Maps of Music

The Emancipation of Mimi (2005)

Where the lyrics of The Emancipation of Mimi take you, and where it was really made.

The album that marked Mariah Carey's comeback takes its title from a nickname only her closest friends used.

Key places

Five months in Capri (2005)

Recording site Capri — After a hospitalization, Carey spent five months in Capri and wrote what she called her most personal album. The source lists Capri among the album's recording places. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Atlanta studio session with Dupri (2005)

Recording site SouthSide (Atlanta) — Carey met Jermaine Dupri in Atlanta for a brief studio session. The source lists SouthSide in Atlanta as a recording location for the album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Right Track Studios in New York (2005)

Recording site MSR Studios — The source lists Right Track Studios in New York City as a recording location for the album. The article gives no further detail about the sessions held there. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

The Record Plant in Hollywood (2005)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — The source lists The Record Plant in Hollywood as a recording location for the album. The article gives no further detail about the sessions held there. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Chicago Recording Company session (2005)

Recording site Chicago Recording Company — The source lists the Chicago Recording Company as a recording location for the album. The article gives no further detail about the sessions held there. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording in Los Angeles (2005)

Recording site Motown Recording Studios — The source lists Marsha and Jan in Los Angeles as a recording location at city level. The article gives no further detail about the sessions held there. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Darkchild's Pleasantville base (2005)

Recording site Darkchild (Pleasantville) — The source lists Darkchild in Pleasantville as a recording location at city level. The article gives no further detail about the sessions held there. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• The Emancipation of Mimi is the tenth studio album by Mariah Carey
• Released by Island Records: first in Japan on March 30, elsewhere on April 4, and in the US eight days later
• Primarily an R&B, pop, and dance-pop album with hip-hop, gospel, and soul influences
• Spawned six singles, led by "It's Like That"
• The title uses Carey's personal nickname "Mimi"
• Widely seen as her comeback album after Glitter and Charmbracelet

Background

• Glitter (2001) was a box-office bomb and was universally panned by critics
• The failure of the Glitter soundtrack led Virgin Records America to buy out her $100 million contract for $28 million
• After a hospitalization, Carey spent five months in Capri, Italy, where she wrote what she called her most personal album
• Charmbracelet was released on December 3, 2002
• After three years of setbacks, she announced the album's name on November 18, 2004 via her website
• Island executive L.A. Reid suggested the Mimi name after learning close friends used it
• Carey said Mimi is a very personal nickname used only by those in her inner circle

Recording

• Carey worked on the album throughout 2004 with a variety of songwriters and producers
• She co-wrote and co-produced several tracks, including "Say Somethin'" with Snoop Dogg and the Neptunes
• In Atlanta, she met Jermaine Dupri for a brief studio session, and the two recorded "Shake It Off" and "Get Your Number" within two days
• Frustrated with extra production on earlier albums, she recorded most of the album live with her band
• Dupri encouraged her to return to her full vocal style rather than the softer, whispering tone of earlier releases

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Early life

• Born March 27, 1969 in Huntington, New York, on Long Island.
• Youngest of three children of Patricia Hickey, a former opera singer, and Alfred Roy Carey, an aeronautical engineer.
• Began singing at age three; graduated from Harborfields High School in 1987.
• Worked as a demo singer and backup singer, including for Brenda K. Starr.

Career

• Signed to Columbia Records after Tommy Mottola heard her demo tape in December 1988.
• Debut album Mariah Carey (1990) topped the US Billboard 200 and won Best New Artist at the Grammys.
• Became the first artist whose first five singles reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Music Box (1993), Merry Christmas (1994), and Daydream (1995) achieved major global sales.
• Later albums moved toward hip-hop and R&B, including Butterfly (1997) and Rainbow (1999).
• Comeback album The Emancipation of Mimi (2005) was her fifth number-one album in the US.
• Known as the 'Songbird Supreme' and 'Queen of Christmas'; one of the best-selling artists in history with over 220 million records sold.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Received generally positive reviews; critics saw it as a return to form for Carey
• Critics praised its production and her vocal performance
• Billboard's Michael Paoletta praised the strong lyrics and slick production, noting her pipes were still considerable despite some vocal decline
• Entertainment Weekly's Tom Sinclair said nearly every track showcases her vocal strengths
• The New York Times's Jon Pareles praised its fresh and innovative approach
• The Guardian's Caroline Sullivan called it cool, focused, and urban
• Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani found her ballad singing histrionic
• PopMatters' Jozen Cummings found parts of the record corny and overproduced
• Rolling Stone's Barry Walters lamented the lack of memorable songwriting and hooks
• Metacritic average of 64 based on 16 reviews

Reappraisal

• Credited with reviving Carey's career and reshaping the idea of a comeback in pop music
• Critics have since regarded it as one of her strongest works
• Rolling Stone included it on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list

Records

• Debuted atop the US Billboard 200 with 404,000 first-week copies
• Sold 4.97 million copies in the US in 2005, the year's best-selling album there
• Won three of ten Grammy nominations, including Best Contemporary R&B Album
• Certified seven-times platinum by the RIAA in 2022
• Has sold over 10 million copies worldwide since release

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• L.A. Reid suggested the Mimi name after learning close friends used it, and Carey said the title meant she was letting her guard down.
• Carey thought titling the album The Emancipation of Mariah Carey would be obnoxious.
• "It's Like That" was the lead single, chosen as the best way to introduce the project.
• "Shake It Off" peaked at number two in the US because the album's previous single, "We Belong Together", blocked it from number one.
• The Ultra Platinum Edition came out on November 15, 2005, led by "Don't Forget About Us", which also topped the Billboard Hot 100.
• The Adventures of Mimi Tour in 2006 promoted the album and included two cancelled Hong Kong dates.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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