Mariah still a charmer
Say what you will about Mariah Carey, but no one can deny that she's a master at wowing her devoted fans. The songstress performed for more than two hours Tuesday night at the United Center to promote her most recent album, "Charmbracelet".
The concert drew teen girls and their moms, single young men, couples and groups of girlfriends - all of whom shared wild screams with Carey's every wave and high note. Three dancers dressed like circus performers kicked off the show as the singer, flanked by bodyguards, snuck in through the back of the arena. She opened a 16-song set with her dance tune "Heartbreaker".
Carey sported a pink, rhinestone-encrusted microdress, which rivaled Shania Twain's flashy outfit from this year's Super Bowl halftime show. The show also borrowed from other superstar peers. Carey's eight costume changes and French circus motif gave a nod to Cher's recent concerts. And later, Carey sat suspended above the stage on white drapery that resembled a scene from Jennifer Lopez's 2001 televised concert from Puerto Rico.
Still, the night was all about Mariah and her mighty voice. She shunned the breathy vocals that are a trademark on recent albums, instead belting out powerful notes. Carey performed new material like "Through the Rain" and the sexy "Subtle Invitation", while still offering familiar hits like "Honey" and ballads like "Hero".
This tour is the first since Carey's split with Virgin records. The label paid her $28 million to leave after her 2001 album "Glitter" and its accompanying movie bombed. It is also Carey's first tour since her well-publicized breakdown that same year.
Carey's Web site touts the tour as a series of "intimate" concerts (the United Center was fashioned in a theater set-up, albeit a large one). Still, it allowed Carey and her loyal admirers to feed off each other. Some of the pop world may remain skeptical that Carey still has a Midas touch. But the singer charmed her way through Chicago as the ringmaster in her delightful circus. (Daily Herald)
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