Who says being a pop diva is easy? There is the constant pressure to look great and sound all-conquering while staving off a legion of younger sisters nipping at your stiletto heels. Which brings us to Mariah Carey, she of the 175 million worldwide record sales and the multitude of comebacks.Carey's voice isn't what it used to be, and her last couple of records were lightweight even by her modest standards, brimming with adolescent lyrics and tarted-up production designed to keep her sounding fashionable. They restored her standing as a commercial force, but as an artist she sounded adrift.On her 12th studio album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" (Island), Carey doesn't resort to vocal histrionics or production gimmickry. Instead, she plays it low-key, and ends up with her best album since the '90s heyday.
Who says being a pop diva is easy? There is the constant pressure to look great and sound all-conquering while staving off a legion of younger sisters nipping at your stiletto heels. Which brings us to Mariah Carey, she of the 175 million worldwide record sales and the multitude of comebacks.Carey's voice isn't what it used to be, and her last couple of records were lightweight even by her modest standards, brimming with adolescent lyrics and tarted-up production designed to keep her sounding fashionable. They restored her standing as a commercial force, but as an artist she sounded adrift.On her 12th studio album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" (Island), Carey doesn't resort to vocal histrionics or production gimmickry. Instead, she plays it low-key, and ends up with her best album since the '90s heyday.
