Monday 15 December 2014

20 Best R&B albums of 2014

R&B in 2014 was rife with breathy, spellbinding debuts and breathless, gonzo reinventions, from the mesmerizing coos of FKA Twigs and Tinashe to the fearless travelogues of Mary J. Blige (who went to London) and Prince (who went to Mars). Old favorites (from Sharon Jones to Mariah) mingled with young-and-hungry old souls (from Jessie Ware to August Alsina); and the concept-album racket boomed anew, taking in everything from Kelis' Food to Babyface and Tony Braxton's Love, Marriage & Divorce. There's something for everyone here, young or old, not to mention young or old at heart.

18. Mariah Carey, "Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse"

No one sings like her, no one consistently clowns enemies like her, and most definitely no one titles an album like Mariah Carey. I Am Mariah isn't Carey's all-time best, but it improves significantly on its predecessor: 2008's plodding, tepid Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel.

Some credit goes to Jermaine Dupri, one of Carey's foundational collaborators and overseers, adept at transposing what Mariah does well - singing, nostalgia, rapper-collabs - onto a contemporary sonic scaffold. But most of the credit goes to Carey herself, forever good-humored, funny and relatable. So yes, "#Beautiful", a gorgeous, retro-soul duet with Miguel, is officially tracklisted with the hashtag in the song title.

And she's extra withering toward a try-hard lover - "Best thing that happened to your ass was me" - on "Thirsty," which opens with the sound of a cork popping and champagne glugging into a flute. Carey is 45 and still killing it in a world that revolves around youth.

(excerpt from Rolling Stone)



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