Mariah hits right notes in return to big ballads

MARIAH CAREY “Me. I Am Mariah … The Elusive Chanteuse”

Grade: A-minus

Mariah Carey is at her best when she feels like the underdog.

It’s a tough mindset for the her, considering she was crowned the top-selling female artist of the last millennium and has more No. 1 singles than any other woman.

After several high-profile delays and changes of direction, Carey heads back to her musical sweet spot on “Me. I Am Mariah … The Elusive Chanteuse” (Def Jam), big R&B ballads that show off her powerful voice and its stunning range. While Carey, in recent years, has been concerned with sounding timely, on “Chanteuse,” she goes for timeless, with grand results.

She opens with the lovely “Cry,” which should send fans of “Vision of Love”-era, melisma-loving Mariah into a swoon. She tackles George Michael’s ballad “One More Try” by adding a new layer of emotion with her high-flying vocals.

Carey hasn’t abandoned her love of hip-hop production, but she’s opting for a more laid-back approach this time. On “Dedicated,” she pays tribute to hip-hop’s heyday with Nas, but settles into a ’90s-style groove, while “Made It Look Good” feels like an early Kanye West production. Her duet with Wale, “You Don’t Know What to Do,” floats by on disco-era breeziness. Even the new single, “Thirsty,” manages to be strong-willed without being aggressive.

It’s a balance that may be elusive to many, but Carey has nailed it once again on “Chanteuse,” her strongest effort since 1995’s “Daydream.”

CHER LLOYD “Sorry, I’m Late”

Grade: B

Cher Lloyd arrived in America in 2012, a brash pop-star-in-training discovered on the British version of “X Factor” by Simon Cowell. On her sophomore album, “Sorry, I’m Late” (Epic), Lloyd, 20, has clearly grown up, getting married to boyfriend Craig Monk and splitting from Cowell’s label. Her single “I Wish,” featuring T.I., is the bridge from her first album, still sassy and slightly unpredictable over a ’70s-styled beat. The sleek, emotional Kelly Clarkson-influenced mid-tempo ballad “Sirens” is another nice surprise, showing a more serious side. Unfortunately, most of “Sorry” doesn’t hold up. It’s well-crafted but devoid of personality – a shame, considering Lloyd has such a winning one.

Hot song

The new Linkin Park single, “Guilty All the Same” (Machine Shop/Warner Bros.), is stunning in its toughness, more like they created a new genre (rap-prog? prog-rap?) than continuing on in the rap-metal hybrid they helped create. As cool as Linkin Park’s heavy, heavy guitars sound, though, this song belongs to Rakim. “Record companies killed me,” he rhymes. “Try and force me to stray and obey and got the gall to say how real can real be.” And that’s just the Long Island Music Hall of Famer getting started. He knocks this out of the park.

Also new in stores

Neil Young’s “A Letter Home” (Reprise)

Owen Pallett’s “In Conflict” (Domino)

Sharon Van Etten’s “Are We There” (Jagjaguwar)

moe.’s “No Guts, No Glory” (Sugar Hill)

Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison’s “Our Year” (Premium)