Album Review: "Here For It All" - Mariah Carey

Ashley Adams
Oct 14
6 min read

Mariah Carey has released her newest album "Here For It All', another breathtaking addition to her discography, and another pop bible featuring flawless vocals and amazing musical production from one of the greatest artists of all time.

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Play This Song (feat. Anderson .Paak)
Type Dangerous
Sugar Sweet (feat. Shenseea & Kehlani)
In Your Feelings
Nothing Is Impossible
Confetti & Champagne
I Won't Allow It
My Love
Jesus I Do (feat. The Clark Sisters)
Here For It All

Carey's discography is perfection, from its start in 1990 to now, 2025, with sixteen incredible albums. She released her eponymous debut in June, and her sophomore record Emotions a year later in September. Music Box was released in 1993, preceding the start of a yearly tradition of millions upon millions of people listening to one of her most famous singles, and in general, one of the most famous songs of all time, "All I Want for Christmas Is You", from her 1994 album Merry Christmas. A year after came Daydream, and two years after that came Butterfly. Rainbow was released next in 1999, and Glitter and Charmbracelet were released back to back in 2001 and 2002. In 2005, she released her comeback album The Emancipation of Mimi, and three years later, released E=MC². In 2009, Memoirs of a Perfect Angel came out, and Merry Christmas II You came out a year after. In 2014, Carey released Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse. Five years ago was the release of Caution, and now we have Here For it All in 2025.

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In a groovy, RnB introduction, Carey sings about self-love and having fun to positively start off Here For It All. She declares she will not waste her time on things that do not pertain to her, and instead will only focus on what matters most, which is that she is living life and having a good time while doing it. This includes the sought-after popstar lifestyle, the benefits of which she has right at her fingertips. Carey sings in different octaves amongst an infectious bassline and cool, calm, and collected production, while still maintaining her signature pop sound.
Play This Song (feat. Anderson .Paak)
With .Paak on the second track of the album, it makes sense that when you hit play, you are met with a chorus of a pure jazz and blues fusion that makes you feel like you are being transported to a different dimension with nothing but the vibes of a late summer night. Carey and .Paak harmonize perfectly as they sing about trying to revive past relationships, as they try to convince their exes to get back together with them, but are continuously met with failure. By the end of the song, it appears as though their exes have changed their mind and will get back together with these extraordinary musicians.
Type Dangerous
The sound of Type Dangerous is timeless, as it mixes 90s RnB and pop with plenty of modern influences, making it a distinct and enchanting track. Carey clarifies that she knows she is a star and wants someone who will treat her as such, and also has a side to them that does not choose to follow the rules all the time. The idea of being with someone who is a complete goody two-shoes is boring compared to being with someone who likes to go out and have a fun time, not care about what others think, and can prove themselves to be a good partner who will always treat her right.
Sugar Sweet (feat. Shenseea & Kehlani)
"Sugar Sweet" is a flawless combination of different genres and incredible musicians. You can hear influences pulled from pop, reggae, RnB, jazz, and more throughout the production of the track. Carey, Shenseea, and Kehlani also sound amazing together and separately as you listen to each section of "Sugar Sweet". The three describe the well-known feeling of the butterflies you get when you develop a new crush, and you know you are starting to fall for them fast, and romantic feelings begin to brew. The mixture of being both excited and nervous around them is what makes the lead up to a potential relationship all the more fun.
In Your Feelings
Jazz and RnB take the reigns on the production for a Here For It All track with "In Your Feelings" being a beautiful take on a doo-wop song, embellished with Carey's stunning vocals. The lyrical content is melancholy, as Carey says that she got her hopes up about someone she thought she was in a relationship with, but miscommunication showed otherwise. She did not felt loved, seen, or even acknowledged by the person she was with, which has caused her great distress and pain. She thinks this person feels like a stranger to her because they never truly got to connect with one another.
Nothing Is Impossible
A piano ballad comprises the majority of the sixth track of the record, "Nothing Is Impossible". Sometimes, it feels as though when many things start to go wrong in life, it appears that there is no way out from this. The pain feels so suffocating that you feel helpless. But you are able to pick yourself back up. You are able to overcome anything. You can persevere through the hardships life throws at you and come out even stronger than you were before. This is the message Carey expresses in the song, as towards the end of it, a symphony of orchestral instruments finds its way into the production.
Confetti & Champagne
The production of "Confetti & Champagne" is that of RnB and hip-hop with ethereal synths surrounding Carey about being with many people at a party but still feeling alone because who she deeply cares about is not there. This changes by the end of the first verse, as per the lines "My new baby text me, "I'm on my way" / A smile is on my face". Carey accurately describes when you love someone so much that you become their other half, and you feel incomplete without them. Even knowing that you are going to be able to see them soon can turn your whole mood around.
I Won't Allow It
Funky disco production (thanks to .Paak again) and delectable melodies make up "I Won't Allow It", the eight track of Here For It All. Carey realizes that someone she was with was not anything she originally thought. She saw that she was being used for her fame, and decided to end the relationship, because she refuses to be with anyone who does not love her for her, and not just for her money and celebrity status. Now out of the relationship, Carey realizes her ex was never worth her time in the first place, and deserves to be left in the dust while Carey can move on.
My Love
Paul McCartney originally wrote and recorded "My Love" for his wife Linda in 1973. More than half a century later, the classic love song still holds up, with Carey adding her own amazing twist on her Wings cover. Majestic harmonies are paired with gorgeous arrangements of jazz instruments as Carey sings a song that she shared is nostalgic for her.
Jesus I Do (feat. The Clark Sisters)
Another upbeat and funky style of production can be found on the penultimate track of the album, "Jesus I Do". Singing along with The Clark Sisters, them and Carey emphasize their connection with God and how it greatly affects how they love, and in the best way. The people that they love strengthen their relationship with religion overall, which in turn, strengthens their relationships with other people even more. The vocals of all the musicians on this track are nothing short of marvelous, as well as how each individual instrument was played, and it all comes together to create a musical masterpiece.
Here For It All
The final and title track of Here For It All is the perfect way to close out the album in multiple different ways. For the first four minutes, it serves as another ballad amongst the tracks, and continues the themes of religion from the previous song. Then, the song takes a slow and steady turn into a cacophony of several instruments that feels like you are watching the end credits of a spectacular movie that you wish could never end. As the album ends, you immediately know Carey has put out yet another perfect body of work composed of her infinite talent.

It is physically impossible not to be a Mariah Carey fan. Her music always has something for everyone's tastes, and with her showstopping musicianship, she is considered of the greatest artists of all time for a reason; but even that is an understatement. Carey manages to defy the laws of time when it comes to production styles, combining past and modern elements into her distinct and original songs. Her vocals are one of a kind, although this is not new news. Her songwriting abilities are off the charts, describing relatable experiences in creative and unique ways. All of this on Here For It All easily makes the album a solid 10/10.

Written By Ashley Adams

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