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MARIAH CAREY

3

1990–2018

1148 reviews

20 albums

OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW

Mariah Carey

3.6

warm reception

divided reaction

57 reviews →

Emotions

3.3

mixed reception

divided reaction

64 reviews →

MTV Unplugged

3.6

warm reception

divided reaction

36 reviews →

Music Box

2.7

mixed reception

mixed reaction

72 reviews →

Merry Christmas

3.1

mixed reception

divided reaction

69 reviews →

Daydream

3

mixed reception

divided reaction

54 reviews →

Butterfly

3

mixed reception

divided reaction

88 reviews →

VH1 Divas Live

3.2

mixed reception

divided reaction

36 reviews →

#1's

3.2

mixed reception

divided reaction

46 reviews →

Rainbow

2.7

mixed reception

divided reaction

83 reviews →

REVIEW

REVIEW

Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel

4

3.5/5

San Francisco, CA, USA

"Memoirs" is an album, not a collection of tracks, possessing its own flow and mood, which gives it a personality the slightly desperate "E=MC2" lacked.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Caution

4

4/5

San Francisco, CA, USA

A compact, "Music Box"-sized album, it's unelaborate in presentation and makeup, a measured and understated collection of slow and midtempo R&B ballads.

#1 to Infinity

5

4.5/5

San Francisco, CA, USA

Undoubtedly opportunistic, but it updates and improves upon "#1's," a 1998 anthology filled out with four previously unreleased songs that, obviously, were not number ones.

2015

E=MC²

3

3/5

San Francisco, CA, USA

She's not about longevity, she's about being permanently transient, a characteristic "E=MC2" captures all too well.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse

4

3.5/5

San Francisco, CA, USA

Shows that she's still capable of delivering 40 minutes of strong, supremely voiced R&B; when she's up for it.

Merry Christmas II You

3

3/5

San Francisco, CA, USA

Apart from that pair of stiff originals, the whole thing is cheerful and engaging, a worthy sequel to its predecessor.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Charmbracelet

5

2.4

This is a stunning return to form for Carey.

Jaan Uhelszki

Emancipation of Mimi

4

4/5

3.1

blender.com

She’s curbed her showboating instincts, reined in her signature melisma and for the first time treated songs as something other than dragons to be slain.

Jody Rosen

E=MC²

4

4/5

Solid pop splendor.

Jody Rosen

Charmbracelet

2

C–

2.4

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.

BIRD'S EYE VIEW

BIRD'S EYE VIEW

October 9, 2024

What the Critics Said About Mariah Carey's 1991

October 8, 2024

What the Critics Said About Mariah Carey's 1990 Debut Album and How it Changed Over

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