Just when Jennifer Lopez’s awful new album “This Is Me … Now” had me feeling J.Low early this Friday morning, the diva gods came to the rescue.
My sonic palate cleanse came in the pop-superstar pairing of Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey on a remix of the former’s new single “Yes, And?”
This divalicious duet — with real singers sanging over a disco-house groove — was just what I needed to shake off the “Dear Ben” doldrums from Mrs. Affleck and get my bop back heading into the long holiday weekend.
In fact, this heavyweight belt-off between two of the best voices of their respective generations is even more of a moment for me than Grande’s “Rain on Me” collab with Lady Gaga.
Of course, when the perpetually ponytailed Grande, 30, burst onto the pop scene with hits such as “The Way” and “Problem” a decade ago, she was dubbed a mini-Mariah for her octave-leaping abilities and whistle register.
And the tones of their voices are a natural blend when they coo the chorus of “Yes, And?” as Carey, 54, floats around Grande like the “Butterfly” she is.
Carey comes in hot for the pre-chorus and the second verse, taking you twirling back to her soulful “Emotions” era and all those legendary house remixes she did in the ’90s. (More of this Mimi, please!)
And while they both have plenty of room to do their thing, it never feels like a competition, with neither of them oversinging.
It’s great to hear Carey singing something other than Christmas music. It’s been too long since her last studio album, 2018’s “Caution.”
But the “We Belong Together” singer seems to be having a moment now, having just been nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, so hopefully this will spur her back into the studio.
As for Grande, she has a new album, “Eternal Sunshine,” arriving in just a few weeks on March 8. And given that it’s her first LP since 2020’s “Positions” — an unusually long time for her — it’s good to have her back too.
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