The singer’s 16th album highlights how her voice has changed but is still as assured as ever.
It has been a few years since the powerhouse singer has released an album, her latest ‘Here For It All’ really shows that she hasn’t lost her touch in delivering a high quality album with plenty to enjoy.
From the cool vibes of ‘Play This Song’ produced by Anderson Paak to the deeply gospal sounding ‘Jesus, I Do’, there is plenty of variety in terms of style to keep listeners thoroughly engaged from start to finish.
The album starts just as you would expect a Mariah Carey album to start – a soulful and confident sounding ‘Mi’, with its lyrics offering a hint of diva and playfulness that gets the party started right.
This confident and self-assuredness approach continues with the catchy (and of course sassy) ‘Type Dangerous’ which with its hip-hop vibes feels like the singer at her very best. The vocals soar and make the listener sit up and pay attention – as well as wanting to dance.
But this isn’t to say that the record doesn’t have its moments where it falters slightly. ‘Sugar Sweet’ with Kehlani and Shenseea feels as though it is lacking in power and punch to make it truly stand out. Meanwhile ‘Confetti & Champagne’ isn’t quite what I was expecting and just feels slightly bland.
This being said, there is still plenty of heart and soul to be found on ‘Here For It All’, a six minute long song that strips everything back to beautiful simplicity, with the whole focus being on Carey’s vocals – which is exactly how it should be.
As an album, it is tight and concise – not a single moment is wasted, with particular highlights include the powerful and determined ‘I Won’t Allow it’. It is a bold song that will certainly fill up the dance floor pretty quickly – but it also feels as though it is the most lively track on the record.
Also worth a mention is ‘In Your Feelings’ and ‘My Love’ which shows the sensitivity and warmth that Carey can add to her vocals.
Overall, Here For It All is a self-assured and enjoyable album that is a worthy addition to Mariah Carey’s ever growing catalogue.
By Emma Clarendon
Here For It All is available to buy and listen to now.
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️