Lambs asking furiously about Mariah Carey’s new album finally have some of the answers they’ve been waiting for.
In the latest issue of Billboard magazine, Mariah reveals she’ll be taking more of a surprise approach to this new album by revealing everything (title, tracklist, artwork and music) all at once.
“I have to be the one that announces this, especially the title,” Carey says, noting that the album takes its name from a “personal possession of mine that’s part of an entity that I’ve had almost all my life.“
The accompanying interview also sheds light on some of the troubles Mimi’s recent album campaign has faced leading up to this moment and gives insight as to what some of Mariah’s current and future plans are. Check out some highlights:
SHE’S ASSEMBLED A DREAM-TEAM OF COLLABORATORS. Frequent collaborators Rodney Jerkins and Dupri are back for Album No. 14, but so is a surprisingly diverse roster that ranges from of-the-moment producers like Hit-Boy and Mike Will Made It, guest features from Wale, Nas and Trey Songz and even contributions from veteran arranger Larry Gold and the Love Unlimited Orchestra. There’s also “a special guest star that I’m not allowed to reveal,” Carey teases.
SHE’S AWARE OF THE FAILED SINGLES. Carey will cop to a few of the pre-release singles not doing as well as past hits, pausing to note that 2013’s Stargate-produced “Almost Home” was intended for the “Oz, Great and Powerful” soundtrack. “You would think I would be all about the singles-driven situation, and I am in a way, but with this particular album I want my fans to hear it as a body of work,” she says. “This is my life since we last left off. Just picture a dot dot dot, and then here’s the album.”
THE NEW ALBUM WON’T BE HER LAST. Despite recent comments to Bravo’s Andy Cohen on “Watch What Happens Live” (“If this were to be my last album, people would hear everything they needed to hear”), Carey is not calling it quits anytime soon. “I will always make music. When I said it could be my last, that’s because tomorrow’s not promised to anyone.”
EXPECT BIG BALLADS AND UPTEMPO BANGERS. After immersing herself in her own catalog (“a friend of mine made me a playlist with 1,000 of my songs on it called ‘The Ultimate MC Audio Collection,'” she says), Carey explored her feel-good, hip-hop/R&B side as well as her more introspective moments that could give her fans the best of all worlds.
SHE MAY SOON RETURN TO TELEVISION. Her rocky stint with Nicki Minaj on “American Idol” last year notwithstanding, Carey says she’d like her next reality-competition venture to be something where she was executive producer. “I have another project that I’m so very excited about that’s finally coming to fruition.”
The full interview will be available in the latest issue of Billboard magazine when it hits stands in the coming days. Are you ready for new Mariah music?
