This extremely impressive debut is replete with smooth-sounding ballads and uplifting dance/R&B cuts. Carey convincingly seizes many opportunities to display her incredible vocal range on such memorable tracks as the popular "Vision of Love" (featured during her television debut on The Arsenio Hall Show, an appearance noted by many as her formal introduction to stardom), the energetic "Someday," and the moody sounds of the hidden treasure "Vanishing." With this collection of songs acting as a springboard for future successes, Carey establishes a strong standard of comparison for other breakthrough artists of this genre. ~ Ashley S. Battel, All Music Guide

A strong follow-up to Carey's self-titled debut album, Emotions puts to rest any concern of a "sophomore jinx." The same mix of dance/R&B/ballads that gave Carey's debut such tremendous auditory appeal can be found with equal strength on this release, indicating that placing firm belief in the notion of "Why fool with success?" may, in fact, have its merits. Most notably, the gospel influences of "If It's Over" (with music co-written by Carole King), the yearning cries for a lost love in "Can't Let Go," and the catchy, upbeat title track, all serve to send the listener on a musical journey filled with varying emotions. However, the one emotion that prevails upon completion of the album is definitely a positive one - satisfaction! ~ Ashley S. Battel, All Music Guide

This live performance is the perfect peek into the life of rising pop/soul vocal sensation Mariah Carey at a youthful and innocent age in an intimate, acoustic setting. Throughout this performance, recorded live for MTV's Unplugged, Carey is quite electric and charismatic within her vocal presence and succeeds in enlightening the already engaged audience from the get-go. The audience certainly feels the warmth and sincerity of Carey's lyrical messages of longing, loss, friendships, and love. Carey's supporting cast of gifted group musicians back her up with soulful melodiousness, spontaneity, and enriching percussion. Gradually, the power and esteem of these tales lift to new heights and remain at a peak with the breathtaking, moment-making performance of "I'll Be There," a charming song first cut by the Jackson 5. All and all, this is an inspiring event, though still simple enough for the listener to catch those musical places that need to be polished. "Can't Let Go," Carey's radio single for the album, makes it as the seventh and final track, though the cameras are shut off for the Unplugged episode. Certainly, this is a record of hope, virtue, and the possibilities of newfound love. ~ Shawn M. Haney, All Music Guide

While Carey tones down the predominance of her tremendous vocal range throughout much of this release, there is no question that she remains the driving force behind yet anothr collection of heavy-rotation Top-40 successes including "Dreamlover," "Hero" and the remake of Harry Nilsson's "Without You." ~ Ashley S. Battel, All Music Guide

At this stage of her career Mariah Carey does not need to prove herself, but her voice is so powerful that with each new recording she, once again, reminds you: "Listen to what I can do." Vocal gymnastics and Christmas songs are not often thought of as a compatible combination, but on MERRY CHRISTMAS Mariah jumps, climbs, crawls, twirls and dashes her way through both traditional fare and original Christmas songs.

She shifts through styles, offering fans from all musical camps a gift of their own. Her "Silent Night" shows off a studied vocalization where liquid phrasing is key. "Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)" shows off a dynamic voice that is hard to match. She has fun with the Phil Spector goodie "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," a song straight out of '60s girl-group heaven. There is even a "Joy To The World" medley mixing the old and the new--the traditional Christmas song and the Three Dog Night hit. And, as usual, her gospel-voiced background singers are out in full force.

There are two ways to enjoy this album. One is to sit back and revel in Mariah Carey's vocal fireworks, and the other is to pour yourself a glass of egg-nog, get cozy by the tree and have yourself a MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Mariah Carey certainly knows how to construct an album. Positioning herself directly between urban R&B with tracks like "Fantasy" and adult contemporary with songs like "One Sweet Day," a duet with Boyz II Men, Carey appeals to both audiences equally because of the sheer amount of craft and hard work she puts into her albums. Daydream is her best record to date, featuring a consistently strong selection of songs and a remarkably impassioned performance by Carey. A few of the songs are second-rate -- particularly the cover of Journey's "Open Arms" -- but Daydream demonstrates that Carey continues to perfect her craft and that she has earned her status as an R&B/pop diva. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Upon its release, Butterfly was interpreted as Mariah Carey's declaration of independence from her ex-husband (and label president) Tommy Mottola, and to a certain extent, that's true. Butterfly is peppered with allusions to her troubled marriage and her newfound freedom, and the music is supposed to be in tune with contemporary urban sounds instead of adult contemporary radio. Nevertheless, it feels like a Mariah Carey album, which means that it's a collection of hit singles surrounded by classy filler. What is surprising about Butterfly is the lack of uptempo dance-pop. Apart from the P. Diddy-produced "Honey," Butterfly is devoted to ballads, and while they are all well-crafted, many of them blend together upon initial listening. Subsequent plays reveal that Carey's vocals are sultrier and more controlled than ever, and that helps "Butterfly," "Breakdown," "Babydoll" and the Prince cover "The Beautiful Ones" rank among her best; also, the ballads do have a stronger urban feel than before. Even though Butterfly doesn't have as many strong singles as Daydream, it's one of her best records, illustrating that Carey is continuing to improve and refine her music, which makes her a rarity among her '90s peers. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Blessed with a voice that covers more of a range than anyone this side of Minnie Riperton, and a knack for ingratiating, breezy pop/R&B, Mariah Carey became one of the premier pop divas of the '90s. For those who were hibernating during that decade, #1's lays it all out in an easily digestible format, presenting Carey's biggest and best under one roof. From the inspirational message of the poignant ballad "Hero" to the roots nod of "I'll Be There" (with impressive assistance from Trey Lorenz), it's clear that Carey has charisma to match her chops. On the infectious, almost giddy "Dream Lover" she voices her romantic desires so sweetly that the listener is moved by the urge to jump into the track on a white horse and whisk her off to some mythological paradise. Now that's the mark of a convincing singer.

Rainbow, Mariah Carey's seventh studio long-player, is something like a concept album. Its theme is the various stages of the "emotional roller coaster," as she puts it, of her divorce and subsequent rebound. Carey continues to walk the line between streetwise hip-hop soul and adult-contemporary acceptability, with the former not surprisingly offering most of the disc's high points. "Heartbreaker", the first single, is a likeable piece of bubble-gum R&B with grit borrowed from guest Jay-Z; the remix, with Missy Elliott, Da Brat, and DJ Clue on board, is a different enough piece of work that its appearance only a few cuts after the original version doesn't jar. Another groove-intensive track, the Snoop Dogg duet "Crybaby", is so sly that one hopes the two collaborate again. Of course, it wouldn't be a Mariah record without at least one major lapse in taste; here that bill is filled with a cover of Phil Collins's melodramatic "Against All Odds". --Rickey Wright 

Looking to go down the vocal-diva-becomes-movie-star path blazed by Diana Ross, Madonna, and Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey teamed with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis to executive produce the soundtrack to her film debut. Keeping with her character Billie, a struggling '80s singer trying to break into the biz via the club scene, GLITTER has a handful of vintage dance covers given a modern twist. Chief among these interpretations are a vintage electro-funk reading of Cherrelle's "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On" and a hip-shaking version of the underground classic "Funkin' For Jamaica" renamed "Don't Stop (Funkin' For Jamaica)" and featuring Mystikal's rough-neck rapping. Mariah also represents her love of hip-hop with a groove-heavy remake of "Last Night A D.J. Saved My Life" featuring Busta Rhymes, Fabulous, and DJ Clue.

Elsewhere, Billie's real-life alter ego rips through a number of ballads with her powerful pipes, including the piano-driven "Reflections (Care Enough)," the heartfelt "Lead The Way," and the show-stopping "Never Too Far." Mariah's fruitful collaborations with Cameo (the funk-pounding "Loverboy"), Ja Rule and Nate Dogg (the loping reggae jam "If We"), and Eric Benet (the mid-tempo workout "Want You") also gild this stellar crossover project. GLITTER is a big step forward in terms of maturity.  It is a concept album about the dance sounds of the early 80s.