Glitter

Looking to go down the vocal-diva-becomes-movie-star path blazed by Diana Ross, Madonna, and Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey teamed with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to executive produce the soundtrack to her film debut. Keeping with her character Billie, a struggling 1980s singer trying to break into the biz via the club scene, Glitter has a handful of vintage dance covers given a modern twist. Chief among these interpretations are a vintage electro-funk reading of Cherrelle's "Didn't Mean to Turn You On" and a hip-shaking version of the underground classic "Funkin' for Jamaica," renamed "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)," which features Mystikal's rough-neck rapping. Carey also represents her love of hip-hop with a groove-heavy remake of "Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life" featuring Busta Rhymes, Fabolous, and DJ Clue? Elsewhere, Billie's real-life alter ego rips through a number of ballads with her powerful pipes, including the piano-driven "Reflections (Care Enough)," the heartfelt "Lead the Way," and the show-stopping "Never Too Far." Carey's collaborations with Cameo (the pounding funk track "Loverboy"), Ja Rule and Nate Dogg (the loping reggae jam "If We"), and Eric Benet (the midtempo workout "Want You") also appear on this crossover project. ~ Rovi Staff