Top 5: Mariah Carey Songs to Listen to After a Break-Up

As one of the most successful artists of all time, Mariah Carey has built an empire for herself as a peerless vocalist and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads, Mariah has documented love in all forms over the course of her illustrious career and has crafted some of the most heartrending break-up anthems within the past twenty years. She's helped a generation of music lovers through the trials and tribulations of love with her songs. For anyone looking for a musical remedy to heartbreak, here are the top five Mariah Carey songs to listen to after a break-up.

“Love Takes Time”

An old school ballad with a simple message, “Love Takes Time” speaks of the post-break-up pain with incredible honesty and relatability. It features Mariah at the top of her game and is one of her most evocative ballads to date.

“Can’t Let Go”

It’s inevitable that at some point we find ourselves unable to move on after a break-up and “Can’t Let Go” summarizes this occurrence perfectly. Mariah is wounded and vulnerable on the ballad while the lyrics are resonant in their frankness.

“Butterfly”

Even though it sucks to be dumped, sometimes it’s just as hard to let someone go. “Butterfly” is one of Mariah’s most personal records to date with its heartfelt lyrics of allowing a loved one to depart. The sweeping ballad can be favourably compared to the iconic break-up anthem “I Will Always Love You.”

“We Belong Together”

A return to form for Mariah Carey, “We Belong Together” is one of her most stirring ballads with its flawless vocals and devastatingly honest lyrics. The track is made all the more affecting due to the impassioned note Mariah holds during the song's conclusion.

“Someday”

Though she may be known for her weepy ballads, Mariah Carey can stand her ground and dish out sass like any good diva. On her classic track “Someday,” Mariah puts an ex in his place. The track proves nothing is better than the satisfaction of knowing who the ‘winner’ is in the game of love.  

Review: Villains United

When Lex Luthor and a handful of villains decided to take it upon themselves to form a secret society to protect criminals from the Justice League, there were inevitably a few stragglers who weren’t interested in playing by Luthor’s rules. Forming under the leadership of Scandal Savage and her enigmatic director Mockingbird, Catman, Deadshot, Ragdoll, Parademon and Cheshire set out to undermine Luthor and his cohorts in their nefarious schemes.

In the world of comic books, superheroes reign supreme so it is rare to come across narratives focused on the foes they face. Gail Simone’s Villains United combines an eclectic mix of rogues with suspenseful twists and witty comedy. There is an air of mystery about the narrative and Simone keeps the reader guessing. The characters are multi-dimensional and Simone masterfully fleshes out all six members of the team. Chemistry is palpable between the characters. Parademon and Ragdoll share a unique bond while there is some rather brilliant underlying sexual tension between Catman and Deadshot. Simone specifically places a focus on Catman and rescues him from the D-list by re-inventing the character as an expert tracker with the sculpted physique of a Greek God. He shines brightly over the course of the mini-series and acts as the linchpin for the narrative. Another standout character is Cheshire. She is devious and deceptive, playing the role of the femme fatale to a tee. Her capricious behaviour and manipulative machinations make her a character the reader cannot take their eyes off of. While Simone has always been known for her solid character work, she fumbles a bit with some of the characters. Her treatment of Doctor Psycho is inconsistent with the then-recent portrayal of the character in Greg Rucka’s Wonder Woman. She also fumbled with Scandal Savage. The character, while interesting, deserved more attention than she ultimately received. The reveal of her being Vandal Savage’s daughter was haphazard and random, in essence de-emphasizing the surprise element to it.

Dale Eaglesham’s art has its moments of brilliance. The way in which he illustrates Cheshire is nothing less than spectacular. Her slick hair and revamped costume are great but the grin is the best as it distinguishes her from the others. It’s also a nice little nod to the Cheshire Cat. Eaglesham does a good job differentiating many of the characters and most feel like unique individuals. Catman stands out with his flawless physique and Deadshot with his swashbuckling appearance. Unfortunately, the art also looks rushed at times and certain panels lack the details other panels are brimming with.

Villains United is a fantastic prelude to Gail Simone’s critically-acclaimed run on Secret Six. Her character work is incredible and she is to be commended for the way in which she re-invented Catman. The chemistry between the six main stars is palpable and the narrative itself is intriguing. There are some minor issues here and there but ultimately they do little to detract from the overall story. For anyone who enjoys villains or loved Cheshire in Young Justice, this is a must-read mini-series.

Grade: B+