Mariah Carey - 'Here For It All'

What’s Good Y’all! For the first time in years Mariah Carey goes on a full press run to promote her 18th Studio album ‘Here For It All’ and baby, that's precisely what I am…HERE FOR IT! 

What is left to say about THEE Mariah Carey? I mean, seriously, she’s a singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress; she’s been dubbed as the ‘Songbird Supreme’, being known for her five octave vocal range, melismatic singing style, and her signature use of the white register. She's been ranked as the fifth greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone in 2023. With six Grammys (Including the Grammy Global Impact Award), nineteen World Music Awards, ten American Music Awards, fourteen Billboard Music Awards, and more than 220 million records sold worldwide (and that’s just half of her accomplishments!). It is safe to say that Mariah truly owes us nothing, and she can take a break whenever and for however long she needs to. 

With her latest project, I realize I haven't seen any interviews with Mariah since the release of her 2001 album ‘Glitter’, which is crazy because I don’t even think I listened to that album. However, that was a particularly critical time for Mariah, as she was going through some significant challenges both professionally and personally. Fast forward to The Emancipation of Mimi, released in 2005, many felt this was a “comeback album” for Mariah as she teams up with the Neptunes, Kanye West, and Jermaine Dupri once again to bring a new sound to the forefront of her career. Emancipation became MiMi's fifth number one album since Butterfly (1997), and it was warmly received worldwide. With the release of seven studio albums since then, people are always trying to compare the next project to Emancipation of Mimi, and I honestly hope that with this latest project, we can all move past that and enjoy the era of ‘Here For It All’. 

As we grow older, I’m realizing that the artists we grew up with are also aging. Many of them are around the same age as us millennials, and others, hailing from generations prior to ours, are still artists we grew up watching, imitating, and admiring. 

I honestly can’t remember my first introduction to Mariah Carey or her music. I remember growing up listening to her all the time, and the entire ‘Butterfly’ album being the soundtrack to my life throughout my middle and high school years, as I re-listened and came to understand more of the words within the lyrics. Now that I think back, I think Mariah is part of the reason why I fell in love with butterflies so much. I remember being really good friends with this one girl in middle school who had every single Mariah Carey album to date, including ‘Glitter’ lol. I remember always trying to sing like Mariah as soon as one of her songs came on the radio, or how I would race home after school to catch her on TRL. 

With each unlocked Mariah memory, an artist I have admired since I was a very young child, I gained a new appreciation and love for the latest project. 

I gave the singles a hard time. I was not impressed. ‘Type Dangerous’ was the first released single, and I hated it. I still hate this song. It just doesn’t fit Mariah for me. For one, I can’t take her seriously when she says she likes them (men), dangerous when her last marriage was to Nick Cannon…is dangerous in the room with us? Mariah says she wants to be taken care of by a billionaire, but I wanna ride out on your motorcycle and see how the night goes. Now granted, I don’t know her, but I know her, lmao, and the Diva she has personified to us does not equate to what she says she likes in that song. Now maybe I'm wrong, but I can’t take a woman with two teens in her 50s seriously talkin’ bout she likes her men dangerous lol Be serious, Mariah! Or maybe that’s the point of the song… to have fun and make something not so serious. Huh… let me think about that some more, lol. It took me a few listens to enjoy Sugar Sweet ft. Kehlani and Shenseea, it's a sound and vibe from Mariah I’m not used to, but I love how she is still playing with different sounds and also collabing with newer artists. 

Jesus I Do ft. The Clark Sisters gave me everything I needed! In the past, various Black artists often incorporated gospel songs into their albums to express their faith and give thanks to God. I MISS those days so much! It was nothing like nearing the end of an album and it’s time for praise and worship, because without God, none of this is possible, you feel me?! Well, if you aren’t a believer, of course you don’t, lmao, but if you are, can I get an Amen? Lol Part of the foundation we are losing as a community is our humble beginnings in the Black Church, where we learned how to sing, play instruments, and become orators.  With this track, Mariah took me back to simpler times, and I just loved it! 

‘Mi’ and ‘Here For It All’ are two of my favorite tracks on the album because in the most classy way, Marish is talkin’ her shit. As rightfully so, the winner of two icon awards (Billboard and BET), one of the first 13 recipients for the BRIT Billion Award, for surpassing the milestone of one billion streams in the United Kingdom, and she was inducted into two hall of fames (Songwriters Hall of Fame and The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame). 

‘Here For It All’ is a great ballad for the end of the album. It really sums up the crazy and wild journey that has been Mariah Carey's life. 

Starting out in the industry in 1990, Mariah has evolved in many ways, both professionally and personally, to still stand alongside today’s pool of artists. The way we now consume music is no easy feat, and it should always be applauded, especially among our more veteran artists. 

She's been through the storm, to hell and back, and she is ‘Here For It All’, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and to be honest, so am I. Thank you, Mariah, for your art, voice, words, and work. Be sure you guys check out the latest project from THEE Mariah Carey:

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