Charmbracelet Central

In Stores Now!!!

Three's A Charm!

Have you heard the extraordinary news? According to Neilson Soundscan, Mariah's new album, 'Charmbracelet,' received sales of more than 241,000 units in its first week of release, thanks in large part to heavy radio airplay for the first single, the ballad "Through the Rain." This places her at #3 on Billboard's Hot 200 List!

The numbers on 'Charmbracelet' were among the best in Mariah's career, with it being the second-highest debut for the award-winning superstar songwriter/producer/recording artist's career. 'Charmbracelet' holds its own in the context of Carey's track record. 'Rainbow' premiered at No.2 in 1999 with 323,000 copies in the first week, a career peak. 'Charmbracelet' bests the opening weeks of 1997's 'Butterfly' (235,000), 1995's 'Daydream' (224,000), 1993's 'Music Box' (174,000) and 1992's 'Emotions' (129,000).

What an accomplishment!

The butterfly emerges once again!!!

Be sure to check out my Charmbracelet flyer!

Billboard Magazine

Mariah's Eager To Start A Fresh Chapter

The media might want to tag Mariah Carey's imminent "Charmbracelet" as her bid for a pop comeback, but the artist begs to differ.

"To compare a studio recording with a soundtrack recording isn't fair," she says, referring to 2001's Glitter, the Virgin album that accompanied the motion-picture box-office disappointment of the same name. With Nielsen SoundScan registering stateside sales of 557,000 copies, it is the first Carey-related set to miss the million-selling mark. Carey's previous studio collection, the 2000 Columbia release "Rainbow," sold 2.9 million copies in the U.S.

"But it's cool," she adds. "I'm used to dealing with people who will manipulate facts and situations in order to create juicy copy and meet deadlines."

Carey does agree that "Charmbracelet" -- the first offering from her new Island Def Jam-distributed Monarc label (due Dec. 3 in the U.S. and a day earlier internationally) -- marks the start of a fresh chapter, following a period of personal and professional problems.

Last fall, the artist was hospitalized for extreme exhaustion, which was followed by a much-publicized split with Virgin in a reported $28 million contract buyout by parent company EMI Recorded Music. It was a one-two punch that Carey says provided invaluable life lessons.

"First of all, I learned that if people see that you're willing to work at an inhuman pace, they will push you until you fall down," she says. "I've always been scrappy and willing to do whatever it takes to make things happen. That's still the case, within reason. But last year, I learned that [I] eventually have to face the fact that I'm not a machine. I'm a human being with emotions and a threshold for exhaustion and pain, just like everyone else. I pushed myself hard, and I worked until I hit the wall."

She now views her move from Columbia, where she racked up 15 No. 1 hits on The Billboard Hot 100, to Virgin as being "too quick," despite a strong relationship with then-label president Nancy Berry. "We tried to prepare for the release of a soundtrack in four weeks at a time when the label was going through internal changes," she says. "It wasn't terribly realistic, but we tried our best to make it work."

While the media dined on the details of Carey's trials and tribulations, the artist concentrated on "getting some much-needed rest" and revisiting her original intention in life-making music.

"I started writing and recording the songs that would later go on this album before I had a deal," she says. "I needed to be absorbed in the process of making music purely for the sake of expressing myself for a while. There were no deadlines, no pressures. I made music as a means of centering myself after all of the drama I'd endured. I found incredible inner peace and clarity in the creation of these songs."

The artist's rejuvenated spirit can be felt throughout "Charmbracelet," a 15-song opus that is best described as classic Carey. She produced the set with longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Randy Jackson, and Jermaine Dupri, as well as up-and-comers 7 Aurelius, Just Black, Dre & Vidal, and Damizza. Joining the artist on various tracks are Jay-Z, Kelly Price, Joe, Ice Cube, and Mack 10, among others.

The set shows Carey combining richly textured pop ballads with earthy, R&B-inflected hip-hop, sewing them together with well-drawn lyrics whose themes dart between romance and self-empowerment. "Each song represents a moment in time," she says. "Of course, some stories are more obvious than others."

The delicate "Sunflowers for Alfred Roy" is a mournful elegy for Carey's father, who died earlier this year. It's a song that she says she sang only once. "What you hear on the album is the only time I ever sang it straight through. It was too emotional an experience to revisit. I can't even listen to it in front of other people."

More uplifting are two of Carey's favorites: "Subtle Invitation," with its smooth, swing-jazz inflections, and the gospel-flavored "My Saving Grace." "These are songs that just brought me such joy to sing," she says. "They're not punched in a million times. It's just me in front of the mike, performing from the heart."

There also is a complex, string-laden revision of Def Leppard's "Bringin' on the Heartbreak," which the singer says is an example of her musical diversity. "I love going from showing my Minnie Riperton influences to hip-hop to rock. It's all me. For 'Heartbreak,' it was fun to go back to a song that I loved singing when I was in school. I think we bring some fresh elements to it."

On the day "Charmbracelet" is released, MTV will air a previously taped special where Carey hosted fans at an album-listening event. The program will also feature an interview with John Norris and a live-performance segment. On the same day, Carey will be the subject of an hour-long interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Other TV upcoming appearances include a BET special and appearances on "Dateline," "Total Request Live," and "Larry King Live." Also, an autograph-signing appearance Dec. 11 at the Mall of America in Minneapolis will be captured live on "Today."

For Carey, the ultimate element in promoting "Charmbracelet" will be a tour, tentatively planned to start in the spring. "I've been dying to sing these songs live," she says. "It will be exciting to hear them come to life in a new way."

Most of all, it will be a moment of victory for the singer, who notes that "it's nice to be in a happy, serene place" after her recent life and career challenges. Still, Carey acknowledges that some of her strongest music has followed difficult times.

"I could not have written this album, which I truly love, without having gone through those hard times. That was the case with my first album, and 'Butterfly,' and a few of my other albums. Sometimes, the greatest art comes from pain. It would be nice to not have to go through that, but I'm growing to accept that life is full of bumps in the road. The gratifying part is when you can come out on the other side tougher and wiser -- and with some great songs."

By Larry Flick

       New York Times

        The Mariah Carey Story Isn't Over

With her new album, 'Charmbracelet', Mariah Carey's task is not to reinvent herself; it's to convince her fans that she is more herself than ever! Mariah says she approached "Charmbracelet" in much the same way she approached her previous albums. "I didn't do it to answer people, or to justify my validity as an artist. It really was just an emotional outlet for me. That's what writing and singing always is."

By Kelefa Sanneh

E Online

Having scared off most of her fans with the 'Glitter' fiasco and accompanying nervous breakdown, Mariah Carey now returns in an earnest comeback bid. However, those who stamped the fallen diva "Safe for Public Consumption" may have spoken a little too soon. Carey's once glorious voice is all over the place, her rainbow-and-stars lyrics come off like the notebook doodles of a 12-year-old girl, and her song selection is shocking as she veers from a bad Def Leppard cover--yes, we said Def Leppard--with "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" to Sammy Davis Jr. rip-offs like "Sunflowers for Alfred Roy." Plodding ballads "Yours" and "Through the Rain" may lure back a few admirers, nevertheless most of this 'Charmbracelet' will leave you dangling.

Launch.com

After the frightening meltdown that coincided with her film and soundtrack, 'Glitter', it was a safe bet you'd never hear music like that from Mariah Carey again. And that's a shame. Because while critics were busy giving the movie its deserved shellacking, they ignored the fact that the accompanying songs were Carey's best-ever work, a collection of '80s-leaning pop that offered fun and lyrical honesty in unexpectedly large amounts. But with a new label that expects the hits of old, playtime is over: the first single, "Through The Rain," is breathy, by-the-numbers balladry without the surprising depth of 'Glitter's' slow jams, while "Boy (I Need You)" sucks the life from Cam'Ron's summer hit "Oh Boy" in a dubious appeal to the hip hop crowd. Those two blueprints dominate 'Charmbracelet', obscuring continued improvement in Carey's lyrics (try "Sunflowers For Alfred Roy") and an over-the-top cover of Def Leppard's "Bringin' On The Heartbreak" that recalls the looser spirit of her last album. A step ahead of the J-Los of the world; a step behind what may prove to be a career pinnacle.

New York Post

With "Charmbracelet," Carey offers a reminder to anyone who's forgotten she has an incredible, shivers-down-your-spine, five-octave range. In all, the 15 tracks of this disc are warmly human - a tough feat in an electronically charged pop world. Production, instrumentation, arrangements and even melody take a back seat to Carey's voice. It's clear throughout the record that the mandate from Carey and company, which includes the ace production team of Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam, was to keep her voice in front at all times. The first few seconds of "Through the Rain," have Carey sexily sighing across the scales. She's really just warming up, but the effect is a small thrill that tells you how warm she can be. In other numbers, such as the pretty "Yours" and the upbeat hip-hop R&B fusion "Irresistible," Carey makes you think about her as a musician, a side often overshadowed by her gossip-generating personal life.

By Dan Aquilante

Amazon

Stunning Return to Form for Carey

Mariah Carey's ninth album has been touted as her comeback album, coming as it does after the belly flop that produced the overwrought soundtrack to her ill-fated film, Glitter. With Charmbracelet, Carey goes out of her way to fix all those aesthetic glitches, tempering the overblown vocals, simpering lyrics, and uninspired funk covers of her last album and returning to what she does best--showcasing her magnificent five-octave voice and pillaging her lift history for inspiration. After her breakup with Mexican superstar Luis Miguel, MTV meltdown, hospitalization for exhaustion, and the death of her father, Carey had a lot of emotional baggage to sift through. She has and, as a result, has created an inspired and diverse 15-song opus that finds her skipping from an impassioned Aretha Frankilin-like gospel ("Saving Grace") to an impish cover of Def Leppard's power ballad "Bringin' on the Heartbreak." Though he's not mentioned by name, rapper Eminem is given a pointed drubbing on "Clowns" for hinting in the press and in his own song "Superman" of a relationship with Carey. There hasn't been such a compelling musical soap opera since Carley simon's '70s roman à clef, "You're So Vain." However, the disc's most inspiring moment comes on "Sunflowers for Alfred Roy," a wistful elegy for her father that recounts his final days in his hospital room. This is a stunning return to form for Carey.

By Jaan Uhelszki

USA Today

Carey Sounds Like Gold On Charmbracelet

There's no mistaking that rippling purr at the beginning of Mariah Carey's Through the Rain, the lead single from her new album, Charmbracelet. It's the voice that launched a thousand junior divas. Carey is back to full strength on her new album.

However you feel about Carey or her music, it's impossible to deny the impact her vocal style, a florid blend of breathy riffing and resonant belting, has had on today's young pop and R&B stars. It's impossible to imagine how Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Beyoncé Knowles or any of the female contestants on American Idol would sound in a Carey-less world.

At 32, Carey is a 12-year chart veteran. And although she may not look grizzled, the songs on her new CD reveal, for anyone who hasn't picked up a tabloid lately, that experience has provided a few tough lessons.

Yet Charmbracelet is no post-breakdown self-pity party.

True to fashion, Carey has taken lemons and made lemonade, heavy on the sugar. There is more of a tartness to her new fare, though, suggesting that although hard times may not have clipped Carey's butterfly wings, they have grounded her.

Rain, the first track, is an unabashedly sentimental bolero that recalls Carey's early-'90s hit Hero. But as a whole, Charmbracelet is less a calculated return to Carey's roots than a reflection on her musical and personal evolution, and a promise that it will continue.

The girlish sass that has long been a hallmark of her up-tempo songs is evident on breezy tracks such as Boy and the rap-kissed You Got Me.

Elsewhere, though, Carey makes a concerted effort to project more maturity and sophistication.

The jazz-inflected Subtle Invitation wouldn't sound out of place on an Anita Baker album, and the elegantly wistful I Only Wanted and sharp-witted Clown evoke deeper conviction and melancholy than previous hits.

Carey may not have lost the preternatural peppiness that always has driven her flamboyant singing. But her vision of love has seldom seemed so hard-won or firmly rooted.

By Elysa Gardner

Photo by Robert Deutsch

12/03/02

Mariah Carey, 'Standing Again'

Mariah Carey is sitting in a midtown recording studio, trying to enjoy a moment's peace. But Jack, her constant companion of several years, won't stop harassing her. She has tried locking him out of the room, but still he persists, pressing against the door and grunting ominously.

Mariah Carey's latest CD marks the beginning of a new professional relationship.

Luckily for Carey, Jack is a dog, and not one of the human male variety. The doe-eyed Jack Russell terrier is generally well behaved, in fact, and the diva doesn't seem too bothered by his occasional tantrums. Recent experience has taught her that all true friends should be cherished, no matter how many legs they have.

"I've really, really learned the importance of having people around who love me for who I am, not because they see me as a celebrity or a meal ticket," says Carey, sipping soy milk. "And I've learned who those people are. I can't say that anyone I had believed in for a long time disappointed me. But there were some newer people on the scene recently, and when things got too hectic, they weren't there."

She is alluding, of course, to what Queen Elizabeth would surely agree was Carey's own annus horribilus. It began in July 2001, when the singer spent two weeks in a private hospital after having what was described as a physical and emotional breakdown. The episode occurred at the worst possible moment: just as Carey was preparing to unleash her most ambitious project yet, a semi-autobiographical film called Glitter that she had conceived and starred in.

The movie garnered scathing reviews and tanked at the box office. An accompanying soundtrack album also proved a flop, especially for someone whose string of No. 1 singles and multiplatinum albums in the '90s had made her one of the best-selling artists of all time.

To add insult to injury, Carey was then dropped by EMI's Virgin Records, which had signed her to a contract worth a reported $80 million only months earlier.

The topper came when Carey's father was diagnosed with inoperable cancer and died last summer. "That put things into perspective," Carey says. "Sometimes you have to go through difficult stuff, either to learn a lesson or maybe reconnect with something that has slipped away a bit. But that's how life is. You may keep getting hit, but you have to just keep on standing up again."

And Carey, 32, wants it known that she is still standing. On Tuesday, she will release Charmbracelet, a CD that marks the beginning of both a new professional relationship and, Carey says, a new lease on life.

Charmbracelet is the first venture of Carey's own label, MonarC Music, which will be distributed through the Universal Music Group's Island Def Jam division. Universal signed Carey to an estimated $20 million deal in May, less than half a year after EMI gave her the boot with a settlement of nearly $30 million to supplement the more than $20 million she had already collected.

But Carey says her current arrangement was designed more to accommodate her health and sanity than her bank account. She says that after getting out of her original, long-standing contract with Sony Music whose head honcho, Tommy Mottola, is Carey's ex-husband she had limited time to bond with her new family at Virgin or to map out a workable strategy for promoting Glitter.

"I was with people who didn't really know me, and I had no personal assistant," she says. "I'd be doing interviews all day long, getting two hours of sleep a night, if that. I was burning the candle at both ends and in the middle, and it caught up with me."

Carey maintains that her hospitalization was caused by "a collapse from exhaustion" rather than the more complex psychological or chemical problems some rumors hinted at. "Yes, I was in a bad place emotionally, but anyone would be at that point of total physical depletion. I began seeing a therapist, and he told me, 'Look, you didn't have a nervous breakdown. It's a form of torture not to be allowed to sleep.' He said I had to start setting boundaries in life, to learn how to say no.

"It's taken some people a while to understand that, but now they do. I've actually made up contracts that people who work with me have to sign, so they know I must have lunch breaks and dinner breaks and five or six hours of sleep a night. For so long, I had been so busy taking care of everyone and everything else, including my career, that I forgot about me. But I've learned that there are certain lines that have to be drawn."

Carey's next challenge, however, might involve factors beyond her control. Pop radio isn't as friendly an environment for mature pop divas as it was back in the early-to-mid-'90s heyday of Carey and Celine Dion. The first single from Charmbracelet, Through the Rain, is an inspirational ballad in the vein of earlier Carey hits such as Hero, and thus represents a departure from the uptempo singles she has more recently used to introduce her increasingly hip-hop-driven CDs.

But if Rain was a bid to appeal to the slightly older fans who once made up her core audience, its success has been less than stunning. According to Airplay Monitor charts director Silvio Pietroluongo, it has fared less well since its September release than recent entries by artists such as Christina Aguilera and American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson junior divas whose airy riffing and dramatic belting offer virtual facsimiles of Carey's distinctly ornate vocal style.

"(Rain) came out in a difficult period, when there were a lot of superstar releases," Pietroluongo says. "The song is still gaining about 150 to 200 spins a week at Top 40, but it's been sort of a crawl."

Island president Julie Greenwald remains optimistic about Rain's long-term potential and that of the follow-up single, The One, which features a rap refrain by frequent Carey collaborator Jermaine Dupri. "This new album is a great mix of uptempo and midtempo songs and ballads," Greenwald says dutifully. "Mariah is a multi-format artist, which is why she's been so successful for so many years. Glitter was the one exception, and that was different, because it was a soundtrack, a concept album."

The singer herself makes exactly the same argument, right down to the lingo: "The press shouldn't really have compared Glitter to another Mariah Carey album, because it's a soundtrack, a concept album with an '80s retro theme. Soundtracks aren't expected to (sell) like artists' other records." She also notes that the Glitter CD was released Sept. 11, 2001. "It came at the wrong time. But I still think there are some really good songs on that record."

Carey is more critical of the movie, though. "It started out as a concept with substance, but it ended up being geared to 10-year-olds. It lost a lot of grit. It was gritless, in fact. I kind of got in over my head." She was happier with her experience making Wisegirls, a character-based comedy that paired her with Mira Sorvino and earned good notices and a standing ovation at the Sundance Film Festival though it landed on cable television, airing on Cinemax rather than gaining wide distribution in theaters.

Craig Marks, editor of music magazine Blender, would advise both Carey and her marketing team to use yesterday's disappointments to earn fresh sympathy. Marks says Carey's decision to tape a cathartic chat with Oprah Winfrey, which will air in December, "was super-smart. When Mariah went through her troubles last year, everybody enjoyed the spectacle. Now what she and her label and management need to do is get people to feel for what she's been through."

Reminding folks about Carey's artistic cachet wouldn't hurt, Marks adds.

"She's the most influential singer of the past 20 years. Almost every female artist under the age of 20 wants to sound like her, for better or worse. Also, Mariah writes her own songs that's something not a lot of people have given her credit for."

On Charmbracelet, as in the past, Carey shares writing and production credits with some of the leading names in pop and R&B, among them Dupri and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. After the "crazy media frenzy" surrounding her collapse and Glitter's failure, she fled to Italy to work on the new songs. "It was a really healing experience," she says. "People were like, 'What? You're back working already?' But the creative work isn't the hard part; it's the business end that's hard."

By the time she accepted Universal's offer, after a bidding war that reportedly included Clive Davis' J Records and other labels, Carey had basically finished crafting Charmbracelet. The title refers to a favorite piece of jewelry for both her and her paternal grandmother, who had died a few years before Carey's father.

"My father got sick just as we were learning to understand each other more," says the singer, whose parents divorced when she was a child. "It was really intense, but it brought the family closer together. One cousin told me that my father's mother had also had a charm bracelet. She was a very spiritual person, and spirituality has always been a big theme in my music. Some of the songs that may seem like love songs on this album, like I'm singing about a guy, are actually more spiritual songs."

Granted, one new song, Clown, seems to take aim at someone who has spread rumors about an intimate relationship with Carey. Some have assumed that the song is directed at Eminem, who has suggested he dated the singer. But Carey dryly notes, "I've known a lot of clowns. I've known a circus full of them."

Carey stresses that her knowledge of Eminem was not carnal, however. "I can still count on less than five fingers the number of men I've gone there with. And believe me, he isn't one of them."

Asked whether there is someone special in her life right now, Carey, who was linked to baseball star Derek Jeter and Latin singer Luis Miguel after her split from Mottola, pauses.

"I have a lot of friends who are special to me," she finally says. "I'm not necessarily looking for some new guy to ride up on a horse and save my life. I'm the only person who can save my life, by having hope and faith. But friends real friends, like the ones who supported me through all the drama and turmoil of last year they mean a lot.

"They're the people who really matter."

By Elysa Gardner

Photo by Robert Deutsch

12/5/02

People Magazine

After suffering a much-publicized breakdown and being paid $28 million to sever her contract with Virgin Records following the lackluster performance of last year's Glitter soundtrack, Mariah Carey reemerges with her own new label (MonarC Music) and the same old glass-shattering pipes. Those looking for signs of any post-meltdown catharsis will find a few clues in the album's first single, the unusually understated ballad "Through the Rain": "I can make it through the rain/ I can stand up once again/ On my own and I know/ That I'm strong enough to mend."

Sounding confident and in fine voice throughout Charmbracelet, the pop diva picks up where she left off pre-Glitter, mixing her trademark ballads with hip-hoppish R&B cuts. In fact Carey brings in rappers for 5 of the disc's 15 tracks. Although a couple of these songs work (including "You Got Me" with Jay-Z), Carey is no Mary J. Blige when it comes to hip-hop soul. She's better off sticking to classy slow jams like the ethereal "Yours" and the gospel-infused "My Saving Grace," which recall early albums like her 1990 self-titled debut. On these tracks Carey is at her most charming.

BOTTOM LINE: Mended Mariah

Newsweek

She Still Believes

With 'Charmbracelet,' Mariah Carey returns to the sweet, naive sound that first made her a star

THE 32-YEAR-OLD singer downplayed rumors that shed had a nervous breakdown by explaining that it was exhaustionnot depression, suicidal thoughts or insanitythat led her mom to call 911 in a panic that summer. Carey has talked in other interviews about further pressures, too: a flop film debut, a fizzled relationship with Latin singer Luis Miguel, the unfortunate release date (9-11-01) of her album Glitter and the ensuing nasty break up with her new label, EMI (after a previous nasty break up with Columbia, run by her old hubby, Tommy Mottola). But hey, she pulled through. The confident and calm Carey demystified all, letting the air out of each balloon of gossip. Of course, Houston was still the winner of the weeks Tragedy and Tears prize. The singer, who also has a new album due in stores, admitted to Sawyer that she had partied in the past with alcohol, pot, cocaine and pills. Still, Carey may come in first when it comes to rising from the ashes. Why? Her new label, Def Jam, is pushing the story of redemption hard on her new album, Charmbracelet. The back of the CD booklet reads, I still believe that after every storm a rainbow appears. This album is like a charmbracelet Im passing down to you. Heres my story. Corny as a pink teddy bear? Sure, but the preteens now being targeted by the industry love this kind of stuff.
Inspirational notes aside, the lyrics in Charmbracelet arent exactly enlightening, and, in most places, could be basic love and breakup songs off any old sensitive, ballad-heavy album. But the CD has an easy flow that the self-conscious urban tunes on Glitter didnt, though Carey is still aiming to ditch her VH1 stigma and go BET. For this CD, heavy-hitting producers Jermaine Dupri and the team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis helped guide Carey in a more contemporary R&B direction. On Boy, she teams up with rapper de jour Camron for a cool, slow jam about a boy that lifts me up and makes me smile. Here, Carey sings in a steady falsetto rather than climbing her usual impossible scales. It gives the song a relaxed, laid-back appeal in keeping with albums artwork and the new Mariah looklots of gauzy shirts, flowing satin skirts and soft-focus smiles.

She only attempts to get jiggy in a couple of spots, one being with Jay-Z on the song You Got Me. Its not quite as embarrassing as her past street endeavors, though, because her voice is manipulated into a freaky, high-speed tweet, giving it that old-skool, cartoon appeal. For the rest of the song, she simply busts out her sexy, backup-girl voice (this happens a lot on Charmbracelet), showing that even a skilled vocalist like Carey can take a step back. It works, even though it seems like an attempt to keep up with modern-day pop sensations like the much-less talented Ashanti. Jay-Z does his thingplenty of gruff raps and Mariah namechecks.

For the most part, Carey tries to keep things warm and fuzzy. In I Only Wanted, she does vocal acrobatics over the sound of crashing waves and Spanish guitar. Again, Charmbracelet can often be as melodramatic and sappy as a 13-year-olds diary, and the idea here is that Mariah has regained the naiveté that was supposedly lost in the mean world of showbiz. Toward the close of the album, the songs become more and more inspirational. Theres a redemptive tune for her dad, asking for forgiveness for all the hurtful things Ive done and a ballad, My Saving Grace, a gospel number complete with the church organ. The whole thing ends on the celebratory single Through the Rain. She sings, If you keep on falling, dont you dare give in. You will arise safe and sound if you keep pressing on. Youll have everything you need. Believe you will prevail. Mariah comes off as triumphant, though in real life it may be a little early for the singer to claim victory. Only time, and album sales, will tell.

By Lorraine Ali

12/06/02

Barnes & Noble

Despite her formidable super-diva status, Mariah Carey is a vulnerable girly-girl at heart -- or at least that's what's suggested by her sugar-and-spice album titles, from Music Box, Butterfly and Rainbow to her latest, Charmbracelet. But there's a lot more to Charmbracelet than its cute title. This is, after all, Carey's first disc since 2001 -- the year her movie Glitter and its soundtrack bombed, she was dropped by Virgin Records, and she had a well-publicized nervous breakdown. So how does the resilient Ms. Carey bounce back? With an earnest, fresh-sounding collection her fans will love from start to finish. In the vein of her hip-hop-inspired hits "Fantasy" (featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard) and "Breakdown" (featuring Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony), "Boy" features rapper Cam'ron and samples his 2002 song of the same name. For the most part, however, the disc is anchored by sparse mid-tempo tracks and soul-baring ballads that flaunt the singer-songwriter's still pristine five-octave range. Standouts include the sweet-and-sour "Clown" -- where she levels lyrical disses, such as "You should have never intimated we were lovers/When you know very well we never even touched each other," at rap bad boy Eminem -- her climactic cover of Def Leppard's "Bringin' On the Heartbreak," and the gospel-inspired "Saving Grace." On the latter track, Carey muses: "I've still got a lot to learn, but I know where I can turn." From the sound of things, however, this Madame Butterfly has learned from her hardships and found the strength to Carey on.

By Tracy E. Hopkins

Lucy's Review

Of Charmbracelet

The ever-evolving butterfly has done it again! Charmbracelet is, by far, another work of art by Mariah. After listening to Charmbracelet, Mariah's 9th studio album, I wasn't surprised at all by the talent that she exhibited in the album. I'm not just saying that because I consider myself Mariah's biggest fan, as well as many other lambs. But if I never listened to her music before and encountered Charmbracelet, I would definitely believe that she is truly talented with a beautiful voice and grasping lyrics. This album is purely gold and have already become one of my favorites along with Butterfly. Mariah pours her emotions into all 15 of her tracks and showcases the strength in her voice with it's exceptional octave ranges, which clearly makes her #1. The album is very versatile with classic ballads such as Through The Rain, hip-hop tunes like Boy (I Need You) and You Got Me, gospel with My Saving Grace and rock with Bringin' On The Heartbreak. She covers all genres of music and reflects a universal sound. The songs on Charmbracelet are fresh, new and hint more towards an adult contemporary/soul diva Mariah. I love Yours because it truly is sentimental and endearing. I believe that the lyrics in My Saving Grace are towards the people that have supported her throughout her career - God, her family, friends and her extended family, us lambs (fans). It was nice of her to consider us her extended family in the album booklet, especially when we have supported her music for so many years and literally stayed at her side when she was going through a turbulent time in 2001. You Got Me is awesome because it has that R&B/Hip-Hop vibe that many people crave. Sunflowers For Alfred Roy is sad, yet the lyrics show that she has put her relationship between herself and her father into perspective, which brought on forgiveness, faith, hope and strength for her to move on. Bringin' On The Heartbreak surely exemplifies Mariah's strong vocal ability. Just when Mariah was at her lowest, unsure of what the future of her career held, she bounces back and proves why she is the best-selling female artist of all time. This album will surely silence all who said that her career was done!!! I can't wait for the album remixes. No matter what the sales numbers are, I consider Mariah's Charmbracelet as an album that is inspiring, invigorating, truly melodious and legendary.

The Butterfly emerges. Mariah's got me feeling Emotions and has proven once again that she an artist that has the utmost talent, drive and spirit. No one Can't That Away from her. Mariah did not make that so-called Breakdown affect what she loves doing: connecting personally with others through her music. This album is pure Bliss.

Tower Records

After Mariah Carey seemingly hit a creative and personal bottom between all her emotional upheaval, a lost label deal, and a flop film debut, CHARMBRACELET appeared to be the highly anticipated record that could very well decide whether she could regain her status in the pop world. Fear not, as the Long Island native bounces back nicely by playing to her strengths as an exceptional balladeer and someone with an ear for a catchy fusion of hip-hop beats and R&B rhythms. Carey's flirtation with rap continues as she shares a mike with Cam'ron on "Boy (I Need You)" while sampling his song of the same name, slips into the slow rollin' "Freeway" with Jay-Z and the groovalicious West Side Connection hook-up "Irresistible". This uber-diva also goes to church with the gospel-flavored "My Saving Grace," admonishes Eminem for starting unfounded rumors of a romance between the duo on "Clown," and does a fine job turning Def Leppard's "Bringin' On The Heartbreak" from a metal power ballad to a smoother lament. All this cathartic venting is topped by "Sunflowers for Alfred Roy," a heartfelt tribute to Carey's recently deceased father.

Charmbracelet is the brand new release from music legend Mariah Carey. The album features the songstress writing and co-producing with such a-list names as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Jermaine Dupri, Just Blaze, Randy Jackson, Dre and Vidal, Damizza, and 7 Aurelius. The album, which is lyrically very personal, showcases Mariah's stunning voice, prolific songwriting and incredible versatility. This is fully evident on the first single, the sweeping epic ballad, "Through The Rain" which is a perfect example of what Mariah does best.

01. Through The Rain

Written by: Mariah Carey and Lionel Cole
Produced by: Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis for Flyte Tyme Productions, Inc. and Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment
Co-Produced by: James "Big Jim" Wright for Flyte Tyme Productions, Inc.
Engineered by: Dana Jon Chappelle, Steve Hodge
Assistant Engineers: Manuel Farolfi, Giulio Antognini - Capri Studio, Capri, Italy Xavier Smith, Brad Yost - Flyte Tyme Studio, Edina, MN
All Vocals by: Mariah Carey
Mixed by: Steve Hodge, assisted by Xavier Smith and Brad Yost at Flyte Tyme Studio, Edina MN

02. Boy (I Need You)
featuring Cam'Ron
Written by: Mariah Carey, Justin Smith and Norman Whitfield
Produced by: Just Blaze for F.O.B. Entertainment, N.Q.C. Management and Roc The World and Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment
Engineered by: Dana Jon Chappelle, Paul Gregory
Assistant Engineers: Manuel Farolfi, Giulio Antognini - Capri Studio, Capri, Italy Dave Perini - Right Track Studios, NYC
Background Vocals: Mariah Carey
Rap: Cam'Ron appears courtesy of Roc-A-Fella Records, LLC
Mixed by: Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton for Loreal, Inc. at Right Track Studios, NYC
Contains elements from: "I'm Going Down" Performed By Rose Royce

03. The One
Written by: Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri and Bryan Michael Cox
Produced by: Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment and Jermaine Dupri for So So Def Productions, Inc.
Co-Produced by: Bryan Michael Cox for Blackbaby, Inc.
Engineered by: Dana Jon Chappelle, Bryan Frye
Assistant Engineers: Oswald Bowe - Compass Point Studio, Nassau Bahamas Paul Gregory - Right Track Studios, NYC Manuel Farolfi, Giulio Antognini - Capri Studio, Capri, Italy Tadd Mingo - SouthSide Studios, Atlanta, GA
Background Vocals: Mariah Carey, Mary Ann Tatum, Jermaine Dupri, Trey Lorenz
Recorded by: Brian Frye, Dana Chappelle and Phil Tan assisted by Tadd Mingo at SouthSide Studios, Atlanta and Right Track Studios, NYC
Mixed by: Phil Tan and Jermaine Dupri at Right Track Studios, NYC

04. Yours
Written by: Mariah Carey, James Harris III, Terry Lewis and James "Big Jim" Wright
Produced by: Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis for Flyte Tyme Productions, Inc. and Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment
Co-Produced by: James "Big Jim" Wright for Flyte Tyme Productions, Inc.
Vocal Engineer: Dana Jon Chappelle
Engineer: Steve Hodge
Assistant Engineers: Manuel Farolfi, Giulio Antognini - Capri Studio, Capri, Italy Xavier Smith, Brad Yost - Flyte Studio, Edina, MN
Background Vocals: Mariah Carey, Big Jim
Mixed by: Steve Hodge assisted by Xavier Smith and Brad Yost at Flyte Tyme Studio, Edina MN

05. You Got Me
featuring Jay-Z & Freeway
Written by: Mariah Carey, Justin Smith, Shawn Carter and Leslie Pridgen
Produced by: Just Blaze for F.O.B. Entertainment, N.Q.C. Management and Roc The World and Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment
Engineered by: Dana Jon Chappelle, Paul Gregory
Assistant Engineers: Manuel Farolfi, Giulio Antognini - Capri Studio, Capri, Italy Dave Perini - Right Track Studios, NYC Colin Miller - Studio Atlantis, L.A., CA
Background Vocals: Mariah Carey
Rap: Jay-Z appears courtesy of Roc-A-Fella Records, LLC
Freeway appears courtesy of: Roc-A-Fella Records, LLC
Mixed by: Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton for Loreal, Inc. at Right Track Studios, NYC

06. I Only Wanted
Written by: Mariah Carey and Lionel Cole
Produced by: Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment and Randy Jackson for L.D.S., Inc.
Engineered by: Dana Jon Chappelle
Assistant Engineers: Jaime Sickora - Henson Studios, L.A., CA
Manuel Farolfi, Giulio Antognini - Capri Studio, Capri, Italy
Mixed by: Mick Guzauski at Barking Doctor Studio

07. Clown
Written by: Mariah Carey, Andre Harris, Vidal Davis and Mary Ann Tatum
Produced by: Dre and Vidal for Vidal/Dre Productions LLC and Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment
Engineered by: Dana Jon Chappelle, John Smeltz
Assistant Engineers: Manuel Farolfi, Giulio Antognini - Capri Studio, Capri, Italy Paul Gregory, Dave Perini - Right Track Studios, NYC Vince DiLorenzo - The Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Background Vocals: Mariah Carey, Trey Lorenz
Chorus: Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz
Mixed by: Andre Harris, Vidal Davis, John Smeltz

08. My Saving Grace
Written by: Mariah Carey, Trevor Lawrence, Kenneth Crouch and Randy Jackson
Produced by: Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment and Randy Jackson for L.D.S., Inc.
Engineered by: Dana Jon Chappelle
Assistant Engineers: Manuel Farolfi, Giulio Antognini - Capri Studio, Capri, Italy Jay Spears - Right Track Studios, NYC
Background Vocals: Mariah Carey
Mixed by: Mick Guzauski at Barking Doctor Studios

09. You Had Your Chance
Written by: Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan Michael Cox and Leon Haywood
Produced by: Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment and Jermaine Dupri for So So Def Productions, Inc.
Co-Produced by: Bryan Michael Cox for Blackbaby, Inc.
Engineered and Recorded by: Brian Frye, assisted by Tadd Mingo at SouthSide Studios, Atlanta, GA
Mixed by: Phil Tan and Jermaine Dupri, assisted by John Horesco IV at SouthSide Studios, Atlanta, GA
Contains elements from: "I Want To Do Something Freaky To You" Performed by Leon Haywood

10. Lullaby
Written by: Mariah Carey, Andre Harris and Vidal Davis
Produced by: Dre and Vidal for Vidal/Dre Productions LLC and Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment
Engineered by: Dana Jon Chappelle
Track Engineer: John Smeltz - The Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Assistant Engineers: Manuel Farolfi, Giulio Antognini - Capri Studio, Capri, Italy Paul Gregory - Right Track Studios, NYC Vince DiLorenzo - The Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Background Vocals: Mariah Carey, Trey Lorenz
Mixed by: Andre Harris, Vidal Davis - Right Track Studios, NYC, John Smeltz

11. Irresistible
featuring Westside Connection
Written by: Mariah Carey, Damion Young, O-Shea Jackson, Quincy Jones III, Theodore Life and Dexter Wansel
Produced by: Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment and Damizza for Baby Ree Productions, Inc.
Vocals Recorded by: Dana Jon Chappelle at Capri Studio, Capri, Italy
Engineered by: Dana Jon Chappelle and Michael "Mikizza" Schlesinger at Henson Studios, L.A. CA
Assistant Engineers: Manuel Farolfi, Guilio Antognini - Capri Studios, Capri, Italy
Mixed by: Florian Ammon for Tonevernugen
Ice Cube, Mack 10, WC vocals recorded by: Florian Ammon at Zac Recording, Atlanta, GA
Ice Cube vocals recorded in: his trailer on a movie set in Blythe, CA
Ice Cube appears courtesy of: Priority Records
WC appears courtesy of: Def Jam
Contains elements from: "This Is How We Do It" Performed by Ice Cube and "The Show Is Over" Performed by Evelyn Champagne King

12. Subtle Invitation
Written by: Mariah Carey, 7 Aurelius, Trey Lorenz, Kenneth Crouch, Rob Bacon and Randy Jackson
Produced by: Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment and 7 Aurelius for 7th Sign
Co-Produced by: Irv Gotti for Top Dawg
Engineered by: Dana Jon Chappelle, Brian Springer, Asif Ali
Assistant Engineers: Andrew Chavez - Enterprise Studios, L.A., CA Ann Mincielli - Quad Recording, NYC Oswald Bowe - Compass Point Studio, Nassau Bahamas Manuel Farolfi, Giulio Antognini - Capri Studio, Capri, Italy
Background Vocals: Mariah Carey, Trey Lorenz
Mixed by: Dexter Simmons

13. Bringing On The Heartbreak
Written by: Steven Maynard Clark, Joseph Elliot and Peter Andrew Willis
Produced by: Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment and Randy Jackson for L.D.S., Inc.
Background Vocals: Mariah Carey, Melanie Daniels, Mary Ann Tatum
Engineered by: Dana Jon Chappelle, Kevin Guarnieri
Assistant Engineers: Antony Zeller - Westlake Audio, L.A., CA Seth Waldman - The Record Plant, L.A., CA German Villacorta - Henson Studios, L.A., CA Brian Sumner - Enterprise 2 Studios, L.A., CA Timmy Olmstead - Right Track Studios, NYC
Mixed by: Mick Guzauski at Barking Doctor

14. Sunflowers For Alfred Roy
Written by: Mariah Carey and Lionel Cole
Produced by: Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment and Randy Jackson for L.D.S, Inc.
Engineered by: Dana Jon Chappelle
Assistant Engineers: Jaime Sickora - Henson Studio, L.A., CA Manuel Farolfi, Giulio Antognini - Capri Studio, Capri, Italy Jay Spears - Right Track Studios, NYC
Background Vocals: Mariah Carey
Additional Recording: Kevin G. at The Womb, L.A. CA
Mixed by: Mick Guzauski at Barking Doctor

15. Through The Rain Remix
featuring Kelly Price & Joe
Written by: Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson and Kenneth Crouch
Produced by: Just Blaze for F.O.B. Entertainment, N.Q.C. Management and Roc The World and Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment
Engineered by: Dana Jon Chappelle, Kevin Guarnieri, Bill Molina
Pro tools Engineer: Jay Spears
Assistant Engineers: Manuel Farolfi, Giulio Antognini - Capri Studio, Capri, Italy Jay Spears, E. Scott Lindner - Right Track Studios, NYC Jason Wormer - The Village Recorder, L.A., CA Jeff Rothschild - Henson Recording Studios, L.A., CA
Vocals by: Mariah Carey, Kelly Price, Joe
Background Vocals: Mariah Carey, Kelly Price, Joe, Mary Ann Tatum
Mixed by: Ken Lewis at Right Track Studio 509, NYC
Kelly Price appears courtesy of: Def Soul
Joe appears courtesy of: Jive Records

16. Miss You [Japanese Bonus Track]
featuring Jadakiss
Written by: Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan Michael Cox, J.T. Phillips, Terry Etling and Linda Laurie
Produced by: Mariah Carey for MonarC Entertainment and Jermaine Dupri for So So Def Productions, Inc.
Co-Produced by: Brian Michael Cox for Blackbaby, Inc.
Engineered by: Dana Jon Chappelle, Brian Frye
Assistant Engineers: Oswald Bowe - Compass Point Studio, Nassau Bahamas Paul Gregory - Right Track Studios, NYC Manuel Farolfi, Giulio Antognini - Capri Studio, Capri, Italy Tadd Mingo - SouthSide Studios, Atlanta, GA
Background Vocals: Mariah Carey, Trey Lorenz, Mary Ann Tatum
Rap: Jadakiss appears courtesy of Interscope Records
Mixed by: Phil Tan and Jermaine Dupri assisted by John Horesco IV at SouthSide Studios, Atlanta, GA
Jadakiss appears courtesy of: Ruff Ryders/Interscope Records
Contains elements from: "I Did It For Love" Performed by Barry White

ALBUM CREDITS
This album is lovingly dedicated to the enduring memory of my father, Alfred Roy Carey.
If you have faith the size of a mustard seed - you can say to a mountain, "more from here to there" and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
Matthew 17:20
First and Foremost - Thanks be to God for his indescribable gifts.
2 Corinthians 9:15
The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song I will praise him.
Psalm 28:7
Thank you to my mother, with love as always, Morgan ("A.B.M.F."), Mike ("Y.L.M."), Shawn (OB - "T.F.B.O." AHAA!! Maybe you didn't know what I meant by that - cause you were all like..). Alvin P. Mutley - love ya like cases of Coco Puffs. Tatum Tots aka Brownsville's finest - POW! "We'll always have Poland" (fashions courtesy of Haneefa). Trey Lorenz aka "Big Nasty". He fries his fish to perfect - EVERYTIME. Letty - "The party's right here - 'm glad somebody's having fun!" ReRe - love ya like recess in 8th grade. Brat tat-tat-tat-tat - Love ya like teatime in Morocco. RaeRae + Sade - "The Automatic Princessesthat Baby". Sanaa + Laila aka "Cinnabun," Haji Boah Boah aka Bobby Woah, aka Robert WYeeees. U like thisMelonie "the melodious" Daniels. Feen Dean - that cat; I luv u. Jasmine, aka Jeffery - Big Kiss. Karen aka Angela Friggin Raychel loves ya Babe. Elysa 327 Queen O' Festivities + freedom. Elli Cola, Tray Wop, Rolo and Tracy C. - Lamb Jr. - love ya like the last 3 eggs at breakfast time. Thank you 2 "My Cousin Vinny". To anyone else I 4 got - it's 4 a.m., sorry "I gotta get me some sleeeep" But I luv ya.
Extra Special Thanks to
-Doug Morris - I appreciate our long conversations, your friendship and belief in me; Lyor Cohen for your phone call on Sept. 12, our swim in the blue grotto, and your unwavering support. And to Jimmy Iovine for being there too, and the blue dress
-Jorgen Larson, Max Hole and everyone else at the UMI family
-Jerry Blair - for the past, present and future!
-Louse McNally - for everything that you do for me - through the rain or sunshine - Love of love, M
-Michael Richardson - for all your hard work (case you hate to be boring)
-Theresa Inabinett, and everyone at Maroon Entertainment for your devotion
-July Greenwald, Kevin Liles and the entire Island Def Jam staff
-Everyone at MonarC Music
Thank you much to
-Rogue, Kris and Blair for the endless hours of tedious nonsense you endure with me, and still somehow manage to swing it on home
-Joan Bling Bling Boyce for everything
-Ellen and Loma and Ruby Red Dress
-Cindi Berger and everyone at PMK
-Don Passman
-Ron "Johnny Cash" Nash
-Everyone at MTV, VH-1 and BET
-Everyone at Radio and Retail for your continued support
Extra Special Thanks to
-Dana Jon "Y.D." Chappelle for everything
-Randy Jackson (of "A.I." ha ha). You'll always be you know who's brother to me - ha ha. Thank you for everything you do - U R the Best.
-Jimmy Jam + Terry Lewis - you already know how I idolize you! Love ya + enjoy ya!
-Big Jim - ya play such pretty notes, and you're such a Singin' Chile (said like you!)
-Damizza - thank you to my favorite in all the land, once again, for the stellar contribution. Love U much, A.P.M.G. III.
-J.D. - "If Jermaine likes itthen I like ityeeees." Love, The C.E.O. of the "H.P.R.P"
-Just Blaze - "How very nice for me" that you gave me some nice beats for the nice album - since I am president of your nice fan club - Love, the H.K.G.
-Lionel Cole - I truly enjoyed working together and look forward to the next time.
-"7" - special thanks for some quite memorable sessions.
An enormous thank you to all the artists who collaborated with me on this record.
-Jay Z - thank you for being there 4 me againSee you in Franco's garden next summer with some cherry tomatoes and a nice glass of Barolo from Franco's private vineyard.
-Cam'Ron - "The Color Purple" was great. I loved watching it with you after you did your vocals. Thank U!
-Joe - you always inspire me, thanx for doing it again
-Kelly - U-R-amazing - thank you
-Westside Connection - Mack-10 - Thanks 4 pulling it all together, Cube - I heard about the trailerBlythe??!! Thank you! 2 Dub C. - Thanks for flying in last minute to do this.
-Jadakiss - Everybody in the world knows Kiss is hot
-Freeway - thank you for coming thru at the last minute, particularly the "Winnie the Pooh line".

Most especially, thank you to my fans for your continuing love and support. You have become my extended family around the world. You all truly do help motivate and inspire me. This album is for us.