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Mariah Carey was the bestselling female artist of the '90s, yet prior to the 2001 release of Glitter, the soundtrack to her much-touted feature film debut, the starlet suffered a physical and emotional breakdown -- reportedly due in part to the lackluster reception afforded the first single, "Loverboy." Well, Carey need not worry her pretty head any longer: Glitter, an homage to '80s dance and R&B grooves, is one her finest albums to date. In context -- the film is set in New York City's '80s club scene -- the Cameo-sampled "Loverboy" sounds more vibrant than it initially did on radio. Carey puts her stamp on other nostalgic tracks in her trademark five-octave-range fashion, including "Don't Stop Funkin' 4 Jamaica," an up-tempo reworking of the basement party classic "Funkin' for Jamaica" featuring energized rapper Mystikal; a DJ Clue-assisted remake of "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life," featuring Busta Rhymes and newcomer Fabolous; and a sassy version of Cherelle's "Didn't Mean to Turn You On," written in 1984 by Glitter's executive producers, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. The soundtrack isn't, however, completely retro. Carey gets into the mid-tempo groove with Ja Rule and Nate Dogg on the catchy "If We" and with Eric Benet on the provocative "Want You." And, of course, Glitter wouldn't be a Mariah Carey affair without a ballad -- or two or three. Here, the diva flexes her pipes on the poignant "Lead the Way," "Reflections Care Enough," and "Never Too Far." As much as these tearjerkers strain for sentiment, it's the disc's last slow jam that's the most telling. "Twister" ostensibly details the life of singer Billie Frank, Carey's character in the film, but the reflective lyrics mirror the songbird's own reality: "She was kind of fragile/And she had a lot to grapple.../Lord I pray she's found some peace." For Carey's sake, we certainly hope the same.
Condition:NEW. Brand New Factory Sealed
TRACK LISTINGS
Side A
Loverboy Remix (4:30)
Last Night A DJ Saved My Life (6:43)
Didn't Mean to Turn You On (4:54)
Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica) (3:37)
Side B
If We (4:20)
All My Life (5:09)
Want You (4:43)
Loverboy (3:49)
Side C
Lead The Way (3:53)
Reflections (Care Enough) (3:20)
Side D
Never Too Far (4:21)
Twister (2:26)
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