18 number one songs. Over 200 million records sold. Nine platinum albums. More hits than any other solo artist. Singer. Actress. Producer. Songwriter. Mariah Carey.

Mariah Carey is known for her contribution to the music industry- as well as her five octave range. As the recipient of Billboard’s Artist of the Decade award, American Music Award’s Lifetime Achievement, World Music Award’s Best Selling Artist of the Millennium, and two Song of the Decade recognitions, Mariah proves to be one of the most successful artists of all time.

With her self-titled debut coming out when she was just 20 years old, Mariah’s career longevity has spanned over two decades. Popular hits such as “One Sweet Day”, “Honey”, and “We Belong Together” made her an icon with an international following of fans.

After nearly five years since her last album, Carey announced that she was working on her 14^th studio album that was to be released in late May. The title, Me. I Am Mariah, may seem simplistic at first, but it actually has a more meaningful background being based off of the self-portrait she drew at the age of 3 of the same title. The album’s first singles were “#Beautiful”, “The Art of Letting Go”, and “You’re Mine (Eternal).” The singles set a high bar of expectation and excitement for the new album.

Being a longtime Mariah fan myself, I anticipated how the album would sound and I was not disappointed. Upon my first listen, I was amazed and I remembered why I fell in love with her music in the first place! The album displayed her many musical abilities, including her vocal range and genre diversity. The songs range from pop to hip-hop to R&B to soft ballads to spiritual. Few artists are truly able to show so such flexibility. In any event, Mariah Carey proved the critics wrong.

While Me. I Am Mariah is not my top Mariah album, I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. The album resembles some of her earlier sounds (such as songs from Rainbow and the Emancipation era) as well as some new sounds. There were times when I wanted to dance, when I wanted to cry, and when I just wanted to smile. Among my favorite tracks are “You Don’t Know What To Do”, “Dedicated”, and “Camouflage.” There is so much more to Mariah’s songs than the voice and the music. As a very personal album, the lyrics are just as important. There is a story. It is one that should be heard.

Regardless of the critics and doubters, Mariah is here to stay and there is no chance of dethroning her. Even as the imitators come, there is only one Mariah Carey and she will never be duplicated.