REVIEW: MARIAH CAREY - ANGELS ADVOCATE TOUR (TORONTO) & EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS

It's been almost four years since Mariah Carey has toured and although her Angels Advocate Tour hasn't brought in the numbers that 2006's The Adventures of Mimi Tour had, her fans (lovingly known as Lambs), are still devout.  Case in point, her Mimi Tour sold out on two separate nights here in Toronto.  Promoters this time around struggled to fill Air Canada Centre, resulting in Carey's stage being brought in closer to the audience for a more intimate feel.  Just last week alone, 300 section tickets were being sold as part of a two for one deal.  Needless to say, those seats filled quickly.  I myself was originally to be seated in the 20th row on the floor,  but got promoted ahead three rows due to lower than anticipated ticket sales.  No complaints here.

After making her fans wait over 90 minutes, Carey finally arrived on stage shortly after 9:00 PM EST,  but not after the prolonged wait drew mixed boos and cheers.  Descending upon the audience on a swing seat, she performed an intro combo Butterfly/Fantasy Interlude. She looked every bit a goddess in a ruffled gold number which complemented her very present cleavage.   She then delivered a musical triple-axle of Shake it Off, Touch My Body and Fly Like a Bird.  Her voice was quite nasal this evening due to a cold she caught from one of her male dancers last week and she asked the audience for mercy.  Was this in response to an accusation of her stalling work ethic made by blogger Perez Hilton today?

Oddly,  Carey let her band and backing dancers do most of the work on the inspirational Make it Happen, while she changed into a form-fitting silver number, then suddenly reappearing on stage to deliver some ad libs and a final chorus.  She mimed the vocals to two tracks from her latest effort Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel - Angels Cry and The Impossible.  She revealed that the latter was written for her husband Nick Cannon before the audience - mostly gay men and girls in their twenties - feasted their eyes on a fit male dancer writhing about on stage.

One quality that defines Carey as an entertainer is the genuine love she has for her fans.  Unlike a Madonna or a Britney Spears concert, you get interaction at Carey's shows.  She recognized one male fan named Alexander who has attended all three of her Canadian dates.  Tonight she had the spotlights directed at him and shared a glass (yes, literally the same glass) of champagne with him,  also taking an opportunity to introduce a Rosé Champagne she will be introducing to the market soon.

VIDEO PREMIERE: MARIAH CAREY - H.A.T.E.U./TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT

Give Mariah Carey a video camera, some good lighting and she'll find any excuse to show off that famous cleavage of hers. I love her latest single H.A.T.E.U., although its release is really after the fact now since I haven't touched Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel since picking it up back in September.

One thing I will say is that she quickly is becoming a fantastic actress. Just watch her emote at the 2:40 mark; that is genuine emotion right there. Good job Brett Ratner, who directed this. And yes, she looks totally amazing as usual. I am just getting bored of the bikini and playing with the hair thing. Mariah, for the record, I always have and still do love you. I just don't like the music you're making right now. Might I suggest more Big Jim Wright, Freemasons or Cahill for the next album?

Tour dates have also been announced for her 2010 Angels Advocate Tour. Click here to find out if Carey will be visiting your city! I'll definitely be checking out her 2/9/10 show at Toronto's Air Canada Centre.

REVIEW: MARIAH CAREY - MEMOIRS OF AN IMPERFECT ANGEL

She's sold over 200 million albums worldwide and ranks as the best-selling American artist of the Nielsen Soundscan-era, yet it's still so easy to heckle her 2001 commercial/critical failure Glitter. Many of her critics claim that she is an artist who has failed to ever truly reinvent herself. Mariah Carey's latest effort Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel from Island/Def Jam, is best described as an updated version of her 1997 Butterfly album. In contrast to some of her older work where Carey's big and beyond vocals were placed front and center, her newer material focuses more on detailed production. She has pulled back a bit, instead becoming more a part of the complete song rather than just delivering a song. Her melodies are more fast-paced, the rhythms are more complex and her lyrics are more urban-centric, with heaps of commercially-referencing similes (i.e. "We fly like United... love you like Duncan Hines Yellow Cake").

Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel is not Carey's finest work. What she is showing us though is that she is growing as an artist on her own terms, even if it means abandoning some of the fans she worked so hard to win back with her outstanding 2005 Grammy-winning album The Emancipation of Mimi. She takes a few creative risks here and she is dead-set on remaining relevant with the Rhythmic R&B/Top 40 demographic. The album overall is on the down-tempo and there are nuanced moments by the plenty with an excessive four reprises/preludes.