Mariah Carey may now largely avoid the daring vocal acrobatics that marked the beginning of what would become one of the most successful music careers of the last two decades. Hitting the high notes, therefore, wasn't much of a concern Thursday night in Hollywood. Instead, the singer faced other challenges.
Chief among them: Can one of the most recognizable divas in the world emerge from what looked to be a giant plastic mascara box -- one that's placed upon a stage in the middle of a shopping mall -- with grace? And do so while ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" is coming back from a commercial break?
But Carey's every stride comes equipped with a happy elegance that would shame beauty pageants the world over. Indeed, while she was performing a free five-song mini-set at Hollywood & Highland's outdoor mall, which was taped for ABC's late-night show, Carey might as well have been on a moving parade float, as nary a verse or a chorus was sung without a wave, a nod or a wink to a fan.
That's not to say Thursday evening went off without a hitch. It was a little more than an hour before the 8:30 p.m. show time, and a crisis was brewing. A podium for photographers had been placed stage left, but this would fail to capture Carey's good side. It must, those working the show bustled, be moved to frame Carey's right side at once.
By the time Kimmel introduced Carey, everything was in its right place, and the singer offered a swift medley of current single "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" and "E=MC2's" runaway hit "Touch My Body." A few minutes later, the singer even stopped to let the crowd photograph her. "Let me pose," she said, asking the audience to shoot her "at the angle I prefer."
A crowd estimate wasn't available from on-site security, but earlier Kimmel's music booker, Scott Igoe, said about 1,000 people would be allowed on the ground floor and an additional 1,000-plus around the upper levels. Some, such as 21-year-old L.A.-resident Stephanie De La Cruz, had been there as early as 9 a.m., and she said she would have been there 24 hours before that had her mother let her.
What they witnessed was a brief but professional showing and an unbilled appearance from Southern rapper Young Jeezy. He joined Carey on "Side Effects," his gruff intonations providing a surprisingly effective counterbalance to Carey's pleasantly light phrasing.
Since her career rebirth with 2005's "The Emancipation of Mimi," Carey has abandoned the wild vocal wailing that gave rise to "American Idol" and has emerged a thinner-voiced, but far more efficient, singer. Check "I'm That Chick," where the lyrics are embarrassing drivel (Carey compares herself to ice cream), but she was able to somehow pull it off by letting her voice sway with the song's rhythmic R&B shuffle.
The concert was the latest from Kimmel's show to be performed out on the streets of Hollywood, which launched in 2003 with an appearance by Coldplay on Hollywood Boulevard. Although most Kimmel performances happen inside the studio across from the Hollywood & Highland complex, or on the outdoor stage behind the studio, that wasn't the original intention.
"We had this grandiose idea when the show started that we'd be doing these concerts every Friday night on Hollywood Boulevard," Igoe said. "Then they saw the price tag. 'Oh, $250,000 every Friday night? Don't think so.' "
Now, the happenings are largely contingent on sponsors or record labels chipping in to defray costs, and Carey's performance was part of a national summer concert series from electronics company Samsung. Although Kimmel didn't have to close Hollywood Boulevard to have Carey perform, Igoe put the production costs as "probably about $250,000," noting that Carey doesn't come cheap. "There was a financial contribution Samsung had to make on top of the production to get her out here," he said.
To those who had spent their day getting sunburned waiting for Carey, it was money well spent. When a group of fans was asked why it was worth 12 hours of standing in the Los Angeles heat to see a five-song set, this reporter was booed by the crowd for suggesting such a negative question.
Other notes:
A diva becomes human: Carey is a pro, and her between-song banter consists of pointing out audience member T-shirts and reading aloud their signs. One female fan caught her eye, holding a placard that declared that she had left her 14 children at home to see Carey perform. Said Carey, "You left your 14 kids for me? Seriously? Wow." A moment later a member of Carey's team came onstage to help the singer get ready for the next song. Said Carey to her staffer, "That literally said she left her 14 kids...."
The sentence trailed off when it was pointed out to Carey that the microphone was on. She smiled, turned to the crowd, and said, "It happens."
Up next: Igoe says Kimmel hopes to have an outdoor show on Hollywood Boulevard the night before Thanksgiving. As for who it will be? "We don’t know. The Jonas Brothers, the Killers, a big rock act. It'll come down to money again."
So what was in the bag? Before Carey disappeared offstage for a commercial break, she teased the crowd with this: "I haven't forgotten to bring my bag of festivities with me, so I'll be distributing that in a second." A bag of festivities? Joy! Yet when Carey returned, she carried no bag.
When Mariah Carey's "E=MC2" leaked online about a week ago, one thing was certain. There would be no sudden rush-release of the album, a la Eminem's "Encore," or, to use a more recent example, Gnarls Barkley's "The Odd Couple."
New albums from the likes of Carey, and later this month Madonna, are as close as the music business is going to get these days to an "Indiana Jones"-type blockbuster. As the rest of the industry is getting used to plotting shorter, more frugal marketing campaigns, to an artist on the level of a Carey, first week is still paramount.
"E=MC2" will live or die by its singles, and a multi-month marketing campaign is coming to a head at just the right moment. Two weeks ago, Carey hit No. 1 with her slight slow-jam "Touch My Body," and passed Elvis as the solo artist with the most chart-topping singles with 18. On Monday, Carey guests on television's greatest gift to retail sales, "Oprah," and then it's Carey's time to shine on "American Idol."
And make no mistake, love Carey or hate her, she will indeed shine on "Idol," as it's hard to imagine "American Idol" even existing in a world without Carey's vocal gymnastics. This is all meant to set the tone for what is hoped to be a four-to-five singles deep collection -- a feat that's becoming nearly impossible in the face of drastically declining CD sales.
"E=MC2" will undoubtedly rack up one of the biggest first-weeks of 2008 after it's released on April 15. The Mariah Carey brand is strong enough to ensure that, but here are the important questions surrounding "E=MC2": Is it good? If you were a fan of "The Emancipation of Mimi," you will be a fan of "E=MC2," as long as you're not turned off by Carey's failure to do anything drastically different, either lyrically or musically. She once again treads the line between flirting with lightly smooth adult contemporary and rappers for some street-cred; T-Pain lends his auto-tuned vocals to album opener "Migrate" (this album's version of "It's Like That").
While "The Emancipation of Mimi" was a much-needed knock-out success for Carey, time will tell if she adhered too closely to that album's road map. Replace some hand claps for finger-snaps, and the feel of "Touch My Body" isn't all that different from, say, "We Belong Together." And the piano tinkling of "Mimi's" "Don't Forget About Us" closely matches the piano melody of "E=MC2's" second single, "Bye Bye."
Perhaps Carey has become confident in knowing what her fans want. She certainly sounds as comfortable as she ever has on "E=MC2," which puts the emphasis on tone and delivery over range. And judging by the early success of "Touch My Body," her fans don't seem to have tired of the formula.
Does Carey act her age? A distressing trend in the post-Britney era is that our pop singers are continually trying to out-sex one another. The answer to the question should have been apparent when the video for "Touch My Body" was released, when Carey was fooling around with "30 Rock's" Jack McBrayer. That song alone features the cringe-worthy line, "Let me rub my thighs around your waist." But
the answer is no, as Carey opens the album by driving around in Lamborghinis, sipping Grigio and -- shocker -- trying to find some pants that show off her hips.
And when Carey tries to open up a bit more, her sentiments are the equivalent of a Hallmark Precious Moments figurine. In a ballad of loss in "Bye Bye," Carey isn't taking any chances, designing the lyrics for mass appeal by dedicating them to anyone who ever lost somebody, be it "your best friend, your baby, your man or your lady." But Carey gracefully pulls off the universality of the lyrics, and the tune will in all likelihood be a massive hit, especially if she sings it on "Oprah" next week.
Will she best the Beatles? When Carey surpassed Elvis this month as the solo artist with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard charts in the modern pop era, there was only one band ahead of her: The Beatles. The Fab Four have had 20 No. 1 singles on Billboard's charts.
Expect Carey to tie or best the the act by the time this album cycle is through. There's no reason "Bye Bye" shouldn't hit No. 1 -- it's simple message and smooth groove will likely be everywhere this summer. And there's a handful of other single-ready cuts on "E=MC2," chief among them "I'll be Lovin' U Long Time," a slinky little dance number in which Carey deftly spins around the groove.
And by holding back the digital release of the singles until long after the release of a music video, thereby maximizing anticipation for the iTunes release of the song, digital sales alone should be enough to give Carey the singles title in the next year or two.
But does it matter when Carey tops the Beatles? No, not really. Aside from a fun story and conversation point, it's not going to change the course of pop music. Really, when was the last time you thought about a Beatles record on the Billboard charts?
Grammy possibilities: "The Emancipation of Mimi" scored a whopping 8 Grammy nominations. Don't expect "E=MC2" to nab as many, as it so closely follows the "Mimi" template.
The biggest surprise, perhaps, was that "Mimi" nabbed an album of the year nod. If "E=MC2" turns out to be as big a hit, or close, Carey could easily repeat, as Recording Academy wouldn't want to turn down one of the biggest pop albums of the year.
But after the inoffensive, multi-genre approach the Grammys took in 2008, resulting in widespread criticism that Recording Academy voters were out of touch, expect a more targeted field in 2009, one that taps more relevant, critically-acclaimed albums (wishful thinking, perhaps). But there's already some tough competition shaping up for 2009's album of the year nod, chief among them releases from Sheryl Crow, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, and Radiohead. And it's only April.
But when it comes to the world of divas, Carey's "E=MC2" is competing against superior albums from Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige. And there's still a Madonna album on the horizon.
One thing is certain: The songs from "E=MC2" will be all over the single fields.
This week's news that pop star Mariah Carey has surpassed Elvis Presley as the solo artist with the most No. 1 singles on Billboard's U.S pop chart has now officially been challenged by Elvis Presley Enterprises. When Carey's "Touch My Body" rocketed to No. 1 on this week's chart, it gave the singer her 18th No. 1, the most by any solo artist on Billboard's Hot 100.
A pair of readers have helpfully pointed out that a post on the official Elvis website, the business entity created by the Estate of Elvis Presley and the Elvis Presley Trust, claims that the King had, in fact, 18 No. 1 singles, meaning Carey would have simply tied Presley.
But not so fast, writes Billboard's chart guru Geoff Mayfield in this week's edition of the magazine. The confusion lies with 1958 chart-toppers "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog." The Presley site lists the two songs as separate No. 1 singles.
Seemingly makes sense, except that when "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog" topped the chart, they did so as one double-sided release. Writes Mayfield in his column, "Billboard's charts department and the magazine's ranking trivia expert, Fred Bronson, consider those two songs comprise but one single, and thus a singular No. 1 shared by the two songs."
Music purists probably wouldn't equate Mariah Carey with legendary acts such as Elvis and the Beatles, but when it comes to chart-topping records, she's now outstripped the King -- and she's on pace to take down the Fab Four.
Carey's latest single, "Touch My Body," made music history this week as she surpassed Elvis Presley as the solo artist with the most No. 1 singles in the modern pop era.
The cut is her 18th No. 1 song and the first single from her "E=MC2" album, due April 15.
Carey bests a tally Presley has held for 40 years. He last topped the singles chart with "Suspicious Minds" in 1969.
Carey's 2005 comeback, "The Emancipation of Mimi," spawned two No. 1 hits, "We Belong Together" and "Don't Forget About Us." Should the new album meet with the same degree of success, she could tie or even best the Beatles' 20 No. 1 singles, a record for any pop group.
Billboard's associate director of charts, Silvio Pietroluongo, noted that "Touch My Body" would have hit No. 1 sooner if it had been made available digitally at an earlier date. Finally released online last week, "Touch My Body" had been the only single in the top 75 of Billboard's Hot 100 that was not available at digital retailers.
“Touch My Body” sold 286,000 downloads in its debut week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, breaking the 277,000 record set last year by Rihanna's "Umbrella." “Touch My Body” rocketed to No. 1, up from No.15 last week.
Despite the impressive digital number, Pietroluongo stresses that Carey's milestone has nothing to do with the state of the industry in 2008. Sales of digital singles may be soaring and album sales in 2008 are trailing those of 2007 by about 15%, but most of Carey's single successes came in the 1990s, when radio weighed more heavily on the Billboard Hot 100.
"This has more to do with longevity and popularity than anything else," Pietroluongo said. "She's only had four No. 1 singles this decade, so it can't be portrayed as anything to do with the state of the music industry. Mariah has been popular for about 20 years."
Presley scored the majority of his No. 1 singles in an era when the chart was based almost entirely on sales, Pietroluongo said.
But Carey isn't the only diva to start challenging the King this week. Madonna, returning with her "Hard Candy" on April 29, has overtaken Presley as the artist with the most Top 10 singles in the modern pop era. Her "4 Minutes," featuring Justin Timberlake, gives the artist her 37th Top 10 hit.
Madonna's "4 Minutes" also experienced a boost from digital sales, having sold 217,000 copies in its first week of wide release at digital retailers (prior to last week, the cut had been available only through Verizon). The sales pushed "4 Minutes" to No. 3, up from No. 68.
And late last year, rapper Jay-Z tied another Presley record. His "American Gangster" was his 10th No. 1 album when it was released in November. Again, only the Beatles have had more chart-topping albums, with 19.
There's some non-diva news on the charts. Reality TV proves again to be a healthy supplier of chart-toppers, as Day26 from MTV's "Making the Band 4" debuts at No. 1.
The act's self-titled debut sold 190,000 copies in its first week, displacing another "Making the Band"-built artist, Danity Kane, who led the chart last week. Danity Kane falls to No. 4 this week.
Meanwhile, rock act Panic at the Disco lands at No. 2, as its "Pretty. Odd." opens with 139,000 copies. It's the best sales week for the Fall Out Boy pals, who saw their debut, "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out," top out at No. 13.
Alt-rock survivors Counting Crows enter at No. 3 with a fifth studio album, "Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings," which sold 106,000 copies. It's the band's highest-charting album since "Recovering the Satellites" bowed at No. 1 in 1996.
Jack White side-project the Raconteurs lands at No. 7 with "Consolers of the Lonely." The album's release had been announced only one week in advance, but it still sold 42,000 copies. Also, the first new album in more than 15 years from the B-52's, "Funplex," enters at No. 11 with 30,000 copies.
Janet Jackson's "Discipline" is officially two days old.
Mariah Carey just released a new video, courtesy of a blockbuster Hollywood director. The clip, from "Rush Hour" director Brett Ratner, features "30 Rock's" Jack McBrayer, and effectively stole some of the thunder from Jackson's release.
And next week, Madonnawill get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with a little help from pop star Justin Timberlake.
Nielsen SoundScan figures for Jackson's "Discipline" won't be released until Wednesday, but there are already signs she's falling behind in the diva grand prix of winter/spring 2008.
Witness: Only a few year's ago, Timberlake was around to derail Janet's career as part of The Great Wardrobe Malfunction of 2004, and now here he is, parading Madonna in front of rock 'n' roll's most upper-class citizens. He also happens to be on Madonna's upcoming single "4 Minutes to Save the World," allowing Madonna the opportunity to turn her induction into the Rock Hall as the launch of the marketing campaign for her "Hard Candy," due April 29.
But worse: In the latest singles charts released today, Jackson's coldly synthesized "Feedback" isn't gaining much ground. In 9 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100, "Feedback" hasn't risen above No. 51, and this week rests at No. 53.
By comparison? Carey's slight-but-sly "Touch My Body" is at No. 34 -- after only two weeks. The song debuted last week at No. 54. Carey's "E=MC2" won't be released till April 15, but it's on target to be issued with something Janet's album wasn't -- a top-20 (if not higher) single.
