Mariah Carey’s brand new song “Triumphant (Get ‘Em)” arrives right in time for the Olympics, and in the week following her confirmed appointment to the judgeship of “American Idol.” Predictably, it’s a track about rising to the top — which Carey did years and so many years ago — but she barely makes a victory lap with lab partners Meek Mill and Rick Ross.
The Maybach Music cohorts have sole claim over the verses and Milly kicks the whole thing off after the bounce-bounce of Carey’s repeated rhythmic “get ’em get ’em get ’ems.” He keeps the game pretty clean — something about mountain climbing and sticking it to the haters. The Island folks are aiming hard at top 40 with this inspirationally PG song, and that point it driven home further by the fact that Ross edits his line about throwing “big money” at strippers and keeps the action with his “blonde bombshells” to a minimum. Instead, Rozay rehashes how hard he can make it rain and then rhymes “humble beginnings” with… “beginning.”
Carey softly and sweetly tackles her inexplicably short bridge. But, for fans, you’ll get your infamous high note runs as she battles an army of clicks and thumps from the drum machine.
Listen to the complete song here, on Mariah Carey’s website.
Overall, it’s a shiny, crisp return to the hip-hop-infused sound that dominated “E=MC2” and “The Emancipation of Mimi.” It’s not the finest or more imaginitive moment for either rappers. But for grins, there’s splashes of glittery chimes that will shoot you straight back to the late 1990s.
Speaking of shooting, the “M-M-Maybach Music” tag has got to die. It now shows up in every single one of Ross’ guest spots, the compilation tracks and the approximatley 200 times it flopped around his new album “God Forgives, I Don’t.” It doesn’t belong in a Mariah Carey song. Just add more windchimes next time.
“Triumphant (Get ‘Em)” goes up for sale on iTunes on Aug. 7 and will be part of her forthcoming album, details TBA.