The arrival of E=MC2 in 2008 indicated that Mariah Carey's reign as the queen of pop, and her status as one of the most popular and best-selling artists of all time, wasn't likely to end soon. The follow-up to the 2005 multi-platinum, chart-topping, Grammy-sweeping THE EMANCIPATION OF MIMI, E=MC2 reveals no slackening of focus or ambition, thanks in part to an all-star line-up of production help that includes The Dream, C. "Tricky" Stewart, Jermaine Dupri, will.i.am, Stargate, DJ Troomp, and Antonio "LA" Reid (who co-produced the album with Carey).

As usual, Carey's concentration isn't on club-oriented dance tracks but on smooth, mid-tempo R&B that pulses with sexy glamour. The lead-off single, "Touch My Body," is a case in point, a breathy invocation that induces both romantic feelings and swaying hips, and is classic Carey. Other album highlights include opener "Migrate," a moody, slinky jam; the disco-flavored "I'm That Chick"; and the ballads "I Stay in Love" and "Love Story." Nothing here is a radical departure, but Carey just seems to get better at what she does best: making sexy, listenable, flawlessly crafted R&B.

Entertainment Weekly (p.63) - "Carey remains a romantic at heart. With the ballads 'Love Story' and 'Last Kiss,' she reunites with Dupri to recapture the passionate splendor of 2005's 'We Belong Together.'" -- Grade: A-

Blender (Magazine) (p.75) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[This is] Carey's most-fun album, and her best. Not coincidentally, it's also her most propulsive, with strong contributions from A-list producers including Jermaine Dupri, SwizzBeatz, Stargate and Tricky Stewart."