Yes, I wouldn’t mind sleeping with Mariah Carey! Who wouldn’t? Those legs, that bust, that high pitch scream in the bedroom perfect to annoy the neighbors, would suit me just fine.

Musically however, Mariah Carey annoys me to no end – and each time she comes out with a new CD I cringe at the countless amounts of press she gets and the constant need for radio stations and music television to dedicate to her musical mumblings. Mariah is 40% air, 40% high pitched screeching, and 10% singing. Earlier her career had different percentages more in Mariah’s favor, but after a few hits she become nothing more than a broken record repeating herself over and over again.

Number 1 (#1) is a collection of Mariah’s popular tracks that all hit number one on the Billboard chart – sadly – with a four new tracks added in. The CD begins disastrously with “Sweetheart” with Mariah humming in the background while some unknown rapper raps. The beat is deep, with Mariah hidden in the background until she sings like she’s having an asthma attack while some guys spits a few “yeah” and “umphs” in the background – as if that’s supposed to be music!

Moving on, the second track is the first of several duets that helped fuel her career. Ironic that many of her #1 hits are actually from a partnership with some other artist. In “When You Believe” from the movie Prince of Egypt Whitney Houston helps out her friend – with Whitney taking the strong moments of the song, leaving the weaker portion for Mariah since it is better suited for her talents. The middle of the song becomes an all out diva assault with both Mariah and Whitney trying to out do each other. Neither one wins.

Brian McKnight follows Whiney Houston’s duet (with Boys II Men, O.D.B., and Trey Lorenz not far behind). McKnight compliments Mariah Carey mainly for the song is slow and simple – the only equation I can stand if forced to listen to any Mariah Carey song. She is far better at emotional ballads than she is at trying to be R&B – something which has become rarer as her career has moved advanced. “Whenever You Call” has a similar quality to it that “When You Believe” had and would have made a great addition to a soundtrack.

Speaking for a moment on the only tracks I can stand on this CD they would have to be “My All” and “Hero”. Yes, I know everyone has heard Hero about a few million times – and it is and probably will forever be, Mariah Carey’s biggest hit. My All is similar – yet not as preachy as Hero. With My All Mariah Carey layers her voice ranging from strong solid tones to her often overused whisper. And although I can’t stand her when she whispers – she at least refrains from screeching her voice into her higher annoying octaves. Hero, a quintessential power ballad – probably the most sung song at high school graduations, will never fade into obscurity.

Moment over. I knew Mariah Carey was headed for trouble when she released “Dreamlover”. She begins the song in that annoying pitch that only she can hit – thankfully – and takes the song and her career personally downhill from that moment on. Although the song does have a catchy rhythm to it, similar to “Honey” – I can’t stand the song once Carey begins singing. Neither can I stand “One Sweet Day” with Boys II Men. Sure the men’s voices complement each other and they sound like they are perfect in harmony – yet I just don’t enjoy the track.

By the time the CD gets around to the twelfth track – the songs get more annoying with each passing second. Many of them have a Latin beat to them – but lyrically the singing does not complement the background music. Bad enough, in fact, that I can’t continue to listen to the CD while I write this review. Yes, this does mean that I own this CD – a huge lapse in judgement on my part many moons ago.

I read somewhere that Mariah Carey herself said that this CD of hers wasn’t her best music – just her most popular music. Apparently a few years after the release of this album, she released a 2 CD set of Greatest Hits that she finds better represents her musical career. Funny, for I also read that all tracks from this CD, except for one – are on that CD. If you are a Mariah Carey fan, I guess it would make more sense to buy that album – instead of this one, although you will pay more since it is a two disc album.

Overall yeah, Mariah Carey is a hottie. But when she begins to sing her voice freezes the wax in my ears...some sort of a defense mechanism I think. There was a time I was just a little bit into her music, but all love has faded away. Now, I can’t stand her – and if I ever need the money I would sell this CD in an instant – although I probably wouldn’t get much for it.

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This review is my second entry into Kristinafh’s May Music Madness Write-Off. The requirements were to review a CD from a singer that leaves a bad taste in your mouth – yet you’d consider sleeping with them. My first entry a review of an album that deserves a five star rating can be found here.


Recommended: No