamz" for the 2nd week. Korea: According to Universal Music Korea, "Touch My Body" CD single will be released in the country on March 31st. Malaysia: "Touch My Body" enters Hitz FM's Urban 10 chart at #4. Malaysian fans can vote for the song on Urban 10 here; and on the station's other chart, Top 30, here. United Arab Emirates: "Touch My Body" is getting heavy rotation on Virgin 104.4 in Dubai.
Source: MariahDailyJournal | Roland | Gawain | Josie | Shaima | Meredith | Mike | Amanda | Lucie | Jack | Qistina | Michael | Rob | Lior | Marilyn | Hazim | Joao | Dave
Friday, 22-Feb-2008, 9:17PM EST | Posted by Lynn David Morales To Remix "Touch My Body"
Mariah's long-time working partner, DJ David Morales, will be remixing Mariah's first single, "Touch My Body."
On his MySpace Music blog, David writes the following:
Tuesday, February 19: "Letting all u Mariah Carey fans know that I'll be working on her new club remix of her new single 'Touch My Body'. It's always a pleasure working with her. She's the real deal!"
Wednesday, February 20: "It's 7:05pm and I'm in the studio w Quentin Harris laying down some tracks for Mariah's 'TOUCH MY BODY.' It's coming out so funky! I'll be recording vocals with her at her house on friday I can't wait! I wish I had it for this wknd to play at STEREO. Oh well I'll have to wait to debut it at the WMC."
Thursday, February 21: "I just got home from the studio and I want to say that 'Touch My Body' is coming out lovely. I can't wait to get her to sing to the new track. After working with her for 14 years now (yes we did 'DREAM LOVER' in '93) it's always a challenge to go to the next level. But knowing Mariah, I'm sure she'll work it! ok I'm going to bed now. That's all for now."
"Dreamlover" was the first Mariah song turned into a dance/house mix by Morales back in 1993. Their most recent collaboration up until now was the 2005 remix to "Say Somethin'." Below is the list of the Mariah songs that were remixed by David Morales and their peak position on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
"Dreamlover" - #1 "Joy To The World" - #17 "Fantasy" - #1 "Always Be My Baby" - #6 "Honey" - #1 "My All" - #5
"Fly Away (Butterfly Remix)" - #13 "I Still Believe" - #1 "Can't Take That Away" - #6 "Loverboy" - #45 "It's Like That" - #1 "Say Somethin'" - #1
Friday, 22-Feb-2008, 6:44PM EST | Posted by Lynn Mariah on TRL Wednesday
Mariah will be appearing on TRL this Wednesday, February 27 to premiere her video for "Touch My Body." The TRL Studios are located at 1515 Broadway in New York City, NY.
MariahCarey.com is giving away a pair of tickets to the taping. More details here.
Friday, 22-Feb-2008, 4:33PM EST | Posted by Liron "Touch My Body" Billboard Review
Touch My Body (3:28) Producers: Mariah Carey, Tricky Stewart Writers: M. Carey, Terius "The-Dream" Nash Label: Island
Oh, Mariah, where have you been? It's been four long years since your triumphant return with "We Belong Together," and three since last hit "Don't Forget About Us." Granted, you disillusioned once or twice, tip-toeing into hip-hop-but you've long been forgiven for the likes of "Boy (I Need You)" with Cam'ron and "I Know What You Want" with Busta Rhymes. "Touch My Body," the first single from 11th studio album "E=MC²" (April 15), is a No. 1 just waiting to pounce the Billboard Hot 100. Written by Carey with The-Dream-who penned Grammy Award-winning radio staple "Umbrella" for Rihanna-this sensual jam is 100% Mariah, packed with satisfying harmonic layers and hooky background "oh's," supersonic verses and a chorus as catchy as a winter sniffle. According to mariahdaily.com, 65 stations played the song five hours after its digital release to radio. Smells like a smash and looks like 2008=MC's 18th year of chart-toppers.
Friday, 22-Feb-2008, 3:05PM EST | Posted by Lynn VH1 Previews E=MC²
Yesterday, Island/Def Jam honcho L.A. Reid hosted a few journalists in his office for a special preview of Mariah Carey's upcoming E=MC² album, tentatively due April 15. While Reid looked on, Mariah's A&R man and long-rumored beau Mark Sudack played 12 of the album's cuts from his laptop, often passionately (and adorably!) singing along. On the album, there was drama, there was death, there was disco. What follows is a track-by-track breakdown of our impressions of the album. Note that this isn't the final track sequence, that L.A. ticked off the producers list to us but it is by no means etched in stone and the tracks that we heard weren't always mastered.
One final note: so much of this album is sung in Mariah's chest voice. The vocal gymnastics and whistle notes, while there ('cause, duh, it's Mariah!), take a backseat to clear, purposeful singing, and Mariah sounds better for it. Oh yeah, Mimi's back.
1. "Migrate" (co-produced by Danja) -- After announcing itself with Mariah's patented whistle notes, this club track gets to bangin' and it takes that task really seriously. It's about as meta as a banger gets, with Mariah explaining during the chorus how her night goes: "From the car to the club / We migrate / From the bar to the V.I.P. / We migrate." And so it goes, from the party to the after party, from the after party to the hotel. There's a slight autotune effect on Mariah's voice on the last "migrate" of each chorus, which I assume is to put her on equal ground with the man she shares the mic with here. T-Pain, mercifully shows up for just a guest verse -- this is not a full-blown duet. It's a feisty track, with tough Storch-esque beats that Mariah's bravado attempts to match: "If you're inked up thuggin', that's what I like," she says. See, I always thought she went for the pretty boys. Already we're learning stuff!
2. "Touch My Body" (co-produced with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and The-Dream) -- There isn't much to say about this ultra-femme track that wasn't said when it leaked. Hard to believe that that was only a little more than week ago -- in the time since, it's become so ubiquitous that it's kind of hard to imagine what radio was like before it. Even L.A. seemed taken aback by how quickly it has caught on -- he described the track's out-of-the-gate success as virtually accidental.
3. "Last Kiss" (co-produced by Jermaine Dupri) -- One of the album's many declarations of eternal love, this one is "We Belong Together, Part 35." It's nice but extremely safe. One thing that's very much in its favor are Mariah's vocals, which are nimble as they are in "We Belong Together" (she changes up her flow more times than I could count) and maybe more robust than they've sounded in over a decade. There's a nice little duet at the end of this one between Mariah's full chest voice and her higher register. Of course, if she didn't show off that stellar natural resource, this wouldn't be a Mariah Carey album.
4. "Lovin' You Long Time" (co-produced by DJ Toomp) -- Pure and utter joy is this one, which is most reminiscent of the lovely Mimi outtake "When I Feel It." Except this one's, like, 10 times better. The chorus of DeBarge's "Stay With Me" is the foundation of this track (as opposed to the verses, which provided the foundation for the single remix of Biggie's "One More Chance" and Ashanti's "Foolish," among tracks). However, the sample sounds more weathered, and overall, the track comes off as a '60s throwback rather than an '80s one. One hundred percent feel-good and packing in a killer breakdown and conclusion that's a wall of Mariah voices, this was the first song that felt like the work of unstoppable pop genius.
5. "Thanx for Nothin'" (co-produced by Jermaine Durpri) -- A mid-tempo ballad that sports a beat rougher than anything Jermaine Dupri has laid down for Mariah and a guitar line not unlike Mimi's "So Lonely" (though this track is more sassy and less dour than that), "Thanx" suggests that Mariah and Jermaine aren't sentenced to live in the shadow of their former glory and can actually make relatively new sounds together. Lyrically, this break-up track is a cross between the self-deprecating "Mine Again" ("I never knew enough about you, babe / And I guess I only have myself to blame") and the streetwise posturing of "Get Your Number" ("Seems like all I do is think about your pseudo-romance / While you're somewhere burnin' diesel in the streets, havin' laughs"). Mariah packs in so many lyrics that she barely has time to sing them, and sort of just growls them. It's not nearly as ridiculous as that description might make it sound.
6. "That Chick" (co-produced by Stargate) -- Instant. Classic. An absolutely brilliant disco track that plays on Mariah's strengths and sexiness without ever crossing the line into indulgence. It's slick, it's chic (and Chic, with its slap-you-on-the-ass bass line), it's silly ("La da da a oooh wee-wee" goes the bit between the chorus and the verses) and it carries a killer middle 8 that's as exhilarating as the one in Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T." (you know, the best part of one of the best songs ever that goes, "Don't you know nowwwww / Is the perfect time..."?). Mariah makes references to 2Pac and Biggie, compares herself to ice cream and the lottery and maybe even references the long-lost track from the Charmbracelet sessions "Touch the Sky." Oh, and also she delivers the most her line of her career, complete with a 10-cent word: "I brings that levity." Maybe one day they'll bottle the essence of Mariah, but until then, we have "That Chick" and I seriously am counting down the days till I can hear this track again. This needs to be a single, like, now, and Mariah needs to dust off those "Heartbreaker" remix roller skates for the video, pronto.
7. "Cruise Control" (co-produced by Jermaine Dupri) -- Another J.D. track that deviates from what could have been a detrimental pattern, this is a reggae-lite extended car metaphor ("I need a caddy wit some cruise control," belts Mariah). The chorus consists of her spelling out, "C-R-U-I-S-E control" and the second verse finds Mariah adopting a Jamaican affect for kicks: "When da door open I de gals pon de block / They be hop-on, to rob the clock / Me say no mam / Step up step up / Bottle broken / Tink I'm jokin'." Seriously, she says that. Damien Marley gets a guest verse, and I have to say, his shtick is a little more convincing.
8. "Side Effects" (co-produced by Scott Storch) -- You know how sometimes Southern rap almost has a heavy metal feel? Mariah and Storch exploit that by turning out a Southern-fried power ballad that's a thinly veiled portrait of her time under Tommy Mottola's reign ("Hell we built, and I dealt with it... Kept my tears inside 'cause I knew if I started, I'd keep cryin' for the rest of my life with you / I finally built up the strength to walk away / Don't regret it..."). For someone as guarded as Mariah is publicly, it's shockingly frank (she alludes to "violent times") and really naked (the titular side effects refer to the toll the relationship has taken on her: she's "still a little depressed inside" and "still a little defensive thinkin' folks be tryin' to run my life"). This is another highlight, and having a rapper so associated with drugs (Jeezy) on a track called "Side Effects" that isn't about drugs at all, only makes things cleverer.
9. "Love Story" (co-produced by Jermaine Dupri) -- Anther ode to endless love ("This ain't no fairy tale or fiction / This is truly ours for eternity"), this ballad is more of the baby-making ilk. It's like Prince-lite with a synthesized beat a la "The Beautiful Ones," but not as effects-laden (i.e. the beat doesn't have the backwards sound). The melody is reminiscent of Mimi's "Joyride," and that should give you an indication of how sweet this track is.
10. "OOC" (co-produced by Swizz Beatz) -- This one has a pummeling thump so pronounced, it's somewhat surprising that it's not the work of Stargate or Tricky. "OOC" stands for "out of control," and while the track isn't exactly wild, it's a fun mix of The-Dream's "Ditch That N..." with a melody like Blu Cantrell's "Hit 'Em Up Style." Besides the hypnotic refrain of "Forever and ever," the track is most notable for including the word motherf***er. As in, "I know y'all motherf***ers feel like we / When you're messin' with the one true lova / That makes you OOC." Hardcore!
11. "Bye Bye" (co-produced by Stargate) -- When Mariah first started promoting Mimi, she described "We Belong Together" as a cross between "Breakdown" and "One Sweet Day." That description is infinitely more appropriate for "Bye Bye," a song about death that's "for my people who just lost somebody," "for my people who lost their grandmothers" and seemingly for Mariah's departed father, Alfred Roy ("You never got to see me back at No. 1"). It's nice that Mariah's on a confessional kick, although a track with the "We Belong Together" sonic template and lyrics tailored appeal to everyone on such a basic level seems like too easy of a combination for someone as established as Mimi. This one's like insurance -- in case nothing else is a hit, here's a sure-shot. But ultimately, it turns out that the album is too good for that.
12. "I Wish You Well" (co-produced by James Poyser) -- We were told that this was hot off the presses and a very rough version of the song, but even in its unpolished state, it was a stunner. A piano ballad that features Mariah, some gospel-tinged backing vocals, a piano and that's it, this track is a throwback to the fan-favorite "Vanishing" from her 1990 debut. Part feisty ("You can't manipulate me like before") and totally spiritual (Mariah name-checks a bible verse in the chorus, although I couldn't catch exactly what it was, and she ends the song repeating, "The Lord is my salvation / I will trust in him"), "I Wish You Well" will have fans wetting themselves. It's gorgeous and in its simplistic way, the type of risk that Mariah should take more often.
The risky moments on the album ("Lovin' You Long Time," "That Chick," "Side Effects" and "I Wish You Well") bode well for the future. Though E=MC² feels extremely safe, there's enough variation to signify some artistic growth. She's cranking out hits and that's fine because that's what she's always done (hitmaking is her medium), but when she goes out of the Top 40 comfort zone, the album truly soars. Over 10 years after she first sang about it, it's only now that Mariah has worked up the courage to really spread her wings. The next question is: how high can they take her?
Friday, 22-Feb-2008, 1:23PM EST | Posted by Lynn I Bet You Won't Say That. "Whatever, Watch!"
A MariahDailyJournal Exclusive
Cri$tyle admits that life before the music biz was a lot slower. Born and raised in Atlanta to a musical family, Cri$tyle began harmonizing to Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight at 3-years-old. Now, she can boast that she's sat down with Mariah Carey and harmonized to "Can't Let Go"!
Mariah Daily Journal had the pleasure of exclusively interviewing Cri$tyle about her recent co-writing experiences with Mariah. She tells us who thought of singing about YouTube on "Touch My Body," divulges info on the four songs she contributed for E=MC², which track she thinks will be the "huge" record, and how they have developed a close friendship. If "Touch My Body" is any indication, Cri$tyle and Mariah's future released collaborations are going to blow us away!
Please tell us about yourself. What was life like for Cri$tyle before joining the music business. What kind of music influenced you growing up? Wow! [laughs] Life for Cristyle before the music biz was a lot slower than it is now! I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. I grew up listening to music. My mom sings, my dad sang, and my sister. My dad used to make us harmonize to old school records. I was like 3 years old holding down the alto note [laughs]. I remember hearing Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight in heavy rotation. When I got a little older, I started rehearsing to Mariah, Whitney, and Boyz II Men. I was singing every chance I got. Talent shows every week. But I grew up and realized I needed money so I got a few different jobs. My last job before joining the industry was at a hospital. Actually I was a Telephone Operator. That was until I got fired for writing songs on the job while I was supposed to be answering phones! I cried my eyes out, but if I didn't get fired, I would have never had the chance to do music full-time. So thank God they kicked me to the curb! [laughs]
How did you get into songwriting? How were you discovered? And how did you get signed by So So Def/EMI? Well, to be honest, songwriting kinda came outta nowhere for me. I wrote my first song in the 3rd grade. It was horrible! [laughs] After that I started getting more interested in the songwriting process. Whenever I find something I can't do very well, it always seems to spark my interest. I start thinking like, "Why can't I do that?" so I kept writing until one day I realized, "Hey, I might be good at this." Once I got that in my head, I was on a mission. [laughs] I wanted the world to hear what I had to say and more so, I wanted the world to hear my "special" way of saying it. I started working with different producers and that introduced me to all types of writing styles. After about a year, I met my manager who put clarity to my little "writing spree." [laughs] Soon after, I caught the attention of Jermaine [Dupri] and Big Jon [Platt, EMI Publishing EVP] and the rest is history in the making!
How did Mariah hear of you, and what about your work piqued her interest? Mariah heard of me from JD. He told Mariah he wanted her to meet/work with his new writer Cri$tyle. My manager and I were hoping he would put me in with her but Jermaine is one of those people who don't believe in handouts. He believes you have to work hard and earn everything in this biz. So I guess he felt like I had earned a shot. But there were no guarantees. He wasn't gonna write the song for me, or make MC like working with me. When we started working, the two of us (MC and I) were singing melodies and joking around with lyrics. The first song we did that night was "Cruise Control." I think the fact that we were both singing similar melodies and having such a fun time coming up with the lyrics made her comfortable working with me. And it made me comfortable with her also.
What was the writing process for your songs together? The writing process was very relaxed. We would go in this little outside area overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Sometimes we would even take a stroll on the beach. Very much like a vacation. But that really helped us to vibe out and get a consistent "no pressure" atmosphere going. We would work really late some days. All the songs we wrote were straight collaboration. MC would play tracks she had gotten from different producers, and we'd pick the one that hit us at the time. A lot of times we'd come up with melody first, then try to get a concept, then lyrics. But there was no specific method with us. We just hung out and wrote hot records in the process. Ya gotta love that!
Who came up with the "YouTube" and "I will hunt you down" lines? MC came up with the YouTube line and we were both joking around and came up with "I will hunt you down." I was like, "I bet you won't say that" and she was like, "Whatever, watch! [laughs] Hilarious!
What, if anything, surprised you most about meeting and working with Mariah? What was she like as a person? The first thing I noticed about MC was how polite she was. I mean this is a legend we talkin' about! And she is the first legend I've ever met so I didn't know what to expect. I was sooo nervous when she walked in. She was like the center of attention but somehow she found time to say, "Hi, Cristyle" before I could even in
