Mariah Carey’s “Glitter” is one of the best dance-pop albums

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In the spring of 2001, Mariah Carey’s multi-album and multi-million dollar record deal with Virgin Records was announced. It was worth $ 80 million for four albums. The deal came after a decade of recording for Columbia Records, selling over 100 million albums and scoring over 20 top 10 hits. The signing came near the end of the era of giant recording deals. , which peaked in the 1990s when artists like Prince, REM, Michael Jackson, Madonna and Barbra Streisand signed colossal recording deals. It was years before the internet and streaming exploded record sales. Carey’s deal with Virgin Records was a reminder of the label’s massive contract with Janet Jackson (who signed two record deals with the label, including an $ 80 million deal in 1996)

The first draft for Mariah Carey’s debut film with Virgin was eagerly anticipated as it would also coincide with her film debut. Originally labeled as Everything that shines, Carey was going to edit a semi-autobiographical film and work on the soundtrack. The album was doomed for two reasons. First, the movie – released as Shine – has been the subject of unanimous criticism, with critics calling it one of the worst films of the year. The other reason Shine Didn’t Perform Well was its release date: September 11, 2001.

The film’s terrible reception and commercial flop also extended to the album, which was then Carey’s lowest-selling album. The stench of the film has spread to the soundtrack as well, and the critical reaction to the recording has been mixed at best. It’s a shame because listening to the album 20 years later, it is clear that Shine is easily one of the greatest dance-pop albums of the past two decades. An intelligent and affectionate hymn to dance-pop, post-disco, synthpop and pop-funk from the 1980s, Shine is a brilliant work of genius. A pastiche of MTV neon disco and millennial urban pop, Shine is an important album that deserves to be ranked alongside other post-2000 classics like Radiohead’s Child A, Amy Winehouse Back to black, Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP, and Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

Not only does the film on the album keep critics from taking it seriously, but dance-pop, especially the genre of mainstream pop recorded by Mariah Carey, has never been highly respected by critics. But it’s a mistake to dismiss it as easy pop music – instead, it’s a clever record that resembles 1980s New York club culture, the sound of Minneapolis, as well as the black and queer pop art from the 80s. The recent fan effort to revisit ShineThe reputation of is well deserved, as #JusticeforGlitter is one of the few valid social media pop trends.

In the months preceding ShineCarey has also experienced personal issues, including some disturbing behaviors, including a rambling appearance on MTV. Total live requests, in which the diva walked on stage, handed out ice cream to members of the audience, and then performed an impromptu striptease. Further cases of disturbing appearances followed TRL’s performance, and eventually Carey was hospitalized.

These troubles seemed to eclipse the record and its first single, the excellent “Loverboy”. The tune followed a pattern Carey had established a few albums ago: composing a midtempo dance song that played over a dominant sample. For “Loverboy”, it’s the 1986 Cameo hit, “Candy”. Carey’s tune lifts the wide bass and thunderous guitars of classic ’80s R&B tune.

As the song struts over the Cameo sample, Carey leans on that hook with different layers of her vocals, stacked up like Lincoln Logs – some are harmonies, some are sexy whispers, and we also get moving cries. Released three months before the album’s release, the song was another huge hit for the singer, climbing to number two on the Billboard graphics. Unlike the lead singles from Mariah Carey’s previous albums, “Loverboy” managed to get the best sales of the year with little promotion due to Carey’s personal issues.

Produced by Clark Kent, a hip-hop DJ and producer, with contributions from Carey, the song is a seamless update of dance-funk. Carey’s pretty and powerful voice takes on different shapes, tones and volumes as she shines on the excellent track. Kent’s work is superb on “Loverboy”, but the best tracks on Shine are produced with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who helped define ’80s funk-pop through their work with Janet Jackson. While their collaboration with Jackson represents their best music, they share exceptional chemistry with Carey. And because Shine is a tribute to Jackson Controlera of music, it makes perfect sense that Jam & Lewis were called in to help create this record.

The songs of Carey and Jam & Lewis are breathtaking. The film tells the story of a fictional alter ego of Mariah Carey, who became a pop singer in the 1980s, singing a funky and technical dance-pop. This means that funk-pop maestros like Jam & Lewis are essential to the album’s success. Included is a cover of “Didn’t Mean to Turn You On”, a big hit for ’80s dance diva Cherrelle. The smart choice was to essentially recreate the song, seemingly note by note, although Carey’s voice was more powerful. The song is a fun roller-disco song that would have marked many ice rink birthday parties if it had been released in the 1980s.

Another Carey / Jam & Lewis jam, “Want You”, is a midtempo club jam with squeaky bass, scratchy bass and squishy synths. It’s a sexy, puffy funky number that pairs Carey with soul singer Eric Benét. The song is an incredibly fantastic mix of ’80s funk with Mariah Carey’s pop, a perfect blend of these two different sounds. Benét, best known for neo-soul, does well in more synthetic settings, and it seems that such a charismatic duo partner as Carey also makes him a bit more flamboyant and campy to match the sound-affected dating.

Carey’s slower tracks and produced with Jam & Lewis sound like the boudoir slows the duo created for Janet Jackson. They bore the hallmarks of those classic pop ballads: mellow synths, subdued rhythms, muffled vocals; time seems to stand still when these songs play, their loose structures seem to be allowed to find their way as Carey sings the sultry lyrics.

In addition to the participation of Jam & Lewis ShineAnother nod to club and 80s dance culture on the album is the cover “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life” by classic electro-dance funk dance group Indeep. The song is a pivotal moment in the history of post-disco dance music, a banger that highlighted the essential role of the Disc Jockey in dance and club music. These creatives were responsible for marking euphoric nights in clubs like the Limelight, the Tunnel, the Danceteria. What Shine was working to do is capture this dark and shiny moment in New York dance club culture (which he does very well – the movie, not so much)

Carey captures the gritter, pre-Giuliani New York with “Don’t Stop (Funkin ‘4 Jamaica)”, who works on the classic funk disco-jazz genius of jazz trumpeter Tom Browne “Funkin’ for Jamaica (NY)”, a tribute to his native Jamaica, Queens. The nasal, high-pitched trumpet is piercing, as it gives way to a tight funk number that practically boastful. Mystikal’s gruff voice dominates the record, but Carey’s sweet harmonies act like a pretty drapery, supporting the rapper’s charming and dominant presence.

Alongside Mystikal, other contemporary rappers like Busta Rhymes, Nate Dogg, Ja Rule, Ludacris and Da Brat appear, making the record fresh and modern even though it is wrapped in fluorescent ’80s pop. Shine it’s that it not only recreates 80s dance-pop, it doesn’t look stale or old. Instead, it’s a big project in which contemporary artists see the 80s not only as a source of inspiration but as their musical model: they consciously recreate the 80s and do it with a wink camp. , but the disc works like it’s new and vital. Although it is camp, it is not mockery.

Failure of Shine had an impact on Carey’s career and life. She confessed to Jimmy Fallon the Tonight’s show that the flop of the film almost “ruined” his life. The album’s lack of sales and his personal problems prompted Virgin to cancel his contract with Carey, giving him around $ 30 million to terminate the contract. Carey’s career would languish, subsequent albums and singles would disappoint until 2005 Mimi’s emancipation. This album would reset his career, offering him a second act, and he would sell over ten million copies and claim a hit singles series.

The phenomenal success of Mimi and its follow-up, the years 2008 E = MC², his well-received acting in the Lee Daniels film in 2009 Precious, as well as the undying success of his holiday single “All I Want for Christmas Is You” allowed Carey to leave the problematic memories of Shine. Corn Shine shouldn’t be relegated to footnote status – it’s a brilliant, innovative and witty record that should be recognized as a classic.

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