20 years later, ‘The Emancipation of Mimi’ might not be Mariah Carey’s best album, and I said what I said

Be honest, you knew where you were the first time you heard “We Belong Together” in 2005. The powerhouse ballad came at a time and season when many had sought to write off The Songbird Supreme. But like the diva she is, Mariah Carey belted her way back to the top of the charts with album number 10, The Emancipation of Mimi.

Let’s face it: Mariah Carey’s career is what fairytales are made of. And The Emancipation of Mimi recently enjoyed some more of the spotlight following Mariah’s spellbinding performance at the American Music Awards. But these days, it doesn’t take a detective to scour social media in search of comments tagging Emancipation “Mariah’s best album.” And as a lamb, it’s quite infuriating. Don’t get me wrong, The Emancipation of Mimi is some of Mariah’s best work, and “We Belong Together” will forever stay atop the charts of my heart. But I need the rest of the world to catch up, especially since Mariah Carey’s catalogue is so vast and enchanting. There’s so much more Mariah to go round- and yes, even at Christmas too!

The Queen of emancipations

Many years before The Emancipation of Mimi came out, Mariah Carey had already been emancipated multiple times. She was initially emancipated from her family to become the icon she is, and again in the mid-90s, breaking free from the shackles of her marriage to former Sony CEO Tommy Mottola. A decade later, and another emancipation would occur; this time, Mariah rose above the naysayers, who thought her success had ended with the ‘90s. As if anyone could keep The Elusive Chanteuse down?

After “We Belong Together” melted hearts around the globe, Mariah enjoyed some much-deserved time on top once again. But with the EDM craze of the 2010s, R&B suffered as a result. Regardless, she stayed fresh without compromising her sound. 2018 saw the release of Caution, arguably Mariah’s most cohesive, glamorous album in her discography. It’s such a shame that much of the world is yet to catch up with the simultaneously futuristic and nostalgic approach to dreamy R&B. In summary, everytime I hear of “Mariah Carey’s best album,” I shudder, simply because I know that there’s a whole repertoire of amazing music from her that should rival The Emancipation of Mimi.

So what’s Mariah Carey’s best album of all time?

Of all time? Come on, that’s like asking “what’s the prettiest color in the rainbow?” For many Mariah Carey fans, it’s hard to beat the trio of classic albums: Daydream, Butterfly, and The Emancipation of Mimi. But it’s almost always going to be a debate. Personally, I believe Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel deserves to be a part of the discussion, and Caution definitely needs to throw its hat in the ring too. Both projects are melodic R&B at its finest, but have been greatly overlooked in favor of the hits that blew up on the radio. Any casual fan owes it to themselves to venture far into Mariah Carey’s discography. There’s a whole world of B-cuts that deserve your appreciation. And the best part is that she wrote the bulk of her albums. 

But until then, you better believe I’ll still keep belting out “We Belong Together” at the top of my lungs. After all there’s a reason it spent 14 weeks at number one, and became Billboard’s song of the 2010s decade. One thing’s for certain: Mariah Carey sure knows how to write a hit!