Charmbracelet

1	Through the Rain 4:48
2	Boy (I Need You) / Cam'ron 5:14
3	The One 4:08
4	Yours 5:06
5	You Got Me / Jay-Z 4:22
6	I Only Wanted 3:38
7	Clown 3:17
8	My Saving Grace 4:09
9	You Had Your Chance 4:22
10	Lullaby 4:56
11	Irresistible (West Side Connection) 5:04
12	Subtle Invitation 4:27
13	Bringin' on the Heartbreak 4:34
14	Sunflowers for Alfred Roy 2:59
15	Through the Rain / Kelly Price Remix 3:32

Barnes & Noble

Despite her formidable super-diva status, Mariah Carey is a vulnerable girly-girl at heart -- or at least that's what's suggested by her sugar-and-spice album titles, from Music Box, Butterfly, and Rainbow to her latest, Charmbracelet. But there's a lot more to Charmbracelet than its cute title. This is, after all, Carey's first disc since 2001 -- the year her movie Glitter and its soundtrack bombed, she was dropped by Virgin Records, and she had a well-publicized nervous breakdown. So how does the resilient Ms. Carey bounce back? With an earnest, fresh-sounding collection her fans will love from start to finish. In the vein of her hip-hop-inspired hits "Fantasy" (featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard) and "Breakdown" (featuring Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony), "Boy" features rapper Cam'ron and samples his 2002 song of the same name. For the most part, however, the disc is anchored by sparse mid-tempo tracks and soul-baring ballads that flaunt the singer-songwriter's still pristine five-octave range. Standouts include the sweet-and-sour "Clown" -- where she levels lyrical disses, such as "You should have never intimated we were lovers/When you know very well we never even touched each other," at rap bad boy Eminem -- her climactic cover of Def Leppard's "Bringin' On the Heartbreak," and the gospel-inspired "Saving Grace." On the latter track, Carey muses: "I've still got a lot to learn, but I know where I can turn." From the sound of things, however, this Madame Butterfly has learned from her hardships and found the strength to Carey on. Tracy E. Hopkins

All Music Guide

From the demure photos gracing the artwork (the tight shorts of Rainbow are long gone) and the first single/opening track "Through the Rain," a slow ballad designed as "Vision of Love" meets "Hero," it's evident that Mariah is back in the adult contemporary camp. She hasn't completely abandoned hip-hop -- Jay-Z and Freeway guest on "You Got Me," there's a the club-ready groove for "You Had Your Chance" (built on the same bassline as "Nuthin' But a G Thang"), and a take-off of Cam'ron's "Oh Boy" on "Boy (I Need You)" (which he endorses with a cameo); there's the crackling vinyl used as ambient noise on "Irresistible," and the use of dripping water as percussion on "I Only Wanted." She also covers Def Leppard's power ballad classic "Bringin' on the Heartbreak." Stephen Thomas Erlewine

New York Times

There's a spirited kiss-off called "Clown," which seems to be aimed at Eminem, who has boasted of a dalliance with Ms. Carey. And "Yours," produced with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, is a delectable combination of breathy vocals and playful rhythms. Kelefa Sanneh

New York Post

With Charmbracelet, Carey offers a reminder to anyone who's forgotten she has an incredible, shivers-down-your-spine, five-octave range. Dan Aquilante