Mariah Carey

Here for It All (released September 26, 2025)

I have a love/hate relationship with the modern legacy of Mariah Carey.

On one hand, I love that she’s one of R&B’s most enduring legacy acts, an artist who continues to be renowned in an era when so many of her peers are unjustly overlooked. Mariah’s name, rightfully, still carries weight. No pun intended.

On the other hand, I’m a little annoyed that that legacy has transformed her into a holiday meme – the trinket that’s buried the basement with the plastic reindeer and dusty fake tree until it’s time to unleash “All I Want For Christmas Is You” on our souls for three months.

THREE. AGONIZING. MONTHS.

At least play “Miss You Most” and give us something new! We are TIRED.

Now, I’m sure Mariah isn’t complaining – I bet those Christmas checks clear nicely – but you and I know she’s much, much more than Mrs. Claus. She’s one of the last R&B stalwarts still standing.

Here For It All, her 16th studio album, goes beyond the annual yuletide cheer to remind us just how deep her R&B bag is. The torch songs, the gospel influence, the hip-hop inspiration that made her a musical icon – it’s all here and more.

… Even though some of these ornaments feel like they’ve been regifted.

I promise I’m done with the mistletoe metaphors.

Honestly, I wasn’t too moved by the project’s initial singles, and my opinions haven’t changed much. On paper “Type Dangerous” should be an easy win. Mariah over vintage hip-hop is almost always a treat, and this flip of “Eric B. for President” should have been a layup. But something is off – maybe it’s the way she’s rap/talking through her verses or perhaps it’s the relative low energy on the track. Regardless, it’s missing a spark to make it connect. “Sugar Sweet” isn’t much better – Mariah rides the mellow groove fairly well with Kehlani and Shenseea, but the overall experience is lethargic.

Thankfully “Mi” captures the energy the singles lacked. MC stand for mighty cocky as she toasts herself while marching to her throne. The warbling production hits hard, so Mariah returns in kind with bombastic bars:

Don’t get it confused
‘Cause it ain’t about you
I’m the movie and the muse
And you couldn’t walk a mile in my shoes (‘Cause they hurt like hell)

Yeah, we know, Mariah, we’ve seen your heels.

If you’re asking me – and you did, that’s why you’re here – “Play This Song” with Anderson Paak should have been slam-dunk choice for lead single. Mariah’s duets never miss (ask Joe, Luther Vandross or Miguel, for instance) and she finds instant chemistry with Paak over elegant production. The pair spend the track trading darts, reveling in the fact that the other misses them (when, in fact, they’re probably both missing each other). It’s a fun concept, especially when Paak yells about her missing the “steaks and skrimps” he used to buy while she’s now stuck in the drive-in. Petty R&B is my favorite subgenre.

Halfway through, Mariah transitions into her Ballad Era, with mixed results. “In Your Feelings” is a traditional torch song that feels like a lesser version of album cuts from a bygone time. “Nothing Is Impossible” is one of those trademark uplifting Mimi records but lacks the noteworthiness of past hits like “Hero.”

Things work much better when MC deviates from the norm. “I Won’t Allow It” takes the themes of empowerment those more sleepy tracks showcase and injects it with disco-era energy. It’s a fun jolt of adrenaline to liven up the last half of the album. Surprisingly, the Holy Ghost party continues on “Jesus I Do,” with the Clark Sisters. What I expected to be a traditional gospel hymn winds up as a Sly and the Family Stone style romp that reaffirms MC’s faith while also keeping the crowd moving.

As you can tell, Here For It All is a mixed bag. Several songs feel like copy/paste versions of superior hits marred by low-energy performances. Others effectively tweak MC’s tried-and-true formula in inventive ways, and that’s when things shine. She just struggles to maintain that momentum consistently. However, the song that best tells the story of Modern Day Mariah is the title track, a ballad that harkens back to her 90s glory days as she narrates the ups and downs of life – ending it all with a praise break outro that effectively ties everything together. Times may not always be as good as you remember them, but she’s still here to celebrate the now.

I’ll take that gift before we warm up the usual Christmas leftovers.

Best tracks: “Play This Song,” “Jesus I Do,” “Here For It All”

3.5 stars out of 5