Mariah Carey has reached the point in her career where she doesn't need to team up with big-name producers and songwriters to sell records; the over 175 million units she's moved over the course of her career speak for themselves and all but ensure her inevitable place atop the charts any time she drops a new album.
It was a nice surprise to learn that The-Dream and Tricky Stewart would be co-writing and co-producing the entirety of this new project, considering their impressive, though brief, track record working with R&B divas.
The lead single "Obsessed" combines Tricky's signature bass-heavy, driving beat with Mariah's wide vocal range and The-Dream's bouncy hooks, multi-layered chorus and biting, funny lyrics. It's the perfect cut to promote the album, and its timing at the end of summer could not have been more perfect.
It's not the only hit here, though. "H.A.T.E.U." is a much more mellow look for Mimi and a chance for her to really display the incredibly emotional range her voice is capable of. The song begins with a soft, descending keyboard run that hovers like a halo over its imperfect angel's sighing, devastating vocals for the course of the song. The way Mariah strategically switches from full voice to that breathy falsetto mid-line - seen also on The-Dream's "My Love" - adds an incredible amount of emotional weight to the words she's singing. It's the perfect song for a rainy day.
The real highlight of the album, though, is the drink-in-the-air banger "Ribbon," which is unquestionably among the finest songs of the three artists. Mariah's sweet, falling middle eight gives way to one of the most righteous choruses of the year, ultimately ending with the simple proclamation of, "I've got your lovin' on my mind." Sonically, it would scarcely feel out of place on The-Dream's very own debut album, a compliment of the highest order.
Elsewhere, the "Take a Bow"-biting (or sequel?) and exquisite fading coda-containing "Standing O," the post-Aaliyah summery pop of "More Than Just Friends" and the avant-space, Solange-esque "It's a Wrap" all deserve to be huge hits. Add to that list the great "Up Out My Face" that perfectly encapsulates the girly swag that characterized this year's excellent (and The-Dream-written) Electrik Red album.
It's really a shame, then, that the album goes out on such a whimper. "The Impossible" is just uncharacteristically dull and plodding, and the two full songs following aren't much better. "Angels Cry" is pretty but almost unbearably trite; it deserves to get play on adult contemporary radio but should be kept far, far away from non-olds. "I Want to Know What Love Is," which is a Journey cover, is in the same boat, until it gets much, much worse with its inexplicably over-the-top choral backing towards the end - a moment more fit to be on stage, or maybe on the soundtrack to "The Lion King."
Despite these minor missteps, "Memoirs" still works out to be a pretty fantastic R&B album, one that should rightfully put Mariah on all your TV screens and radio stations for the next year or so. It also solidifies The-Dream's place atop the game and makes him, without question, the most important artist of the past three years - in any genre.
Check out: "Ribbon," "More Than Just Friends," "H.A.T.E.U."
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