Mariah Carey has finally gotten back to what made her one of the most adored female artists of the past decade. Singing gorgous powerful ballads that showcase her miraculous voice. Also thrown in a bunch of fun uptempo funky tracks that show Mariah can be just as playful. Most noteably are the 2 remakes Last Night a DJ Saved My Life and Didn't Mean To Turn You On. The production is wonderful and Mariah sounds as if she's having a ball. But of course the standout tracks are the ballads. Lead The Way, Reflections(Care Enough), and Never Too Far are right up there with some of my Mariahs best ballads, and vocally she has never sounded better. Starting off very soft and building to a powerful climax with Mariah belting out one of her signature high notes, each song will leave you in awe of this incredible talent. The reason for the 4 stars is that the album focuses too much on her "guest artist". As I much as I respect artists such as Mystikal, Ja Rule, and Da Brat, I would much rather have only Mariah on these songs. The other artists are only a distractment to the album. But this is still a wonderful album that will continue to prove Mariah as the Diva of the Decade. Mariah-my prayers are with you in your time of need. Get Well Soon...your fans miss you!

On September 11, 2001, a very strange feeling was with me when I purchased GLITTER. I couldn't help but feel completely guilty about my excitement of getting the new Mariah Carey record when so many people had died brutally just hours before. I'm guessing this album will always somewhat remind me of the tragedy. As I opened the CD booklet, I saw something that was very ironic and a little creepy: Mariah is wearing a "I LOVE NY" shirt.

Anyway, GLITTER is Mariah's tenth round for the record-buying public, and it seems she's basically playing the same cards she's been playing since 1997. A little rap, some fun pop, various R&B, and a whole lotta soul. On "Loverboy," she cuts it up with a cameo from Cameo and ends up with one of my favorite Carey songs. (Which kind of scares me since so many people despise this track.) In this fashion, she finds herself rummaging through songs like "Didn't Mean To Turn You On" (killer beginning) and "Want You." Her signature ballads are here, but they seem to have a relaxed diva structure to them. And...what's this? Do I hear songs that don't require a lyric sheet for me to follow while listening? Wow, Mariah stops whispering and actually punctuates in a way that a listener can...understand. "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" is without a doubt one of my favorites, especially the lines: "There's not a problem that I can't fix/Cause I can do it in the mix/And if your man gives you trouble/Just you move out on the double/And you don't let it trouble your brain." Highlights also include the savvy "Reflections (Care Enough)" and "Never Too Far." Although "If We" doesn't bother me per say, I agree with the reviewer who asked who the "featured" artist really is. Come on, Mariah, don't joke with us. On "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)," Mariah lets a chorus out that's so irresistible, I find myself humming it all day: "Don't stop, baby/It's ecstasy/Turn me up a little higher/Baby, I'm on fire/Tell me every little thing you wanna do/Baby, I'm into you."

Altogether, this record is fun, sexy, and...kind of glittery. Call me crazy, but I don't think "Loverboy" sounds like "Heartbreaker," "Sweetheart," "Honey," "Fantasy," or "Dreamlover" as many reviewers have claimed. In fact, I don't think any of them, minus the blaring similarity between "Heartbreaker" and "Fantasy," sound alike. For those Mariah fans who miss her early 90's era............why? In my opinion, she didn't have much personality, plenty of her songs were a bore, and she never really looked that great. Don't get me wrong, I've loved her since 1990, but she's just so much more fun now. Frankly, rap doesn't frighten me as it seems to frighten so many Mariah fans. GLITTER is a wonderful statement, a provocative vehicle, and most likely another hit for Mariah Carey. So, if you feel like hearing a record with a lot of style and outstanding vocals, buy GLITTER. And please, if you hate Mariah Carey...don't buy GLITTER and bash it on this board. You obviously won't like her album either.

Mariah. Try saying her name and see what kinds of reactions you get. The common reaction is that of disapproval.

People are quick to point out what they don't like about her.

"Oh, she turned into a slut" or "She is so fake." The remarks vary from her fashion sense to her personal life. But the last thing people talk about is her talent.

Mariah did evolve from the girl-next-door into a blonde bombshell. Yes, she also happened to be married to music Svengali Tommy Mottola and then went on to date New York Yankee Derek Jeter and then Latin heartthrob Luis Miguel. And she has been scantily clad in most of her recent videos. But does that determine the credibility of the music or the artist?

Regardless of how people try to describe her, one thing is undeniable. She is has satisfied millions with her work - and that is all that matters.

We all know the Cinderella-like story. Little mixed-race New Yorker with a huge voice attends a party as Brenda K. Starr's back-up singer and meets Sony CEO Tommy Mottola and hands him a demo tape. Mottola then looks all over for her and offers her an album deal with Columbia Records.

From there Mariah grew into an icon of our times, breaking all imaginable sales records by Elvis, The Beatles and Michael Jackson. Furthermore, Mariah has 16 No. 1 songs and it is clear that she is not stopping.

Becoming the best selling female artist of the '90s was not easy.

During the mid '90s when pop was not as hip as today, Mariah was one of the only beacons to keep the pop flame alive, along with the likes of Janet Jackson and Toni Braxton.

Her album "Music Box" was bashed by critics but went on to become one of the best selling albums of all time with hits such as "Dreamlover," "Hero" and "Anytime You Need A Friend." The girl must be doing something right.

Her "Merry Christmas" album broke records and her compilation of No. 1 hits titled "#1's" - she got the idea before The Beatles' collection came out - proved that fans keep asking for more.

Both "Butterfly" and "Rainbow" are landmarks in Mariah's history. They were portrayals of Mariah's unrestricted talent, however, her former record label was less then happy with her artistic endeavors.

Fast forward to 2001. Mariah is now under Virgin records and is working on two movies: her feature "Glitter" and "Wise Girls" with Mira Sorvino. She is also releasing an all-Mariah soundtrack for "Glitter" and having to deal with heartache because of the end of her long-term relationship with Miguel.

The combination of stress and emotional anguish catapulted Mariah into mental exhaustion - twice. Moreover, the media is poking fun at her hospitalization. Whoever said being a diva is easy?

The good news is her latest collection of songs is, as always, remarkable.

The summer hit "Loverboy" serves as a poppy opener and also closes with a version guesting Cameo, whose hit "Candy" is sampled in the track.

"Glitter" emanates a heavy '80s sound to comply to the era that the movie takes place in. The '80s theme is captured in its rawest and most honest with post-disco beats and low production that will remind you of Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" days.

Mariah covers two '80s dancefloor fillers: "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" featuring Busta Rhymes, Fabolous and DJ Clue, and the sultry "Didn't Mean To Turn You On."

However, the covers are not the only tracks that remain loyal to the sound of the '80s. "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" features the loud Mystikal screaming for no apparent reason, but Mariah's octave range remedies his useless ramblings.

Another tune, "All My Life," is authentically crafted to sound like something you'd hear in the days of the Rubik's cube, which then dissolves into the warm "Reflections (Care Enough)."

"Glitter" is reminiscent of a lighter version of Prince's "Purple Rain."

Although the album consists of many stompy numbers, Mariah satisfies her fans by providing some of her signature ballads. "Lead The Way" and her latest release, "Never Too Far," are both high-drama multi-octave contemporary glossy ballads, while "Twister" continues the Mariah tradition of confessionally beautiful slow numbers at the lower end of the tracklisting.

The only downfall to "Glitter" is its overwhelming entourage of rappers who have nothing to say yet keep caterwauling. However, in a Mariah fashion, this album is a definite grower. Moreover, it has enough made-for-radio songs to keep you humming until the next summer.

Leave it to Mariah to release an album that attracts attention, starts the party and then sets the mood for after hours.

This album was released on Sept.11....HELLO! It was pretty much doomed because of that...but truthfully it is a great album....I don't really care for the Loverboy song but the rest of the album is fun and 80's inspired because of the movie. It can't be compared to Mariah's other albums because this is a movie soundtrack, but it is a must have for the true Mariah fan!

It's odd, you take a voice that could sing the phonebook and make a hit out of it, combine that with a career of writing and producing all of your hits and you would think the word "respected" would be a word that follows your name in every print. But alas, we rarely, if never read the respected Mariah Carey releases a soundtrack album that is simply beautiful.

"Glitter" is the accompanying soundtrack to the movie with same name opening Sept. 21. The movie is set in the 80s so naturally the album is set in the 80s. Carey, a child of the 80s, is no fool here. She embarked on Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the basic soundmakers of that era, to co-executive produce this album and suprisingly the sound is replicated, if not mirrored exactly to that time.

Like every Carey album of late, the opening song is a simple tune with multi-layered vocals drafted over a sample. Carey's song this time is "Loverboy" and the sample is Cameo's "Candy." Is the track a landmark in Carey's progression as an artist? No. Is it a good song? I would say it is. Carey's vocals are coy and sly and Cameo's cameo is welcomed, as is Ludacrous and Da Brat's rap vocals in the remix also featured on the album. The song does lack a certain edge we expect from Carey's lead off single, but it is the only misstep from the album.

"Lead the Way" a ballad that is sure to bring back memories of the young, thin girl we saw singing "Vision of Love" live @ the Grammys. She simply sparkles in the song, building up to a marvelous climax that leads the song to become a classic.

From here on "Glitter" becomes a tapestry of both Carey's strong vocals and the sounds of the 80s. "If We" featuring Ja Rule and Nate Dogg is a wonderful mid-tempo song that blends Ja and Mariah's vocals so well that makes the current Ja Rule/Jennifer Lopez duet seems amateurish.

"Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" is a great remake of the classic Indeep song, as is "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On", but it is "Want You" that stands out as a genuine "new" 80 classic. Carey's and Eric Benet vocals are so identical that Benet could be labeled the male Mariah.

Will Mariah ever be respected? Well, she is. Her fans adore her and will always adore her. She is, in their eyes, the queen of Rhythm Pop and they are her lambs. Will she ever get the respect she deserves from the media? One would hope so. And for this review we'll pretend she already has it.