Artist of the Week: Mariah Carey

Already having multiple No. 1 albums and singles, Mariah Carey is gearing up to release a new studio project "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" in U.S. on September 29. A number of powerhouse producers from Christopher "Tricky" Stewart to The-Dream were lined up to help her making smash hits.

"Obsessed", the lead single from the upcoming album, drew controversy when it came out. Containing lyrics "Why are you so obsessed with me/ Boy I wanna know/ Lying that you're sexing me/ When everybody knows/ It's clear that you're upset with me", the song was believed to serve as a response to Eminem's track "Bagpipes to Baghdad", which dissed Mariah and her husband Nick Cannon.

The rumor of her firing back at Eminem got persistent when she portrayed a male stalker looking like the rapper in the music video for "Obsessed". However, the rumor was put to rest by both Mariah and Nick. Mariah said she is "NOT at any point in the video playing a specific person" because she was "dressed as a 'stalker' in 3 different ensembles." Nick, meanwhile, explained that his wife was influenced by Lindsay Lohan's movie "Mean Girls" when she co-wrote the song.

"Obsessed" only peaked at number 7 on Billboard Hot 100. Though so, it managed to secure the top spot on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Songs chart. One of its remix versions features a collaboration between Mariah and rapper Gucci Mane.

The second single from the album is titled "I Want to Know What Love Is." It is a cover version of Foreigner's 1984 ballad track of the same name. Since being released in mid September, the single climbed to number 66 on Billboard Hot 100 and is expected to make huge jump when the album is outed. A music video for the song reportedly is in the works and will be debuted sometime soon.

Recent news suggested there will be at least two other singles from "Imperfect Angel" which will be released aside from "Obsessed" and "What Love Is". They are an up-tempo jam called "Ribbon" and a ballad track entitled "Angels Cry".

A follow-up to 2008 "E=MC²", "Imperfect Angels" itself will feature ads from upscale brands like Elizabeth Arden, Angel Champagne, Carmen Steffens, Le Metier de Beaute and the Bahamas Board of Tourism. The album experienced several pushed backs in its release. After being moved from August 25, 2009 to September 15, it was once again delayed to September 29. Though Mariah didn't share the reason behind the postponement, it was said that she felt very nervous about Whitney Houston's comeback album "I Look to You" which was dropped in U.S. on August 28.