the leak(y) album: E=mc2

Those darn internets -- Mimi's E=mc2 leaked last week (even though her album drops today)...and the tracks are already up on YouTube! :-\ Either this is Universal's ploy to drum up further buzz on the album for that big opening week sales number (her stint on Oprah on Monday will also help bring in the bucks), or someone on the label needs to watch his/her back...!

Click on the titles below to listen to the tracks:

Migrate (feat. T-Pain)
This club banger opens the album as 'It's Like That' did for Emancipation, complete with guest rapper! Considering 'It's Like That' was a disappointment on the charts, I can understand her not wanting to repeat that scenario. Her lackluster live performance of this song on SNL didn't help much either.

Touch My Body
See blog entry below.

Cruise Control (feat. Damian Marley)
Mimi mixes Jamaican patois with those JD programmed beats. The reggae organ and Damian Marley 'Pass the Dutchie' melodic reference are inspiring.

I Stay in Love
Standard R&B ballad...nice, yearning lyrics that will be very popular at high school proms.

Side Effects (feat. Young Jeezy)
OooOOh, Mimi is MAD! She put Mr. Mottola on BLAST with this song...and that butterfly flirts back in her lyrics once again...

I'm That Chick
I'm really feeling this song. The disco, Patrice Rushen 'Forget Me Nots' vibe is quite a refreshing change of pace. The Off The Wall reference in the middle is quite cute too.

Love Story
Back to JD and his drum kit...however, we *do* get a piano too!

Loving You Long Time
Ah, a joyous single with a wall of (sampled) sound, many Mimi voices and an impassioned lead vocal. Another standout track.

Last Kiss
Back to the standard JD slowjam (multilayered vocals, syncopated melody lines, that 808)..reminds me of We Belong Together.

Thanx 4 Nothin'
*Another* JD ballad (see above) -- but with lyrics sour, not sweet. :-\

O.O.C.
'Out of Control' -- the cymbals and handclaps ground the song as multitracked layers of vocals swing and coo. Nice.

For the Record
Yet another JD slowjam. If these songs weren't jam packed into the same album, they would most likely stand out. Unfortunately, they start to meld into each other as track blends into track.

Bye Bye
See blog entry below.

I Wish You Well
A lovely way to end the album: Mariah, a piano and a gentle layer of background vocals. It reminds me of Vanishing, a gem of a song from her debut album.

Overall impression -- JD really needs to back off that 808 machine. Well, at least the sound is consistent.

UPDATE: a fantastic review from Rich at fourfour -- pretty much on the money.