Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon -- that's lovin' you short time, so far. "Lovin' You Long Time" well, that's another story (and Mariah's latest single). But how is she using the line? And why are so many other multi-culti female singers using a phrase that some consider to be a racial and/or sexist slur? Can the meaning change over time, depending on who is using it and why? "That phrase is so loaded," said performance artist Allison Roh Park. "People don't understand the history behind that."

"Me love you long time" -- how the phrase is typically quoted -- came into prominence with Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket," as a Vietnamese prostitute tries to pick up Matthew Modine's character with broken English. The phrase was then popularly picked up by 2 Live Crew in the song "Me So Horny." "From that point on, it became a hook," says Ryan Suda, who runs clothing company Black Lava.

"It's so many different kinds of slurs in one," said comedian Margaret Cho. "It's instantly putting you in the position of being a foreigner, an outsider and a sexual stereotype. It's an all-in-one combo."

"Asian women get exotified and hyper-sexualized to the point where it really affects our day-to-day life," Park said. "A lot of times when people use phrases like that, they neglect the background," Suda said. "Like sex trafficking. So if a guy goes up to someone in a bar, and he's using that phrase, and he's imaging that scene for some reason, I'm sure they mean it as a fun thing. I don't think they mean it to be malicious. They know she's not a prostitute. But it's attached to that. It's a lot more than a simple phrase."

But even musicians who lifted the phrase from 2 Live Crew didn't always know they got it from a depiction of a prostitute's pickup line and sometimes wrongly assumed the rappers had coined the phrase all on their own -- and were therefore ignorant of the connotations. "I first heard it in the 2 Live Crew song," said Fergie, who used the phrase in her song "London Bridge." "And then I was watching 'Full Metal Jacket,' and I'm going, 'Ohhhhhh! That's where 2 Live Crew got it. OK.' But back in the day, everybody would be saying that."

And they still do -- you hear it in jokes on "Family Guy" and "40-Year-Old Virgin" -- but the context keeps changing.

"'Love you long time' comes out of a fairly stereotypical situation, and it's recycled itself back into the culture," said playwright David Henry Hwang. "Now it's being used as an empowerment phrase, like to deny it -- 'I won't love you long time' -- or women who take the phrase and use it to assert themselves." That's what Nelly Furtado was aiming to do when she put the phrase in her song "Maneater."

"That's such a weird song," she said. "It came from this cool, dark, powerful place which all women possess. I guess I just took that and ran with it, because that phrase just came to mind. 'Love you long time' -- it just seemed powerful for a woman to possess that much energy. All she has to say is four little words and she's got everybody eating out of the palm of her hand."

Mariah Carey didn't just refer to the oft-quoted line -- she built a whole song around it. But she corrects the grammar, so the connotation changes. "Female artists like to play with words," Furtado said. "Missy Elliott did that quite well with 'bitch.' She started saying, 'She's a bitch, I'm a bitch.' And she owned the word. Women should be grateful to her for that. She's a modern-day feminist." "It's just one of those sayings that's kind of pushed its way into our slang and our vocabulary," Fergie said. "I think it's just part of pop culture now."

There's a clothing line in London called "Love You Long Time" (fashion designer Katy Horwood counts Vanessa Carlton as one of her clients), but to counteract any possible negative interpretation of the use of the phrase in fashion, Suda's Black Lava clothing line sells a shirt that reads "I Will Not Love You Long Time."

"It's definitely one of the more popular shirts, by far," Suda said. "People, when they see it, they just laugh, like, 'Oh my god, I get this all the time! Guys come up to me in bars and they always say this line to me.'" "I was walking down the street and this guy yells from his car, 'Love you long time, me love you long time,' " Cho related. "And I was so horrified. Of course he's talking to me, to the Asian woman walking down the street. And he left.

"I don't mind it when it's used in songs, like when women use it," Cho continued. "Fergie uses it, that doesn't bother me. But when it's shouted in the street and they don't wait to hear the response? What if I was actually going to go, 'Oh, OK'? They never stick around to hear the answer."
(Source: MTV)

Taken from Westlife's autobiography, Our Story, released on June 16, 2008. Mark Feehily tells his story of meeting Mariah for the first time. "A few weeks later we were in a hotel in South East Asia on a promotional trip, when the door to my room burst open and the rest of the band tumbled in, laughing, shouting, waving and saying, 'Mark! Mark! We're going to do a song with Mariah Carey!' I think they were almost as excited for me as I was myself, which was really nice. They knew how much it meant to me. I don't know how to describe the excitement at hearing that news. It was unreal.

We all knew how much Mark had wanted to meet Mariah properly, says Nicky. We knew he had met her previously, albeit briefly. So when we heard about the song with her, we were bursting to tell him. Kian took the call from Louis and I have to admit my exact words when he told me were 'F*** off, no way!' It was to be 'Against All Odds', the Phil Collins track, and it would eventually give us our sixth numer 1 in 17 months. What's more, we were pencilled in to record the single and video with Mariah in Capri, an island just off Italy. We had a tiny window of 48 hours to record the single, shoot the video and get it all done.

Kian lost his passport. I felt really sorry for him, because he ended up shooting his parts of the video on his own. Mariah had shot hers on her own, mind you, then we had gone and done our clips, but because Kian wasn't there, they'd filmed shots of us separately and then spliced it all in later. There were shots of a car with 'Kian' in it, but they were from a distance and cleverly done to hide the fact he wasn't actually there yet and was still desperately trying to get his passport sorted.

We were to have dinner with Mariah in a beautiful Italian restaurant in the most amazing location and we all got there nice and early. The sense of anticipation among the lads was huge. Then suddenly, there she was, like the Queen Bee, gliding in wearing a flowing chiffon outfit. I don't even think her feet were touching the floor, she was gliding that much. It was a real spectacle and obviously everyone in the restaurant was staring at her. She just had that presence. She was probably giving it some for effect, but she definitely had a colossal X factor.

We all sat don and I was trying to eat my pasta but it was just too weird, sitting round a table eating dinner with Mariah Carey. Every now and then I'd relax and chat to one of the lads, then I'd turn my head and think, Holy s***! That's Mariah Carey! She was surrounded by 'her people,' but actually they kept a distance and let us chat happily with her. I have to say, once we'd got over our nerves, she was an absolute pleasure to talk to. She wasn't at all like the demanding diva you read about in the tabloids.

We shared a beer and had a bit of craic and I even remember, for some reason, that the food was sensational. It was very hard to really be yourself, though. I kept trying to open up and even tell a few jokes, but in the end, I thought, The less said, the better. You don't want to ruin the night. You don't want Mariah Carey to think you're a knob. We hadn't recorded the song at this point, so I think we were all on tenterhooks in case she came away from that meal and said she didn't want to work with us. But that didn't happen, she said she loved our company and I thought she made a huge effort.

Obviously, the best part for me, recounts Mark, was singing with Mariah in the studio. I kept thinking back to when I was a kid listening to 'Hero' and all those other great vocals, then pinching myself because I couldn't believe that I was in a studio in Capri with her in person. What's more, she was basically producing us. She had her engineers and all that, but she was sitting behind the desk using the faders and the talk back, telling us to do another take and giving me guidance on a few points. It was incredible.

And, of course, hearing that voice in person so close was a dream come true."
(Source: Dennis | Mariah Daily Journal)

Introducing the exquisite new Mariah Carey's Luscious Pink visual. The embodiment of femininity and delicate sensuality, the debut advertising visual is an intimate portrait of Mariah bathed in a halo of luminous beauty. Through Luscious Pink, Mariah gives a more intimate look into her world and her artistry, revealing her sparkling personality and undeniable sensuality.

With her beautiful voice, Mariah Carey has created music conveying such depth of emotion that it has captivated millions of people around the globe. The new fragrance Luscious Pink captures Mariah's transcendent vocals, ethereal beauty and feminine aura.

The fragrance is a harmony of sparkling Bellini, velvety pink peony and warm sun-kissed woods, Mariah's new fragrance is a luscious blend of notes as enveloping as her voice.

Mariah Carey's Luscious Pink, the glowing new fragrance, is the next chapter in the Mariah Carey fragrance collection.
(Source: MariahCarey.com)

Yesterday afternoon, while John Norris was interviewing Mariah Carey in the greenroom after "TRL," I was in shock because I was able to attend. I was trying to get my eyes to adjust to the ice on her finger & wrist (which was pretty fantastic), when John asked how she felt about Barack Obama having a shot at the presidency. Being that I'm of mixed heritage as well, I perked up to hear her answer -- and I was in for a surprise.

First of all, you need to know that when John asks an artist a question, 10 times out of 10, the answer is about them-- even if the question is about someone else. So when John asked about Obama, I was not expecting Mariah to turn her head, look directly at me and say, "I have another biracial partner in this room right here, and we met on an MTV moment. I know I'm not directly [answering the question], but can we discuss this?"

As my face flushed, the camera turned to me, and John put the microphone in my face. What was going on? This does not happen.

"Can you tell us?" she asked. "Can you explain how we met and how we connected?" I was so embarrassed and I said so, not because Mariah asked me a question, but because everyone was suddenly staring at me.

"Why is it embarrassing?" she asked me. Um, maybe because Mariah is supposed to be the focus of the interview, not me! But I put my game face on and told the story of how we met.

I began to rattle on -- at a very accelerated speed, I might add -- about how we met on MTV's "Shining Through the Rain" special back in 2002 when I was given the chance to interview her. I cried, she cried, we all cried. Hugs were given and a weight was lifted off of my chest because I was finally able to tell Mariah how she changed my life. She helped me to see the beauty of being mixed and how I could "make it through the rain" regardless of those trying to bring me down in my small town. Trying not to cry, yet again, I explained that ever since that moment, she has never forgotten me, always included me on events and made a point of making me feel special at every turn. A diva? Maybe for those tabloid stories. For me? Just an amazingly real woman who can make you feel love with every smile and embrace.

I continued on about my journey to get where I'm at now. I have a job here at MTV News and couldn't be happier. I had realized that I could do whatever I wanted and told her it was all because of her.

"Yeah!" Mariah said to me. "Look at that success story! Darling, it's because of you." Then she turned back to John and said, "The point is, there's a lot of us [with biracial backgrounds]. It was difficult for me growing up to have someone where I could say, 'I look up to this person, I fully relate to this person,' and I felt like an outcast, an outsider." So Barack Obama having a shot at the White House, she said, "couldn't be more exciting to me. It's an amazing, incredible moment." As far as Mariah goes, I'll be lovin' her long time. And it was an incredible moment for me too.
(Source: MTV News)

'I'm ecstatic, so be ecstatic with me!' singer says in response to talk of trouble with husband Nick Cannon. It's not unusual for newlyweds to hole up together during their first year of marriage. But when you're Mrs. Nick Cannon and you also have an album to promote, that means tour, tour, tour - or at least perform at a lot of awards shows and then tour.

"We're looking at November right now," Mariah Carey said when asked when her next tour, in support of E=MC2, would kick off. "Please don't hold me accountable if it turns out to be December 5 or December 7 or January 18!" What does Mariah want to do this time around? After all, her Adventures of Mimi: The Voice, the Hits, the Tour was quite elaborate with nine costume changes.

"I'm thinking elaborate," she said. "I like elaborate. We only do substantial. That's what my jeweler says. I haven't gotten the looks in mind just yet, but we're going to figure it out soon enough."

So far, Carey's only slated performances are at the Teen Choice Awards on August 4 and Fashion Rocks on September 5 (airing September 9). No word yet on the VMAs, but Carey is hoping to at least attend - and to win, for once. "I don't own a Moonman [from] this country," she said. "Isn't that an abusive situation?"

Carey has two Moonmen from MTV Japan, for the International Video Icon Award in 2005 and for the Video Vanguard Award in 2008. But in America, she's Susan Lucci - a perpetual nominee, but never a winner. She's hoping this year will be different, as her fans are currently waging a campaign to get her clip for "Touch My Body" nominated for Best Female Video.

"I have faith in my fans," she said. "I believe they will come through for me, because they always have. My house is not complete without an American Moonman, and I would say 'Touch My Body' deserves one. Brett Ratner directed it, I have a unicorn in there, I have ['Guitar Hero'] in there - who else has that?"

Even if she doesn't win, she'd be happy just to attend. "I haven't really gone, I've only performed," Carey pointed out, noting that she appeared in 1998 with Whitney Houston and again in 2005 to perform via satellite from Miami. And despite Carey's commitment to perform just two days earlier in New York at Fashion Rocks, "I will make it this year" to the Los Angeles ceremony on September 7, she promised.

Still, no offense to MTV, a Moonman wouldn't mean quite the same thing as her Teen Choice surfboard. That's because when she won Choice Love Song for "We Belong Together" in 2005, she first met Cannon, who presented the award to her with a kiss. Though they would later talk of their whirlwind romance as being love at first sight, the truth is, the couple have known each other for several years. "I still have the award to prove it," Carey said. "I keep it in my mermaid room, which is inspired by the ocean. And every time I look over there, it's like, 'There's the first time we had the moment.' "

Carey debunked rumors that their relationship is on the rocks. "It's good," she gushed. "Life is beautiful, and things are going well." When she hears talk that "things are rocky and hazy and messed up," she stops to wonder why. "I'm like, 'Why would we have gotten married to do that?' " she said. "People are going to say what they say, but what would be the purpose? I guess other people do those things for a purpose, but I don't know. I'm ecstatic, so be ecstatic with me! Be happy with me. Can we celebrate?"
(Source: MTV)

"Fashion Rocks," the star-studded annual music event that showcases singers against a backdrop of the hottest fashions will kick-off New York's Fashion Week, September 5-12, 2008.

This year's line-up of performers includes Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, the Black Eyed Peas, Chris Brown, Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban and Rihanna. The two-hour blowout pairs superstar performers with models stomping down the catwalks in clothes by some of the industry's hottest designers.

Sponsored by the Conde Nast Media Group, "Fashion Rocks" will take place at New York's Radio City Music Hall on September 5th, and air on CBS at 9pm on Tuesday, September 9th.
(Source: Entertainment Tonight | MariahDailyJournal)

How did newlyweds Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon cap off two romantic weeks together in the Bahamas? They went to Disney World, of course!

The famous lovebirds spent Tuesday enjoying the Florida theme parks' wild rides, including the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, the famous indoor coaster Space Mountain (Nick's favorite ride), and the stomach-plunging Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Mariah's favorite.)

They also met up with the another power couple -- the biggest in all of Disney World -- Mickey and Miney Mouse! The dynamic duos mugged for photos at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, and Mariah really got into the spirit of things by wearing "Tinker Bell" earrings and a designer t-shirt depicting Mickey and Miney sharing a smooch.

She and Nick planned to top off their fun by taking in the "Wishes" fireworks show set to the backdrop of the Magic Kingdom's iconic Cinderella Caste.
(Source: People)

MariahCarey.com and Indaba Music, the leading music collaboration website and online community for musicians, are teaming up to bring you the hottest remix contest ever - The Mariah Remix Contest! Beginning today, professionals and amateurs alike will be able to remix Mariah's newest hit single, "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time."

Throughout her career, Mariah's music has been remixed by some of the hottest producers in the game. From David Morales and P. Diddy, to Junior Vasquez, Jermaine Dupri and DJ Clue, Mariah's remixes have been some of the biggest hits of her career. Now it's your turn to remix Mariah - be heard by millions of people around the globe, and if you can impress our panel of industry judges, take home serious cash and earn "flantastic" cred in both the Remix and www.MariahCarey.com communities. You can download the instrument stems (vocals, bass, keys, and more) for free at www.indabamusic.com/mariahremix, and start remixing today!

The top ten remixes, as selected by you, the fans, will be judged by a panel of industry heavy hitters, including the co-executive producer of E=MC˛, Mark Sudack, and Kerri Mason, dance columnist from Billboard Magazine. The grand prize package will include 5,000 cash, the winning remix posted on Mariah's official website, record label's website, MySpace, and more. The second prize winner will receive a complete Protools LE recording system, courtesy of Sweetwater.com. All ten finalists will win a signed copy of E=MC˛.

Best of all, with Indaba Music, remixing is easy! Play around with the virtual mixer, and once you get the hang of it, record your own harmonies, spit a verse, add a guitar solo, or add a dance beat. You can even collaborate with any of the 60,000+ musicians in Indaba Music's online network!

Not up to make your own remix? Stop by MariahCarey.com and grab a widget to enjoy the remixes created by your fellow fans, all from the comfort of your own online profile. Want to support your fellow Lambs? Head to the Message Boards to share your favorites.
(Source: MariahCarey.com)

Multi-platinum artist Mariah Carey is set to perform her new single "I'll Be Lovin' You Long Time" at TEEN CHOICE 2008. Hosted by Miley Cyrus, TEEN CHOICE celebrates the hottest teen icons in film, television, music, sports and fashion. The coolest stars will receive coveted Teen Choice surfboard awards in categories such as Choice Male Hottie and Choice Hook-Up when TEEN CHOICE 2008 airs Monday, Aug. 4 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Fans ages 13-19 can vote once each day for their favorite TEEN CHOICE 2008 nominees at www.TeenChoiceAwards.com.

Additionally, Sophia Bush, Josh Holloway, Ryan Sheckler and Steve Carell will join previously announced participants Chris Brown, Scarlett Johansson, Zac Efron, Pink, Jaime Pressly, Danica Patrick, Selena Gomez, JoJo, Minka Kelly, Jesse McCartney, Chad Michael Murray, Chace Crawford, Kristen Bell, Drake Bell, Mischa Barton, Brittany Snow and Hayden Panettiere. Additional performers and presenters to be announced.

With her unique talent and signature vocal abilities, Mariah Carey commanded the world's attention when she made her musical debut. Since then, Carey has emerged as one of the most popular and widely acclaimed talents in music. As a singer and songwriter, Carey has been recognized with the most prestigious accolades in the industry including two Grammy Awards, eight American Music Awards, Billboard's "Artist of the Decade" Award and the World Music Award for "World's Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium." As the best-selling female performer of all time, Mariah Carey has continuously raised the bar and set the standard of excellence within the music industry.

Throughout her career, Carey has smashed recording industry records, and she recently reached another historic career achievement. "Touch My Body," the lead single from her album, E=MC, became her 18th No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. As a result, she has surpassed one of the most enduring chart records in Billboard history: Elvis Presley's 17 No. 1 singles. "Touch My Body" spent two weeks at the top of the charts and marked Mariah's 78th and 79th cumulative career weeks at No. 1. This tied Elvis' long-standing all-time high of 79 weeks at No. 1 (as calculated in Billboard). Additionally, Mariah is now positioned as the only active recording artist in the 50 years of the Hot 100 (which began in 1958) with the potential to surpass the Beatles' all-time high of 20 No. 1 hits.

NOTE: The Teen Choice 2008 Awards will be staged at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City Walk, Los Angeles, California on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 5:00pm. For tickets, go to Ticketmaster. In the meantime, let's not forget to vote for Mariah for the Choice Music: Female Artist and Choice Music R&B Track (for "Bye Bye") awards. Voting ends August 1st!
(Source: Teen Choice Awards)

Professionals and amateurs alike will have the chance to remix the third single from Mariah Carey's platinum-plus album "E=MC2" via a contest hosted on a startup social network Web site for musicians, Billboard has learned.

Starting July 15, the complete stems of "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time," from Carey's Island release, will be made available to the members of Indaba Music, an online community for aspiring and established producers and artists.

"Mariah is the queen of the remix," manager Mark Sudack says, citing the pop star's work with dance producers like David Morales -- for whom she resang the vocals of 1993's "Dreamlover" -- and Junior Vasquez, as well as hip-hop greats like Sean "Diddy" Combs, DJ Clue, Ol' Dirty Bastard and the Lox. "This contest is a way for her to continue being a pioneer in the remix world, potentially finding a new sound, a new power, a new energy in the online space, as opposed to just the go-to producers of the moment."

The contest involves elements of fan voting, user-generated content and social networking. Entrants must join Indaba by creating a profile and can then download the song stems, work on their mix and submit it via the site by August 26. The Indaba community will pick its 10 favorite mixes via online voting. Three judges -- including Sudack, who co-executive-produced "E=MC2" -- will then select the winner. The producer of the winning mix will receive $5,000, be designated as Carey's No. 1 MySpace friend for four weeks and possibly have his or her work released.

The contest is more than just a unique way to promote the single, according to Sudack. "It's a marketing tool as much as it is a contest," he says. "But nowadays all you need is a laptop and a drum machine, and you have all the equipment that you need to go and make something that's hot and sounds special. There's so much potential talent out there that's untapped. You could have the next Jermaine Dupri sitting in a room somewhere, and he's got all the talent and all this genius with just no options to connect the dots."
(Source: Reuters)

Mariah is moving swiftly on to single number three from her generally very impressive E=MC2 album.

It's called 'I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time' and it ticks all the boxes for a modern-day Mariah smash. Mid-tempo R&B beat? Check. Gushingly romantic lyrics? You betcha. Guest appearance from a trendy rapper? Yup, here's T.I. for ya! And she's nice and restrained with the old vocals too.

Original it ain't, but 'Long Time' does have that touch of class that 'Bye Bye' seemed to lack. It's also got a definite Kanye West feel to it, which makes sense seeing as it was co-produced by DJ Toomp, who contributed to West's Graduation album. The UK release date is September 1.
(Source: Digital Spy UK)

"As someone who is notoriously late for appointments and dinners (I have shamelessly made dates wait for hours while I perused sample sale racks), it would be hypocritical of me to scoff at Mariah Carey's multiple-hour tardiness when meeting with ELLE editors for the interview and photoshoot in the August issue. But there is nothing like the ultimate diva to remind us that we are mere peons in a world that is ruled by superstars of her ilk. As we run amok in our own harried fashion industry schedules, it's fun to imagine the life of a five-time Grammy winning songstress--because who among us hasn't sung one of her hits in the shower? Don't miss our exclusive interview and photo shoot with the one and only Mimi."

--Rachael Nichol, Associate Fashion and Beauty Editor, ELLE.com
(Source: Elle)

MARIAH CAREY "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" (Island/IDJMG)

Summertime is here and MC is heating things up again with her third single from, E=MC2. The tempo-driven "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" was a track that we first picked when we heard the album and it's even better now with the addition of a new re-mix featuring Hip-Hop star T.I. It's a total "groove record" whose retro feel is a breath of fresh air for a format that often puts more emphasis on beats and not necessarily melody. This MC track has both and is sure to connect with MC's core fans and beyond. BET ON IT!
(Source: FMQB)

Power Chord - I first met Mariah Carey 10 years ago at a party we threw for her on the occasion of her appearance on the cover of Mirabella. It was an intimate dinner of 50 -- and it being my party, I naturally seated her next to me. She was convivial, polite, and every so often she seemed to escape into her own world, sitting quietly with a dreamy look on her face, and sort of singing under her breath. It was thrilling! That voice! Even at a quarter decibel, I could still hear the rich, multioctave, crystal-clear quality that moved her recent single "Touch My Body" to the top of the charts.

Mariah has a lot to sing about: In addition to the record she just broke -- more No. 1 singles than Elvis -- there is her recent marriage to the supercute Nick Cannon, a star of, among other things, the best movie ever, Drumline, which is played on TNT so often they should just give it its own dedicated channel. Mariah is a notorious night owl, and unfortunately I had to leave the shoot at 1:30 A.M., after Joe Zee and photographer Alexei Hay had completed just the first shot. Had I stayed, I would have gotten to meet Nick, who showed up at three and gamely posed with his new bride. Mariah sits down with writer Dan Crane (after midnight, of course), who finds a woman very much at home in the world and with herself, displaying an easy confidence and wicked sense of humor that is not usually part of her public image.

Mariah has been famous for her entire adult life, and she understands the vicissitudes and requirements of stardom well.
(Source: ELLE)

Todd Martens of the LA Times Blogs gives a look at some of the more notable releases of late 2007 and the first half of 2008, and how they may fare come Grammy time. Below is his write-up for Mariah's E=MC˛: Mariah Carey, "E=MC2." The pop diva's follow-up to the Grammy-adored "Emancipation of Mimi."

Grammy possibilities: Carey's "Mimi" marked a huge comeback for the artist, a much-needed return to form after the commercial/critical disappointments that were "Glitter" and "Charmbracelet." Recording Academy voters were apparently delighted that the megastar rebounded, and responded by awarding Carey 8 Grammy nominations, including album of the year. "E=MC2" closely follows the "Mimi" template, and at times feels like a track-by-track response (substitute "It's Like That" for "Migrate"), but audiences don't seem to mind. The album is still in the top 25 on U.S. pop charts two months after its release, and the album has already spawned two hit singles in "Touch My Body" and "Bye Bye." Carey will undoubtedly be awarded with a bevy of Grammy nominations, but don't bet on "E=MC2" scoring as many as "Mimi," and it likely won't be a favorite for an album of the year nod. It too closely sticks to the "Mimi" template.

Grammy deserving: Does it really matter? One of the best-selling artists of all time, Carey is more than critic-proof, and "E=MC2" likely didn't do anything to change anyone's mind about the singer. It's finely-produced dance-pop crafted by an assortment of the industry's highest-paid producers, and the strongest tracks are worthy representations of mainstream trends. But as a whole, "E=MC2" is responding to pop fashions rather than defining them.
(Source: Los Angeles Times)

The honeymoon may be over, but Nick Cannon is enjoying the married life even more. Although his wife Mariah Carey wasn't in Las Vegas with him, the "Wild 'N Out" host said his marriage to the singer is anything but rocky, despite Internet reports to the contrary.

At the opening of Las Vegas's Christian Audigier The Nightclub Friday, Cannon said his marriage is "amazing." "It's the best thing that ever happened to me," Cannon, who was sporting his wedding band, told PEOPLE.

Arriving just before midnight, Cannon quickly made his way to the club's turntables where he began a two-hour set, spinning hip-hop, techno and rock.

At one point, he put on Shawty Lo's "Dey Know." Bobbing his head to the song, Cannon raised his hand high in the air and shouted the lyrics "Big ups, to all my haters." Carey and Cannon met on the set of her video "Bye Bye," and after a whirlwind courtship tied the knot in May.
(Source: People)