(Photo By Google Images)
“I Don’t” (iTunes)
Veteran diva Mariah Carey has had an interesting past couple of months. She had the whole New Year’s Eve disaster. She’s been carving out her own lane in reality television via her E! docuseries, Mariah’s World. She split with her now former fiance James Packer. And to top it all off, she released a brand new collaboration with West Coast rapper YG. The unexpected record is coined “I Don’t” and it is produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan Michael Cox.
The first thing that one notices about this selection is the sample of the classic hit “Where I Wanna Be” by crooner Donell Jones. Hints of the throwback record can be heard throughout the track and it is lyrically referenced within the hook as well. The production here is favorable. The rich base, refined musical ingredients, snazzy tempo, and debonair vibe are superbly matched. The aforementioned hook is solid. The vocals are satisfying and the lyrics are self-explanatory. The verses are fair. Mariah Carey supplies up to par melodies and intermediate lyrics as she takes the listener through a love gone wrong. Not her best outing ever but it’s likable. And YG adds a so-so male response to help round out the tune towards the end. All in all, it’s an alright effort.
The video is what has people buzzing though. The visuals are a product of Larry Jordan. The flick opens with Mariah high tailing it down a lengthy flight of stairs in a wedding gown with cameras flashing all around her. She enters the back of a vehicle and sheds the gown for what is just one of a few grown & sexy ensembles. From there, she just kind of frolics about as she goes thru the motions of the song. YG appears throughout the vision rocking his version of a suit & tie while nonchalantly relaying his parts. The offering winds down on a bit of a dramatic note though with Mariah dragging her wedding dress to a fire pit and tossing it on top. Shame to see such a pretty gown go up in flames but the gesture definitely got the point across. As a whole, it’s a decent number.
**My Two Cents: So I’ve been a Mariah Carey fan for years but it’s been a long time since her music captured my attention like it used to. I still try to give her new releases a shot from time to time though. I caught a snippet of “I Don’t” on Instagram and fell in love. The Donell Jones sample is what drew me in. Love him and loved “Where I Wanna Be.” So I was amped for the full version as well as the video. Now that everything is out, I have to say I’m a little disappointed. The track is just very mediocre in my opinion. And while MC got a kick out of working with YG, I don’t think he did much to add to the song or the video. He just came off as generic and forgettable. The video is a tad bit better. It’s expertly packaged and MiMi looks fabulous to be in her 40’s. The people don’t seem to agree with me though. They are dragging Mariah for her skimpy outfits and over the top antics in the video. But that’s just her signature. Has been since she divorced Tommy Mottola back in the day. So I’m not mad at that at all. Just wish she would’ve done more to set the trend musically instead of being another follower of it. But oh well. What say you? Drop me a line in the comments section below. -MinM
