| Saturday 15 September 2001 |
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All That Glitters?
Mariah Carey may be playing a fledgling singer in her upcoming movie, "Glitter", but in real life, the trophy case of this apple-cheeked artist is already groaning with the weight of numerous awards, including two Grammys! That's because the 31-year-old singer, songwriter and now, film star has always subscribed to the phrase, "go big or stay home". After signing one of the largest recording contracts in history, filming two upcoming movies including her hyped-up flick "Glitter" and recording its accompanying soundtrack, Mariah did indeed "go big". Unfortunately, however, she would also succumb to the pressures of her chaotic schedule and be forced to "stay home", so to speak. Nevertheless, despite several delays related to her "emotional setback", the Glitter project is set to go on as planned, with Mariah still on the mend.
On September 11, Virgin Records will release the soundtrack to her long-awaited flick, "Glitter", set to hit theaters on September 21. And as movie companion CDs go, the collection deals with the film's theme of love and aspirations, set in the backdrop of New York's 1982 dance club scene. Within the Glitter soundtrack, Mariah gets jiggy with a mix of sounds from the "totally tubular" big hair era, sporting everything from "fresh" R&B ballads to "ultra fly" dance-hit remakes. "I came up with the original idea for Glitter because I grew up when there were movies like Fame, Flashdance, Grease and Purple Rain," says Mariah. "These films incorporated music in a way that hadn't been done in a while so I got the idea and started to write songs immediately." And much like her 1999 album Rainbow, the collection finds yet another A-list hip-hop posse.
Released in July as the soundtrack's first single, "Loverboy" rolls with samples from Cameo's 1987 hit, "Candy", as members of the "Word Up" clan also make an, er, "cameo" appearance. Kicking off the collection, however, the pop single goes urban via a remixed version of the cut featuring Da Brat (who co-stars in the film) and Ludacris along with newcomers Twenty II and Shawnna. The remixed account of a night with her sugar daddy adds a little extra energy and sass to the otherwise low key original. And it wouldn't be a Mariah especiale without a few shimmering ballads in the mix. Adopted as the movie's gushing love theme, "Lead The Way" is yet another roll in the hay of love, and showcases the artist's signature glass-shattering vocals. But Mariah is all breath on the seductive jewelry box cut, "If We". Mariah snags Ja Rule from the clutches of J.Lo's recent hit single for help on this rolling slow jam which also finds Nate Dogg in the house.
Though the collection's ballads are ghosts of Mariah-past, the piano-driven "Reflections" and the orchestrated cut "Never Too Far" were particularly penned through the eyes of her on-screen character, Billie, an often-troubled girl struggling with issues of abandonment as well as a relationship with a dude named Dice. In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Mariah wouldn't divulge just how the on-screen affair pans out but several soundtrack cuts indicate that the road is often rocky. On the reworked 1984 Cherelle tune, "Didn't Mean To Turn You On", (also made famous by Robert Palmer), Mariah wins the heartbreaker award as the lyrics "You don't stand a chance/ All I want to do is dance with you" hits the ears of an unfortunate recipient.
Carrying on Billie's obvious need to boogie comes another remade classic, "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life", a 1980s disco ditty made famous in the dance halls of the Big Apple. "(The track) fits perfectly because Billie falls in love with the main character who is a DJ, and most DJ's love that record anyway," says Mariah. Like DJ Clue, for example? He tows the cut into the new millennium aided by Busta Rhymes and Fabolous. And, "watch yourself!" rap artist Mystikal reincarnates Godfather James Brown in the "yippee yo, yippee yay" grooves of "Don't Stop", a tune co-penned by DJ Clue based on Tom Browne's period hit, "Funkin' 4 Jamaica". Yet the collection's glittering guest list doesn't stop there. Mariah also called in the "supa freaky" Rick James who penned the cut, "All My Life". "...When I told (Rick) I wanted to do something in the vein of All Night Long, he gave me this great track which sounds like it's from 1982," says the artist. Among its squishy phat bass line, Mariah promises to show a lucky suitor a few of her "sly and sexy tricks", guided by the words of the legendary lady's man, himself.
As for Mariah, her personal love ladder finds a two-year relationship with Latin pop sensation, Luis Miguel, although her only agenda at the moment is her personal well-being. "Right now I'm in a zone where it's like, I'm with myself," she reveals in the September issue of Allure magazine. "They say, don't make any life decisions at certain points in your life, and at this time it's about movies, videos, songs, albums, interviews, work, focus. I couldn't even exist within a relationship." Though Mariah may be feeling a bit overwhelmed as of late, the likely success of the Glitter project may be one of the best "get well" wishes she'll receive - and will likely find the artist back in the saddle and back on top of her game. (Entertainment Tonight)
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