Review Summary: For unknown reasons, Mariah Carey's cult classic “Glitter” rockets to #1 position of iTunes chart few hours ago. We need to discuss about this unforgettable record.
My friend Jason really likes Glitter. A lot. He espouses Mariah Carey's greatness to one and all. He'll go on to explain how our local radio stations played "Never Too Far" (a final ballad from Glitter) and it was immediately overlooked by general public. So criminally overlooked, in fact, that Jason went out and bought five copies of an album one afternoon. Because it literally “saved his life”. Would but all Millennials share his zeal, the world would no doubt be a better place. And so, I dedicate this review to him.
By the time Glitter's first beat comes booming out of the speakers, it is clear that something is different. This is a trunk-rattling disco album. "Where did the synths go?" you ask incredulously. "Change makes me uncomfortable; I want Mariah's music not to stay the same!" If you were some sort of pyrrhonist, unappreciative of artistic growth, I can imagine that you would have said something along those lines. But it's the first rare time when Mariah was actually involved.
Synth-strings and beats abound on "Loverboy”, the first step to discoteque. Ms. Carey is begging you about being her secret boyfriend: “And his loving makes me high, like a taste of ecstasy”. Not a big surprise this song was an ultimate hit in 2001, peaked inside Top 3 of U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Anthemic bass lined chug-a-lug along track is a perfect opener of Glitter. "Who would've believed?" shriek the fearful faithful. Luckily for the piano-loving holdouts, "Lead the Way" comes next. This old-fashioned AC ballad first appeared on her 1997 album recording sessions, Butterfly, but was shelved for a future release. Though you might be enjoyed by Carey's high notes; the climax is still given the tender treatment it deserves. “Lead the Way” is still being discussed as Carey's one of the best-penned compositions. Ja Rule's collaboration "If We" is yet another victorious gem, replete with Donna Summer's soft flourishes.
Any of the first four songs would sound at home on mainstream radio. I know that probably sounds like a backhanded compliment, but it's meant as praise. These songs are brilliant examples of pop's potential, showcasing an uncanny intuition for melody. In fact, there are moments on Glitter when it almost feels as if someone dared her: "You and only you can do the freaky things you do.". Ms. Carey lays waste to such theories; whether or not it actually gets much airplay remains to be seen, but whatever the case, the potential is there and she has done her part.
“Reflections (Care Enough)” is Glitter's heartbreaking coda. It serves as a mirror to "Twister," bringing the album full circle. Where "Reflections" lamented the musician's inability to hold onto love due to internal creative processes, "Twister" shows how that same person is still susceptible to heartbreak after suicide of her love: “And I'll never have the chance to feel the closure that I untimately need”. Unexpected, absurdist symbology for a song about a hotel love affair. What's most amazing, throughout the course of her lyrical excursions, is the delivery — blending childlike innocence and wry, observationalist humor has always been a hallmark of her work.
"Never Too Far" features what might be the most daring arrangement on the album. Mind-bending whole-tone scales. Impressionist harmonies and textures. All interrupted by a violin interlude. Craziness. Crazier still is Carey's ability to abruptly smash disparate elements together and make the transition sound natural and unforced.
By the time the Glitter's last notes sound, it's clear that in fact, despite what detractors would have you believe, nothing has really changed at all. If naysayers can't get past the sheen of spiced-up production, it's their loss. Mariah Carey is still a singular voice and music icon, no matter the negative press instrumentation surrounding her. Whichever way you look at it, as avant-pop or disco soul, Glitter remains an intoxicating, intriguing, accessible cult classic album that “saved lives”. And we respect it.
