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The Emancipation of Mimi is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, first released on April 4, 2005 by Island Records. The album was a complete musical departure from her previous effort, Charmbracelet (2002), which was heavily influenced by pop and adult contemporary music genres. The Emancipation of Mimi focused on several R&B-related genres, ranging from 1970s retro soul and gospel, among others. Additionally, apart from several strong vocal performances, the album featured various strong beat-driven tracks, even being dubbed a "party record." Carey wrote and produced the entire album alongside a slew of record producers such as Jermaine Dupri, Johnta Austin, Manuel Seal, James Poyser and James Wright.

Musically, the album was structured differently from Carey's previous release. The first worldwide single promoted from Charmbracelet was "Through the Rain", a slow-beat and lyrically immersed ballad. The Emancipation of Mimi however, used a completely different approach, warming airwaves with the strong club-themed "It's Like That", prior to releasing a piano-driven and faster sequenced ballad. Carey also incorporated other genres, such as in "Fly Like a Bird", where she fused gospel and soul, alongside religious and God-yearning lyrics. On the album, secondary musical talents lent their vocals on several tracks, appearing as featured artists. Of them were Dupri, Snoop Dogg, Twista and Nelly, who also served as a producer on "To the Floor".

Music critics lauded The Emancipation of Mimi, calling it Carey's return to form, as well as the return of "the voice." They complimented the album's broader vision, which incorporated a variety of genus and beats, unlike her previous release that harbored on slower and more contemporary melodies. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with the highest first-week sales of Carey's career at the time. Additionally, it opened inside the top-five on the albums chart in Argentina, Canada, France, Japan, the Netherlands, as well as the European chart. The album finished as the best-selling album of 2005 in the United States, and the second best-seller around the world. To date, The Emancipation of Mimi has sold over 12 million copies worldwide.

Several singles were commissioned from the record, some serving as worldwide releases, while others as airplay-only and in certain territories. "It's Like That", the album's first single, became Carey's highest charting song of the 2000s decade to that point, reaching the top-twenty in several worldwide markets. Additionally, it received positive critical response, a feat that was not frequent with Carey's singles at the time. Similarly, "We Belong Together", the album's second single, also achieved strong success around the globe. It became Carey's sixteenth chart topper in the US, staying there for fourteen weeks. Subsequently, it was named "song of the decade" by Billboard and achieved strong international charting. It topped the singles chart in Australia and New Zealand, and peaked within the top five in Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, where it reached number two.

Prior to the release of The Emancipation of Mimi, Carey had experienced years of critical, commercial, and personal troubles. After divorcing from her ex-husband, music executive, and mentor Tommy Mottola, Carey took more creative control over her career, and according to some, released her "inner sex kitten" on Butterfly (1997), her first album commissioned following their separation.^[1] With her consequent release in 1999, Rainbow, Carey continued this trend, notably with "Heartbreaker", the lead single from the album, which featured Carey's farthest reach into R&B and Hip-hop territory to that point.^[1] When comparing Carey's change to younger pop singer Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty", Andre Meyer of CBC News said "Mariah may be cheapening herself, but she’s doing it with a knowing wink."^[1] According to Meyer, Carey did this in order to "remain a pop fixture."^[1] Throughout her work in the late 1990s, Carey began to scale back her voice, and according to Meyer, attempted to sound "more ghetto."^[1] She also discontinued work with longtime pop producers such as Babyface and Walter Afanasieff in order to pursue a new sound and audience with writers such as Sean Combs and Jermaine Dupri.^[1] Meyer commented "While not the first to exploit hip-hop’s cachet, she did so with great verve." However Carey's new voice was called "subtley offensive" compared to her work in the early to mid-90's and was said to "withdraw" into the songs and "hide" within the heavy production.^[1] Meyer called Carey's voice increasingly "thin", and her songs more tuned to be rapped on rather than crooned.^[1] However, Meyer commented that her music and radio presence was still "inescapable."^[1]

Following the worldwide success she achieved with Rainbow, Carey and Columbia Records, at which Mottola was involved with, ended their partnership.^[2] Controversy involving Mottola and executive Benny Medina took place during 99', as they used several productions Carey had written and been involved with on songs for Jennifer Lopez.^[2] Carey decided to venture into film with her 2001 film, Glitter.^[1][2] Critically, the film was panned by movie critics, and earned less than eight million dollars at the box office.^[1][2] The soundtrack for the film, fared slightly better, spawning a top-two single in the United States, and selling over three million units globally.^[3] However, following the film and soundtrack's weak performance, Carey's unprecedented $100 million dollar recording contract was bought out by Virgin Records, who paid her $28 million to part ways.^[1] After being signed by Island Records, and starting her own imprint, MonarC Entertainment, Carey released her intended "comeback" album, Charmbracelet (2002).^[2] Although the album was critically and commercially more successful than Glitter, it failed to deliver the type of success that was expected of Carey, not scoring any chart topping singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and failing to make a major impact in international markets.^[1]

After enduring three years of critical "carping," Carey began planning out her return to music.^[1] In a letter she posted on her official site on November 18, 2004, Carey revealed the name of the album would be The Emancipation of Mimi, derived from her nickname, "Mimi."^[4] She commented that although the album was intended to have a March 2005 release date, she wanted to explain the title, because it had leaked out to the media earlier than she anticipated.^[4] Carey described how the album's title was "very different" for her, and clairified that Mimi was a "very personal nickname" only used by those closest to her, and was "just one of those little things that I've kept for myself in an attempt to have some delineation between a public persona and a private life."^[2] However, by titling her album as such, Carey expressed how was letting her guard down, and inviting her fans to be that much closer to her.^[2] While recording the album, and learning that people referred to the singer as "Mimi", Island Records executive L.A. Reid told Carey, "I feel your spirit on this record. You should use that name in the title, because that's the fun side of you that people don't get to see – the side that can laugh at the diva jokes, laugh at the breakdown jokes, laugh at whatever they want to say about you and just live life and enjoy it."^[2] Carey later revealed how she thought it would be "obnoxious" to title her album, The Emancipation of Mariah Carey.^[2] In an interview with MSNBC, Carey described the title's meaning:

"Mimi is a very personal nickname only used by those closest to me... just one of those little things that I’ve kept for myself in an attempt to have some delineation between a public persona and a private life. I am letting my guard down and inviting my fans to be that much closer to me… Most importantly, I am celebrating the fact that I’ve grown into a person and artist who no longer feels imprisoned by my insecurities or compelled to try and live up to someone else’s vision of ‘Mariah Carey.’ I now feel I can honestly say ‘this is me, the real me, take it or leave it."^[5]

Jennifer Vineyard of MTV noted that The Emancipation of Mimi would seem to do what Charmbracelet did not, and be her "post-breakdown, post-Glitter, comeback."^[2] Similarly, she felt it also marked Carey finally "shaking" off the "shackles" of ex-manager and producer Tommy Mottola.^[2] After initial reports that "Say Somethin", featuring rapper Snoop Dogg would be the album's lead single, television personality and radio host DJ Envy suggested that Carey would take more of a hip-hop turn than mainstream.^[6] Envy commented, "I think she's gonna do the same thing she did last year and go more hip-hop and less mainstream. She should keep it mainstream and just do a remix or something or this won't work."^[6] While the DJ admitted that Carey would always have her core audience, "her relevance to the general public hinges on whether she makes music that has to be heard."^[6] Meyer called the album just a move in Carey's long-term plan for pop domination, while giving off the "jittery R&B vibe that made Destiny’s Child so potent."^[1] He went on to call the material off Mimi "stronger," while commenting, "Mariah has returned to singing – while still pushing the limits of good taste with her barely there outfits."^[1]

By November 2004, Carey had already recorded several songs for her newly titled tenth studio effort, The Emancipation of Mimi.^[7] During a meeting with Island Records head L.A. Reid, he suggested Carey try and compose a few more strong singles, in order to assure the project stay afloat commercially.^[7] He told her how she had written some of her best work with Jermaine Dupri, and recommended she travel to Atlanta for a brief studio rendezvous. In an interview with MTV, Carey recalled how the process came about: "L.A. was like, 'You and Jermaine Dupri make magic together, why aren't you in the studio with him? I said, 'I love Jermaine, is he free? I know he's doing a million things, Usher and this and that.' But Jermaine said, 'Come on down.'"^[7] During the course of her two day trip in Atlanta, the duo wrote and produced the album's eventual third and fourth singles, "Shake It Off" and "Get Your Number".^[7] At that point, Carey and her management at Island decided to re-think the album's first single, originally having been "Say Somethin'", Carey's collaboration with Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams. Carey recalled how since hearing her demo of "Shake It Off", she knew "It was my favorite song," and decided to substitute it as the album's primary release.^[7] In an interview with MTV, Carey spoke of the several emotions and thoughts that influenced the album's creative process prior to her trip to Atlanta:

"I really started second-guessing myself. And then I realized, like, all right, I have to go with my gut. Because everybody's got an opinion, and so many people's opinions about me are like polar opposites. They're like, 'We love it when she does ballads, make her do the ballads.' Then they're like, 'We want to hear a hip-hop record.' 'Why is she dressing like this? She should show less skin.' 'She should show more.' You know what I mean? I'm like, 'Stay in your lane, and I'll figure it out.'"^[8]

During one of Carey's later meetings with Reid, she decided to fly back to Atlanta, in hopes of possibly creating another batch of strong material.^[7] Following a second trip there, Carey and Dupri helmed the final two songs to be added to the album's roster, "We Belong Together" and "It's Like That". According to Carey, "We said, OK, we love 'Shake It Off,'. We don't know how we're going to top that, but let's just try.' It turned out that 'It's Like That' was the right fire-starter, and 'We Belong Together' was the bigger record."^[7] After hearing the last two songs they composed, Carey and her management unanimously agreed to releasing "It's Like That" as the album's lead single, however assuring that her favorite, "Shake It Off", would see an eventual release early on in the project.^[7] Carey described her sentiments regarding her trip to Atlanta: "I am so grateful I went to Atlanta. And I have to say, we wrote some of my favorite songs on the album. I'm so proud of Jermaine – he's so focused, and he knew what had to be done. You can never write off talent."^[7] Following the album's release, Carey described its concept and influences during an interview with MTV:

"The album is not about making the older executives happy by making a bring-down-the-house, tearjerker ballad, or [something] steeped in the media dramas of my life. What I tried to do was keep the sessions very sparse, underproduced, like in '70s soul music, when all the musicians were in there at once, feeding off each other — me showing them vocally where I'm going and giving them the vibe in which to take it all musically."^[8]

The Emancipation of Mimi was heralded as Carey's "return to form" and most expressive and original album of the 2000s. Her previous album Charmbracelet had been a mixture of R&B beats and adult contemporary tunes, while Glitter a blend of 1980s pop and disco.^[9] According to Dmitiri Ehrlich, an editor from Vibe, the album musically shares two opposite facets and directions:

"'Mimi' pulls Carey in two opposite directions. Most of the tracks find her paired with the hottest hip-hop producers of the day; there, she exercises restraint and settles into a groove. But on the rest, she does what comes most naturally to her-belting to her heart's desire, perhaps to mollify those who don't care much for her detours into raunchier rap territory."^[10]

Starting off the album, "It's Like That", is a song written by Carey and produced by Jermaine Dupri. Jozen Cummings from PopMatters described it as a perfect introduction to the rest of the album's "carefree feel."^[11] "Its' Like That" features hand claps and whistles, as well as ad-libs and verses from Dupri and Fat Man Scoop. Aside from a strong bassline, it contains a chord progression with piano and string notes.^[11] According to Cummings, with its strong vocals and production, the song "is able to go from catchy to infectious status."^[11] Its lyrics chronicle Carey through a celebration of her emancipation, "I came to have a party/Open off that Bacardi…Purple taking me higher/I'm lifted and I like it."^[11] According to Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine, the lyrics and strong beat set the perfect bar for the song, preparing the listener for the album's "party theme."^[12] Serving as the album's second track and single release, "We Belong Together" was also produced by Carey and Dupri. It was described by Ehrlich as a "broken-hearted lament for love." Its production features finger-snaps, kick drums and a strong piano-driven melody.^[10] He wrote, "the bottle-breaking high notes" Carey reaches at the song's climax make "We Belong Together" "cut across generations."^[10] Critics noted that the strong and powerful vocals at the end of the song would revive faith in Carey's fans in her ability as a "balladeer."^[12] Carey wrote the gospel ballad "Fly Like a Bird" alongside James Wright. The song incorporates and draws influence from 1950s jazz and features a message of unconditional love for God.^[13] Carey's deceased pastor, Clarence Keaton, is featured on two parts of the song, where he gives over two verses from the Bible.^[12] Tom Fergusen from Billboard called the song a "classic" and wrote "the re-crowned diva delivers a consummate vocal."^[10] Ehrlich wrote that in the song, Carey was able to "fully exercise her vocal acrobatics" and prove she could still "blow her army of imitators off the stage."^[10] Similarly, Cinqumani felt the song easily helped made Carey "likable again."^[12] The lyrics describe a veritable prayer that explicitly references God, "Sometimes this life can be so cold/I pray you'll come and carry me home, Carry me higher, higher, higher."^[14] Aside from Keaton, the song features a full range of gospel background vocalists during tbe song's climax, as well as Carey's usage of the whistle register. In an interview with CBS News, Carey opened up about the feedback from fans after hearing "Fly Like a Bird", as well as her personal feelings towards the song and her ballads in general:

"I've never lost faith in myself. I've never not believed in who I am and my real fans never have either. I always think, 'This is so personal, nobody's going to relate to this but me, this is so specific to my life,' and then those are the songs that, mainly, a lot of young girls will say, 'This got me through the worst time in my life. Thank you so much for writing it.' That's the reward. That's the truest reward."^[15]

Another track Carey wrote for the album was "Say Somethin'", which features rap verses from Snoop Dogg and production from The Neptunes. It was described by Ehrlich as "a musical oddity," featuring "strange instrumentation, weird melodic shifts, hectic drum patterns and a bed of synths."^[10] In the song, the protagonist asks "If its worth your while, say something good to me," waiting to engage in sexual activity with her love interest. During Snoop Dogg's verse, the man describes intimate details of an encounter in a rest room, which he would like to experience with her.^[10] According to Cummings, "Carey adds to the breezy, easygoing feel of the song with a voice that is sexy, but subtle, like a shy woman who doesn’t need to say anything at all to get a man’s attention."^[11] "Mine Again" was a song Carey wrote alongside producer James Poyser. The ballad features electronic keyboard notes and a rhythmic vinyl sound, while incorporating melodies from gospel and R&B genres.^[10] Ehrlich described the song as "heartfelt and emotional," while Cinquemani claimed it would "blow the talent show competition away."^[10] Towards the end of his review, Ehrlich once again re-visits the album's ying and yang composition:

"Mariah gets back to her winning formula with 'Mimi'. Her ying and yang method, with its schizophrenic mix of 80s and 21st-century hip-hop, works wonders for 'Emancipation'. So if she wants to continue brandishing her gift for over-the-top expression and capitalizing on savvy collaborations with today's hottest stars, then she should go right ahead. Her fans are still craving it."^[10]

At the time of its release, The Emancipation of Mimi became Carey's best-received album in years. On the website Metacritic, which averages professional reviews into a numerical score, the album received a 64/100, indicating "generally positive reviews."^[22] Stephen Thomas Erlewine, senior editor of Allmusic called the album a "highly crafted piece of dance-pop" and felt that although it isn't as smooth as it should be, the album qualifies as a "relative comeback" for Carey.^[9] Aside from the praise, Erlewine shared in a common critique of the album; Carey's voice, which was described as "damaged" in comparison to her "glory years" in the 90s.^[9] He commented that in the strong and belted songs such as "Fly Like a Bird" and "I Wish You Knew", Carey's voice sounded "as airy, thin, and damaged as it did on Charmbracelet".^[9] Michael Paoletta from Billboard was less critical on her vocals, writing "while her voice has lost some of the power through the years, 'Mimi' deftly showcases her still-considerable pipes with strong lyrics and slick production."^[16] Additionally, Paoletta branded The Emancipation of Mimi Carey's best album since Butterfly (1997).^[16] Michael Dougall Bell from the Calgary Sun complimented Carey's voice, calling it "very impressive."^[23] Bell concluded the review, writing "While Emancipation may not send Carey's stock or star back up to where it once was and where that voice deserves to be, at least she's not plummeting – she's merely levelled off."^[23] Tom Sinclair, editor of Entertainment Weekly praised her vocals, pointing out how nearly every song "showcases Carey's undeniable vocal strengths."^[14] After reviewing "Fly Like a Bird", Sinclair concluded the review with "It's so moving that we'll resist the temptation to be crass and interpret the song as a plea for heightened record sales. Help from above is always welcome, but Emancipation sounds like it just might do fine all on its own."^[14]

Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian gave the album four out of five stars, calling it "cool, focused and urban."^[17] She outed "Stay the Night" and "Get Your Number" as the album's strongest tracks, writing "[they] are the first Mariah Carey tunes in years I wouldn't have to be paid to listen to again. Not bad, 'Mimi'".^[17] Editor of The New York Times, Jon Pareles, gave The Emancipation of Mimi a favorable review, complimenting the fact that Carey wrote all of the album's material, and felt the record's new sound was fresh and innovative. He continued "on 'The Emancipation of Mimi,' she disciplines herself into coherence, using fewer tricks and sounding more believable. She also finds what lesser singers can take for granted: a certain lightness that eases her constant sense of control."^[18] Jozen Cummings from PopMatters gave the album seven out of ten stars, claiming it to be Carey's redemption from the manacles of her previous two releases.^[11] Additionally, he complimented the album's singles, however calling some of its production "corny" and "unnecessarily overproduced."^[11] Todd Burns from Stylus gave the album a B-, complimenting its assortment of beats and tempos.^[20] Burns however, was very critical on some of The Neptunes and Dupri's production, calling it "ill-advised".^[20] Additionally, he criticized some of Carey's vocals, calling them "strained, thin and airy." While claiming it an obvious improvement over her previous releases of the decade, he finished with "It’s easily the strongest album that she’s made in this millennium, but suffers from the fact that her vocals have deteriorated—a simple fact of the ravages that her voice has undergone in the past fifteen years."^[20] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine gave The Emancipation of Mimi three and a half out of five stars, calling it "redemption" and complimenting its array of beats and production.^[12] While positively revewing the album, Cinquemani was critical of Carey's voice, calling it scratchy and writing "Where once Mariah's trademark high notes used to serve some purpose, they now seem random, existing just to convince us that The Voice is still there—and it is…kind of. As gratifying as that is on the surface, there's still the nagging feeling that Mariah has damaged her voice beyond repair."^[12]

The Emancipation of Mimi became Carey's most commercially successful album of the 2000s decade. In its first week of release in the United States, it debuted atop the Billboard 200 with over 404,000 copies sold, the highest first-week sales of Carey's career, until E=MC² which opened with 463,000 in 2008.^[24] It became her fifth number one album in the country, and her third album to debut at number one.^[25] It remained inside the top five for twenty-two consecutive weeks, including another week at number one after an interval of seven weeks from the top spot.^[26] The album remained inside the top twenty during thirty-one consecutive weeks, before it returned to the top five after the release of the Ultra Platinum Edition, which helped the album reach number four, with weekly sales of 185,000.^[27] In 2005, The Emancipation of Mimi was the best-selling album in the United States, with nearly five million units sold. In the last full week of the year, the album outsold 50 Cent's The Massacre, which had been released over six weeks earlier.^[28] It was the first album by a solo female artist to become the year's best-selling album since Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill in 1996.^[29] It also became Carey's most successful album in the United States since Daydream (1995), which shipped ten million copies and received a diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[30] Ten months after its release, the album was certified six-times platinum by the RIAA, denoting shipments of over six million copies in the US. As of August 2010, stateside sales of the album are estimated at over 5,941,000 units.^[31]

The Emancipation of Mimi entered the Australian Albums Chart on April 17, 2005 at number thirteen.^[32] The following week, it peaked at number six, where it spent one week and a total of forty-six weeks on the albums chart.^[32] It was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), and finished number twenty-seven on the End of Year Chart.^[33][34] In Canada, The Emancipation of Mimi debuted and peaked at number two on the Canadian Albums Chart, with first-week sales of 11,000 units.^[25][35] To date, the album was certified triple platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA), denoting shipments of over 300,000 units.^[36][37] The Emancipation of Mimi debuted at number seven on the UK Albums Chart, dated April 6, 2005.^[38] On July 23, fourteen weeks after its debut, the album once again reached its peak position of number seven.^[39] After one re-entry, the album spent a combined forty-three weeks in the albums chart, being certified double-platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), denoting shipments of over 600,000 units.^[40] In France, the album debuted at its peak position of number four on April 9, 2005.^[41] The record spent a total of fifty-one weeks in the chart, and was certified gold by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP).^[42] French sales of the album are estimated at over 170,000 units.^[43] Eight months after its release in Europe, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) certified The Emancipation of Mimi platinum, denoting shipments of over one million units throughout the continent.^[44] In Hong Kong, it was awarded a Gold Disc Award, issued to the top ten best-selling foreign albums each year.^[45] Additionally, it debuted at number two on the Japanese Albums Chart, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).^[46][47] At the end of 2005, the IFPI reported that The Emancipation of Mimi had sold more than 7.7 million copies globally and was the second best-selling album of the year after Coldplay's X&Y and the best-selling album worldwide by a solo and female artist.^[48][49][50] To date, The Emancipation of Mimi has sold over 12 million copies worldwide.^[51]

"It's Like That" was released as the album's lead single on January 7, 2005. The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who declared it as "catchy and infectious" and a song that would re-ignite Carey's popularity among MTV viewers.^[52][10] It became her highest charting song in years, peaking at number sixteen on the Billboard Hot 100.^[53] "It's Like That" debuted and peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart, and reached the top ten in Australia, Italy and Switzerland and the top twenty in France, the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark.^[54][55] The corresponding music video features Carey at her bachelorette party, dancing through the night and celebrating her emancipation. Wentworth Miller makes a cameo appearance as Carey's love interest, aside from the older man she's set to marry. "We Belong Together", the album's second single, became one of the biggest hits of Carey's career. Critics praised the song's strong vocals towards the climax, and with it claimed "The Voice has indeed returned."^[56] It became Carey's sixteenth chart topper in the US, spending fourteen weeks atop the Hot 100, the longest stay of the 2000s decade and her second longest after "One Sweet Day" (1996), which spent a record sixteen weeks atop the chart.^[56] Aside from breaking various Nielsen BDS records, the song was name the "most successful song of the 2000s decade" by Billboard.^[57][58] Outside the US, "We Belong Together" topped the chart in Australia and the Netherlands, and attained a top five peak in Denmark, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.^[59][60] The song's music video was filmed as a continuation to the video for "It's Like That", featuring Carey at her wedding to a powerful and older man. At the ceremony, her true love (Miller) reveals himself, leading to Carey's escape of the wedding, as she leaves with him in the car.

"Shake It Off" was the third single released from The Emancipation of Mimi. The song peaked at number two on the Hot 100, being barred from the top spot by Carey's previous single "We Belong Together".^[61] It became the first time in Billboard history for a female artist to occupy the top two spots on the Hot 100, with the latter topping the chart and "Shake It Off" occupying the number two spot.^[61] It was released as a double A-side with "Get Your Number" in the UK and Australia, where it reached the top ten. "Get Your Number" was not released in the United States, however, it was released as the album's third single throughout Europe and Asia; in some countries it was a double A-side with "Shake It Off", and in Australia was released as the album's fifth single in 2006.^[62] The corresponding video for the song features Carey learning of her boyfriends infidelity, and eventually shaking off the pain of the heartbreak through a trip to Hollywood. "Don't Forget About Us" was the album's fourth official release; the first from the album's re-release, the Ultra Platinum Edition.^[63] The song became Carey's seventeenth chart topper in the United States, tying her with Elvis Presley for the most number one singles by a solo artist (a record she surpassed in 2008 with "Touch My Body").^[63] "Say Somethin'" was released as the album's fifth single in the US, during the same time as "Fly Like a Bird".^[13] It peaked outside the top forty on the Hot 100 and reached the top forty in Australia and the United Kingdom.^[53] The latter was released as the album's sixth and final single. Released to US urban and urban adult contemporary radio stations, "Say Somethin'" was released to pop and rhythmic radio stations.^[13] The song did not chart on the main Billboard chart, however reaching number four on Billboards Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which represents the twenty-five songs below the Hot 100's number 100 position. It peaked at number nineteen on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and topped the Hot Adult R&B Airplay chart for six weeks.^[13]

"Mine Again" was not released as a single in the US in 2005, but peaked at number 73 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart due to high sales and limited airplay.^[64] Similarly, "So Lonely" was never officially released, but reached number 65 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart due to limited airplay on certain R&B stations.^[65]

On October 13, 2005, Carey announced that a new edition of the album would be released on November 15, 2005, to accompany the premiere of her new single, "Don't Forget About Us".^[66] Carey stated that she could have saved the new music for her following album, but did it for the fans, as they would have to wait "a couple of years" for new music from her.^[67] Carey explained that Island label head L.A. Reid loved "Don't Forget About Us" so much, that he convinced her to "speed up the process and get a few tracks out now."^[67] The CD was announced to be released in two forms, the first with just the four extra tracks, and the second as a limited edition two-disc set with the CD and a DVD of the single's videos released from the album to that point, "It's Like That," "We Belong Together," "Shake It Off," and "Get Your Number."^[66] The "Get Your Number" video was originally released exclusively in Europe, as the single was only released in European countries, and the Ultra Platinum two-disc marked its first stateside release.^[66] Additionally, the DVD included the then-recently shot video for "Don't Forget About Us", directed by Paul Hunter, who last worked with Carey on "Honey" (1997).^[66]

The only single from the re-release, "Don't Forget About Us" was co-written by Carey with Jermaine Dupri, with both helming production of the song.^[66] According to Jennifer Vineyard of MTV News, the song features Carey cooing for "her lover to let go," but to "also hold on to the special memory."^[66] In addition to "Don't Forget About Us", the remaining three tracks consist of one new song, "What It Look Like" featuring Dupri, the "We Belong Together" remix featuring American rappers Styles P and Jadakiss, and "So Lonely", and an amended version of the 2006 single from American rapper Twista single which features Carey, but this time with an added verse from the singer.^[66] She chose Paul Hunter to direct the video for "Don't Forget About Us" because she always wanted to do something similar to the music video for "Honey" again.^[67] According to Carey, the song was also "shot and totally and completely inspired" by Marilyn Monroe's "Something's Got to Give."^[67] Like the Ultra Platinum Edition itself, the video is said to be a tribute to her fans, and includes secret messages that only "diehard" fans could figure out, similar to the codes in "Shake It Off."^[67]

Aside from the album's strong critical and commercial success, The Emancipation of Mimi and its songs received various prestigious awards and nominations throughout the music industry. At the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, Carey took home the award for "Choice Love Song" for "We Belong Together", as well as the World Music Award for "World's Most-Played Single" at the 2005 ceremony.^[68] "We Belong Together" was awarded several awards including the "Best R&B/Soul Single" and "Best Female R&B/Soul Song" at the Soul Train Music Awards, the Vibe Award for "Best R&B Song", Billboard Music Awards for "Hot 100 Song of the Year" and "Hot 100 Airplay of the Year", and Radio Music Awards for "Song of the Year – Urban & Rhythmic Radio" and "Song of the Year – Mainstream Hit Radio".^[68][69] In 2006, the song continued to garner recognition, winning the "Song of the Year", "Most Performed Song" and "#1 Billboard Song" at the 2006 Bambi Awards. Two additional awards were awarded to "Shake It Off" and "Don't Forget About Us" for "Most Performed Song".^[68] Aside from the accolades received from the album's songs, The Emancipation of Mimi also received recognition as a whole. At the 2005 Soul Train Awards, Carey received the "Best R&B/Soul Album" and "Best Female R&B/Soul Album" on behalf of the album, as well as the "Album of the Year" at the Vibe Awards.^[68][69]

At the 2006 Grammy Awards, Carey was nominated for eight awards, the most of her career in a single year.^[70] Additionally, she was nominated for two more in 2007, following the release of the Ultra Platinum Edition. Combined, The Emancipation of Mimi yielded ten Grammy Award nominations in 2006–07. The album was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Contemporary R&B Album, with "We Belong Together" receiving nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song.^[70] Both "It's Like That" and "Mine Again" received one nod each, in Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance categories.^[70] At the end of the night, Carey walked away with three wins, "Best Contemporary R&B Album", "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" and "Best R&B Song".^[68] In 2007, "Don't Forget About Us" was nominated for "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" and "Best R&B Song", not winning either.^[71] Rolling Stone ranked the album number 43 on its 2005 year-end list of the best albums.^[72] Similarly, Entertainment Weekly ranked it 21 on their "Top 100 Best Albums of the past 25 years" list.^[73]

Following the release of "It's Like That", Carey embarked on several stateside, European and Asian promotional tours in support of The Emancipation of Mimi, as well as its accompanying singles. Promotion for the former song began at the 2005 Echo Awards, where Carey opened the ceremony with a live rendition of the song.^[74] She appeared on stage in a short pink number, and sang alongside several paired male and female dancers, all dressed in elegant evening ensembles.^[74] Two days later on April 8th, a pre-taped performance of the song on the popular German game show Wetten, dass..? aired, having been filmed at the Velodrom on March 19th.^[75] In the United Kingdom, Carey filmed a two-part appearance on the British music program Top of the Pops, performing "It's Like That", "We Belong Together" and "Shake It Off".^[75] Additional European and Asia appearances included an interview on the French talk show Le Grand Journal, and a performance of "We Belong Together" on both Music Station and Riponggi Hills in Japan.^[75] After returning to the United States for the a string of televised performances, Carey launched the release of the album on Good Morning America, in the form of an interview and a five-piece outdoor concert.^[76] The concert, taking place in Times Square and featuring the largest crowd in the plaza since the 2004 New Years Eve celebration, Carey performed the first three singles from the album, as well as "Fly Like a Bird" and "Make It Happen" (1991).^[77][78] The following week, Carey performed "We Belong Together" at the 2005 BET Awards, with an additional appearance at the annual VH1 Save the Music special, filmed live on April 17th from the Beacon Theatre.^{[79][80][81][82]} In front of a live audience of over 3,000, Carey began a three-piece set with a performance of "It's Like That", featuring special guests Jermaine Dupri and Fat Man Scoop.^[83] Following the completion of the latter song, R&B singer John Legend took to the stage and began singing the 1979 duet, "With You I'm Born Again". As Carey's verse drew near, she appeared on the stage sporting a tangerine Roberto Cavalli evening gown.^[78] After assuming another constume change, Carey, joined by her background singer Trey Lorenz, closed the live broadcast with a performance of Carey's cover of The Jackson 5 classic, "I'll Be There". Carey, wearing a black Gucci cocktail gown, invited the audience to sing the last chorus alongside them as the credits rolled.^[78]

Throughout the month of May, Carey appeared on several US television programs, performing "We Belong Together" on The David Letterman Show (May 5), The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (May 11), and The Ellen DeGeneres Show on the 13th, which also included a performance of "It's Like That".^{[79][84][85][86]} As June approached, Carey made an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show (May 24), featuring an interview and a live rendition of "We Belong Together". She appeared on stage wearing a long blue evening gown, and featured a four piece band, as well as three background vocalists.^[85][79] Eleven days later on June 4th, Carey's performed at the annual Macy's Fourth of July Parade, singing "America the Beautiful", "We Belong Together" and "It's Like That".^[87][88] The following week, Carey made a live appearance at the 2005 annual MTV Movie Awards.^[89][90] The recital aired on television in black and white format, with Carey wearing a red Armani Privé and sporting a retro curled hairstyle, appearing in color. She performed "We Belong Together" on a white runway-styled stage, while being joined by four male and female dancers.^[91][92] Following stateside promotion of the album, Carey traveled to the United Kingdom on July 2, 2005 for a benefit concert held in Hyde Park, London titled Live 8.^[93] The televised event was watched by over 9.6 million British citizens, and held a live audience of over 200,000.^[93][94] Carey performed a three song set-list, opening with "We Belong Together" and "Make It Happen", and followed by "Hero", which featured a live choir of African children.^[93][94] Following the tragic events involving Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast throughout August 2005, Carey was featured as a headline performed at the Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast concert charity benefit.^[95] Carey, wearing a non-formal ensemble of a pink tank-top and blue jeans, performed "Fly Like a Bird" alongside a large church choir.^[96][97][98] According to Nielsen Media Research, the special was viewed by over twenty-four million United States citizens, airing on over twelve different cable channels and in ninety-five countries.^[99] On August 3rd, USA Today announced that Carey would be added to the roster of performers at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, held on the 28th of the month.^[100] The ceremony was held at the American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami Beach Florida, with Carey's performance taking place at the National Hotel in South Beach.^[101] Apart from The Killers, she was the only performer to tape their appearance from an undisclosed location in Miami. After being introduced by Eva Longoria, Carey appeared on a long stage in the hotel's courtyard, with Dupri opening the song with his rap verses in a nearby cabana.^[102] On each side of the stage stood two male dancers, both occupying small platforms overlooking the pool. After performing "Shake It Off" and a remix version of "We Belong Together", Carey made her way into the shallow pool, followed by Dupri and the back-up dancers.^[102]

Following the awards ceremony, Carey once again took to Europe, being featured as a head-lining performer at the 2005 Fashion Rocks, held in Monaco.^[103] Following her introduction by Donatella Versace, Carey appeared on a suspended rafter, wearing a metallic Versace gown.^[104] She performed the remix for "We Belong Together", which featured a heavy-techno accompaniment to the remixes original intrumentation.^[104] Carey played a similar-choreographed performance of the song's remix at the German Bambi Awards, held in October 2005.^[105] Following the act, Carey received an honorary award for The Emancipation of Mimi, signifying sales of over 100,000 units throughout the country. The award garnered heavy media attention, following its theft from Carey's dressing room back-stage at the ceremony.^[106] On November 15, 2005, the Chicago Tribune announced that Carey would perform during the half-time on the Thanksgiving game between the Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons.^[107] Airing on the 24th, Carey performed "Shake It Off", as well as her newly released single from the album's re-release, "Don't Forget About Us".^[108] Two months later, Carey celebrated the new year on television, placing as the featured performer at the Times Square Ball drop on New Year's Eve in New York.^[109] The special, titled Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest, aired on ABC at 10 pm on December 31st, and featured Carey on stage wearing a short sparkling number, and performing a selection of the album's singles.^{[110][111][112]} Following the beginning of 2006, and the continued charting of the album, Carey was nominated for eight Grammy Awards, the most she had received in one night throughout her career.^[113] Due to the continued success of The Emancipation of Mimi, Carey decided to return to the Grammy stage for the 48th annual ceremony, held on February 8, 2006, for the first time since 96'.^[114] She appeared on stage wearing a white Chanel evening gown, and began with a shortened version of "We Belong Together". Following its completion, the spotlight focused on Carey's now-deceased pastor Clarence Keaton, who opened "Fly Like a Bird" with a passage from the Bible, also featured in the studio recording of the song.^[115] Mid-way through the song, a black temporary wall was removed, revealing a large choir, who joined Carey for the song's gospel climax.^[116] After completing her performance, "Fly Like a Bird" induced the night's only standing ovation, prompting Teri Hatcher, who was presenting the next award, to exclaim "It's like we've all just been saved."^[117]

During the first quarter of 2006 Carey signed a contract with Pepsi, writing and producing more than 20 of the 100 ringtones that were made available through Motorola phones.^[118] Regarding the project, Carey said "I had a lot of fun with this project. It was a great creative outlet because musically I could do things here that I would never think to do for one of my albums."^[119] Additionally, Carey announced several summer dates for her first head-lining tour in three years, titled The Adventures of Mimi: The Voice, The Hits, The Tour.^{[120][121][122]} Named after a "Carey-centric fan's" music diary, the tour spanned a total of forty stops, with thirty-two in the United states and Canada, two in Africa, and six in Japan.^[123] Following its announcement, tickets went on sale on June 2, 2006, with prices ranging from $95 to $150 USD, and featured Carey's long-time friend Randy Jackson as the tour's musical director.^[124][125] According to Carey, the tour focused on celebrating one of the best moments in her career, performing several old songs from her catalog as well as incorporating the album's new singles.^[126] In an interview with the Associated Press, Carey described the tour's direction, as well as the music she would perform throughout:

"With this tour, I'm going to be working on some different arrangements for some of the older songs, to kind of like, give it a little more life to them. That's not to say they're going to sound totally different and to freak anybody out ... (but) I love re-singing songs to different music. I genuinely want to tour with these new songs, as well as older hits. These new songs mean so much to me, this time of my life has been so wonderful for me, and I want to experience that with my fans."^[121]

The tour received warm critical reaction from music critics and concert goers, many of which celebrated the quality of Carey's live vocals, as well as the show as a whole. However, while most felt the concert's main attraction was her voice, critics felt the shows excesses, such as Carey's often costume changes and pre-filmed clips overwhelmed the show, and distracted the audience from her. Following Carey's opening night performance in Miami, MTV News critic Jennifer Vineyard wrote "If it were easy, no one would be in awe that despite everything else – first-night glitches, gossip and all – she nailed it."^[127] Similarly, after her August 23rd concert at Madison Square Garden, Newsday critic Rafer Guzmn felt Carey created a strong balance between her older and more adult contemporary material and her newer, more R&B influenced material. Additionally, he complimented her incorporation of her newer material, writing "Carey sings in rap-inflected cadences, serves as her own breathy chorus crooner and proves she knows how to ride a bass- heavy dance track."^[128] Mid-way through the tour, Carey booked a two-night stint in Hong Kong, with plans for the concerts to take place following the Japanese shows. However, after tickets went on sales, the shows were forced to be cancelled after Carey's manager at the time Benny Medina claimed the concert's promoter would not pay her the money that was agreed upon.^[129] While not refuted, the promoter claimed only 4,000 tickets had been sold, regardless about the amount of money they spent of advertisements.^[130] Medina claimed over 8,000 tickets had been sold, and that even if few people had purchased tickets, Carey would still perform for them had the promoters paid her the money promised.^[131] Consequently, Carey filed a $1 million dollar lawsuit against the promoter in order to cover the extra costs related to the concerts abrupt cancellation. During the depositions made by the lawyers, the promoters claimed they canceled the agreement following the show's low ticket sales, as well as "Carey's outrageous demands."^[132]

Credits for The Emancipation of Mimi adapted from Allmusic.^[136]