UK singles chart commentary
So how do you begin to pick your way through the current state of Mariah Carey's career? For so long the golden girl of the American music industry with a strike rate of US chart-topping hits that for many years after her 1990 debut was almost 100% she signed a new record deal with EMI records in 2001 and released an album Glitter that was the soundtrack to her acting debut, a film with the same title. Both bombed worldwide and received a level of critical vitriol that took the breath of even the most jaded of observers away. Faced with an artist on a hugely expensive contract who appeared to have lost the plot career wise, the record company swiftly paid her off and told her never to darken their door again. Michael Jackson take note.
However you cannot keep a good superstar down and after some time away to lick her wounds, Mariah is back. Back with a new record deal, new producers in the shape of noted miracle workers Jam and Lewis and a brand new single with a title that reflects the struggle she has had to go through to reach this stage. The good news is that everyone appears happy to see her back and Through The Rain makes a triumphant Top 10 debut a full eleven months after her last single Never Too Far crashed out at an embarassing Number 32 to become her smallest single for a decade.
This week however she can rejoice in her first UK Top 10 hit since she topped the charts in conjunction with Westlife on the cover of Phil Collins' Against All Odds back in September 2000. Interestingly enough her last few Top 10 hits have all been in collaboration with other acts, as well as Westlife there was Joe (Thank God I Found You), Jay-Z (Heartbreaker) and Whitney Houston (When You Believe). Her last completely solo Top 10 hit was back in June 1998 when My All reached Number 4. (DotMusic) Many thanks to MariahDownunder.com.
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