Mariah Carey’s eponymous debut album Mariah Carey (June 1990) wasn’t an instant hit. It took almost six months and a Grammy performance the following year for the world to come face to face with the Mariah Carey phenomenon and for her record to go to number 1. Since then she’s sold the most albums of the 90s, become a global star and produced fifteen studio albums. To celebrate thirty years of success, the pop diva has brought out an autobiography and this compilation album – The Rarities. The first track-list is made up of unreleased tracks, remixes and B sides which were never released to the public. Some songs, like Here We Go Around Again (1990) and I Pray (2005), weren’t included in the singer’s biggest albums for reasons that remain unknown. The most interesting thing about this compilation album is the glimpse it offers into the huge amount of material produced during her golden years. Songs like the synth-filled B side Do You Think Of Me (1993) and the RnB-esque Slipping Away (1996) sit alongside covers of previously released tracks. Close My Eyes, from the 1997 album Butterfly, allows you to see how the singer’s voice has changed over time as does the album’s single – Save The Day, featuring Lauryn Hill – which was recorded in 2011. The second part of The Rarities is a live performance recorded at the Tokyo Dome in 1996. And it’s a masterpiece. This release is not the sensationalist box set one might have expected. It is a real work of art that gives a fresh perspective on one of pop’s most important singers. © Brice Miclet/Qobuz