DiscoHeaven23 35,007 Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Mariah Carey's crtiical comeback in 2018 continues. Caution is making so many year end best albums charts. Let's look at them:  BILLBOARD: #39 If you needed yet another reminder as to why she remains the Supreme Diva, Mariah Carey's 15th album, Caution, continues to demonstrate her dominance as a chart fixture (it debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200) as well as a crafty songwriter and inimitable singer. Across just ten songs, the R&B luminary warns listeners to tread lightly when it comes to questioning her prowess -- whether she's dishing out the "I don't know her" dismissals of âGTFOâ and âA No Noâ or proving that her hip-hop roots still run deep with the Gunna-assisted âStay Long Love You.â After decades of making pop history, it still comes easy for Carey to wave off contenders to her throne with a simple flick of her diamond butterfly-embellished fingers. https://www.billboard.com/photos/8489227/best-albums-2018-staff-picks  COMPLEX: #48 After her interesting year(s) in the public eye, which featured everything from an awkward reality show on E! to an equally awkward New Yearâs Eve performance, bouncing back with a slapper of a 15th studio album didnât seem like it was in the cards for the supreme divaâyet here we are. Ascending to her throne, Mariah Carey found a way to reestablish her unique blend of hip-hop, pop, and R&B into a release that flows effortlessly. Sure, tracks like âThe Distance,â with a powerhouse of talented artists behind it (Skrillex, Lido, Poo Bear, and Ty Dolla Sign) should be no-brainers, but youâre still not ready for the emotional gut punch when the bass drops under that heavenly hook. Lilâ Kimâs âCrush On Youâ gets a fresh coat of paint on the empowerment anthem âA No No,â and current sensation Gunna finds a way to flex with Mariah like itâs nothing on âStay Long Love You.â For anyone wondering if Mariah still has it, Caution is the perfect release to quiet that talk. https://www.complex.com/music/best-albums-2018/mariah-carey-caution    VULTURE: #10 Mariah Careyâs tally of Billboard chart toppers is second only to the Beatles, and this fallâs Caution, her fifteenth album, is a short, sweet reminder of reasons people love the diva (spoiler: vocals) and reasons to fear her wrath. Step out of line, and get memorialized in a hit single, like the poor souls who inspired the harsh âGTFOâ and âA No Noâ must have. Play nice, stay put, and enjoy a shower of love and affection. https://www.vulture.com/2018/12/best-albums-2018.html    SLANT: #12 âCautionâ is an apt warning for those about to consume Mariah Careyâs first album in over four years. While the consummate diva may have botched the rollout of her last handful of singles, and her voice is a reedy version of what it once was, she makes it abundantly clear on Caution that she isnât to be ****ed with in this or any other decade. She wisely relies on the rap-inflected R&B sounds that have been her bread and butter since Butterfly, while bringing in unexpected collaborators like Skrillex and Blood Orange. She also switches up the message: In the aftermath of a highly public breakup, a sense of inevitable heartache hangs over the whole thing, from the delightfully salty lead single âGTFOâ (âI ainât tryna be rude, but youâre lucky I ainât kick your ass out last weekend,â she quips) to the even more savage âA No No,â in which she summons her verbally gymnastic falsetto for a Gilliganâs Island-related diss. The adoption of patois and clearly intentional use of âirregardlessâ suggest Mimi (still) has no time for notions of cultural appropriation or grammar, and appearances by Slick Rick and Biggie (via sample) let us know that her heart will always lie in hip-hop. Where it belongs. https://www.slantmagazine.com/features/article/the-25-best-albums-of-2018/P3     SPIN: #12 Mariah Carey has spent a few years fighting a losing battle against the worldâs attention inevitably turning somewhere else. Her last big single, the mysteriously hashtagged â#Beautiful,â couldnât save her 2014 album Me. I Am Mariah⊠the Elusive Chanteuse from being repeatedly delayed by a fruitless search for another hit. That album presented Carey as still clinging to some perception of the zeitgeist even as she successfully charted a course for her music in an era of post-relevance. With Caution, however, she appears unbothered by it all. The album was announced via a song, âGTFO,â as small and icy as a single snowflake, with the same fleeting sort of magic that seems to evaporate as soon as it appears. But it was also a harbinger of a record as colored by Careyâs unique blend of mischievousness and sentimentality as any in her deeply rewarding discography. âGTFOâ is a picture of weariness, but it is ballooned by a quiet levity: Mariah cites the exact label of red wine that is getting her through the whole ordeal before telling her man to grab his âtingsâ and excusing herself, in Italian, to call him a car. âA No Noâ takes the same emotion but makes it delirious, with Mariah namedropping her lawyer and comparing herself to both Edward Scissorhands and Ginger from Gilliganâs Island. For good measure, she slips into French, Spanish, Japanese, and Portuguese on the songâs outro as her melodies catapult into the sky. On âThe Distance,â she brags about an eternal love while being egged on by the peppy chants of a disembodied team of cheerleaders. Nonetheless, Caution is at heart a modest album lit from within by the warm glow of nostalgia. On âWith You,â Carey sings to a lover who first fell for her in 1997 (âever since that Bone Thugs songâ), celebrating time spent âplaying Confessions and our bodies blending.â Later on she samples Lilâ Kim and conjures a verse from Slick Rick, who floats through âGiving Me Lifeâ as cool as a fall breeze. Perhaps the most affecting moment, though, is the outro of â8th Grade,â on which Timbaland emerges to converse with Carey as if heâs an oracle, muttering and beatboxing like itâs 1998. If it feels like he suddenly commandeers the album to call out to Aaliyah, you can understand whyâMariah makes a compelling case to join her in peering into the past, even as she continues to march into the future. https://www.spin.com/featured/best-albums-2018/     POPCRUSH Mariah Carey continues her reign with the short, but oh-so sweet, Caution, her 15th studio album. One of the many things fans love about Mariah is that she doesnât chase trends. She loves R&B and hip-hop, and you will always hear that at the root of her albums. Mimi might work with current hit-making producers (like Skrillex on album standout âThe Distance), but the sound is always undeniably Mariah. With Caution, Carey has truly crafted a cohesive, soulful album thatâs somehow modern and nostalgic at the same time. Must-hears include âGTFO,â âGiving Me Life,â â8th Grade,â and the moving, introspective closing ballad, âPortrait.â http://popcrush.com/best-albums-2018/    Muumuse: #2 Toni isnât the only diva who made a comeback this year. First of all: Mariah Carey doesnât make bad music ever, dahhhling. But Caution is really good. While Me. I Am MariahâŠThe Elusive Chanteuse felt a bit more ambitious in scope and sound, Caution feels effortlessly fresh â and laser-focused. Itâs a sexy and entirely modern-sounding set, and certainly of her tightest, cohesively speaking, from the moody, oh-so-Mimi kiss-off âGTFOâ (which would be breathlessly hailed as ârevelatoryâ if it came from someone like, say, Ariana Grande, but thatâs another story) to the ultimate dream collaboration, âGiving Me Lifeâ with Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) â an obvious standout, complete with Babs and Marilyn shout-outs and a to-die-for outro. There are plenty of single-worthy selections, including the slinky title track and Lilâ Kim-sampling âA No No.â âWith Youâ â the albumâs Real Lead Single â is the only song that feels less than interesting. (Naturally.) For the Lambily, closer âPortraitâ paints a more introspective picture of the Imperfect Angel. Her press tour for the record has leaned in on deep cut chat and overlooked moments (#JusticeForGlitter was a wonderful surprise cherry on top), all while keeping the conversation centered around her genius songwriting prowess. (Put âMariah Carey Wrote âMy All'â on my tombstone.) We donât deserve Mariah Carey in 2018, but sheâs here for us, anyway. https://muumuse.com/2018/12/the-top-10-albums-of-2018.html/   Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharGaga 2,689 Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 I love to get high to the album so props to her really. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enno 706 Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 I'm addicted to this album. I did not know that I was a big Mimi fan. In my opinion this is her most cohesive album since The Emancipation Of Mimi. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
That J 12,166 Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 It truly is one of the best albums of the year and what's really great is how the more ya hear it, the better it gets. I hear something new with each new play. The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuPaul 242 Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Portrait has become one of my favourites from the album since it came out and I hope the A No No remix smashes as hard as it deserves! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimmo 76,622 Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 She forever my first Queen, her voice, her diva attitude, everything about her screams Supreme!!!! Sorry Gaga but youâre my second but I still love You forever !!!  Hottie Detector Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
androiduser 7,114 Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 Billboard 200 Caution 5 -> 55 -> 163 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akiki 3,900 Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 The album is a Gem. I was surprised cause I never thought she could come with anything good after all these years.   Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babel 40,910 Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 itâs truly one of the best albums of the year. Iâm proud of her. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlingNotTheMusic 25,976 Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 Not to be a downer but "comeback"?! Let's choose our words carefully Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscoHeaven23 35,007 Posted December 14, 2018 Author Share Posted December 14, 2018 1 hour ago, Acsnpdx8 said: Not to be a downer but "comeback"?! Let's choose our words carefully  specifically stated "critical comeback" in OP. Yes, yes it is  Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Othon 32,267 Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 I still can't believe it's this good. Where did this come from?!   She hasn't put anything out this consistent and cohesive in decades. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlingNotTheMusic 25,976 Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 52 minutes ago, DiscoHeaven23 said:  specifically stated "critical comeback" in OP. Yes, yes it is  I legit never hear about her except on this cult site but comeback... Sure! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doppelganger 3,741 Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 Love the album. It signals a new era for Mimi where she's no longer after chart success, and the music is better for it. I love that she's making relevant music (after years of WBT rehashes), and showing the young-ins how it's done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscoHeaven23 35,007 Posted December 14, 2018 Author Share Posted December 14, 2018 10 hours ago, Acsnpdx8 said: I legit never hear about her except on this cult site but comeback... Sure! lol, again, it's not a commercial comeback  it's critical, meaning the critics are finally praising her again.   Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Featured Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.