I'm not sure if someone has reviewed this album yet, but here goes anyway:

(A) The Emancipation of Mimi, Mariah Carey (2005) B+

So this album was released the same day as garbage's Bleed Like Me (April 12), which made for a nice post-bday gift for me :) anyways, a few months ago, two tracks were leaked on the internet: "Say Somethin' (feat. Snoop Dogg)" and "To The Floor (feat. Nelly)" (called "Tonight" back then), both produced by the Neptunes. I enjoyed these tracks very much, and couldn't wait for the album. Then there were the first two singles: "It's Like That" and "We Belong Together", both produced by Jermaine Dupri. Four awesome tracks from an album, thats unheard of nowadays! The other tracks on the album are also great, they have a nice old-school R&B feel to them. All the hype surrounding this album is well-deserved, Mariah has returned to proper usage of what her voice can do. Instead of her sultry sugary whispering that she had resorted to, she actually sangs on this one. This album is better than Charmbracelet but not as good as her best, Butterfly. Other notable tracks include "Shake It Off", "Your Girl", and "I Wish You Knew" (which seems like it was recorded before a live audience, giving it that "Woman To Woman" feel).