By Solé Scott
Editor-in-Chief
Mariah Carey is a seasoned legend who has been in the music industry for 35 years, and she continues to display her status and talent on her 16th studio album.
“Here For It All” was released on Friday, Sept. 26 and consists of 11 songs. This is Carey’s first non-Christmas album since 2018.
Carey is such an Aries, and she shows it all throughout this album. As a fellow Aries, I am obsessed.
The first song, “Mi,” is egotistical and an instant classic in my personal playlist.
“I wear my high heels walking on my tip toes,” Carey said. “I don’t care about much if it ain’t about Mi.”
This would not be a Mariah Carey album if she was not talking about herself and how luxurious she is.
I was surprised that she had a song with Anderson .Paak, who she has been rumored to be dating for the past year.
Their collaboration, “Play This Song,” is a ’70s throwback vibe that is a continuation of .Paak’s music with Bruno Mars as Silk Sonic. There was a music video as well that confirmed for me that the two were an item.
“Type Dangerous” was my favorite song on the album when it was released in the beginning of the summer. The song was on the airwaves every 10 minutes, and you could not escape it.
However, the music video is terrible and might just be her worst. Artists need to stop trying to cater to Generation Z aesthetics and just continue doing what they always have because that is how we fell in love with them.
“Sugar Sweet” is the worst song on the album and makes my ears bleed. The lyrics are very grade school, and that is shocking because Carey’s songwriting is the holy grail.
“Nothing Is Impossible” was a heartfelt song and one of the most personal songs she has released in a minute.
“I will not break. I won’t be broken,” Carey said.
I could not help but think of Whitney Houston’s “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” from her last studio album, as both have similar messages.
“I Won’t Allow It” is a cute dance song that I can see all the Black aunties posting on their Instagram Reels or Facebooks.
“Jesus I do” with The Clark Sisters is the second-best song. The Clark Sisters ascend anyone who listens to their music, as they are arguably the greatest gospel ensemble in history.
One thing I noticed is that her tone is deeper, which is completely normal as we age. I honestly enjoy how she has adjusted her arrangement to compliment her mature voice. She was still able to hit her infamous whistle notes here and there.
“Here For It All” was a fantastic conclusion to this album and made me emotional because the vocals sounded like the old Carey. I passed out when she hit her whistle notes so crystal clear. This was by far the greatest song on this project, and I am so happy she put it at the end.
This album receives a gold star, and these new age artists need to study the greats like Carey because she is a walking billboard of how to preserve your voice and craft as you age.
