MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE: Mariah Carey delivers a collection of music that is fresh and sonically innovative with Here For It All

It’s been a glorious few weeks for fans of Mariah Carey leading up the release of her 16th studio album Here For It All, a release that I have been eagerly anticipating for the entirety of this current decade. The album is classic Mariah, an incredible body of work. Our diva has managed to deliver a collection of music that is both fresh and sonically innovative while still staying true to her signature sound. From her melodic choices to the lyrical content, Mariah is as clever as ever and that magical touch to her songwriting hasn’t wavered in the slightest.

This entire new era of Mimi is courtesy of the new multi-album deal that our butterfly signed with independent label Gamma which was launched by music mogul Larry Jackson. Both Larry and Mariah talked about the deal when it was first announced back in June, and it has allowed Mariah the freedom to have her own imprint on the label and release her current and future albums under it. Usher who just released his latest album Coming Home on the label last year got a similar deal – that album was his first in eight years, similar to the seven-year gap since Mimi’s last album Caution. The label has quickly become a safe space for legacy artists to re-invent themselves and further their careers in ways that major labels don’t always support. For an artist like Mimi who is 35+ years into their music career, being able to create freely is a non-negotiable and if that means waiting longer for the finished project, at the very least we know it’s worth it. Even though I absolutely adore a Mimi Christmas moment (and it is fast approaching), it was about time for the focus to be on her own new music for the first time in years. Mariah is the solo artist with the most #1 singles on the Hot 100 after all, surely she wasn’t finished giving us timeless bops. Between working with current top producers like Harv on songs like “Sugar Sweet” and the VERY-Mimi self-indulgent “Mi”, or finding an alleged new love, hand-holding and musical partner in Anderson .Paak showcased in the latest single “Play This Song”, Mariah is creating music with musicians who are at the top of the game and inspiring her in new ways. If Mariah understands one thing, it’s the importance of promoting your work, because the queen has been busy making appearances on pretty much every single talk show and online platform that you can think of to spread the word of the album. It really has felt like it’s my birthday every single hour that I go online, as it seems there is yet another new Mimi moment for me to indulge in.

It’s not only Mariah who has delivered some new music in the last week, as we can’t avoid the un-avoidable. Taylor Swift is releasing her album The Life of a Showgirl on Friday and it seems that the girls are scared. Mariah has had the September 26th street date booked for months on end, but once Taylor announced her October 3rd release, all of a sudden it seems every single pop girl wanted to sneak in their own release the week prior. This past week also saw releases from Doja Cat, Olivia Dean, Zara Larsson, Tate McRae, Ice Spice, Perrie Edwards and FKA twigs. Whew. Next week is Taylor Swift central, but until then, we are celebrating Mariah Carey in this house. Plus, new music from Doja Cat, Khalid and Tate McRae and a viral pick straight from the 90s.

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“Here For It All” by Mariah Carey

Almost all of Mariah’s recent public appearances feature her stating that the title track to her album Here For It All is her favourite song on the album. “Here For It All” is a classic Mimi song. The melody feels like a throwback to some of her greatest 90s songs like “Can’t Let Go” and “Thank God I Found You”. Simple yet so effortlessly Mariah, almost like a warm hug from a loved one that you haven’t seen in years yet feel so relaxed with. The lyrics are innately personal, one in particular that stands out is “But if you leave, just whisper something softly to the wind you want Mariah to hear”. The lyric is a reference to the Broadway ditty “They Call the Wind Maria” from the 1951 musical Paint Your Wagon, which Mariah was named after. This isn’t the first time that she has referenced the song in her music, as she did the same on her 1991 album Emotions on the album closer “The Wind”. It’s the gospel breakdown on the second half of the song that is the true highlight. Mariah has long incorporated religious elements in her music, especially since her 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi with the hit “Fly Like A Bird” which she performed at the Grammys in 2006. “Here For It All”, the song, is a perfect blend of the pop ballads that Mariah has given us for decades mixed with the gospel influences that she holds so dear to her heart. If the tear I shed upon first listen is any indication, Mimi has certainly created a song that I myself will forever hold close as well.

“In Your Feelings” by Mariah Carey

A Mariah and Anderson .Paak original, “In Your Feelings” is Mariah in her shady bag. Shady towards an ex-man, so of course we are ok with this. Mariah’s lyricism in a diss track to a male? Yes, please. The song is soulful yet still commercial enough to be a radio hit which has always been a strength of Mimi’s when she’s writing her songs. The first line of the chorus is sooooo 2009 Memoirs-coded, I can’t even deal. “Ithinkyoumightbegettingalittlebit TOOOOOOOOOO In your feelings”… AHHH!!!! That quick talk-singing method that she uses in her songs is everything. I first really noticed her using this in her 2009 track “Up Out My Face” with the iconic line “even the Harvard university graduating class of 2010 couldn’t put us back together again”. It’s astonishing how many words she’s able to hold in one tiny little sentence and chorus. After all, this is the woman who found to a way to include the word “incessantly” in the chorus to her song “Heartbreaker” and have it sound natural. Shakespeare who? The sound is timeless and the lyrical style is attention-grabbing. This is also one of her stronger vocal performances on the album, as she uses her belting register throughout almost the entirety of the song. Mimi’s whisper is beloved by all us lambs, but there’s no denying that the minute she decides to belt out a note or two is when the true magic is made. I have been saying for months that Anderson has unlocked a new era in Mariah’s musical chapter and it has been so incredible to witness. Very few artists are able to sustain their popularity and relevance for a few album cycles, never mind FOUR decades worth of them. Mimi is an anomaly, and this entire project only excites me more for what’s to come.

“AAAHH MEN!” by Doja Cat

Doja Cat has had an interesting album rollout leading up to Vie, her fifth studio album. She finally returned back pop music after a series of controversial tweets two years ago regarding her work in the genre, and based off the initial streaming numbers it seems that it just isn’t landing with the general public in comparison to her previous releases. Likely due to the fact that she all but alienated her audience back then. Having said this, the actual music on the new record is dope and there are some serious standouts including “AAAHH MEN!” which samples the classic Knight Rider theme song. I’d recognize those opening synthesizers anywhere. In fact, the minute the beat dropped on Doja’s track and I heard the sample I smiled, got up, bopped my head and said out loud “oh this beat is nasty” – followed by a solo dance in my Calvin’s getting ready for work; I’m painting you all a picture dahhling. Doja Cat’s now signature singing-rapping style is still very strong and fits the pop girl beat seamlessly, and she plays around with the sounds of her voice during the verses. Every ten years or so, it seems we get a new wave of pop music that is heavily inspired by the 80s. It makes sense given the decade is a bible of pop music, and Doja is attempting to lead the train for the 2020s. Whether or not she’ll score another major hit from this album is yet to be seen, but she at least delivered a crisp pop album that if nothing else at all will manage to get you dancing.

“out of body” by Khalid

For years, the internet has been complaining that we want to see more male gay pop stars. Khalid, who recently dealt with being outed via a past relationship gone sour, decided to take the leaps and not only lean into his identity, but do so through his music as well. “out of body” is basically gay Britney and it’s a groove. So much of both Britney and all the pop girls’ fan base is gay men so it only seems natural that a gay man would be making music of a similar vein. There seems to always be a wall that comes up however within the community when one of our own decides to do the very thing that we praise others for doing, at least if what is being discussed on platforms like Twitter is to be taken as a serious in the court of public opinion. I for one would love to rebuke that notion and usher in a new era where we lift those in the community up because why the f*ck can’t a gay boy have his own Britney moment in pop music? Especially one as talented as Khalid, who has consistently delivered us quality tunes since the mid-2010s. The video is giving total “I’m A Slave 4 U” vibes, from the sweaty dancers to the hot and steamy body contact. Khalid also recently tweeted a photo of him listening to the Britney album, alluding to his inspiration for his new single. The song itself features the Middle-Eastern/pop elements that were all over Britney and Pussycat Dolls in the mid-2000s, and that Tate McRae has recently been bringing back in today’s music. For so many years, Khalid was living on the down low and even though the way he was outed was very unfortunate (and he continues to be trolled by said person), his ability to preserve through that trauma and deliver some pop gold is a testament to his artistry. It’s giving what I would want to do if I had the chance to be a pop star so from one gay boy to another, I say thank you, Khalid.

“TIT FOR TAT” by Tate McRae

Going off of Khalid, we have a pop girlie who has used that 2000s sound to her benefit and taken it a step further by giving full Britney energy and on-stage choreo in all her performances, especially the recent VMAs. Now that Tate McRae has all eyes on her, she has dropped a song that she claims was written two weeks ago and many fans are thinking is a direct response to a recent track by her ex-boyfriend The Kid Laroi. The two were dating for over a year before their July breakup. His recent song “A Cold Play” is widely interpreted to be about Tate and his wishes to “fix” her, while Tate’s new song has the direct lyrics “Let’s go song for song, let’s go back to back. Fix your f-king self, kiss my ass for that”. Ahh, young love am I right? I love a good kiss-off anthem and it’s cool to see that Tate is not the one to f-ck with. Plus, given the insane amount of goodwill she’s been receiving from her sold-out world tour and chart-topping album So Close To What, I’d say that she’s doing just fine without Laroi by her side. “TIT FOR TAT” is also performing very well on streaming and is on track to become Tate’s third Top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100, proving once again that the best revenge to any breakup is personal growth and success.

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“Bark Like You Want It” by Sir Mix-A-Lot

Hold your horses folks, Gen-Z has officially discovered Sir Mix-A-Lot, and now through the song you were expecting them to do so with. Whenever Sir Mix-A-Lot enters the conversation it is generally through his 1992 hit “Baby Got Back”, but it’s actually his 1996 track “Bark Like You Want It” which many consider to be the second-tier version of that song. I mean sh-t, the album that “Bark” comes from is titled Return of the Bumpasaurus, clearly he had a formula and he was sticking to it. When you listen to the song it literally sounds the exact same as “Baby Got Back” in the same vein that Britney Spears’s first two lead singles “Baby” and “Oops” sound interchangeable, and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sir Mix-A-Lot just had to wait 29 years to see the fruits of those labours since “Bark Like You Want It” never even charted on the Billboard charts. TikTok had its own plans however, as the song has completely blown up on the platform, currently sitting at #4 on the Viral 50 songs chart. Not bad for a rapper that many wrote off as a one-hit wonder more than 30 years ago. Like most vintage tracks, the song has managed to find itself paired to a viral dance challenge that frankly makes me cringe, and it’s not just the youngs playing around to this. There are people well into their adult years that are out here doing the most ridiculous choreography – if it makes you smile then I guess I can’t be mad at it! I’m always going to be a big encourager of any 90s songs having a moment in today’s rotation, so even though you might not catch me taking part in the “Bark Like You Want It” challenge, I can appreciate the songs newfound success.

@themalachibarton
Look who finally posted it @OL #fyp
♬ original sound - sarah 🧸

@delli0t
Gary’s really happy today🍪 #fyp #trending #babies
♬ original sound - sarah 🧸

@earljeremie_0
Trend dc @4 #fyp #dance
♬ original sound - sarah 🧸

@cyclegroover
Replying to @roar Someone made a video saying “This trend isn’t over until cycle groover does it” 💀😂 #cyclegroover #barklikeyouwantit #dancetrend #fyp #dancingbiker
♬ original sound - sarah 🧸