NEW ALBUM IN STORES APRIL 15th; FOLLOWS-UP WORLDWIDE 10 MILLION-SELLING, MULTI-GRAMMY WINNING THE EMANCIPATION OF MIMI

Performer and songwriter Mariah Carey has set April 15th as the in-store date for the most eagerly anticipated album of the year, E=MC². The 11th studio album of her career, E=MC² is the follow-up to The Emancipation Of Mimi, Mariah's worldwide 10 million selling #1 album, which generated three Grammy awards (including Best Contemporary R&B Album), 2 #1 singles and countless more industry honors during its 18-month stay on the charts.

The first single from E=MC² is "Touch My Body," written and produced by Mariah Carey, C. "Tricky" Stewart, and The-Dream, hit radio stations worldwide on February 12th. The video for "Touch My Body" was directed by feature filmmaker Brett Ratner - Internet, cable and network premieres for the video will be announced in the weeks ahead. In addition to C. "Tricky" Stewart and The-Dream, other guest producers joining Mariah on E=MC² will include Jermaine Dupri, DJ Toomp, Stargate, Will I Am, Bryan Michael Cox, Nate "Danjahandz" Hills and James Poyser. E=MC² is executive produced by Mariah Carey and Antonio "LA" Reid, Chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group.

The Emancipation Of Mimi, released April 12, 2005, was an industry phenomenon for the mega-platinum award-winning superstar - Soundscan's biggest-selling album of the year, bringing total sales of Mariah's albums, singles and videos to more than 160 million worldwide, making her the most successful female recording artist in history. Mimi featured "We Belong Together" (winner of the Best Female R&B Vocal and Best R&B Song Grammys) and "Don't Forget About Us," Mariah's 16th and 17th #1 career singles respectively. They tied one of the most enduring chart records in Billboard Hot 100 history, Elvis Presley's 17 #1's. Mariah is now positioned as the only active recording artist in the 48 years of the Hot 100 (which began in 1958) with the potential to surpass the Beatles' all-time high of 20 #1 hits.

Source: MariahCarey.com

*My note: I woke up around 5am to be one of the first people to hear the first single and aw, I didn't like it. I was expecting for an It's Like That-eque first single, club banging, uptempo, catchy and fun. Touch My Body sounds so mediocre. This is a weak first single. It could be 3rd or 4th single but first? No way! It bored me to death the first time I listened to it. But I put it on my iPod just to see if the song is gonna grow on me and I have to wait. I just hate it when Mariah chooses what singles to be released, take Say Something as an example. I just really wish this song reaches #1 and radios pick it up fast! (Being obsessed with #1's is a consequence of being a Mariah fan --- hahaha.). Well I guess I have to wait for the music video and upcoming remixes. Despite the lusterless first single (that's in my opinion because some radio stations have already reviewed it and said it's gonna be a hit), I'm happy to hear a new Mariah material again --- the sorrows and joys of being a Mariah fan! Can't wait for the new album!

Click here to download "Touch My Body". Hope you'll enjoy it.