Mariah Carey's ‘The Emancipation of Mimi': All 18 Original Tracks Ranked for Its 20th Anniversary (Staff Picks)
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Featuring smash singles like 'We Belong Together,' 'Shake It Off' and 'Don't Forget About Us,' the 2005 LP ushered in a new era of creative fulfillment and runaway chart success for the Elusive Chanteuse and reestablished her as place as a trailblazing queen of R&B crossover mastery.
The multi-disc, 40-track anniversary edition revisits the magic that Carey unlocked on Mimi with an extravaganza of remixes, bonus tracks, radio mixes, a cappella cuts and a special live recording captured at Carey's performance at the American Music Awards 50th anniversary special in 2024.
While the Emancipation of Mimi reissue was preceded by Kaytranada's remix of 'Don't Forget About Us,' Carey also tapped Solange to put her own spin on 'Say Somethin' – Solange Southern Star Remix' and Esentrik reimagines album opener 'It's Like That' with Jermaine Dupri and Fatman Scoop.
To celebrate the special occasion, Billboard has ranked all 18 tracks included on the original version of The Emancipation of Mimi and its Ultra Platinum deluxe edition — from its multiple chart-topping hits to Lambily-loved deep cuts like 'Stay The Night,' 'I Wish You Knew,' 'Your Girl' and 'Fly Like a Bird.'
This teasing back-and-forth between Carey and Jermaine Dupri is decidedly sexy, but of all the bonus tracks on The Emancipation of Mimi (Ultra Platinum Edition), the mid-tempo jam feels the least essential to the overall body of work as a whole — particularly compared to the multiple catchier collaborations with Dupri ranked higher on this list.
'We Belong Together' had already become the defining song of 2005 by the time Carey unveiled this remix as a bonus cut on the deluxe edition. With help from Jadakiss and Styles P, the elusive chanteuse speeds up the proceedings over a skittering piano line, and even makes minor adjustments to some of the song's iconic lyrics — expanding her original quote of The Deele's 'Two Occasions' to a full 'I only think of you/ On two occasions/ That's day and night.'
Mimi lithely navigates the highs and lows of heartbreak on this deep cut, letting insecurities creep in as she wonders, 'Is this just an impossible dream, baby?/ Too elusive to pursue/ It's been such a sad and windy road for me/ Just searchin' for the truth.' Meanwhile, Twista offers himself up as a motor-mouthed knight in shining armor on his characteristically tongue-twisting guest verse.
After delivering a 1-2-3 knockout punch with the album's first three tracks, Carey slows things down with 'Mine Again,' a yearning, lovelorn ballad that climaxes with a subtle key change on the final chorus. The picture of restraint, the singer-songwriter oscillates her vocals between a powerful belt and ethereal falsetto before finally unleashing her famous whistle tone on the song's final, echoing note.
The penultimate ballad on the album's standard tracklist, 'Joy Ride' is a sparkling ode to finding a love that lasts. Carey takes a giddy, whirling trip to cloud nine on the romantic song, reiterating 'we found love' over and over, as she revels in the pure satisfaction and comfort of a soulmate's embrace.
Carey and Snoop Dogg made such a perfect pairing on Rainbow-era single 'Crybaby' that it only made sense for the duo to reunite for 'Say Somethin',' a Neptunes-helmed banger originally meant to serve as Mimi's lead single, before the LP took a different direction with Jermaine Dupri's creative input. Still, the laid-back collab became the sixth and final single off the album, and is perhaps best remembered for its lush, Paul Hunter-directed music video, filmed on location in Paris.
Positioned as a spiritual sequel to album cut 'One and Only,' this bonus track manages to outdo its predecessor thanks to Carey's floaty falsetto and a special touch from producer Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins, who employs a furious string section, hollowed out handclaps and the plinking strains of a music box to build an elevated soundscape worth swooning over. Plus Twista delivers not one, but two rapid-fire verses this time around, doubling the impact of his guest assist.
Carey knows her worth on 'Get Your Number,' and she's not about to give her digits out to just anyone on the dance floor. But with Jermaine Dupri playing the role of club-hopping paramour, Mariah gamely gives the rapper a fair shot on The Emancipation of Mimi's third international single — even if she's also quick to remind him (and any other would-be suitors) that she's 'got a house in Capri and my own G4/ And a Benz with the doors that lift up from the floor,' thankyouverymuch.
Mariah is caught in a whirlwind of racing questions on 'Circles,' chasing her tail for answers she just can't find to help explain away her latest heartbreak. The singer-songwriter keeps things simple and straightforward on the fan-favorite deep cut, which she co-wrote with Sounds of Blackness' Big Jim Wright to emulate the throwback vibes of '70s soul records.
Built over an irresistible interpolation of Ramsey Lewis' 1973 instrumental take on 'Betcha By Golly Wow!' and a vocal sample of the pioneering Bronx-born DJ The 45 King, 'Stay the Night' lets the superstar 'rock… til the morning light' with a lucky lover. The album cut is also notable for the inclusion of one specific name in the liner notes: a rising star named Kanye West, who's credited as both a co-writer and co-producer alongside Carey.
Another spacey, atmospheric come-on dreamt up by The Neptunes, 'To the Floor' pairs Mariah with Nelly for the first time. The result is a percussive, party-ready romp putting the cool chemistry between the pair on display as they vow, 'Whatever happens, it's goin' down tonight.' Thankfully, the dance party is meant for more than two as Nelly follows the flirting up by ordering 'Everybody to the floor!' on what could've easily been another radio hit for Mimi had it been selected as a single.
Is it possible to say Mariah has never sounded more in charge and sure of what she wants than on flirtatious fan favorite album cut 'Your Girl'? Layering her vocals on the deliciously retro chorus, the icon drives her point home with echoing ad-libs as she confidently declares, 'I'm gonna put those naughty thoughts into your mind/ I'm gonna show you clearly I can rock your world/ You're gonna know for sure that I should be your girl.'
The raucous applause that opens 'I Wish You Knew' is well-earned, as Carey turns out a gleaming vocal performance filled with yearning lyricism and the magic of a live backing band. Calling out to Lambs in the crowd for understanding ('I don't know if anybody else out there tonight knows what it feels like…'), the legend channels the old-school vibe of a live performance à la Diana Ross, before letting her whistle tone rip on the final, pleading chorus.
Brimming with doo-wop-style harmonies and plenty of shady couplets, this chilly kiss-off continued Mariah's hot streak on the charts, as she attempted to shake free of a boy toy who would appreciate her appropriately. (Later, she would release a remix of the single featuring a tag team of Jay-Z and Jeezy.) Famously, 'Shake It Off' peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100, held off by the unstoppable 14-week reign of 'We Belong Together' at No. 1. With the feat of blocking herself from the top spot, Carey made Billboard history as the first female artist to ever simultaneously occupy the top two positions on the chart.
With help from Jermaine Dupri and Fatman Scoop, Mariah sets forth the terms of the entire studio set to follow on 'It's Like That' with a single stanza: 'It's a special occasion/ Mimi's emancipation/ A cause for celebration.' Reveling in the limelight, the pop and R&B icon demonstrates a carefree ready to party on the album opener, which kicked off the entire rollout as Mimi's lead single, before 'We Belong Together' rocketed up the charts to become its defining hit. The song also gave the Lambily one of the LP's most reliably and effortlessly savage reads with the instantly iconic line, 'Them chickens is ash and I'm lotion.' Ahem: It's like that, y'all.
To Lambs everywhere, 'Fly Like a Bird' remains one of the most beloved and inspiring closing numbers in their queen's entire discography. The Songbird Supreme's voice takes to the sky on the slow-burning ballad, infusing the spiritual prayer with passion, grace and gospel-tinged melisma, before being joined by a choir for the final, triumphant chorus as she implores, 'I need you now, Lord/ Carry me high/ Don't let the world break me tonight/ I need the strength of you by my side/ Sometimes this life can be so cold/ I pray you'll come and carry me home.'
Just when The Emancipation of Mimi had seemingly reached the apex of its domination over pop culture, Carey dropped the platinum edition of the album at the tail end of 2005, anchored by the unforgettable 'Don't Forget About Us.' On the nostalgic slow jam, the superstar distracts herself from the heartbreak she's holding in by offering some pointed words of advice, reminding a former flame, 'I bet she can't do it like me/ She'll never be MC.' Extending the mind-blowing success story of Mimi, the bonus track earned Carey yet another No. 1 hit, closing out the year of her triumphant Emancipation on an incredible high note.
Two decades on, it's difficult to put into words just how integral 'We Belong Together' was to the soundtrack of 2005. With its cooing ad-libs, stream-of-consciousness verses and pitch-perfect references to Babyface and Bobby Womack, heartbreak never sounded quite so good and Mariah struck gold by laying her anguish bare on the R&B ballad. And yet, even amidst the melodic well-spring of emotion, she reminded listeners, 'This song ain't even half of what I'm feeling inside.' Generations of Lambs responded in kind, turning the heartbroken anthem into a No. 1 hit for 14 non-consecutive weeks — at the time, second only to the record set by Carey's own Boyz II Men duet 'One Sweet Day.'
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