Mariah Carey’s latest effort “E=MC2″ is set to debut at number one on the Billboard Albums chart next week. First day projections have the album selling over 500,000 copies in its first week, with a strong possibility of of the set hitting 600,000, according to Hitsdailydouble.com

“E=MC2″ is on track to become the biggest sales debut of Carey’s career, besting her last disc “The Emancipation of Mimi,” which sold about 404,000 copies during its first week of release in April 2005.

While music fans are snatching up copies of the disc, critics are giving the album mediocre reviews. “E=MC2″ received an average rating of 70 of out 100 according to Metacritic.com, which compiles ratings from critics around the country.

What the critics are saying:

RAGMAG 

“Carey has always seemed to be a contradiction: a soaring, versatile voice that all the while failed to convey an impressive range of emotions. Even her album titles, “Butterfly” “Rainbow” and “Glitter,” seem to rely more on fluffy gimmicks than substance.”

Entertainment Weekly

“The result is a largely enjoyable mix of flirtatious club jams, midtempo love songs, and emotional ballads anchored by hip hop beats that hansomely showcase the singer’s powerful vocal range.”

Rolling Stone

“Nearly every song confines Carey to four-note verses, offering little room for her glorious range, and the six ballads are drenched in yearbook-quote lyrics that never quite work themselves into the froth of “The Emancipation of Mimi.” 

Los Angeles Times 

“E=MC2 is a little better–the songwriting is more consistent, the feel a bit more natural–but it too lacks a ruling temperament or artistic vision.” 

• Paparazzi Blacklist Mariah Carey
• Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon Wed
• Mariah Carey Talks With Dog in New Promo Videos
• Mariah Carey Caught Lip-Synching
• Madonna To Appear on 106 & Park

Filed under: TheMag