Diva battle '08: Mariah and Madonna square off
Wouldn't it be great if the world's biggest divas - Janet Jackson, Madonna, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston - released their latest albums around the same time? Well, if that question has been swirling around in your head like it has mine, you're in luck in 2008: All four of the above-mentioned singers will be taking another run at the charts in the next few months.
Here's a look at how the divas fared the last time they released an album, their plan of attack this time around and how well I think the resulting efforts will sell in the end. Diva in question: Mariah Carey How she fared last time: Mariah's The Emancipation of Mimi was the best-selling album of 2005, at least in the U.S., moving more than 6 million copies in her homeland (and another than 7 million worldwide). Single "We Belong Together" topped the U.S. singles chart for 14 weeks, while the success of subsequent single, "Don't Forget About Us", allowed her to tie Elvis' record of number one singles by a solo artist (both have had 17). What she's trying this time around: Mariah may not seem like a member of Mensa, but she's no dummy either - at least as far as her career is concerned (2001's Glitter notwithstanding). Rolling Stone recently reported that for her next album, rumored to be called Soul Sound Odyssey and due out in March or April, Mariah's sticking close to the "club-ready" sound that served as the backbone of Mimi, thanks to the help of beatmasters Jermaine Dupri, Bryan Michael Cox (co-writer of Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You") and Will.i.am. Will her album be a "damn!" or a dud? If she whips out a "We Belong Together, Part 2", and you know she will, she'll have a massive hit on her hands, especially in the U.S. The only thing holding her back: her obsession with butterflies, her strange method of coming up with album and song titles (the supposed lead single for Soul Sound Odyssey is called "Migrate") and the mouth-watering possibility of another post-Glitter-style breakdown. My best guess as to which diva will come out on top and who will end up at the bottom of the dust bin: Mariah will be the "winner" (at least in the U.S.), followed by Madonna (who will be the biggest seller internationally), then Janet and Whitney. It doesn't really matter, though, since I'm sure I'll be buying all four sure-to-be-interesting albums anyway! (excerpt from GayWired)
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