Mariah Carey’s road to a comeback in support of her fourteenth studio album has had a rocky ride, but luckily things are starting to improve (as opposed to looking up). The first official single from the release comes in the form of “#Beautiful” (hashtag required) featuring R&B crooner Miguel. With Mariah finally taking a break from her #ineedarapperoneverytrack movement, “#Beautiful” brings out her true singing talents. The song was jointly produced by Miguel and Carey and features the two trading verses over a smooth, vintage soul inspired beat. Initially, the song may seem as if it’s a leftover from Miguel’s debut album ‘All I Want Is You’ with an added Mariah verse, but the formula works very well for the seasoned vet. “#Beautiful” follows the also beautiful “Almost Home”, which served as the theme song from the 2013 film ‘Oz The Great and Powerful’, written and produced by Stargate. Mariah’s annoyingly evil laugh (2:12) has become a signature on all of her newer material as of late and it’s sad that an artist of her vocal caliber has to result to such tricks for mass appeal – despite how good the song actually is. The video pays homage to Mariah’s #butterflyroots but with a tad more slut infused into the finished product. Donning a yellow piece of lingerie and bent over like 7:30 (*looks at clock*), Mariah wiggles, pseudo-twerks, and stiffly gyrates for an unwilling Miguel, who is probably picturing Nick Cannon’s face on Mariah’s body. I’m not really sure where the video was supposed to take Mariah’s “lambs”, but the song itself is a true gem. Watch and download Mariah and Miguel’s “#Beautiful” below.

Download HERE.