Every artist should be so lucky to have the kind of slump Mariah Carey [ tickets ] has experienced in recent years. Even her two so-called commercial failures, "Glitter" and "Charmbracelet," both moved more than a million copies in the U.S. alone.

However, when you've sold roughly 150 million albums worldwide and have scored more No. 1 hits than any other female pop artist in history--both feats that Carey has accomplished--anything less than global domination is seen as a slump.

"The Emancipation of Mimi," Carey's finest album since 1995's "Daydream," should end any talk of a slump. It's obvious that Carey has paid attention to all of her protegees who have passed her on the charts in recent years. Listeners will find Beyonce-like bits sprinkled throughout the album, as well as touches of Missy Elliott, Christina Aguilera and Mary J. Blige.

The album gets off to a strong start with the bumping party-anthem "It's Like That" and the gorgeous slow jam "We Belong Together." "Say Somethin'" sounds like a surefire hit with its unlikely, but likable, blend of Carey's angelic vocals and Snoop Dogg's gangsta drawl. Motor-mouth Twista and superstar Nelly also turn up for the party on "One and Only" and "To the Floor," respectively. However, it's Carey's stellar five-octave voice, used to great heights on ballads like "Fly Like a Bird," which really runs the show.